Auntie Kate The Resale Expert

You can’t deny it…more and more shoppers, buyers, and consumers are exploring the retail options of consignment, thrift, and resale shops (for an explanation of how these differ, see Too Good to be Threw’s Shopper Info.) Now’s the time to take the time to nudge these newbies into becoming enthusiastic and loyal resale shoppers.

Great ways to cultivate these new relationships:

1. Make these new explorers yours. Ask if they’d like to know about your sales events before the general public, if they’d like to be on the invite list for special events, if they’d like to receive special deals. When they say yes, add their contact info to your list.

2. Then DO something about the fact that they have trusted this information to you. Send a thank-you note. Yes, a real, honest-to-goodness ink and paper thank-you note. It’ll cement your business reputation as something out-of-the-ordinary in their minds.

3. Make your shop, and that newbie’s experience in it, something out of the ordinary as well. This can be as simple as a red back wall, washed in track lighting, with knock-your-eyes out merchandise drawing them back there. Or as simple as staff in ticking carpenter’s aprons, shop logo front and center, and a “Wardrobe broken? We can fix it” slogan. ANYTHING except Ho hum another used-stuff joint.

4. Remind the world that you’re there. Ask any resale shopkeeper you like what’s the most frustrating thing they hear from the public on a weekly or even daily basis. Answer: How long have you been here, I never saw you before? You must, must, must keep your name in the forefront of their brains. Advertise, advertise, advertise. Everywhere and (just about) anywhere. Send out those press releases, Get your shop’s name on the Internet in every way you can. Get it known in your community…heck, sponsor a stretch of highway if that’s what it takes.

5. Give those “resale virgins” a slew of reasons to buy secondhand. Some they’ve thought of (save money!) and some they kinda suspect (Save the earth!) But what you’re doing is feeding them socially-acceptable lines.

• I prefer quality.
  
• Can’t see myself shopping at big-box stores.
  
• Heck, once someone’s tried it on at Saks, it’s as used as this.
• Why would I want to dress like a mall rat?
• My little shopkeeper keeps an eye out for [fill in the blank] for me.

6. Get them to help spread the word. They get invited to a special event. They get a real piece of mail in the mail. What a spectacular decor in that shop! Oh, yes, look, here’s that shop I was telling you about, in the paper. Why, this little bauble? Yes, I have a special salesperson who really knows my taste….