Well it seems that not a lot of resale shopkeepers were thrilled with their business balance sheets in 2016.
Posted in 5- Minute Fixes, Shopkeeping talk | Tagged resale shopkeeping, success |
Who can resist the fact that January is Oatmeal Month?
The perfect month for something cozy.
And the perfect month for giving your customers an additional reason to get out of the house and into your consignment or resale shop. Not to mention some word-of-mouth (oatmeal, get it? Word of mouth? Ha. I’m so funny.)
You could give away packets of oatmeal, do a spectacular window of oatmeal-hued furnishings (complete with an accent of colorful oatmeal bowls all over!) or clothing, run ads saying that shopping resale’s like the blueberries/ raisins in your oatmeal… even just make up a little booklet of oatmeal recipes and remedies as a giveaway, branded with your shop name.
And if we can do all THAT just with oatmeal, imagine all the fun we’d have with other holidays.
Find some that tickle your taste buds and add them to your yearly promotional calendar:
- A nice list, all on one page, at Time and Date.
- Days of the Year has just that.
- For immediate gratification, check out Checkiday. (Tip: Click the red right-pointing arrow to find a little more lead time!)
- The Social Media Genie gives you a head’s-up a few weeks in advance.
- Bizarre, wacky, and unique holidays (their wording, not mine!)
Posted in Really good ideas, Shopkeeping talk | Tagged advertising, blogging, customers, Facebook, promotions, resale shopkeeping, web | 2 Comments »
An open love letter from Auntie Kate to all consignment & resale shopkeepers:
Dear Friends,
Recently, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend in social media posts, and even emails, from a variety of shops. And what’s that, you ask of me?
You’re complicating things.
I see Continue Reading »
Posted in Shopkeeping talk | Tagged profit, promotions, resale shopkeeping, web |
The best part of a new year, to me, is that fresh, crisp, BLANK calendar. I can’t wait to fill it with family birthdays, anniversaries, outings… and, in the case of my business calendar, the wonderful promotional events I will present to my customers. And those folks who are just dying to BE my customers.
A promotional event is any special happening that is not a normal part of daily business. It could be as simple as an anniversary celebration with refreshments and decorations, or as elaborate as an invitation-only after-hours seminar with speakers, special offerings, and discounts. — Resale’s Best Promotions, page 5
So grab your calendar and come along with me….
First, mark the “real” holidays, those events that will already be on your target market’s minds. Here’s a nice list to use. Pay close attention to the all-important Monday holidays since you might ant a little something extra on those days.
PS That same link, has “national food holidays”, which would be great, you think, if you ran a restaurant. True, but hey! Who says you can’t promote “Free Gum Drops with every purchase” on February 15, National Gum Drop Day, or offer, “Free, just stop in” peanut butter recipes in a shop-branded brochure during the whole month of November, AKA National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month?
Next, skim through some odd holidays and pencil in on your calendar the ones that might tickle your town’s fancy. Take a look at:
Now mull over which holidays will make the final cut in your shop. Things to consider? Whether it’s a theme that appeals to you, will be fun for your target customer, and whether it falls at a time of year when you NEED a gimmick. Remember, you can just use that odd day to take a quick shot of some relevant merchandise in your shop (green home decor items for National Pistachio Day or serape striped shirts for Cinco de Maio) to post on social media, without planning anything special in the shop. For other ideas, you might want to go all out.
If you can create a newsworthy happening and get the media there, the publicity will increase public awareness of your event. Be imaginative: for your Evening at the Symphony fundraiser, send out a strolling violinist to serenade the shopping center’s crowds the day
before your event, with a staffer dressed in evening clothes handing out fliers. — Page 25
Next, count backwards to get your time line for decorating, promoting and so on. Check the worksheets in Resale’s BEST Promotions to stay organized.
And don’t forget the after-event promotions that will create wide-spread attention to your shop and drive social media year-round. Find ideas for this in our PDQ.
Happy Whatever Today Is to you!
Posted in Shopkeeping talk | Tagged holidays, Products for the Professional Resaler, promotions, resale shopkeeping |
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