One of our consignment/ resale shopkeepers was feeling rather down, and she insisted that
the ONLY thing motivating (her) customers was price.
I disagreed.
Here’s what I took away from a public forum on “why shop resale“, and
how a savvy shopkeeper could use this info to communicate with potential clients.
Here’s what started the thread on Sharing, our Resalers’ Discussion Board at Too Good to be Threw, TGtbT.com.
And below, if you feel moved to comment, are YOUR thoughts.
I’ve been in the process of helping Real Simple magazine get an article on shopping consignment together (if all goes as planned, HowToConsign.com should be in the May issue!) and been doing a lot of pondering about cheap, inexpensive, value-priced … and how consignment shops can get the most for their consignors and, of course, themselves.
And finally, here’s some “cheap”…i.e. free…ways to increase what YOUR resale customer is willing, no, more than that, THRILLED to pay.
Think about it, before that May issue hits the news stands!
Are YOUR customers motivated solely by cheap? If not, what else makes them spend?
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
If you read the latest polls by the National Retail Federation, the ‘great recession’ has those in their latest nationwide survey responding that their greatest consideration, and what they care about most, is currently price. Both customer service and convenience fall waaaayy behind.
That said, however, I personally don’t believe that their poll applies to us (ha like the Democrats) as much as a determining factor for ALL of our customers.
The thrift we run’s customers are one segment of the market and they very much care about price. The other two consignment stores? One is definitely all about selection, quality and customer service. The other is about selection, price and customer service. We only have a 6.2% unemployment rate. Other store’s customers and markets are all going to be unique to their local economic situation.
I’m a big believer in ‘you create your own reality’. If you THINK your customers will only patronize your store if your prices are cheap – that’s the only kind of customer’s you’re going to attract. Same with customer service. If you think that’s what is most important to your customers – that’s what you’re going to attract. I’m currently working on putting out thoughts that we attract sane, rational people that are decisive and spend money easily on what they want without a lot of fussing over them – and frequently! Haha!
I also personally believe that for the people out there with money they are willing to spend, one of the biggest factors for them is getting the quality and things they were previously unable to afford, taking advantage of all the steep discounts that have been going on in ‘real retail’. By being even pickier than ever, keeping our quality up and our ‘used’ prices in line with discounted ‘new’ retail we’ve gained a lot of new customers. The customer service is an extra – we don’t aim to be a ’boutique’ (gosh I hate that word now) – we aim for fast, efficient, friendly and fun in that area.
My customers are shopping for the unique, unusual and down right different that my shop can offer. There are the occassional shoppers that only care about price, but that is just one class of shopper. The true shopper is looking for something her friends don’t have in their homes. That is the customer I am looking to garner.
Don’t worry about the “cheep skate”, or the bargain shopper, they tend to be fickle. I want the gal (or guy) that knows the value of a dollar and how to make it stretch.
I think many of my customers are motivated by price, but I think that alone doesn’t keep them coming back. I think they want a place to shop where they are comfortable, treated well, and can have fun when they shop. I have learned how much my customers appreciate being spoken to by name. They love that we know who they are, that we pay attention to what kind of things they like, and are thrilled when we pull something out that just came in and show it to them because it made us think of them. Many of my customers have become true friends and know how much I appreciate them. I would like to think that matters as much as price. I know that although I definitely love a bargain, I gladly pay more for a better experience.
Everyone loves a bargin but our customers expect exceptional service. Customer service is often overlooked. We keep our customers coming back for more.