Have your say!
I invite you to “comment” to this post if there are ideas and concerns you wish to share with your consignment, resale, and thrift peers. I do hope, as well, that you’ll answer the concerns of others here. You can even choose to reply to a specific comment (old or new) if you want to add your viewpoint.
See? Auntie Kate clicked “reply” to answer Tissa (so did Rene), and tpresson “replied” to Rene. (Click the graphic to enlarge)
Our industry is all about helping others…
as we would wish to be helped. The latest comments are at the end of the list, and you can “reply” directly to ANY comments, new or older by clicking the “reply” word directly above the poster’s gravatar/image.
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Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
I take things on consignment, and we carry mostly Women’s clothing/shoes/handbags/etc. & Home Decor, Small Furniture, and we also carry a limited amount of Children’s and Men’s clothing. I have a 4,000 sq. ft. store, and about 1,000-1500sq. ft. of that is my back room/storage space. It has been nice having that large storage area, but I don’t necessarily NEED all of it. I have been considering maybe using a majority of it as a ‘bargain den’ type area, where I would have maybe the lesser expensive items (not that my store is expensive or anything)! There are double doors separating it from the sales floor, so it is easily accessible and I just think have that extra floor space could help boost sales a little…? Any advice on the idea, or maybe pros/cons anyone can think of would be appreciated!
i am opening a childrens consignment store and want to know if it is better to do a boys clothing section and a girls clothing section and a neutral section or is it best to group everything together by color and size?
We’ve found it better to keep the clothes separated by gender. Parents of little boys don’t want to sort thru all the pink and purple shirts! If something is gender neutral, we put it with boys because we get less boys stuff than girls.
We separate by boys and girls, but also have a gender neutral rack since we get a lot of expectant parents (and family members and friends of theirs) who don’t know the sex of the baby, or don’t want to know.
How would you want to shop? Would you want to look through mens clothes while you were shopping? I think it is safe to separate them. Ours are separated by gender by we don’t have a section of the store that is all girls or all boys. We have it mixed based on what works best in the store. For example we put toddler sizes by our playroom and big kids farther away from the playroom. We also put younger kids where we are able to put double racks and bigger kids on single rounder racks.
On my FACEBOOK page I posted a Pac n Play that I just got in, described it posted pics & price. I had one customer asked a couple of questions which I answered then another customer posted that they had a Pac n Play, no pics posted as I have the settings so that can’t be done but they described it and asked the previous customer if they wanted to buy theirs. They continued with this conversation for 6 more postings with the exchange of a phone number to contact. This happened over a 5-10min period. I did delete the postings as I have done in the past.
I have had this happen a few times with different things, which I wasn’t as quick to catch because someone people post at all hours. I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and how they handle it. Do you delete the postings? Do you say anything? I personal think this was rude for her to try to sell her Pac n Play on my FB page. But I at the same time I don’t won’t to create a bigger problem.
OMG that makes me angry. Please politely explain on your page that business conducted on your page is yours and yours only. You can not allow others to conduct business on your page for obvious reasons.
Would they walk into any other store and do this I think not. Maybe a private phone call if you got the number or a email explaining this. If don’t put a stop to this it will keep happening because you allowed it. Good Luck.
Karen, Brand New To You
I actually had this happen IN MY STORE!! A consignor walked in my door bringing in items to consign and overheard a customer asking me if I had any exersaucers (which I didn’t at that moment) and she took my customer aside and sold her the exersaucer she has just brought in to consign with me!! I was LIVID!! And she then had the nerve to ask me to consign the rest of her stuff!!
Hi Janeen!
I am a social media manager for resale shops and I have yet to come across this situation on our pages. So, I think this is a really great topic to explore!
If you overheard two shoppers in your store having a conversation about this item and they decided to bypass your store and transact with each other, how would you handle it? Online is a different experience, but it is an opportunity to showcase why your store and its customer service are so awesome. Having the FB page allows you to observe conversations that your customers have with each other, so keeping the thread alive might behoove you in the long-run, even though it is appalling that someone would swoop in to capture their own sale using your site.
Sometimes, injecting a little humor or having a light-hearted approach plays well for you, too, so posting something like, “Hey we are happy to bring our customers together! So-and-so, why not consider reselling your item with us?” That allows the person to delete their own posts if they discover the error of their ways or they might provide an answer that is worth considering. It is also possible that the two already have a relationship and it was by chance one had this item to sell to her friend.
Good luck and let me know how this situation progresses!
If someone posts on my site in order to sell something then yes I delete it, be miracle anti-aging cream or a pak n play. My site is not there for others to sell things on. It was completely rude. I think you just delete the posts much like you would other spam.
If they are in my store doing this I let them know for liability reasons I am not able to allow these transactions on my property. There is so much liability related to selling children’s stuff. Nothing is going to be sold on my property if I don’t know it is safe. That extends to my facebook page.
Leaving it there just encourages others to do it. Maybe a nice email saying that you are happy to sell it for them after you ensure its safety, but until you ensure the item is 100% safe and not recalled you can’t allow a sale to one of YOUR CUSTOMERS on your business site.
I whole-heartedly agree with Wendy that using another’s FB page to promote a home business or something unrelated without asking your permission first crosses a line. I believe that the customer was acting inappropriately as well. I like Wendy’s safety angle, because it’s based in honesty and truth.
I’ve had someone promoting a holiday gift show on a page and while the owner and I felt it did nothing to promote the business, it did reflect the values of the store (shop local and enviro-friendly). It would have also chaffed the post-er and she is one of our greatest brand advocates. There is also the rationale that these posts get stuffed down in people’s feeds so quickly, so the attention will quickly dissipate. Not that it should be ignored, but carefully considered, which it sounds like everyone is doing. I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with contacting the offender directly through a private email with a gentle, polite reminder about the purpose of your page.
I think it is rude and maybe they didn’t even think about it at all. What I’ve learned is that when a customer interacts with my business in any way, it is usually for their benefit. They are not trying to hurt you or your business but rather they are there to gain something and it’s almost impossible to change that. The best way to confront any customer in a positive manner is to show them that you are concerned for their well being and trying to help them get the most out of your business….An example is when people come in to sell items to us. I have not had a single complaint about the amount offered. I may have had about 5 people decline my offer and I always explain to them my decision and then offer them ways that they can sell their item to make a bigger profit if they decline. Then they know that I have their best interests at heart and they trust me. As for the customers on your page, I would leave a comment in that thread so that they are notified, and tell them that they cannot conduct business on your page for liability purposes and that you do not want others to view their personal info because your page can be seen by other users who are not fans and that they should communicate in private on their personal pages to protect themselves. Maybe create a post about keeping children safe from potentially dangerous recalled items by purchasing from your business because all your items are carefully inspected and approved or something along those lines. Hope that goes well. I would be really mad and have to wait a day to respond 😉
Since I deleted the postings between the two customers that were brokering a sale on my FB page I can’t really email or contact them directly. I think I know which customers they are but if I’m wrong I would be really embarrassed, plus since I’m a page I can only see what they list as available to everyone and I didn’t see contact information for them and for some reason FB Pages can’t instant message, at least I don’t see a place to do this.
I love the response of interjecting humor as the deal is happening which will work great if I caught it as its happening. But with that in mind I have thought this over for a few days and wanted another opinion.
I have come up with a statement I’m considering posting. Not sure I should even do this; it might come across wrong and alienate people. I wanted it to sound light and friendly but I just don’t know. Plus will it really make any difference, once the posting is past a few days no one will read it anyway. Would love some input.
Possible Posting:
Just to let everyone know since this is Business Page all Postings can be viewed by anyone on FB at any time, so I encourage you not to leave any personal information when you Post on this page, (Examples email address, phone number) We also wish to ask you to refrain from soliciting personal Sales as everything we sell is covered under our Local & State Business License which means we have Safety Policies and Business Procedures we must follow
Hey Janeen – here’s a shot at what you’re wanting to post. I would recommend putting this in the “Info” section of your Page. Feel free to use it and tailor it to your satisfaction.
|||Hey Glamour Seekers (or some fun salutation suited to your market)! While I know Facebook is a social meeting place for all of us, I wanted to keep the spirit of fun alive on “Shop”‘s page. With that in mind, please understand that any solicitations of personal sales will result in the post being deleted. This is not just to protect ourselves under local and state business license guidelines, but to protect you as well. We hope you understand! Please contact me any time if you have any questions or concerns.|||
Hope that helps!
That’s Perfect, I Love it!! Thank you so much for putting into words exactly what I was thinking. It’s friendly, light and to the point.
I will title it to my type of store and post.
Thanks Again:)
You’re welcome! What’s your page so I can “like” it?! 🙂
I am putting together my frequent buyer cards and just need a quick clarification: we want to encourage sales of a certain price point…so if do the 20 dollar level for a 20 gift certificate and some one has a 40 dollar sale do they get two punches or is it 1 per sale for a minimum sale of 20? I think that will need to be clarified on store signage.. If say I jsut sold a 200 fur do they get a gift certificate right then…what do you all do as the standard? thanks.
Hm….I’m already confused. I don’t really understand. Anything I have to explain to my customers, I try and streamline so that it is easy to understand and remember. People hate to have cards in their wallet they know that they will never fill out. They will just throw them away unless there is an excitement about it and it is easy to fill out. You do have to tailor them to your business. My maternity store is mainly clothing so our card has 10 spaces and you get a punch for every $10 that you spend. You get 15% off your next purchase after it is full. The excitement and WOM doesn’t come from the discount. Some customers use it towards such a small purchase. It’s the excitement about getting the whole thing filled out FAST! We give out double punches on TWOSday because it is one of our slower days 🙂 A lot of moms fill up cards on Tuesdays and it’s great. The reason I chose this method is because I want them to talk about the cards to other moms, I want them to be excited to get their card filled out BEFORE they have their babies 🙂 So really it works for us but I believe it needs to be very simple. When a customer checks out you should be able to give them the card and explain what it is in one sentence. If not then they may have stopped listening to you and just throw the card away later which is costing you $$. My customers usually give me their punch cards before their credit cards LOL….hope you find what works.
Yes, if you give a punch for a $20 sale, and someone buys $40 worth of items, they expect/ should get 2 punches. And yes, if it’s a $200 sale, they get 10 punches, and if those 10 punches qualify them for a gift certificate, that’s worth (with their permission of course!) a celebratory photo for your site/ blog/ bulletin board: “Fiona W got a FREE $20 gift certificate from us with only ONE purchase! Ask us how you can, too!”
Of course you CAN make any regulations you like since it’s your store… but weigh public reaction. If I get a punch for a single purchase as long as it’s $20 or over… that’s kinda a “visitation” card, isn’t it? Will that arrangement do what you are setting out to do… which I assume is helping nudge your average sale from UNDER $20 to over $20?
Which leads us into another TYPE of promotional event… where the participant gets a punch or whatever per visit… say a “Weekly Wardrobe Wrangler”… and a reward based on a minimum of weekly visits over a specific length of time is set. (For 229 MORE Promotional Events, see http://tgtbt.com/shopgrow.htm#14 )
Hope all this helps, Kerr!
I am wanting to conduct a survey of my customers to find out what they like and don’t like about my store. I need to know what they want to see more of, less of, love, hate, etc. I know I’ll need to have a thick skin for some comments we may get, but so be it. I’ve been in business for almost 18 years, but I still need to figure out what people want as times change.
Has anyone done a survey, and if so, how many questions should I limit it to? What were your best questions–that is, what got you the most feedback? Did you ask pricing questions? Any help I can get here is most appreciated!
Thank you!
The problem with this is you are not going to get real results, as the customers who care the most won’t put in their opinion. You need to find out the answers by running reports, paying attention to what sells and just talking with your customers and consignors. Trust me, you can find out so much more by watching your reports and talking to your customers. Do not let your guard down by running such a survey, it will lead your customers to think that you are uncomfortable with what you are doing. You must always lead your customers to think that you are sure of what you are doing. Not sure, change and see what the response is. If you were working for someone else would you say… hmmm I don’t like what I am doing so what do you think I should do… Probably not, you would wait until they comment the other way. Be confident in what you do and leave your decision process to reports and verbal comments.
There is the Customer Survey Kit on out Layouts page, of course: http://tgtbt.com/layouts.htm Even if these are not exactly what you want to ask your clientele (suppliers, sellers, customers, donors) they will give you a heads-up on what to ask and how to evaluate your reples, and MOST OF ALL, compliment and get the most WOM out of any survey you use.
I agree with Diane. The only surveys that I do contain questions like “how did you hear about us” and maybe ” what classes are you interested in” or “what was your must have maternity item” . As for pricing, I hear the comments from customers themselves :), i have adjusted pricing on items in small unnoticeable amounts to see what my customers will pay. When items fly off shelves then you may have some room to increase, if items are sitting you may need to decrease. BUT…that isn’t always the case. Sometimes if an item sits it could be a number of other things….prices can also be too low. Increasing prices can sometimes add value. I’m going off subject. Anyway the surveys in the past that I have done, were on my website and I tied them to printable coupons. I have great engagement with Facebook fans (I think many business owners forget this area and are just concerned with getting more fans) and I ask a lot of questions there. Asking customers how you can better serve them is a great way to let them know that you have their best interests in mind. The Internet has limitless information and you can do the research yourself as to what are hot items and pricing comparisons. Do not forget to browse other local businesses as well! Best of luck 🙂 18 years is wonderful! I’ve only been around 18 months…
I agree with the others. What specifically do you want to know that is actionable. If they say you are too expensive are you going to reduce your prices? The real test of that is whether the items are selling or not selling, not necessarily what someone is going to answer on a survey.
Maybe after you figure out the specific info that is actionable create a staff program to get that information out of real live customers they are talking. Otherwise if you are going to do something on Facebook I would keep it very simple and specific.
I’m betting after 18 years you know pretty well what they hate. You probably don’t need a reminder of those. And I’m sure you know this too but if I asked people what new products they want to buy they would tell me, “all-natural products made in America” or “unique” products. But when it comes down to the actual purchase that is not what they buy.
Henry Ford’s son Edsel Ford wanted to move up in Ford Motor Company and have a more pivotal role. Henry gave him the task of designing a new car. Edsel went out to the people had them fill out surveys, and he did a countless amount of interviews to find out EXACTLY what the people wanted in a new car. He gathered all that information and with it he built the Edsel car. It was a family sedan with all the wants and needs of the American public.
It Bombed. No other car in the Ford line in the history of the company has had such low sales figures as the Edsel. Moral to this story…Don’t give the public what THEY want, it is our job to TELL them what they need. Trust yourself and your experience to make your store a success.
“If I had asked my customers what they wanted they would have said a faster horse.” –Henry Ford.
I am looking into software for my resale shop. I am a buy outright shop and I am hand writing all my tags right now. Was wondering everyone’s opnions on which is best?
Thanks!
I use Liberty. Yes, it is more expensive than some but it has great reports. You can pull up almost anything you want to know about what categories are selling, etc. It takes a lot of thought to set it up initially but it will make your job a lot easier in the long run.
I hate to put this on this feed as Aunty Kate promotes a different software. However, I have been using BCSS Diamond for 3 years, and it is wonderful, inexpensive and gives you all the reports etc of the more expensive ones. In the past they had a Customer Support issue, however with Joy from Enjoy Encores on board their customer service has improvedf a great deal. This purchase was the best 1K I ever spent.
Diane, I have no idea where you got the impression that I promote any specific computer software. I DO NOT RECOMMEND ANY SPECIFIC SOFTWARE over another. On my Links Page, with the various links I have there, I specifically state: (Note from Kate: The above software programs are companies which are known to me and which have a proven track record as reported shopkeepers. If a company you are considering is not here, it could be because they have not made a showing in our industry, they have not told me about their product(s), or they have received glaringly-negative reviews from shopkeepers. The companies above are not guaranteed or warrantied by TGtbT.com of course; this listing is simply here as a courtesy. Make your own choice by trying their demos and following my guidelines in the Manual; I cannot and will not “recommend” one over the other.)
And why don’t I? Because, as stated in the manual, once you have operated your shop long enough to know which features you need, you can make a short list of software that has those features. The final step, though, is an intensely PERSONAL choice. It really hinges on which software “thinks” like you do… which makes more “sense” to you.
I am envious of any shop owner that has software! I would love to have it but can’t afford it right now. I still plug along manually. It’s getting more time consuming, but I manage.
Sorry, I for some reason thought you were directly associated with a specific software. I then received an email later in the day yesterday where I see the statement. I would like to say that I would like to see you giving BCSS a plug in your software. I have been using BCSS for three years and would be happy to recommend it to any shop owners out there. They can start with an inexpensive setup and upgrade as they have more money. I have been using Diamond for three years and love it.
I use ConsignPro and would recommend looking into the other companies. The Customer Service is terrible and the manual does not help when you have a problem. Wish I would have done more homework before I purchased it.
What are some great ideas for a sale for a children’s consignment? What can we do to bring more traffic? Thanks
Is a sale going to bring more traffic? How will people know you are having a sale? You will need to advertise. My suggestion is to hold some sort of event, if possible. We are having a coupon class in our store this weekend, publicized on facebook (my friend is a major couponer and has a faithful following). Or a class? How to make your own baby food, massage for babies, etc. Just a thought. Otherwise try a bag sale, or have a winter clearance.
We had a wine tasting through the Traveling Vinyard yesterday to go with our end of season sale, what a great success. Mom’s need time away and what better way.
Please tell me how you secured a wine tasting in your shop…would love to do this…have been planing a First Friday type event…were the first Friday of each month I would stay open later and perhaps offer some specials or sales for that happy hour crowd (5-8) would love to ad something like this, but did not want to have hire a caterer to do it.
Hi Kerr,
Having a wine tasting in yoru store really depends on your state liquor laws. I”m in Virginia and the state charges for every taste of wine or glass of wine served plus a liquor license is involved too. So to make this easy for me I just call a local vineyard…here in Loudoun County Virginia we have tons of vineyards, they come in with everything including licensing and liability insurance. Since I’m advertising it as a FREE wine tasting to get people to come to my store I don’t want my customers to have to pay for it. The vineyard adds up all the tastes and glasses they served during the event and I pay the bill. If you don’t have a vineyard in your area contact a speciality gourmet food & wine store sometimes they have a wine tasting license too. It’s a fun night and the worry is off your shoulder of the legalities
The Traveling Vineyard is a Company that hosts parties similar to Pampered Chef. The website is http://www.myttv.com.
I stopped by another local shop to meet an owner the other day and it reminded me that I’ve wanted to pull together all the local owners to meet.
I’m not sure what that would look like though. I don’t really want to do it at my shop because it wouldn’t feel neutral enough. I think there will be those who come with suspicions on what my angle is.
I thought it might be nice to have a speaker but I’m void of ideas that would be appropriate.
Has anyone done something like this in their local market that has worked well. I’d estimate the invite list would be about 15 (kids) shops.
The goal – I think it would feel good to most of us to have that camaraderie and I’d enjoy being the cause of that. Really, more personal than business but of course it has its business advantages.
I think it all sounds like a great idea. I would love to be a part of something like that. I would definitely find a speaker, someone who would benefit from the meeting as well. Maybe your accountant to talk about financial things, a marketing rep from a publication you advertise in (as long as they are clear that they are not selling but able to pass out cards), someone from your chamber of commerce or small business development center.
The hardest part would be getting people to participate. If you can make it worthwhile then it will grow. Talk about something like advertising as a group to save on cost. Maybe talk about getting a brochure together to pass out to customers mapping out all the resale shops in your area 🙂 This is an idea that I have wanted to get started for some time now.
I wouldn’t touch babies or kids bracelets with a ten foot pole from a liability stand point. Choking hazards and lead are the big issues particularly coming from unlicensed crafters. We do not take in second hand jewelry for children.
We do sell silicone teething jewelry. If you have a great maternity audience you may have some success with adult jewelry.
The problem I’ve found with jewelery is that people like to steal it. We had hair clips in a bin on our front counter and the amount pilfered caused us to not make any money at all on them.
I second the experience that Sweet Repeats has had. Handmade doesn’t go anywhere for us either. My shoppers just aren’t willing to pay $25 for a knit hat when they can get the same hat in the same store for $7 gently used.
I still take in items on consignment that are unique in function (not look) and high priced to test them out.
With that said your market may be completely different than mine.
We are a children’s & maternity resale store and we have people bringing in bracelets and necklaces to sell in our shop(consignment or resale) that they’ve made. Do you sell baby/kids bracelets and other jewelery? Do you sell hand made items of this sort? Do you have any sources to puchase wholesale?
Thanks for any help…
I take in handmade things and they are still right where I put them 6 months ago. They just don’t sell, so I am not taking them anymore.
Hi, Kate and others! I would like your suggestions and thoughts on my current situation. I am the only shop in town that is a “true” consignment shop. We carry clothing, furniture, decor, and vintage/antiques. Recently, several other resale shops that are more like flea market types have started taking in consignment. My shop’s split is 50/50. The other shops are only charging 25% which is very appealing to some, of course. However, our shop is much nicer, displayed very well, extremely busy, and we tend to get higher prices for like items because of these things. I know and understand these important points but it’s hard to make it clear to a customer just seeing the huge percentage difference. The other shops also allow the consignor to price their own items and basically have no guidelines such as length of consignment, etc. Also, the other shops do no advertising or marketing what so ever. As of right now, I don’t feel threatened by these shops but I certainly don’t want to discount them. Do any of you have any thoughts as to what I can do to ensure that we continue to be the best option for consignors?
We discussed this in our staff meeting this weekend. Here are our thoughts and plans: We are computerized which seems to impress consignors-no one else in town is. Customers seem to trust us because of this. We will be adding the added benefit of earning more on consignment by using store credit. Many consignors often spend their proceeds in the shop any way. We also are focusing on customer service by being the very best, by always being problem solvers even when it’s not necessarily within our “job description.” (A couple of the other shops have a reputation for being hard to deal with.) We are expanding our consignment days to 5 days a week. Previously, consignments were accepted 3 days a week. We will change the focus of some of our marketing to focus on the ease of consignment and percieved value of items that our shop can bring. Of course, this is the short list of what we discussed. Does anyone else have any thoughts? Thanks in advance!
Staci Risher
Nifty Vintage & Consignment
All good points, Staci…as long as you REALLY emphasize these over & over again to potential consignors. I mean REALLY…. in every ad, social media, website page, bag stuffer, DR signs…
Isn’t it funny how “computerized” is a big selling point? I remember when we first started using software (the 1st or 2nd yr it was even available!)… just because the shop name was printed on each tag, customers remarked “oh you have your own tags now!”… like we’d been using Macy’s tags before then 😉
Point is, use the points that people respond to, like “computerized” and “24/7 access to your account” (if you offer this.)
I especially like to point out to people that 50% of a good price, say $30, is $15… but a poorly-run, no-traffic store might offer you 75%… but they won’t be able to sell the SAME thing for more than, say, $10… the consignor getting $7.50, “OR ONLY HALF of what OUR expertise will make your items worth. worth.” But that’s a hard sell, and “75% of what/ 50% of what?” is kinda a belligerent statement… so maybe sticking to a “your items will sell for more in MyShop because [bullet points]” is best.
Wondering today and haven’t thought this out completely but I thought someone here may have some experience or thoughts?
I have a very expensive opportunity to reach my target market. It is a mailing to people with newborns and those who have babies turning one from an organization that they joined and has a high level of trust and excellent brand.
I thought sending cash would be a great idea. I’ve seen this discussed before and this seems like a really good application. By cash I mean $5 gift card.
For a kids store this is a great target because they are have newborns and one year olds and we need to keep getting new customers as our good customers outgrow us. So, if we can impress when they come in and I strongly believe we can then they have great value.
I figure (off the cuff) maybe a 50% response rate. Who doesn’t use free money in a shop where they know they can find something? The people that wouldn’t come are those who think used is just disgusting but of course we offer new as well and they could sell items to us. There are also some folks that might be too far away.
Assuming 50% return it looks like a cost of about $16 to get that targeted and potentially valuable customer in our store. That seems really reasonable to me.
There are many other things included as well, monthly facebook posts, two newsletter articles and more but the real value is in those mailing.
Would you do it? My other question is about the gift cards? Is it necessary or could just do a postcard saying it was worth $5? It seems the gift card is more tangible and portable.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Hello Everyone,
Catching up here. I get a little confused with all the posts, and my laptop at my shop is a MINI 😉 so it’s even harder to view everything plus it’s real slow. Been open now almost 17 months and it’s growing steadily which I view as a good thing. Looking at receiving an award at the State Capitol this month 😉 I have actually been thinking a lot about expanding this year. I have not thought about it in detail but rather am going with my gut ….it hasn’t failed me before. My thought is to start off renting some space in another children’s resale store in the city. For those of you I haven’t met, my shop is primarily BOR MATERNITY. My shop right now is about 30 minutes north of downtown. Totally different demographic downtown(exciting! higher end brands I love it) I wouldn’t have the $$ to just open up another shop but I have a lot of demand in that area and get a lot of customers from there but they would shop more frequently if they were closer to me. I haven’t gotten far into the thought process yet but wanted to pick your brains and see if anyone else is doing this 🙂 It would be temporary to test out the waters for a little while until I could afford another location….I don’t like missing opportunities. I would rather fail than not try but I do my research first (You guys are my research 😉 Thanks in advance for any input
I soft opened my consignment shop Revolve a few weeks ago and am planning a Grand Opening and Ribbon cutting in conjuction with the Chamber of Commerce later this week. I was wondering what some of you ahve done at your grand openings, do I have sales or a give away? Do I have alot of food or be low key? I am open to any ideas. Also one other question- as I have been taking in items I have been using the general rule of thumb of 30% of orginal retail price when pricing most items…but I am questioning…for items like jewelry and other accessories do you still us that rule of thumb…seems like since the wear is not the same as clothing that I could ask I higher price…also vintage and antique items…still use the same rule of thumb. Thanks for any ideas and advice.
Kerr
Hi Kerr,
Congrats on your business! How exciting. I would not have any type of sale during a grand opening. I try not to have too many sales period except when needing to clear out some clearance and seasonal items. What I found worked great was to tell everyone what a great deal your items are and how everything is on sale EVERYDAY! Also, communicate to consumers the vast variety and quality of your items and that shopping frequently will find them the best stuff.
I think that a giveaway would be great. Maybe find a non-competing local business that draws your same customers and ask if they would donate a giveaway for your grand opening. They may even be able to advertise it for you to their own customers. I do a lot of cross promoting with shops in the area and it works wonders! I have had photographers donate sessions, salons, artists, massages….I also donate prizes to other local companies that are more established to help get my name out 😉
Hi Kerr, Think about the goal of your Grand Opening. I assume it’s to get people talking about your business, to make your shop stand out from the crowd and to encourage word-of-mouth? Perhaps even to attract media notice?
Honeyb is right: promoting your new business by marking down items on which you’ve set the price just doesn’t make sense. Why would a shop “admit” that their prices NEED marking down to be incentive? Will giveaways or “alot of food” accomplish your aim with this event… or is there something else that will get folks talking about the new shop in town? Even if you have to delay things for a few weeks, I think you can make a bigger splash than the average “Grand Opening” of any business.
There is no general rule of thumb of any percentage of original retail price (heck, there’s no such thing as “original retail price” is there?), so be guided, instead, by what a specific item is worth to your clientele, in your town, at this point in time. Don’t be afraid to charge more for something that is in more demand. That’s the whole “law of supply and demand” 😉 !
Best wishes going forward on your new adventure!
I’m just catchin’ up here, and maybe I’m missing something but sales of our Christmas/Holiday sweaters rocked this year. We put them on a 4-way with some matching bottoms, put a big sign that said “Holiday Sweaters & more…”, and that was all she wrote! We didn’t call them gorgeous, ugly or anything else – just what they were. We always are listening to our customers and what they want — and let’s face it, “Ugly” Christmas sweater theme parties were the rage last year and even bigger this year. In my book, that makes them “IN” style. Kim and Wendy, I know you’ll think I’m crazy, but in one of my October/November E-Mail newsletters, I actually put “Christmas Novelty Sweaters” on our “Things our customers are asking for”…list. Got in a total of 83…sold 77 and that’s not counting the “beautiful” red/green plaid pants, skirts and other “holiday” printed items. Average selling price of these sweaters was $18…
FWIW – Just another point of view for an issue I missed here on “Open House”. 🙂
We have a small T-rack of Christmas novelty sweaters. Like anything else, we listen to our clients and if we find there is demand for something, we try to give it a shot. There is huge demand for these sweaters – we make no mention of “ugly” of “gorgeous” — they simply are on display – and the only ones I have left are the simplest, “nicest” ones! I know this post is after Christmas (sorry!) but I don’t see this as a one-season fad. I had lots of college-age kids in here looking for the sweaters, and almost every one of them walked out with other items.
Kate, 2.5 years into the Consignment Business, the biggest point of advice I can give anyone is start a Diary…. I only wished I started it earlier. The Diary allows you to see your busy time of the day, week or month, it assists you with running sales, and scheduling staff. But most of all today it made a light go off… I offer free gift wrapping, which at times can be quite tough due to the busy time of the day. Therefore, I know during this week of Xmas I am the most busy in the afternoon, so I will start allowing customers to pay for their order and pick it up the next day, this will allow me to do the wrapping in the morning when I am slower! New Years Resolution is to be sure to write in my diary every day, and if I miss writing in it, put why so I can be prepared the next year. By the way, I also include the weather in the Diary.
Almost ready to open our store. Didnt know for tax purposes which would be better to open before end of year or wait till 1st of 2012? Help
What would I do? I would call my accountant and ask for advice
Great question to talk to your CPA/ tax advisor about. S/he will have better info than we will, especially because the answer could well depend on a variety of things such as your business structure, personal finance situation, even your local.
If you do decide to open between now and January 1, use this time to get yourself comfortable with operating your shop on an hour-to-hour basis… don’t expect big crowds right now, with so many devoting their time to shopping at places they know.
Good luck with your new venture!
well we have decided to wait, so we dont have to file taxes twice. and now our racks are on back order. what type of racks do everyone use? I have a long narrow space so really wanting to use standards that attach to wall or outriggers . has anyone found good prices on these?
Hello Everyone! I am days away from signing a lease agreement to open our first Children’s consignment/Boutique shop. Like propbably most, we are sooo excited but scared too! From Everything I have read, ( Thanks Kate and Everyone else on here!) I believe I have found a good location, but I thought I would ask all the experts their opinion. We found a 2700 sg ft shop, located in a historical down town, population is about 18,000….Attached to the building is: a all Natural Baby Boutique, Dentist Office, Tux and Bridal Shop, ( NEW), Women’s Boutique and a Ballet. There is the City park about 1/4 mile from the location. I know there are so many factors that will dictate the Store’s success, but how does everyone feel about these shop’s surrounding the business?? Is it worth the extra $400 a month to be in a downtown area with these types of surrounding business, or would it not make a big impact to be a few miles away from these shops? Help! 🙂
You didn’t tell what the other option is–the lease you are about to sign. From what you said, the mix of businesses sounds good for a children’s store, but we would need to know the location and type of setting for the other place. Are there more businesses there to draw more people to you? A few blocks can make a big difference in a business. Let us know more details.
oops…it says Bella09 above.That was me. Jen 🙂
Kerri-
The lease we are leaning towards signing is the building in the main down town area of the city. It has about 14 businesses attached to it. It is the location I described above. Some of the surrounding businesses are: Bridal and Tux Rental, Ballet Studio, Dance Studio, Women’s Gym, Dentist,Women’s Boutique,Hallmark,Mexican Restaurant, Children’s Boutique ( store carries mainly organic and all natural children’s products, unique gifts, and host Baby Showers). The City also closes the street a few times a year and host special events, which fills the downtown with people. We have, The Manual and have done alot of research and believe these are strong surrounding businesses. Our main concern is meeting our monthly budgets. Do you feel these are strong businesses to have near us?Do you think they will help support that extra $400.00 a month, plus the extra cost of renavations inside the building, as well?We would also have to invest more money renovating the inside of this buliding then the other building. We are leaning toward this buliding beacuse of the surrounding business. Do you think we are making the right decision?
The location down the street has a cell phone co, and an Insurance Agency near it. It would not have nearly as much foot traffic, but would be visible for people driving into the down town area.
We appreciate your help,time, and advise.
Jen-
I think the downtown location sounds better for a number of reasons. You have a nice mix of businesses and restaurants. Closing the street forces people to walk by your shop. Lots of foot traffic–which is a huge plus! The location with the cell phone company and ins. agency does not sound like businesses that are going to help attract customers for you.
As far as the extra $400 per month–if you break that down to a daily amount, it becomes much more doable. If you are open 6 days a week, and your split is 50/50, you really only need to sell abut $31 extra per day to make that $400 in rent. I would think the foot traffic alone will bring in more than that.
I know you are planning a children’s store, so one VERY IMPORTANT thing to consider is your parking. (I have a kid’s store so I’m speaking from experience here) Mother’s do not want to have to schelp their stuff a long way to get to you. They don’t want to have to park on the other side of the street, in the snow or rain, and try to cross the street carrying the baby, holding onto the screaming todder, the exerscaucer and a big of clothes. So make sure you have good parking!
I wish you the best of luck with your new venture–it’s lots of fun!!
Kerri Radicella
Childish Things
I know this is late, but I’ve had a Maternity and Children’s shop in a Downtown for over 12 years now. I have Never regretted it. I like the neighborly aspects of the independent business owners. And the Festivals and Events that bring in Bus Loads of people cant be beat.Many of these people come back through out the year, and tell their friends who live in the area.
“Ugly Christmas Sweater Debate” The first time a customer came in my store and asked if I carried ugly Christmas sweaters, I looked her square in the eye and said, “Ma’m I don’t carry ugly clothing”. I have never carried ugly clothing Christmas or any other time of year; I pride myself on carrying in-style mall labels that are sought after by all of our shoppers. With so many people asking for ugly Christmas sweaters should I re-think my decision not to carry ugly Christmas sweaters? Then my mind goes to …. if I put up a 4-way with a sign that says “Ugly Christmas Sweaters” and one of my consignors sees their beloved sweater that is too small on them now on a rack that says “Ugly” ARRRGGGHHHH! Then if I just mix them in with the regular sweaters people will think I now am carrying any old thing and will argue with me more when I won’t accept their 1990’s big shoulder pad fuzzy sweater. I can hear it now…”You have other old sweaters out there why not mine?” What’s your thoughts should we carry ugly Christmas sweaters to make a few extra dollars at the holidays or stick with our guns that we only carry in-style current clothing?
IMO for all the reasons you pointed out it is a bad idea. If you wanted to make a few bucks you could always take them in and sell them on Ebay where they can go for big bucks. Or possibly buy them low and keep them stashed away and only pulled out for the people who are looking.
Happy Holidays. Now off to my own search for the most hideous of holiday sweaters!