Makeover? Now!
It's spring, in more ways than one.
Randy Eller -- Home Accents Today, 4/1/2010 12:00:00 AM
It's spring, in more ways than one. The recovery has started. I see it everywhere I go and in everything I read. It's tentative. It's fragile. But it's there, and it's going to gain momentum from here.
I now have to wait for a table in restaurants again that last year I could walk into on a moment's notice and get immediate seating. I saw with my own eyes, at six different shows in January and February, the somewhat shocked looks in the eyes of retailers who had much better fourth quarters than they expected and were ready to buy. And, recently, I'm seeing obvious improved traffic in malls and around the other shopping centers I visit around the country.
Now, 2010 will not be the late great 1990s. Nor will it be 2001 or 2002. But it is certainly not going to be 2009. What all consumers want — indeed what they need — right now, is to look around and see everything fresh again. New, new, new. New looks, new products, new experiences in your stores. The calendar says it is spring, a time of new beginnings, of fresh outlooks. Let's make sure consumers see our industry in a fresh spring awakening as well.
It's more important right now than ever to execute a total makeover of your store. Fresh paint. Perhaps new flooring, or at least a great cleaning. Reposition those fixtures so it looks like a new owner has moved in. Get rid of the stale product — in with the new. Keep the atmosphere bright, airy and free of worry.
Coach your employees to wear bright, happy clothing. Tell them to smile more. Start with yourself. How about a store meeting every morning with a joke or two to start everybody's day with a laugh?
These may sound like basic things for running your business that you've heard many times from many different sources. Indeed they are the basics. But, this time, it's different. This time, it's truly important to the continued success of your store. Gone are the days that you can coast with a stale atmosphere because consumers were spending with reckless abandon.
Consumers want to shop in places that are bright, cheerful and inspire positive thinking. There is no doubt that a lot of our economic problems were based on true facts and figures. There is also no doubt that a lot of the downtrend was totally attributable to fear, negative thinking and a malaise brought on by a lack of all of the above.
I encourage each and every one of you to go into your stores tomorrow and look at them in a totally new light. Pretend you are a consumer who's been in many times before, and you want to walk in the door and go "Wow! What in the world have you done to this place?" I believe you will be amazed with the results.
What if you are a vendor? What can you do to replicate this strategy?
Start with the salespeople that represent your company. Make sure they understand that as far as you're concerned, this recession is over. Stay focused in your conversations on new product, new concepts, new initiatives. Stay positive, forward-looking and raise the expectations of everyone around you.
Next, get ready for spring and summer markets. Shake up your showrooms. Let it be obvious to all who walk through your doors that you and your company are not just in the game, you are the stars of the game.
We must always remember that 99% of all success is attitude. And, the thing that affects attitude more than anything else is atmosphere. The key to great attitudes is to live and breathe in a positive, exciting environment. What are people thinking about your atmosphere and attitude when they hear what you say and watch what you do?
All great movements begin with energized, effective examples of total 110% belief, and that type of belief thrives in atmospheres that have been packed with fresh, vibrant thinking.
Those of us who think this way will have a fantastic 2010.
You are on the money. Being fresh, exciting, and optimistic are important in ones life never mind business. People want to engage others that have a good outlook. Relating to our lines, we are most successful with the newer exciting pieces as opposed to the ones that have been around a few years.
Asian Art Imports
Wally Stryk - 2010-04-27 13:04:00 EDT
Asian Art Imports
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