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Archive for the ‘Shopkeeping talk’ Category

What can a shopkeeper be for Halloween?

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , on October 8, 2010| 1 Comment »

It’s fun to plan a Halloween costume, but what can you work in all day long as a shopkeeper? You’ll be uncomfortable in that (more…)

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Enough with the questions, Auntie Kate. Let’s see some answers.

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged , on October 7, 2010| 4 Comments »

Since I can’t seem to ask a question without silently answering it myself, here’s what I would have entered in our Kate’s 35th Consignment Anniversary Celebration & Giveaway. Maybe some of these are new to your perception of your business; others may be feasible to add to your professional bag o’trix.

This is what I would have answered if asked “How (more…)

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The next rung of the retail ladder.

Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged on October 5, 2010| 7 Comments »

Resalers on the ladder to successAre you raising, and then re-raising, your standards for your business?

When I opened my shop, I didn’t have price tags. I cut scrap paper up into little squares, wrote the consignor number, size, and price on them, and safety-pinned them onto my merchandise. Part of the reason for this was (more…)

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Tell them they’re helping, not hurting, the needy!

Posted in Shopkeeping talk on October 4, 2010| 4 Comments »

This article ran originally in the NARTS newsletter, where I am a guest columnist.

I was chatting with a far-off friend recently, and he mentioned that he’d noticed how much attention the press has been giving thrift shops. I said yes, indeed, it’s a great way to shop, to save money and to be careful with our planet’s resources.

Great deals...for everyone.“Oh, I don’t shop at those places,” he said.

“I’d feel like I was cheating

the poor out of good buys. I can afford to buy new but they can’t so it’s not fair for me to shop there.”
John had the mistaken idea, as many middle-class-and-above people do, that thrift shops are in existence simply as “subsidized shopping” venues for the poor. These well-off folks think that by avoiding shopping in your thrift store they are doing good by “leaving the bargains for those who need them.”

While many not-for-profit shops do indeed see part of their mission as providing a valuable shopping opportunity for those of limited means, most shops also aim to make profits in order to provide other services to the needy. It’s important that well-off potential shoppers know this.

“Shopping at OurStore not only gets you deals, it gets you warm fuzzies: The profits from your purchases provided a safe place for mothers and children to stay for over 12000 nights last year.”

So if your potential customers do not understand that “thrift shopping isn’t just for the needy” , make sure they receive the message that “Our proceeds fund X and Y so we invite you to find the deals you deserve, for the sake of those in need in our community.” And make sure they receive this message over and over again.

I was able to conclude my conversation with John by saying, “Thrift shops not only are an inexpensive way for everyone to shop, and a great opportunity to re-purpose everything from the kitchen sink to a tool box, but their retail profits help your community.

Shopping at not-for-profit thrifts does triple good: good for your budget, good for Mother Nature, and good for those around us who need the help those shops fund!”

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How many tweets do your followers follow?

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , on October 2, 2010| 1 Comment »

Kinda like how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood, isn’t it.

And I’m not even totally certain what a woodchuck is* and whether I’ve ever actually SEEN one.

Point is, do your tweets (more…)

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