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Mailbox: Coupons to Strangers?

April 9, 2018 by Auntie Kate of Too Good to be Threw

Resale shop coupon in Welcome Baby Basket at TGtbT.comJudy asked: I have just contacted our community’s chamber of commerce with the idea of including a $5 Gift Certificate to my store for the “Welcome Baskets” which are given to Moms in our hospital –about 25 baskets every couple of weeks.

Does this make sense as a

Continue Reading »

Posted in economics of resale, Mailbox: 1-on-1 Advice, Shopkeeping talk | Tagged , , |

Out and About: I’m a WINNER!

April 5, 2018 by Auntie Kate of Too Good to be Threw

Everyone is a winner with this consignment shop idea from TGtbT.comThere’s a “real” shop (you know, one which sells newly-manufactured stuff) that I really like. The owner doesn’t know from social media, she’s literally hidden on a street which is basically an alley, and I’ve never seen an ad for her shop.

But she makes a good go of it in her tiny shop. By making customers feel like they are

ALL WINNERS.

And how does she do that? Well, every time you come in, she asks you to add your name and phone number to her fishbowl. You could win twenty bucks store money! she says. So of course, I do. Every time.

Then what happens?

I win! Yes, I get a phone call from the shop, saying my name’s been drawn this week, and stop by soon to get your $20 store money!

So of course I do.

But you know her secret? She pulls multiple winners and phones them, whenever she needs some more traffic. I know because both my sister and myself have “won” multiple times.

Why not? It works. In fact, it works so well that I don’t even remember if the deal is $20 off a minimum $50 purchase, or off $100… because I always spend more than I would otherwise. After all, she’s made me a winner!

For more on the magical use of fishbowls, see this post.

Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments »

Repurpose the Proven

April 2, 2018 by Auntie Kate of Too Good to be Threw

Do you consider the work you do on social media to be

One and Done?

Nonsense. That Facebook post that got such great results, that Instagram that so perfectly represents your shop, even that photograph of your shop front that you altered in a graphics program; these are all

worthy of a replay.

Just as we make a business of reusing, repurposing, reimagining previously-enjoyed material things, we can

recycle the most effective of our outreach efforts.

If you like, create a special day to showcase past greats… like I do here on my blog with Deja Vuesdays.

TGtbT.com graphic message

This post got 600 views in 2 days. Definitely worth using again! Click it to see it on FB (and yes, you can share!)

Posted in Really good ideas, Shopkeeping talk | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments »

Read your way to Smart Fashion

March 26, 2018 by Auntie Kate of Too Good to be Threw

I had the delightful experience of being taken to breakfast by one of the authors of Thriftstyle: The Ultimate Bargain Shopper’s Guide to Smart Fashion, Margaret Engel. She thought she was interviewing me… but it felt like we were simply new friends getting to know each other.

Author of Thriftstyle, Peggy Engel, at breakfast with Kate Holmes, author of Too Good to be Threw, in Sarasota FL March 2018

Get Peggy’s book on Amazon by clicking her photo

What a fun book this is! Although consignment and resale shopkeepers might Continue Reading »

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, Slices of (my) life | Tagged , | 2 Comments »

Getting into their closets

March 23, 2018 by Auntie Kate of Too Good to be Threw

We were talking, over on social media, about creating some sort of client gift that would initiate incoming, and keep incoming coming in season after season.

Ideas ranged from creating labels to be carefully stuck to purchased blank size rings like these examples from House Of Consignment and Your Best Friend’s Closet to full-on “Closet Kits” (be sure to click over to read this!), this is an idea any womenswear consignment or resale shop could easily use. And if you run a nonprofit thrift shop? These would make terrific giveaways/ swag bag inserts for any classy fund raising event of your NGO.

As one shopkeeper, Marianne Evans of Your Best Friend’s Closet says:

Ladies, these are amazing for so many reasons! First the consignors now have an easy way to sort their items, either seasonally or style-wise. So instead of putting it back in their closet they put it to the side of the marker. Second it has your name in their closet everyday all the time so they are thinking about you. And lastly consigners think I am an absolute genius to have and I quote, thought of everything!

 

Get your shop name into potential consignment clients' closets!

Get your shop name into potential consignment clients’ closets!

Another choice could be the printed door-hanger. Readily available and easily designed online, these heavy-weight, glossy-coated handouts are quick to create.

Get your shop name into their closet

Designed to hang on a doorknob, these hang on most closet rods as well!

Like Dwight’s Closet Kit, you can include your yearly schedule along with, of course, all your contact info and a handful of tips on how to make the most money with your consignments.

Door-hangers are available at gotprint.com which is where I grabbed the photo (and which offers to mail you a sample kit so you can choose paper, etc), Vistaprint, Nextdayfliers, and just about any printing service. Goimprints , especially, has a wide variety of shapes to choose from.

You can even print your own doorhangers with stock from Avery if you’d like to dabble before plunging; the Avery forms have a tear-away portion which would be fun to use as a raffle drawing entry, a discount useable when they bring in their early-season consignment, or something you think up yourself!

Posted in Kudos: Ideas to inspire!, Shopkeeping talk | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

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