Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged NARTS Conference on June 27, 2008| 5 Comments »
(If you’re just arriving here at Auntie Kate’s Blog, we’re in the midst of a mini-series. Read our beginning message.)
But it is a real problem for some folks. They forge ahead with a policy or procedure in their resale or consignment shop without projecting forward and examining what they have just set in motion. If you plant pole beans, (more…)
Posted in economics of resale, I've been meaning to tell you, Shopkeeping talk on May 29, 2008| 1 Comment »
This time, it’s The New York Times that has brought up a subject that I’ve been meaning to talk to
consignment and resale shopkeepers about: cheap clothing.
Prices for new clothes have gone down.
So what does that mean to a store owner whose main marketing (more…)
Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk on May 26, 2008|
Lord & Taylor has an alert press agent. How do I know? This article. Go read, then come back.
Oh good, you’re back. Is that not the PERFECT press release to send to their “local” paper ( just happens to be The New York Times!) for Memorial Day? Its odds of being used by the editorial staff are much higher on Memorial Day than, say, July 18 or March 3.
There’s a lesson for us consignment, thrift, and resale stores here, we of the DIY public relations: Time your stories to match a topic the editors will think their readers will be interested in.
BTW? Your next window of opportunity involving (more…)
Posted in economics of resale, I've been meaning to tell you on May 22, 2008| 4 Comments »
Recently I’ve been mulling over the role of ATTITUDE in the resale industry, well any sort of retail, not just the secondhand division.
So many consignment shopkeepers just seem to dwell on the “latest bad news” that I have been throwing up my hands in frustration, knowing that (more…)
Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk on May 7, 2008|
Gloom and doom. It’s what sells so it’s what the media reports. It’s what people love to gnaw over around the water cooler and p*ss and moan about. How stupid can the government be? Have you heard about that resale shop that closed and took all the money? And Who knows if I’ll have a job tomorrow and who can’t afford to buy a house and on and on. (Keep reading, we’ll get to the piggy banks soon.)
No wonder that your customers, the few who manage to get up the enthusiasm to come shopping, are down and gloomy. And if YOU, as a retail shopkeeper, buy into the doom-and-gloom, what are you offering these poor beleaguered souls? More of the same. It’s a truth you need to have posted in your brain:
So do what you need to do to create an oasis of good feeling and ease in your shop. Sound, scent, sight, AND FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, do not talk trouble and strife. And if a customer starts to, derail her.
You can change your customer’s focus by saying something as simple as “But, you’re smart… to shop here and save…” while handing her a piggy bank. Who can be gloomy around a fat little pig? Pretty soon, you’ll be known as “the piggy bank store”… heck, you could even advertise:
Feeling blue about your budget? Come let our Piggy-Bank-Approved goodies cheer you up. We’ll even GIVE you a piggy bank to stash your savings in!
Can’t “afford” to give away a $1 piggy bank? (I’ll leave the lecture about you-can’t-afford-not-to for later!) Give your clientele a reason to feel good, whether it’s a peppermint, upbeat music, or a smile. Give them as many reasons as you CAN, every day and in every way.
Wear red. Bustle about as if you can’t WAIT to have fun with her. Play bouncy music. Post positive messages on your social media. Soon, you’ll have people coming in just to feel good. And what do people do, when they feel good? They shop!
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Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 