So many businesses are just plain dull. Totally lacking is that spark of creativity and energy. Instead, an image of decadence and boredom. I try to avoid shopping in these places. I bet many other people do likewise.
I'm always on the lookout for the guy who dares to be different. Who believes his customers are entitled to a little theater in their shopping experience.
I've been a retailer for 40 years and in that time I've learnt a lot about the retail business. Something which is never fully learnt or even properly understood is the element of creativity. The importance of finding creative ways to attract customers and even more creative ways of selling to them.
Retailing is a highly competitive business and the giants in the industry are more like giant killers with their massive buying and selling power. Yet, their size can also be a handicap. The bigger you get, the harder to manoeuvre.
There you have it. Problems for the small operators to combat the big guys and problems for the big guys who can't respond quickly enough to counter his smaller competitors. Nobody is immune from competition. No such thing as a monopoly in this day and age.
Peter the Painter runs a small paint shop in a busy street near my home. His store is a little untidy and really not suitable to be located in a big shopping mall. Peter sits on a stool outside the shop and chats to people as they walk past. Never know who might end up being a customer!
The other day I wanted to buy some cans of spray paint. Not being a good handyman I decided to call on Peter and ask his advice. After describing what I wanted and commenting that I wasn't sure how many cans I needed, Peter suggested that 2 cans were probably enough, but if I needed more to come back the next day.
Actually, Peter knew damn well I needed 4 cans, but only had 2 cans of the color I needed. But he wasn't going to let me go without buying those cans he already had in stock.
Sure enough, I needed 4 cans. So, next day I returned to the shop for more cans. And Peter was smart enough to make sure they were there, awaiting my return.
Peter the Painter is not the sort of guy who will paint the town red, but his charming and creative way of talking to customers adds a real dash of color to his business. I'll continue shopping at his store.
I'm sure many readers have shopping experiences that could prove helpful to retailers. I'd like to hear from you. My aim is to use these stories to make the articles both helpful and entertaining.
Lloyd Masel spent 40 years shopkeeping specializing in customer relations, staff training, marketing and advertising. You can contact him on falstaff@zahav.net.il for writing projects. Newsletters are of special interest.
Tags: monopoly, bigg, era
