Vancouver Art Gallery...SHOP??

I used to Volunteer at the Vancouver Art Gallery. I was an Ambassador in the front lobby for a couple of summers. After I closed my stores, I wanted to do some things that I had always wanted to do. As I had volunteered in the Arts in Abbotsford for years...I was curious to see how a large professional Art Gallery was run. It was fascinating, and I met people from all over the world. I think the Gallery Store is one of the nicest ones I have seen. The selection of items is well edited, and the store walks that fine line between educational and FUN! I realize that there are many thousands of people who live and work in Vancouver who have NEVER seen an exhibition at the VAG. Does this mean they have never shopped in the store? It's an interesting question. If you are not familiar with the Arts, perhaps you think that you can only visit the shop if you pay to see an exhibit. Not True. Perhaps you think that the merchandise for sale in the shop is all related to the current exhibits. Not true.

Perception of an institution like the VAG, is similar to perception of your business. Do you know what customers are saying about you, or what they think of your business? Would it surprise you to hear that customers think your clothing is only for skinny teen aged girls. Or that your sandwiches are good, but too expensive? Or that your store is too 'fancy' and they feel uncomfortable going in to look around if they feel they are not dressed up enough? Even if all of the above statements are completely false, if even ONE of your potential customers thinks this way...you are missing out on a potential sale.

This is where Social Media comes in VERY handy. A blog, or a business Facebook Page, or a website tell your customers who you are, and what you are, and in the instance of facebook, tells them who LIKES you, and who your FRIENDS are! This sort of information is essential in today's busy world. As I have said many times: CUSTOMERS ARE BUSY PEOPLE! They do not have time to waste visiting businesses that are not what they are looking for! Doing 5 minutes of on-line research can give customers a FEELING for who you are as a business. Sometimes, 5 minutes is all the time you have to make an impression, AND win a new customer.

The Christmas' Open House'

If my store had looked as pretty, and as festive as this...I think I would have had customers OVER more often! HA! The idea of hosting 10 to 50 people inside my cramped little store, and serving them wine and cheese and snacks that they could have easily spilled all over the new clothing and accessories I had just unpacked, struck me as foolhardy. But it is the Holiday Season! Shouldn't we be Thanking our BEST customers by inviting them into our stores, and serving up some Christmas cheer, as well as a nice little discount? It's a question that I would like you to consider.

I attended an open house for a local retailer last Friday. I don't know where I picked up the invitation, as I hadn't been in the store in ages, and am certainly not one of her BEST customers. The invitation was soooo pretty. It looked expensive. The paper was sort of iridescent, the colour of freshly fallen snow. The time of the open house was generous, sort of an all day affair, 10 am to 7 pm. I got there around 6 pm, and am sorry to report that it was the most depressing affair I had ever been to. Lined up behind the till was the owner and 3 sales associates. A man dressed as Santa was standing near the front window. The conversation between Santa and the 4 women was all about how disappointed they were it was so slow, and they decided to send one of the associates home, as there was only an hour left, and probably no one else was going to come. If you haven't already guessed, I was THE ONLY CUSTOMER!! Honestly, if Santa hadn't been blocking the door...I probably would have made a run for it!

So...have I scared you into NEVER having an open house? I hope not. I believe that in this economy, you have to plan an event down to the smallest detail. If you are not committed to doing that, you could end up my next cautionary tale! Customers are BUSY this time of year. Make your event a MUST-ATTEND event! If you have any marketing budget left, hire a party planner. If not, do you have a staff member or a friend who just LIVES for an event? He or She is the one you want! Make sure your event has a clear purpose. Are you showcasing Holiday merchandise? Are you having a special discounted evening JUST for your BEST customers? Are you celebrating having great customers by asking them to stop by, so you can give them a drink and a snack, and a discount coupon to be used after Christmas...as well as a little goodie bag? Once you have a plan...DO IT!! I always believe that some of the most successful events happen because the INTENTION is good.

Remember Santa has a list...Do something NICE for your customers this season. They will remember you for it.

BLACK FRIDAY...Does it give you the BLUES??

I took this photo at Pacific Centre. It never ceases to amaze me how PACKED this Apple Store always is. If you counted customers in every single store in the mall, I bet that the customer count at Apple would be DOUBLE!! That consistent fullness reminds me of shopping in the US...even with the current recession.

Black Friday is coming up. I was at the movies yesterday, and came across an article in the Georgia Straight, in the travel? section.( www.straight.com Nov 4 to 11) The article talked about the opportunity for Canadians to head south on November 26th to partake in a multitude of bargains. Having been a small retailer myself, I don't necessarily agree with the rationale behind encouraging people to travel across the line to patronize stores that are so much bigger, and able to offer discounts that are largely unheard of here. But the article got me thinking about the actual Black Friday event. Canada does not have anything in our Retail world that even compares. The idea that one day of the year , outside of boxing day, all across the country would be devoted to shopping, AND bargain hunting, is an intriguing concept. From having a store in a small strip mall, to having a store on a streetfront, I know the difficulty involved in getting one's Retail neighbours to work together on ANYTHING!! Just imagine if someone floated the idea at a national level, of a day devoted to shopping! Black Friday has survived wars and recession, and serves as a day to look forward to by millions of consumers in the US who want to participate in an event that elevates shopping to a new level. The millions of dollars that are pumped into the economy, and the millions of customer service people who are employed specially for that day...or who can look forward to overtime...is staggering. Do the Retailers make money? It depends on your business, and it depends on the volume of items you are able to move. Does Black Friday create awareness of your brand, your location, your level of customer service...You bet it does!

I think that too often we Canadians judge the US for their level of consumerism. Maybe this year, it's time you headed down to judge for yourself. If you are in Retail, the bottom line is you want to make money. Black Friday has gone from a shopping day to an industry, involving hotels, tour companies, and restaurants. I think we could all benefit by inventing our own Black Friday...after all, there is no reason we have to reinvent the wheel...we just have to learn from our competitors.

Holiday Music list etc...Cathy's Picks

As an add-on to yesterday's blog about music in your store, especially HOLIDAY music in your store, I thought I would leave a list of my all time favorites! I also wanted to stress the fact that Holiday music doesn't have to be FULL-ON...8 hours a day! In fact, if you don't want a staff mutiny on your hands, I would suggest mixing holiday music in with other selections. Every one's taste is different, and you have to make the music appropriate to the feel of your store, but don't be afraid to mix it up a bit, and poll your staff, and or customers to see how you are doing.
Cathy's Holiday Music Must-Haves:( in no particular order...)

A Charlie Brown Christmas: Vince Guaraldi- My hands-down,Go-To, Christmas classic. It's as fresh today, as it was in the 1960's. 'Christmastime is Here' has GOT TO BE one of the most recognizable tunes in the universe! If you have even a COUPLE of Baby Boomers as customers...watch them sing along as they stand happily in line!

Hip Holidays-Volume 2-Potterybarn: Various Artists- I love all the potterybarn compilations...but this one has some of the smoothest jazz artists of all time singing about the Holidays. People like Lou Rawls,Peggy Lee, and Lena Horne. Perfect for early morning or late night when customers are wanting a bit of comfort in their shopping day.

Making Spirits Bright: Dean Martin- Speaking of SMOOTH...Dino always makes it onto my Holiday play list. 'Baby it's cold outside' has got to be one of the sexiest Christmas tunes ever written!

Merry Christmas: Mariah Carey- Don't laugh! This is very early Mariah...a bit before all the vocal theatrics began. 'Miss you most at Christmastime' is a beautiful Christmas love song, and the whole collection has a nice gospel vibe to it.

Let the Ho-Ho-Hoing BEGIN!!

Music, Music, Music...and Your Store

Do You ever notice music when you walk into a retail store? I am a person who loves music, and thought that one of the best things about having my own retail store was being able to program a days worth of music that meant something to me, every day I worked.

As a customer, I remember 3 times that I entered a store and was blown away by the music playing. The 1st time was in a new boutique in Yaletown called Vasanji. I walked in and was immediately transported back to the late 70's. Whomever was working that day had decided to play, in it's entirety, Stevie Wonder's Musiquarium. I walked in to 'Superstition', and stayed right through 'Isn't she lovely?' The store was a HUGE loft space, in what was then an up and coming area, and I will never forget how well that album matched the feeling of the sort of urban,clubby clothing they were selling.

The 2nd time, the P-Man and I were in Santa Monica shopping at a very upscale boutique called Fred Siegel's. That day, the music consisted of the New Macy Gray album...'On How Life Is'. As I wandered from department to department, each song followed me, and I swore that right after I finished shopping, I was going to buy that CD.

The 3rd time was in Portland Oregon. The P-Man and I were visiting Portland for the 1st time, and had stayed in an up and coming neighbourhood called the Pearl District. The area was full of interesting little shops, but you know how it is...after the third cute little store selling chic spa products mixed with 'must-have home decor', you need a break! We walked into another little place, and were treated to the then-new Justin Timberlake CD - 'Justified'. That catchy pop music made me want to stay a little longer. It instantly differentiated that store from all the others I had walked through that morning.

Just in case you haven't noticed...Christmas is coming! For those of us who have worked through a decade or so of Christmas retail...please have pity on your customers. Consider your Christmas music selections. Your staff, AND your customers will be subjected to all manner of 'Silent Night' in the next 8 weeks! Take this opportunity to listen to, and program some Holiday appropriate music that won't have everyone racing for the door! Whatever you, AND your staff decide on, it should reflect you, and what your store is all about. Take the time to consider VOLUME and SELECTION! An ipod is a great alternative to a couple of CD's that have to be constantly rotated. You can load the music you like, hit shuffle, and let it play all day...no fuss, no annoying stoppages, or skips. This time of year is busy...don't make your staff deal with one more thing that could drag them away from making a great impression, or a great SALE, to a customer! Make an impression...show who you are...Tis the Season !