Sentimental Journey
By knowing and understanding your customers, you will be celebrating anniversaries with them for years to come.
By Bessie Nestoras -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 10/1/2000
By saying "I do," the bride and groom commit themselves to each other. But there's no reason why their commitment to you, as your bridal customers, shouldn't continue just because the big day has drawn to a close. After all, once the wedding has come and gone, it's time for the anniversaries to begin. And couples looking for anniversary gifts will return to your shop because you were such a big help in pulling off their successful wedding. They'll come back not only to buy for themselves, but for their parents, other relatives, and friends, as well.
When stocking gifts suitable for anniversaries, don't stock only traditional anniversary product, such as silver platters suitable for engraving. While those pieces will always sell, today's consumer is more inventive and will look for a variety of products that provide options. The anniversary chart on this page lists both the traditional and the modern guidelines for anniversary gifting. It suggests all sorts of possibilities. "People are looking for surprising, creative gifts that positively reflect their own sense of style and taste," says Daphne Murray, director of communications at The Wedding List, a multichannel wedding gift and registry company.
Help your customers get creative. For a first anniversary, for example, a good choice could be a photo album (paper) that the couple can fill with pictures of events that occurred during their first year of marriage. According to Murray, most of The Wedding List's customers "abide by the first anniversary, but, beyond that, a unique and elegant gift marks the special day every year going forward." That photo album, then, can also work wonderfully for a golden anniversary. While a couple celebrating their 50th may opt for more expensive gold or sapphire jewelry, they can also select a special album to fill with family photos collected over the decades.
Personalized gifts are another option to offer. Lenox has a collection of plates, for example, that features monograms in either gold or platinum. According to the chart, they are ideal for 20th, 25th, or 50th anniversary gifts. But don't limit yourself to the chart. "Our customers seem to like to stick with the traditional anniversary gift with a twist," says Murray. For example, for a second anniversary, The Wedding List often recommends a straw breakfast-in-bed set.
Know Your Customers
Shopping for anniversary gifts is a difficult task for the customer.and for the store owner. You can make the experience easier for both by keeping the anniversary chart handy, as does Mary Atkinson, owner of Pengaro's stationery store in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Next, you need to find out from your customers what anniversary is being celebrated and what the couple in question likes. This will narrow their options and get them to concentrate on one area. The Wedding List's Murray explains: "We ask them what the people they are shopping for like to do most. Are they outdoorsy? Do they love to eat? Are they theatergoers? Are they athletic? Do they like to read a lot? Then we ask what their style is: simple, flamboyant, classic, or contemporary. Then we usually offer a selection of five or six gifts and go from there."
If a customer decides to stick to the anniversary chart and its guidelines, you have two options that will make make things easier. After you've determined the anniversary year and the recipient's likes and dislikes, if the customer isn't sure about the traditional gift, she can always turn to the modern, or vice-versa. Still, you will encounter the occasional fussy consumer. In situations like these, offer your customer guidance, and be patient! "I always look at my role as the advisor and leader," says Mary Atkinson of Pengaro's. Ultimately, though, "it's up to the customer to make the final decision."
Knowing your customer is extremely important, stresses Murray of The Wedding List. "Understanding the customer's lifestyle and preferences is essential when recommending something as important as an anniversary gift. We keep extensive logs of each and every client, so that we can make recommendations that make sense."
Drop Them a Line
Keep in touch with your customers. It shows that you are thinking of them and that you care about their needs. More importantly, it will keep them coming back to your shop. "We are beginning to contact our couples a year out from their wedding to recommend either items that were not purchased off of their original registry, or to inform them of other products that fit their style and taste," says Murray.
Murray adds that while the company "encourages all types of registry in the form of a wish list, the only formal registry we have now is for wedding and commitment ceremonies. Asking for gifts outside of the tradition of weddings or commitment ceremonies is not natural for Americans," she points out. "There is a fine line between being presumptuous and being practical. However, we are developing a wish list function for our Web site and stores, which will be extremely appropriate for anniversaries."
By knowing and understanding your customers, you will be celebrating anniversaries with them for years to come.
