Displaying items to be easily viewed can make the difference between a purchase and a disgruntled customer.
Once relegated to the poor, teenagers, or financially challenged college students, thrift stores have surged in popularity - especially during times of economic downturn. As many Americans choose to declutter or go "green," selling castoff goods found in "like new" or gently used condition remains a profitable venture for those running a second-hand store. Getting customers through the door is usually not a problem if they know you are there. Growing the business and luring returning customers does not need to cost a fortune; a little bit of elbow grease and ingenuity should do the trick.
Instructions
1. Display thrift store items so that a customer can easily find something. No one wants to dig through racks of clothing looking for an elusive size, or try to find a cookbook buried under stacks of other books. Group clothing by clearly marked sizes, as a department store would. Avoid packing racks - if you do not have enough floor or rack space for everything, rotate items in and out of a back room on a weekly basis to keep inventory fresh. Display dishes and jewelry; group books by genre. Make sure prices are clearly visible; people do not want to ask what an item costs.
2. Price thrift store items appropriately. You need to make a profit, but if you overcharge, customers will go elsewhere. Peruse other thrift stores in the area to make sure your prices are in line with the competition.
3. Look at the store interior and exterior with a critical eye, as if you are the consumer. Does it look clean? Well lit? Are the displays attractive? If the store is dingy, dark, musty-smelling and unattractive, customers will not return, especially if there is competition in the area.
4. Advertise the thrift store as any other retail business would to attract new customers and notify the community of the store's location, merchandise and any sales. While newspapers, fliers and business cards have been longtime advertising staples, use the Internet to get your business listed in business directories, Yahoo and Google "local" searches, or on community advertising sites such as craigslist.com.
5. Develop a Web site that is user-friendly, easy to navigate and offers online deals and even a newsletter for loyal customers. Web site design can be hired out to professionals, freelancers, or college students who are looking for portfolio experience. If you have the time, you can design your own Web site at Smallbusiness.yahoo.com, sites such as Yahoo.com or Homestead.com. While some sites offer free hosting, a nominal monthly fee for hosting the Web site is typical.
6. Reward loyal customers with an incentive program. This can be as easy as a punched business card that allots a free item or percentage off a purchase; bar-coded key fobs that keep track of customer's purchases as they build toward a reward; coupons that can be used on the next visit; or working with noncompeting retailers to offer additional savings.
7. Find quality merchandise to resell. Solicit donations from retailing merchandisers and corporations that wish to give to the community; offer them free advertising in exchange for their donations. Shop yard sales and auctions for quality merchandise at low prices that can be resold. Request donations from the community, offering to pick up their yard sale castoffs or boxes from home decluttering. A donation center can be set up in your parking lot or at the back of the building to accept items that people wish to donate.
8. Move merchandise. Hold regular sales, and place less popular items on clearance to make room for new items. If customers return to find the same tired items week after week, they will not return. However, new displays of merchandise can keep them returning without the cost of additional advertising.
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