Really. We resalers coulda told you these retail truths, Big Box guys.

Over on my Facebook page this morning, I mentioned how consignment shopkeepers, resalers, and charitable thrifts  can learn from new-merchandise retailers. And now, here’s an article on how THEY have learned from us. Of  course, the resale industry isn’t cited in this article… I mean, can you see Costco or TJM giving credit to us “little” “mom-and-pops” “dusty musty”… as the press likes to refer to us? My comments in red.

Costco has been using the term “treasure hunt” for years to explain why up to a fifth of its stock is limited-quantity items that are in the store for as little as a week.

Way more than a fifth of our stock is  “new” to our weekly regulars. We use that fact for entire ad/ social media campaigns!

… Constantly cycling in fresh merchandise is critical as the Web makes it harder for stores to compete on price. After all, why drive to a store that offers “everyday low prices” when you can find the same products cheaper online? Surprises also create suspense and encourage repeat visits.

Which is why WE use swing shops, wish lists, rapidly-changing window displays and interior layout, and the Internet to make our shops a fresh shopping experience always.

…Sherry Lang, vice president of investor relations at TJX, says the company is focused on keeping trend-conscious customers as the economy improves. One advertising campaign features a real-world T.J. Maxx buyer on the prowl for hip fashions. “When I score, you score,” she says.

I’m sure you noticed those TJMaxx ads, like I did…and thought about how the message could be tweaked for consignment, resale, and thrift shops. “From the classiest closets of…” and so on.

The quick turnover creates a sense of urgency: If you don’t buy it today, it probably won’t be here tomorrow. When the economy tanked, TJX began cycling inventory through the store faster than ever before, Lang says. She believes that a rapidly changing assortment is the top driver of traffic, especially when stores are competing with the Internet.

Any mass-market product – think Jif peanut butter or Hanes T-shirts – can be comparison-priced online, and people tend to buy from the cheapest source. Increasingly, that’s Amazon.com or another Web retailer.

But the so-called off-price stores, such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, often pick up products that have been discontinued and sell them cheaply

Same point I mentioned in the FB message, and in my The Price is Right… or is it? workshop.

It’s nice to be right, isn’t it?