It’s Wacky Wednesday again!
All you have to do to be entered into our random drawing is add your helpful comment to this post. What’s your thought, your idea, your angle on today’s topic?
Today’s topic: Broadening your Shop’s Appeal
One out of ten consumers shops resale. That’s right: you could double your sales if you could make your shop appeal to another 1 out of 10 shoppers. Share with us your plans or actions to broaden the appeal of your shop by commenting here, and you could win:
A $50 Gift Certificate for any Products for the Professional Resaler or choose a Treasured Sponsor Listing thru 6-30-10 at our consumer-oriented site HowToConsign.com.
This prize is proudly sponsored by Encore Ltd. of Canton Ohio, a long-time supporter of TGtbT and its mission to assist all resalers in making their shops be all they dream it can be!
Add your best suggestion on today’s topic here on this blog.
Entries must be received by the following Sunday midnight. One entry per person please.
What happens next: If the minimum number of replies is received* we’ll choose the winner randomly and announce it on Monday. If there aren’t enough entries to award a prize, no prize will be awarded. *The prize is only given away if at least 20 shopkeepers enter. So Facebook, Twitter, email, or even call your resale peers and encourage them to enter.
To recap: Check Wacky Wednesday on Wednesday. Add your contribution here (not via email, not on Twitter, not on Facebook, not even on Sharing!) and make sure your industry buddies do too. Enter by Sunday.Check back Monday to see if you’ve won.What could be easier?
Last week’s winner, of the business book best-seller Why We Buy, was KerriR.
How are you broadening the appeal of your shop?
Update 1/25: The winner’s announced!
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
I utillize the heck out of social media. I have manniquins in my windows that all have their own unique personalities and dressing styles. I take them on excursions to other independent businesses and events in our town. My customers relate to them and I have had enormous positive response.
My target market initally was 25 – 50 year old women. I had a mens rack and two childrens rack with my store being 90 percent womens wear. Well the men began flocking in. So I had to change my outlook and began to expand my mens wear section. I am now 35 percent mens wear, 5 percent childrens and 60 percent womens. The men are loving the value and the personal attention I lavish on them. I am also getting a mens manniquin to do my story lines..
I am now offering a seniors day on the second wednesday of the month. This allows me to capture the mature adult market.. I really truly believe that you need to flow with what is selling so I can adjust my wares to the needs of the public.
Also I totally agree with the post above stating you have to be nice, I aim to create an awesome shopping experience for all my customers and am known as the store where salsa plays and values are to be had and you are alsways greeted with a smile and positivity.
Thanks for listening
Shannon
I have been saying~ Shop Smart~ Shop Resale!
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[…] on January 25, 2010 at 8:20 am Wacky Wednesday: How are you BROADENING your customer appeal? « Auntie Kate The Resale Expert […]
I have a childrens and maternity store, and I have heard many people describe it as a baby store. Sometimes people are suprised to see the selction of maternity clothing available or they didn’t realize there is also toys/books/video. This is a little irritating since I have clothing up to teen sizes and always let people know what items are in the store. I have decided to make sure people realize all the different items that are available. I am displaying different types of items in the windows and getting the word out through advertising just how much variety there is!
Hi kate,
I am in the process of opening up my store.
ThIS is what has helped me get going.
I talk to everyone (I am no shy birdie here) even there dogs LOL!
When I am at the grocery store if there is a women behind me I always start saying what a cute baby and start asking questions and let them know about my shop coming soon and HAND them my “Business Card” I tell them I am collecting Spring & Summer at the moment and they say whow that’s GREAT I will let all my friends know about you. I do this at the
Gas Station While pumping gas
Starbucks (They all know me) LOL
Tanning Salons
Day Care centers ( I have found mothers will meet me after dropping off there children or after they pick them up. It saves them time. I am a BOR This is how I have been buying my items.
Mothers will meet while running there errands it works better for them and I get great items.
The most important rule is #1 I am the nicest person. It is about them NOT me! I need there business more than they need me! Always be as nice as you can. I am not stuck on myself! I have people say you are just to Sweet! They say I always bring a SMILE to them and do I ever get down. If I do, I keep it to myself. I am a HAPPY gO LUCKY Girl! But then again I love people. You have to if you want to ~sell
Also I had flyers made up at walked every neighborhood and put them on there doors. I carried a small box with me with my scotch tape and the flyers and my cell phone (Just in case) And met alot of people that way. I walked area that were not near my store and let them know that I can pick up the items also. They were exicited.
I opened my consignment and resale store on October 2, 2009. It has been the best thing I’ve ever done (besides having my kids)! I worked for months reading (TGTBT by our very own Kate), visiting stores and collecting ideas, renovating an old home into a business…everything I did was a learning experience and I am STILL learning. However, the biggest lesson of all I learned recently. On January 13th, 2010 my store burned to the ground. I was working and had two customers in the store at the time. Within six minutes the entire house was totally engulfed. My consignors and I lost everything. Luckily and most thankfully, no one was injured and we all got out safely. First, have an emergency plan for escape AND second, make sure your insurance adequately covers the contents. Mine was woefully inadequate and we were lucky escaping as we did…so check your policy and have a plan. I am hoping to re-open in a new location in spite of the loss. It is a great business and has truly been a blessing to me!
Thanks to Kate for helping me to succeed!
I am going to the Las Vegas off price show , kids show, and magic show, to see if I can find items that aren’t in this area!! I want different!
I am also going to send flyers in our ad bag ( I did really well with this when I first opened 8 years ago) directing towards new consignors. There are still way too many people who don’t know we are here.
I had my car lettered and although I’m not sure how many new customers are coming in because of it…I do know that one of the hockey moms came in with 2 of her friends and she was quite impressed (never been in before) she said she saw my car and made her curious about the store, took some cards and will be sharing with her fellow teachers who happen to be pregnant 🙂 I know it’s working.
I am also cleaning out the basement to make room for our new home decor…not the prettiest down there but we’ve got the room, might as well use it.
As a new shop owner, I have spent a bundle for racks hangers etc just to open. I have alot of positive responses from my customers so I ask them to let there friends family and co-workers know about us and that seems to be working out pretty well, alot of my customers were told by word of mouth! Also my three adult children and thier spouses have also started letting thier friends know about us from thier facebook and myspace. I love seeing the positve remarks from thier friends. Mostly I love knowing how proud and supportive they are of me! I also have began to advertise in our weekly newspaper right under pictures of those who have been arrested that week, everyone in this town looks at the arrests. I love my shop Urban Attic!
I have made available my playroom available to local groups to use for their meetings. I have an Autism support group that will be starting in a couple of weeks. They are planning on meeting at 3 different times on 3 different days. This will be a mutually good arrangement for both of us. They need a child friendly place that can be consistent/yet flexible in the items that are available to the group of the day, and it will bring be in some New faces to impress. I have also been advertising on a New and very popular grocery store receipts( no luck yet, but hoping soon). They are located next to the New Goodwill in town. I have also just advertised in a new coupon clipper magazine(there are already 2 others, but they all come out at different times). I just yesterday completed a free website at wix.com. I am hopefull that the combination of things will bring in lots of new faces.
The Receipt tape coupons ended up working well, I did that for about 2 years. I am now trying the Order dividers. Since this post I have also added a Real website http://www.kidstuffdekalb.com. The boost in the online scene has stopped/intrigued more people to come in.
We are a non profit thrift shop located in a downtown church with customers coming mainly from our diverse immigrant and inner city population. We have increased our customer base by putting an ad in the local weekly Pennysaver newspaper. The cost is much less than in the daily paper and it is delivered by mail to every house in town. This way we reach more people at lower cost. Everyone is looking for a bargain these days so more households are taking the time to read the Pennysaver to see how they can save money–and, there we are.
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We are doing all we can to help boost our local community and use the stores as a place where people can connect on various levels.
Free participation in our shop local packs, pop-up shop within a shop contest for area business/entrepreneurs, sell-1-thing for Haiti to help people help relief efforts most productively….
Our local newspaper, like so many, is not doing well and is now charging to read it online. It’s circulation has plummeted along with it’s decision to cut out most of it’s community and business reporting. This has only increased people’s feeling of ‘not belonging’, not knowing ‘what’s going on’ etc.
We are listening hard and doing what we can to help – and it is also helping the business. More new people coming in and more people becoming regulars. Not only is our merchandise continuing to be new and fresh but what we are ‘doing’ in the community is as well and that is being noticed and appreciated. Our customers, in turn, our giving us some great new ideas of other things we can do to help them.
We have a women’s/furniture shop and are renovating now to move our children’s shop into the same building.
Interestingly, a lot of shoppers do not cross over but I’m confident that they will once we’re all in one space.
We carry a mix of new and consigned goods in all 3 departments. This time of year, our NEW swimwear brings in many, many, many people who wouldn’t otherwise darken the door but there isn’t anywhere else in town to buy a swimsuit for their winter holiday. We put a swimsuit on our manequinn outside and she brings new people in every day.
Just picked up a neat book “Pow- right between the eyes!” about Surprise marketing. Plan on spending more time “on” my shop than in them this year:) I’m looking forward to surprising new consumers every day in 2010! (in a good way)
I will be adding swarovski crystals to my inventory. Adding sparkle to everything is the in thing in our area!!! I will even be offering to affix the stones to their garments, purses, bows, etc for a small fee.
We are planning on adding cloth diapers very soon to the store. We hope it will bring a brand new customer base into the store and it really fits in well with the recycling and green aspects of consignment. We also just bought a huge supply of bows which people have been requesting we get for months.
I am just about ready to open a children’s consignment store! I love the “bible” I ordered a couple weeks ago and keep referring back to it – thanks Kate!
As far as broadening the appeal, I plan to host a focus group next week with local moms so I can get to the heart of what they want in a store. I have heard time and again how most kid’s consignment stores are based on what the owner likes/wants to do. Having a focus group will allow me to make sure I appeal to my target customers!
Instead of just offering layaways we are really going to start advertising layaways on all the counters and around the store. I thnk this will help encourage people to buy and not wait until payday.
In one of our stores we are looking at renting space out to someone that wants to do mens clothes. We seem to have alot of men asking, but it is not something that has really appealed to me. We will see how it goes then maybe try it in all the store. We already do Womens, Kids and Antiques might as well add mens.