Here’s the pay off in Freshening up your shop, after you’ve managed Step 1 and Step 2 and Step 3.

Sell it!

Now that you've done all the work of stomping on the grapes, it's time to celebrate with a little bubbly and a whole lot of shoppers!

Once a new manager, new sales team, or new owner feels like there’s some significant upgrading of the consignment, thrift, or resale shop visible and working,

it’s time to sell the shop

… as in sell it to potential customers/ suppliers. This will involve not only advertising and social media outlets (you have been blogging, all along, about the progress you’re making, the positive WIIFM changes you are working on, right?) but press releases, public relations, and creating events and promotions to fuel word-of-mouth. Now’s not the time to be modest about all the hard work that’s gone in to the shop, and now is most certainly not the time to sit back and wait for your clientele to discover what a great job you’ve done in  turning around what might have been a less-than-perfect business.

Taking an active part

in local promotions is essential as well. This is an area I see neglected over and over again. Does your shopping area, perhaps, have a monthly Third Tuesday late-shopping night? Don’t just “participate” by being open: give established and potential shoppers a real reason to visit. It could be as simple as a once-a-month clearance sale of OD items or as elaborate as inviting local authors to a book-signing party.

Inviting your neighbors and resale peers over to see what you have done, whether one-on-one or at an evening reception, is vital to getting the word out around town that

an established player is back in the game and looking good.

Anyone who can become an advocate of your shop/ your mission, should be escorted around your newly-revitalized business. Columnists, local bloggers, hair stylists and trend-setters: treat them to a tour (and a glass of champagne to celebrate?) and your Freshen Up Campaign will really pay off! Freshen up the photos of your business on your web site and in your broadcast emails as well (don’t hesitate to recruit some happy browsers) and then concentrate on our Three for Glee customer service suggestions.

You’ll be amazed at what the 4 Steps to Freshening Up Your Shop can do for the perceived value of your merchandise, from humble to haute.

And what that can do to your bottom line.

Add your stories of how freshening up an aspect or two of your shop helped you thrive. We’d love to hear!

Want more? Here’s the Final Checklist for Consignment, resale, thrift shopkeepers who aim to freshen up their shops.