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Archive for the ‘economics of resale’ Category

Just my opinion, but don’t you need pricetags?

Posted in 5- Minute Fixes, economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged , on February 23, 2013| 11 Comments »

Why don't consignment and resale shops post prices on Facebook?Would you put merchandise on the sales floor without price tags? Then pretend not to hear when potential buyers ask how much something is?

So why would you spend an hour taking photos of things you want to sell, posting them one by one on your business page on Facebook, and then

annoy the bejeesus

out of those followers who actually are intrigued by this enough to type a comment on your photo, by not answering? Think they’ll say, Oh poor thing, she’s so busy. I’ll just go to her about page and find the phone number and call her.? Or perhaps you’re trying to motivate her to change out of her bunny slippers, brush her teeth, bundle up the kids, find the car keys, and make the trip to your shop just to see if the price will fit in her budget? Ain’t gonna happen.

Be aware. Marketing online doesn’t work that way. If a potential customer (or consignor, or donor, or seller) doesn’t have the answer at the click of a mouse, she’s off. Gone somewhere else on the Internet.

And your chance to please her, to be memorable, is lost.

So, just my opinion, but if you want to sell something to someone on her e-devise: Include prices.

And some sparkling prose wouldn’t hurt either. And maybe even your phone number.

 

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Great shop. Wish I could remember the name.

Posted in 5- Minute Fixes, economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged , on February 10, 2013|

Consoignment shop goodies

Obviously, this is not the photo that goes with the real-life example I’m talking about. But it’s pretty, isn’t it?

Nice, colorful photo of a consignment shop’s wall display posted on the shop’s Facebook page with this message:

“Great summer tops — at  [name of shop deleted]”

Almost immediately, this exchange took place:

    • [FB fan, name deleted] Where ?
    • [shop replies] Where what?
    • [fan] I don’t see on my phone what store this is or where it is located. Thank you.

And the shop replied, politely, with the shop name again (notice that it was also in the original post.)

Now, admittedly, that fan with a phone was being a bit dense. But the shopkeeper could have helped out a little, with the simple addition of the shop name and/or address, URL, phone,

in the photo itself.

Add text to your photos. Too busy, you say, to alter the quick shot you took? To make your photos worth the electrons they’re printed on? Well, then, include a sign in your photo that has your shop name on it. Do something to make the effort you took to take the photo and post it, worth it.

Side benefit: The more they see your shop name, the less likely they are to send their friends to the wrong shop… ’cause they don’t remember your name.

Lesson learned: Leave nothing to chance. Or, they aren’t paying attention. (And there’s a Part 2 to this blog topic, ’cause it’s Important.) Or Let your merchandise speak for itself.

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Follow the TGtbT Family on Pinterest? If not, you’re missing a lot.

Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , , on January 27, 2013|

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? We all love looking at pictures.Sometimes, though, the

images might need a few words of explanation

as to WHY someone wants you to look at them. And that’s what you get when you follow Too Good to be Threw on Pinterest, so I hope you do.  A few little extra tips, hints, and ideas which might be just the thing to make your business all you dream it can be.

And if you follow HowToConsign.com on Pinterest, you’ll see what HTC is saying to your future customers and suppliers. You can even repin those messages onto your shop Pinterest boards, which is a 2-second way to improve YOUR business with no effort, thanks to the Sponsor Shops on HTC!

Here’s a handful of examples of what you might be missing over on our Pinterest pages:

What do these clipboards have to do with running a consignment, resale or thrift shop? A lot, perhaps. Click to see what I suggested…

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An easy way to polish your teen-oriented business within your community is suggested at this Pin. Click to see if it might be a way to raise YOUR shop’s community profile and reputation.

Source: data.whicdn.com via Kate on Pinterest

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Click the photo to read why this home-decor magazine photo can be very useful to your shop, no matter what you sell. Then after you read that Pin, read this one. Similar but different.

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And over on HowToConsign.com’s Pinterest, this single Pin has been repinned almost 100 times. I’m betting 80 of those people checked out the Consignment & Resale Directory while they were there, and here’s hoping they found out about YOUR shop there!

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Follow Too Good HowToConsign.com uses Pinterestto be Threw on Pinterest

Follow HowToConsign.com on Pinterest

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Let’s Make a Staff Selling Manual!

Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , on January 26, 2013| 6 Comments »

Employee manuals in consignment shopsI’m sure most established consignment, resale and thrift shopkeepers have two employee manuals around.

One about procedures and policies, and one about expectations for their jobs. Maybe these all-important publications are combined into one. That’s a good start towards having an effective crew of employees or volunteers, but it’s nowhere near enough to truly succeed.

Your business needs a “Staff Selling Resources” manual. Do you help your helpers by giving them the opportunity for self-education?

Here’s how:

First, get a loose leaf binder and some page protectors. It’s fun to shop for these, but if you are adamantly REUSE, or just cheap, post a note on your shop’s community board asking your customers if they have any of these to pass on.

Then, find materials that will teach your staff whatever they need to know about the merchandise you sell. Most of this information can be found on the Internet, and here’s some ideas to get your “Staff Selling Resources” binder started and to save you time, courtesy of Too Good to be Threw’s Pinterest boards. (As always, click to see the graphic full-size and read the helpful captions):

Helping a customer’s all about knowing what will work for her/him:

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A picture’s worth a thousand words, particularly if you have to explain what a houndstooth check looks like compared to a gingham check.

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Calling merchandise by its right name, or knowing styles and eras, makes staff more confident and helps them communicate with shoppers:

Source: stylinspire.com via Kate on Pinterest

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Your selling resources can even include styling tips, which help your staff show their professional expertise and impress their customers!

Source: Uploaded by user via Ana on Pinterest

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Many more Pins can be found here and here.

Do you have web resources that your staff find helpful? Share in the comments!

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Photo inspiration for resale shops

Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , , on January 16, 2013| 6 Comments »

Is this a fun way to show some consignment or resale merchandise? Truly inspiration for your next merchandise shots!

How to photograph consignment shop goods

Now THAT’s the way to photograph your goods. (Don’t worry, you don’t have to have a yard with tropical greenery. Maple trees work. As do chain link fences. Or even a graffiti-scrawled wall. Depends on your merchandise and your store’s image!)

See how much more wonderful those dresses look rather than

NOT the way to photograph consignment clothes

Nuff said? What are YOUR tricks for quick shots you take to post on your blog or on Facebook? Comment below and earn yourself some brownie points!

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