Archive for July, 2008
Evaluating Your Clientele
Sunday, July 27th, 2008Depending on who’s coming into your store, you may actually be able to target groups that don’t come into your store. For instance, I get a lot of women in their late 30s-late 40s. After some thought about this age group, I realized that many have teenagers. With that in mind, I tested out items like acne treatment, yoga mats, and books on teaching your teen to drive safely. All three were a hit, despite that fact that they weren’t actively used by my customers. They bought them for their sons and daughters.
Have you ever had indirect success like that? Do share!
Trends I Won’t Be Accomodating In My Store
Sunday, July 27th, 2008Despite the fact that we’d all love to be able to profit on every single consumer trend, it’s just not possible. We each have to assess our stores and investment abilities to determine what’s going to be most profitable for each of us. Below, check out some of the trends I won’t be hopping on this year.
Home theater seating - I love it, but I just don’t have the capital or the space.
Colon Cleansers - I’m not prepared for this one.
Video Games - My customers just won’t go for this.
What about you? What are you passing on for now?
Dreaming of a Green Christmas
Sunday, July 27th, 2008It’s only July, but already I’m dreaming of the holidays - not just the money they’ll bring in, but the general hum of the season. I love happy customers. Of course, once December rolls around, I’m sure I’ll be totally stressed out and dreaming instead of St. Barts villa rentals - we always want what we don’t have, right?
That’s why I need to be sure to take a vacation before the holiday season starts. It’s best to work hard during the summer, then take a nice long vacation in the fall, and get back to the real work with a fresh mindset. How do you mentally prepare for the holidays?
Memory Fitness
Sunday, July 27th, 2008Another item that’s been popular in my shop is a memory fitness kit. I noticed earlier this year that games like Brain Age and Su Do Ku have been really popular in recent years. Although they can be a little intimidating for the older clientèle that I serve, I reasoned that they might like a kit or book on the topic of memory improvement or mental fitness. With that in mind, I decided to locate a kit and it’s been selling like hotcakes ever since.
Have you ever had one of those moments of merchandising brilliance?
More Ideas for Your Store
Sunday, July 27th, 2008I’ve been thinking about holiday inventory, and I just thought I’d include a few notes here on things I’ll be putting in and pulling out of my shop for the upcoming holiday season (can you believe it’s already almost August!).
Going Into the Shop:
Stockings
Christmas Trees
Red & Green dishes, decor, and textiles
Coming Out of the Shop:
Diet Pills
One section of books on summer recipes
Gardening Items
Outdoor entertaining housewares items
What about you? What are your plans for merchandising this holiday season?
What Are Your Trophies?
Sunday, July 27th, 2008In every business, there are certain trophies that you display to your customers. Maybe you’ve won a local award, maybe you’ve been honored in a trade publication, or maybe you’ve actually won a trophy for some reason or another. In other cases, the store itself is the trophy, demonstrating serious time and commitment to excellence. Regardless of how it’s expressed, your store should display some kind of trophy.
Does yours?
Dreaming of a Vacation
Thursday, July 17th, 2008I’m trying to get away. I’ve been working non-stop for months now, and I’m in desperate need of some time away. I’ve been dreaming about Vegas vacations, Caribbean cruises, and European backpacking trips. I really can’t decide, though.
If you could go anywhere for 2 weeks, where would you go? And tell me why, too. I could use a bit of inspiration here, as my own mind is just overwhelmed.
Cards, Gifts, and…Weights?
Thursday, July 17th, 2008Recently, I went to a friend’s store and noticed she had started carrying weight equipment. At first, I was a little surprised. She runs a tiny gift shop that’s most often frequented by little old ladies.
Then, I saw two little old ladies chatting about dumbbells. My friend went over and helped them patiently, and they thanked her for being so nice. They explained that the sporting goods stores scare them and they never get help. For looking at things differently and being patient, she managed to open up a whole new market.
Hot Electronics Items You Probably Won’t Be Selling
Thursday, July 17th, 2008Every year, there are certain hot items that you know you’ll never be able to buy for your tiny store. This year, those items include the Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii, iPods, and the iPhone. So what’s a small business owner to do?
Get accessories. No one buys just an Xbox or just a Wii. Once they have the big item, you can be poised and ready to get the rest of their cash 
College Town Tips
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008If you run a gift store in a college town, you may be able to capitalize on your location by offers items commonly pursued by college students. Remember, if you can get them in your store once or twice, you stand a great chance of getting them to come back at Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Christmas. A couple of tips that can help make that happen:
-Make a “dorm supplies” section. Depending on your preferences, this could include stuff like extra long twin sheets, college apparel, gadgets, or even crazier items like beer pong tables.
-Start an e-mail list and reminder service. Use a provider like Aweber to manage your e-mail list, but also include reminders to students a week or two before gift-buying occasions like friends’ birthdays or major holidays.
-Contact student groups to see if you can work out some kind of deal to get promoted in their e-mail lists. One cheap way might be to offer up a prize and let the list publicize the contest.
If you have additional suggestions, let us know in the comments!
Furniture Stores That Carry Pet Furniture
Friday, July 11th, 2008I came across a furniture store that struck me as absolutely brilliant the other day. Instead of merely carrying human couches and chairs and beds, they offered animal versions of most styles. I’m not sure where they sourced the products, as it’s a unique concept I’ve never seen before, but it definitely had an effect. I saw several people weighing sizes of pet pieces right alongside the human pieces. Not only does the store get a chance to upsell you on something like a cat condo, but they make it more likely that you’ll buy from them, given that no one else will have that particular piece to match.
For a pet lover like myself, it’s absolutely brilliant.
More Product Ideas
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008Looking for product inspiration? Have you considered the following for your gift store?
Weather Stations
wieght loss pills
Dishware
Accent Pillows
Lamps
Accent Lights
Wall Decals
Just search Google for something interesting and see what pops up. You shouldn’t have too much trouble finding the manufacturer.