Consignment and resale and thrift shops love discounting… or rather, we are smart enough to know our customers love “outsmarting” us by “finding the deals” in our shops.
And using coupons is one more way we can help our customers feel smart. An X-dollar-off or a percentage off
coupon is a great way to let your shopper feel empowered
… and a great way to keep your business on the top of her mind.
She loves you when you hand her a coupon for a future date. She gets excited when she can print out out… or “say the magic word” from your web site. She adores that you sent it to her in email or posted it on Facebook.
And we feel so professional, knowing that handing out coupons for future use will not only serve as advertising, but will allow us to track where the redeemers saw our offer, which lets us track where to spend our energy and budget on advertising. It’s just like discounting, only it can be more focused, it is perceived as a special deal for our favorites… and it’s
so effective at getting new customers in and creating word of mouth.
So with all that going for coupons, are you up for creating a weird one?
A Creepy Coupon.
Yes folks, you can use a coupon offering a deal on Halloween costumes (as defined by the buyer: if she says she’s wearing those black pants and that striped T to be a mime come October 31, she gets to use the coupon!) and/or home decor (she’s putting candy corn in that bowl, sure, use your coupon!) Have fun calling it the Creepy Coupon or the Suck-a-Buck.
Hand it out starting now, until October 31, and your coupon will serve yet another purpose: telling folks that yes indeed,
Halloween is alive and well in your resale shop.
Who knows, they may bring their ghoulfriends to shop for their outfits and props, too!
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
Miss Kate–I am getting my ducks in a row to start a bridal and formalwear consignment so I am taking notes from you! My question to you is this–do you have the same advice for high-end resale? I’m still trying to decide if coupons are a good fit in bridal consignment. Thanks so much!
Hi Resale Newbie, Everyone loves a bargain nowaays it seems… so I don’t think the use of coupons is determined by “high” or “low” end. But you are right to question whether coupons wrk for bridal 😉 I would venture to say that NO BRIDE EVER said “Thanks for complimenting me on my dress and would you believe I saved 20% with a coupon? You should totally get married so you can use a coupon too!”
I have mixed fellings with coupons.. The retail dr says not to use them and especially don’t use groupon. The customer will always expect coupons.. And it will cheapen your product value. So what to do? Give or not to give? IMHO
Oh believe me, I too have mixed feelings about couponing… especially constant couponing! I agree with all the arguments against… but alas, the public has been trained to expect, demand them… and to feel that without a coupon (or discount or FBC advantage), usually ANY price is too much.
I think the only way to combat the negative aspects on your business that come with couponing, is to make darn sure you have the POSITIVE aspects well-planned-out and USE those aspects to learn more about your clientele.