Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged accepting, buy-outright, selling on January 24, 2011| 2 Comments »
Your consignment or resale or thrift shop may have some dregs of winter merchandise left. You really want to get rid of them because spring…in a retail sense of course…is just around the corner. But before you turn your back on those 90%-off racks, consider them a tool to refine your business. These underloved unsold leftovers can be (more…)
Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged advertising, blogging, perceived value, selling on January 23, 2011| 2 Comments »
I was thumbing through a clothing catalog the other day and came across this description of a pair of pants: one of the pluses of this garment, a feature I was sure to love, a reason to buy these pants, the copywriter wrote,
Here’s what Andy Sernovitz had to say on the subject:
Focusing on what you don’t have, don’t waste, or don’t use can set you apart. When Amazon decided to do away with the extra plastic and oversize containers, everyone was talking about what their “Frustration-Free Packaging” didn’t have. If you’ve got an efficient advantage that removes unnecessary excess or saves time, highlight it and help people talk about it.
The Lesson: Great conversations can sometimes be about what you don’t sell. (read the whole article)
“What you don’t have, don’t waste, don’t use”…how perfect is that focus, especially for the resale industry? Bet you can think of lots of POSITIVE messages about what your shop DOESN’T HAVE!
Posted in Shopkeeping talk on January 22, 2011| 3 Comments »
Looking for a way to get your consignment, resale, thrift customers laughing, chatting, and giving your shop 
great word-of-mouth?
Here’s how. Buy cinnamon red-hots, white and red jelly beans or M&Ms. Put a handful in a baggie (please use good hygiene and food-handling gloves.) Attach a store-branded little header or card with this little poem on it:
Couldn’t send you flowers. Candy wouldn’t do.
Mushy cards just don’t say the things we want them to.
So we got you something special, and here’s the inside scoop.
We found you something very rare – It’s genuine Cupid poop!
If you’d like, you can even buy a printable version of this poem. Just remember to add your store info, so when your cute gift is shown around town, you get some publicity!
Poop doesn’t do it for you, or for your clientele? Onward and upward, to a celestial presentation of the little love cherub:
Same baggie/ topper idea, but in this version, you put a tablespoon of red and white glitter and your message would read:
Toss a little pinch of Cupid Dust in the air when you need to feel some magic. It is a tiny sprinkling of love, fortune, and tenderness. Hope your Valentine’s Day Sparkles!
Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged perceived value, promotions on January 20, 2011|
.Always (more…)
Posted in Not-for-Profit Resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged daily operations, selling on January 19, 2011| 16 Comments »
Sure, you hear compliments constantly about your resale shop. “Everyone says it’s so cute,” says one 
shopkeeper. “People tell me all the time how neat and organized my shop is,” says another.
That’s what you need to hear. Now no one likes to hear the negatives. It stings. It hurts our pride. We feel it’s unjustified and a matter of their opinion… which, natch, we don’t share.
But until you know (more…)
Too Good to be Threw is the flagship site of the TGtbT Family of Sites for the Professional Resalers
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 