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Posts Tagged ‘Thrift’

Consignment Mailbox: How many reusable bags does one responsible resale shopper NEED?

Posted in Mailbox: 1-on-1 Advice, Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , , on October 28, 2009| 1 Comment »

A resale shopkeeper asked me, a while back: [I’m] thinking that we as resale shops should pay especial attention and try not to add to the litter of merchandise bags. But re-using old grocery sacks just doesn’t do a thing for my shop’s image. What can I do that’s not only eco-savvy, but will build my shop’s reputation and word-of-mouth?

Auntie Kate answers:

Oh wow am I glad you asked that! Here’s what I said here on Auntie Kate a while back: OOOHHH, let’s go GREEN… by buying more STUFF

And of course my buddies in the consignment, resale, and thrift industry could have the solution…and a fund-raiser and a great PR angle…at their fingertips. A way to (more…)

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More ways to go bankrupt, even if you don’t pay for your merchandise

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged , , on January 7, 2008| 7 Comments »

How a consignment, resale or thrift shop can go bankruptConsignment shops appeal to a lot of potential retailers simply because they do not require a large grubstake to purchase merchandise to sell to customers. Well, they think, that’s cool. If I don’t sell it at a profit, heck, I don’t have to pay for it. So, I don’t sell it, I’m not out a penny.

We’ve already talked about how easy it is to go bankrupt.

There’s another way to go bankrupt in a flash, and this way is not limited only to consignment shops. It applies just as well to BOR stores (Buy OutRight, those second-hand shops that pay cash for underused possessions) and even thrift stores (stores which sell donated items, usually operated by a bona-fide charity).

This way of ruining your own hard-worked, hard-earned, hard-won business is totally inadvertent. In fact, you may see (more…)

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Make your holiday windows a delight

Posted in Shopkeeping talk, tagged , on November 22, 2007| 1 Comment »

Early 1900's Christmas windows.If you are still mulling over an easy but spectacular way to decorate your shop windows for the holidays, there are some inexpensive ideas in The Big Book of Window Displays Especially for Resale Shops

And, if you are out in those “new” stores this holiday season yourself, think of what is out there that can enhance your shop. Lotsa ideas on our Let’s Shop! Page.

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Helping teens find their personal style

Posted in Used Stuff in the News, tagged on November 20, 2007| 5 Comments »

An article FULL of good ideas to help you focus on teenShow a teen how to be her own unique selfs, if that’s a demographic you would like your shop to appeal to. I reproduce it here for fear the newspaper site will ax it soon as “stale news”, but to see the original, at least for a while, visit SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER.

I LOVE the idea of helping teens realize that by golly they DO have their own style, and showing them that’s it’s fun and creative to get their unique get-ups together, to NOT to be a slave to their peer group, “celebrities”, or even (gasp!) their parents!

Do you do this? Tell us how you show your teen clientele some chic and cheap ideas in your store!

Cheap chic: Thrift shopping lets teens find their personal style at bargain prices

By KRISTIN DIZON P-I REPORTER Last updated November 19, 2007 4:45 p.m. PT

“Go, Brittani, go!” Katherine Landerholm egged on her friend Brittani Potter as they hit the long rack of tank tops at Value Village on Crown Hill.

Potter, 16, has a weakness for (more…)

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Kate learns something new

Posted in economics of resale, Shopkeeping talk, tagged on October 15, 2007| 23 Comments »

After all these years, I didn’t think there was anything new to learn about resale. But my volunteer job at a consignment-only, not-for-profit shop has proved me wrong!

You’ve heard me preach forever about the disadvantages of item limits on incoming. It’s inconvenient for the consignor, she selects the wrong things to bring, the best consignors won’t put up with it, and so on.

Well, here’s another reason to NOT have item limits:

It messes up YOUR head.

The shop where I’m working has a 20 item limit. Canny consignors bring in 25 or 30 things. So what did I find myself doing? Choosing the 20 “best” items from those offered. After all, the consignor interprets the 20-item limit as I am entitled to bring in 20 items. . . and so, kinda, did I.

Even if that meant I was accepting things I wouldn’t accept if there was no limit. Without limits, I’d choose the 2 or 12 or 22 best. I’d choose what would sell and not accept the things that wouldn’t.

But no, I was taking 20 from each consignor, even if the last few were not things I really thought I should. And I was forced to reject some mighty fine stuff once I had gotten to #20 with the folks who offered the 25 or 30 really good things.

By thinking “20 item limit” and mentally turning that into “20 from each person, regardless of quality”, the “bad” were driving out the good!

Is that any way to run a consignment shop?

This article was originally run on TGtbT.com, and is reprinted here because it is more important than ever to operate any retail business with care and thoughtfulness.

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