A phrase has been on my mind for a few months now:“Dusty musty thrift store.”
It’s most often used by journalists but it reflects what so many (as many as 9 out of 10) people think about used, secondhand, thrift, consignment, resale shops. Now maybe you, as a resale shopkeeper, would like to think that “dusty musty thrift store” is no longer true. That the public no longer thinks of our industry as sub-standard. But in your heart-of-hearts, you know
there’s a vast difference between “new” stores and “used” stores.
.
Without peeking at the store signage or the price tags, every one of us can tell, just by looking around, whether a store sells new or used. My question, and what I’ve been trying to put my finger on, is
What’s the difference?
.
Is it the tattered signage or the messy paint job?
Is it the lack of concern for basic comfort? These dressing room doors can't even fully open because of the narrow aisle.
Is it that the store, even if neat, is just plain boring?
Or is it that the vast array of items and styles...which we shopkeepers think is a PLUS...just confuses and deters shoppers?
And yet there are consignment, resale, thrift shops that, even on an austere budget, “look like new stores.”
Paint is inexpensive...whimsy is free. From Little Specialty Shop.
A place to sit and try shoes on that's not just serviceable, but pampering.
No one could call this display boring. Doesn't it make you want to find another spot in your home for a clock?
Constantly arranging and rearranging incoming in a pleasing manner looks better, helps browsers, and increases perceived value
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
[…] a start: https://tgtbt.blog/2010/10/10/whats-the-difference/ and a little mini-series starting here […]
One of the best compliments I ever received was from a friends husband. He owns a successful restaurant chain and just paid $13K for his dining room curtains. He walked in and looked around and said, “Is this used furniture, really?” He then proceeded to find a comfy sofa, sat down, and fell asleep.
Being successful is hard work in any business. I totally agree with Ruth. Merchandising and display is the key. It takes a lot of back breaking work to keep it interesting. I love it when I’ve spent most of the day decorating table tops only to find that I have to redo them because half of it sold the same day. It does matter.
I was in a resale store in Northern Michigan this past week. She had great stuff. A good mix of old and new but I couldn’t get down the isles. Don’t you love it when you turn around and your purse takes out half a table top crammed with stuff? I couldn’t have reached most of what I saw. With the exception of what is hanging on the walls, the customer should be able to pick up anything that interests them. If they get it in their hands they are more likely to carry it to the check-out. If you don’t want them to pick up certain items them put them in a lighted display case and make it tantalizing and special. It then gives you a good opportunity for interaction with the customer and to point out it’s finer points and make a sale.
One thing that most ‘regular’ retailers are aware of is the Americans With Disabilities Act. There are places in the US where you can be fined for violating it. When regular retailers design their spaces they do it with that in mind. I think that’s why people are not sure they are in a consignment store when they enter my store. I have isles wide enough for a wheelchair and I don’t cram things into tight spaces. It looks like regular retail.
One other thing on that note;I don’t sell everything under the sun in my store. I routinely tell people that I sell furniture, home decor, artwork, jewelry and purses. It helps to keep a focus which makes it easier to shop. The customers thoughts don’t go from finding a set of sofa pillows to seeing an exercise bike, and then trying to decide if her pillows are more important than her flabby thighs. I don’t sell dolls or other collectibles for the sake of collecting. That could be a whole nother store.(that’s Donna peak 😉 It also makes it much easier to merchandise like items.
As for the smell, if you don’t accept items that smell bad then neither will your store. If things start out clean then you will sell more items. I was in a children’s resale store recently that smelled like a diaper pail. I had to get out of there. Most young mothers noses are on overdrive. I always take a good sniff in the morning as I enter my business. I can smell cat from a mile away and when I find it, it gets pulled from the sales floor and returned to the consignor.
I recommend a book called “Why We Buy: The Science Of Shopping” by Paco Underhill. This was on the best seller list for many months and it’s funny and will make you think.
At Home Enhanced it is all about the decor display. Tables need a centerpiece or table setting, chairs are clear and comfy. We attempt to decorate so that every piece tells a story or helps our customers imagine a different way to use some piece.
We hear from our customers, they love the way we display and showcase our consignors items. It does mean we spend a lot of time moving furniture and redressing tables. But, a good day is when you just get the display complete and someone buys part or all of the display. Oh gosh, we have to come up with something else. Yahoo!!! we love that problem.
Our lighting is bright so you can see what is in the shop. Sometimes that means a corner needs a lamp lit to be sure the mood is set. We also use a commercial air freshener to set the mood. The favorite seems to be crisp apple. You notice the scent but it does not overwhelm, and it reminds our shoppers of home.
So musty dusty is just another way to say we have to keep re-educating our shoppers and consignors. The media will come around eventually, just takes time.
Ruth, thanks for your reply…and your last sentence is an idea-provoker…
wouldn’t a press release, complete with Susie Shopkeeper wielding a BIG feather duster and headlined “Getting the dusty musty out of secondhand” be a killer for your local papers? The basics of a press release here: http://tgtbt.com/katrinapressrelease.htm
(I really need to update that page!)
Thanks for getting our busy little brains whirling, Ruth!