An article in The New York Times on “brand authenticity” has me thinking about consignment and resale shops and the Shop Local campaigns.
Here’s the ending quote on a discussion of what authenticity means to the consumer, and I think it sums up what we, as shopkeepers, could take more advantage of than we perhaps do:
“It’s storytelling,” Ms. Bédat says. “It’s people getting to feel that connection and wanting to be part of it.”
What kind of story could YOU tell about your business? For example, the shop I founded will have its 40th anniversary in 2015, and here’s the building’s local history:
Now that’s something people would value: authenticity, time-honored, heritage… what is it about YOUR shop that would make potential clients feel that they’re dealing with, perhaps, an artisanal or traditional part of their local area? Participating in a time-honored “rite” of your community, affecting the well-being of your town?
Are you telling YOUR authentic story?
Read The New York Times article.
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
I once took a picture of the oak-lined drive leading to what was once a plantation (and the inspiration for my shop’s name) and posted it to Facebook with the story of how Swing Along Kids came to be. The post generated the most action of all my posts last year. People LOVE to connect and be a part of the story. Thanks for writing this!
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Great to hear, Julee! Until you get your web site up and running, why not re-run that photo/ story again (and again and again… you KNOW how few people actually end up seeing a post on FB!)
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