Selling the Message

I got an email from a PR agency that I was about to delete as not being applicable to you, our readers out there, when one sentence caught my eye: “a sale is a retail store’s way of flirting with you. They are saying to you, ‘come into the store and see the bargains!’” While the rest of the release didn’t apply to gift specialty stores, that one sentence made reading it all worthwhile, because there is a nugget of truth there. But along with that truth there is also a caution to be remembered. In this economy, shoppers are certainly looking to stretch their budgets and get the best value for their dollars, but when having a sale, retailers have to be careful of the message that you deliver.

If your store is not known for having periodic sales, customers may think that you are financially in trouble. This was the case with one retailer whom I know well. Her shop had accumulated a bit of excess inventory that she wished to clear out to make room for fresh merchandise, so she decided to have her first sale in the store. It was planned to run only for a specific short time frame, but was so successful that it was extended for a longer period. That gave rise to worried queries from certain long-standing customers who observed the large sale banner continuing to hang on the storefront. “What is wrong?, “ they inquired. “Are you having money problems?”

When I comes to merchandise that you do put on sale, make sure that it is in good condition if it is something that has been a part of your regular merchandise mix that you wish to move out. If you bring in new merchandise as a sale special, make sure that it is of good quality and in keeping with the image of your store. Today’s consumer is a savvy shopper. You don’t want to lure them in with false promises of good values at reduced rate or worry them with a misleading message. A good sale is one that attracts new customers and rewards loyal customers.