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By Patti Acquisto
I know I have
pounded the counter and said, "Get those prices up!" However, along with
increased prices, I have also emphasized increased quality. Instead of
racks and racks of discount store merchandise priced cheaply, seek the
better brands that people are willing to pay a little more for. That way
your racks won't be jammed with inferior items that don't sell.
Now when sale times comes—get serious.
Whether it is after holidays, end of season, end of month or whatever
the occasion you are celebrating . . . have a REAL sale. 10% never
attracted anyone. A $25 item marked down to $22.50 is not a bargain. Fifty
items that have been hanging on your rack at $15.50 each will not make you
any money. Fifty items that sold for $9.50 each WILL make you money!
Volume . . . You
need to move the merchandise. It doesn't matter if you think it is worth
the price you put on it. If the customers don't think it's worth that,
then it isn't! It's worth what someone will pay. Mark it down and someone
will grab it like it's a hot item. Everyone loves a bargain! They are in
your store looking for bargains and expecting to leave with some—don't
disappoint them. They will tell their friends about the good buys they
found at your store instead of saying how high your prices are . . . even
your sale prices.
A sale
 should
be "attention getting." Use a big sale sign and mark down those prices
on the tags. Put your sale racks in the back of the store with tall signs.
Just like milk in the grocery store is in the back corner—so you can't
run in and grab it without seeing everything else—you want to walk them
through your shop to reach the sale racks.
When the
sale is over, remove the merchandise and replace it with something else.
Rearrange your racks. Give your store a different look. Your customers are
done with your sale and you should be too.
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Patti Acquisto, NARTS Director and Past President, has over three decades of experience
as a resaler. She owns Patti's ReSale in Owensboro, KY.
Patti is an engaging speaker who has presented workshops at NARTS
conferences and seminars. Her educational contributions have shaped
the thinking and actions of many of the industry's most successful
businesses. |
 
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