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Archive for the ‘Shopkeeping talk’ Category

Clever, sneaky, effective.

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, Teeny Tips, tagged , , , , on September 7, 2017|

Tape a sign like this to your counter/ dressing room walls/ front window… and watch as your customers do just what you asked them too!

Then they have

(more…)

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WHAT? Nothing’s happening at your shop?

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, Teeny Tips, tagged , , , , on September 5, 2017|

Is your consignment web site doing its job?I just visited several dozen consignment, resale, and thrift store web sites. You know what I found?

A big ZERO.

For those shops who had (more…)

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October’s for Beasties… and Bras

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , , on August 31, 2017|

If you’re planning your October promotions, it’s a great month for two things: Halloween and Breast Cancer Awareness. Or, as this delightful pumpkin decor suggests, you could combine the two!

Suggestions re Halloween:

Why it’s the most important holiday for resalers

Promote pre-cycling by putting together some of these ideas from your stock  for a whole RACK of eco-friendly costumes. You’re welcome to print this HowToConsign booklet out to have in your shop for customers to read!

Learn to make both Halloween and Christmas money-making seasons in your business

Suggestions re Breast Cancer Awareness Month:

See if you can schedule the mobile mammogram unit in your parking lot. There may be a lot of demand that month, though, so be prepared for some sort of Plan B to benefit your clientele and the less-fortunate in your community.

Bling your Bra is fun, but you need to start working on it now. You can award a prize by getting your customers to vote on their favorites, charging $1 a vote to go to your choice of cancer charity. The winner(s) get shop gift certificates. Google for how others have organized their events fr some great ideas you can adapt.

Collecting bras for the homeless is a simple, reputation-enhancing event. And believe it or not, bras are one of the most-requested clothing items at shelters. Talk to local homeless charities about being a collecting point and find out how they can help you publicize that.

 

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What would Kate do?

Posted in Mailbox: 1-on-1 Advice, Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , , , , on August 28, 2017| 2 Comments »

Armloads of incoming consignments!

Could refining your acceptance & pricing procedures make this a less-scary sight? Click!

A question from a shopkeeper that’s pretty pertinent at this time of year:

Q:  I need to limit the number of drop off we get (just too much inventory). I am leaning towards ‘quiet hours’ and stop taking drop offs an hour before we close, and maybe no drop offs on Monday…

Here’s a pretty no-holds-barred reply. If you are easily bruised, please skip this message.

Kate says:

If consignors cannot drop off after THEIR work hours, you’ll lose those who work (and who tend to change out their wardrobes more often than those who don’t.) In many cases, the ideal “drop-off” time would be after 5pm… depending on local office business hours, distance from work to your shop, and so on.

Limiting the number of drop offs does only one thing: Limit the selection from which YOU can select the items which will sell fastest ( = you have the clientele for them)
… which gives you rapid turnover which leads to more frequent visitors/ buyers coming into the shop. Making it less convenient for consignors is not the answer.

There really is no such thing as “too much inventory”… all there is is “too much inventory that is as yet unsold.” Limiting incoming means you are limiting yourself to consignors who can fulfill YOUR needs… and I think the most experienced consignees on this group will tell you that the “best” (most salable for the most $) stuff usually comes from women who are not able/are unwilling to work their drop offs around a shop’s limited schedule.

(Side note: If there was ever a day NOT to choose as a “no drop off day“, it’s Monday. Doesn’t EVERY woman clean out her closets on Sunday? And who wants that pile of stuff cluttering up the bedroom past Monday morning?)

If your shop fills up, it’s because your turnover is too low. Try pricing so that things fly out the door… not so low as to be unprofitable to you or the consignor, but low enough that most items sell before that 20% off at 3 weeks guideline.

If drop offs are driving you crazy, try altering your handling procedures and staff who are handling the goods. Some shops actually have processing personnel who work after the shop is closed for the evening… so next morning, sales staff come in to a shop ready to be freshly stocked with recorded, tagged, rehung goods.

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Earthy Elegant. An exercise in branding.

Posted in Really good ideas, Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , , , on August 24, 2017| 2 Comments »

What is branding? It’s “a consistent message aimed at consumers’ emotions” and: “There can be no branding without differentiation, which is the ability to persuade consumers that your [shop] differs from the rest,” according to Entrepreneur magazine.

If that sounds good to you, create a visual and verbal message that makes your shop stand out from local resale stores and even from online options. Design an ambiance that persuades shoppers that yours is the best place to shop.

Perhaps you remember the Earthy Elegant (more…)

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