Difference between revisions of "Store Meta Question"
m |
|||
Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
Make the thrift store into a "boutique." They are (from about.com): A small retail shop that specializes in gifts, fashionable clothes, accessories, or food, for example. A small shop located within a large department store or supermarket.A small business offering specialized products and services: an investment boutique; a health-care boutique. So basically, something cool, something niche, a destination as well as a place so solve a problem. Think Hawthorne, N. Mississippi or Alberta, NW 21/23. | Make the thrift store into a "boutique." They are (from about.com): A small retail shop that specializes in gifts, fashionable clothes, accessories, or food, for example. A small shop located within a large department store or supermarket.A small business offering specialized products and services: an investment boutique; a health-care boutique. So basically, something cool, something niche, a destination as well as a place so solve a problem. Think Hawthorne, N. Mississippi or Alberta, NW 21/23. | ||
* Advantages (Reasons for doing this): Make more money per transaction. Make the store more appealing so people are more comfortable spending larger sums of money on stuff. Make the store environment nicer to encourage volunteering. | * Advantages (Reasons for doing this): Make more money per transaction. Make the store more appealing so people are more comfortable spending larger sums of money on stuff. Make the store environment nicer to encourage volunteering. | ||
− | * Disadvantages - We have a niche. Does making the store nice mean that we will develop a new one or are we spinning our wheels trying to attract customers that will not shop here? | + | * Disadvantages - We have a niche. Does making the store nice mean that we will develop a new one or are we spinning our wheels trying to attract customers that will not shop here? |
+ | * Current - Slowly moving in this direction with the main justification being : 1) Volunteer retention (the store is nice!) and 2) increase in whole system sales. | ||
==Multiple Locations== | ==Multiple Locations== |
Revision as of 16:26, 7 October 2008
Here is where proposed ideas for the future of the store. In other words, How Should The Store Grow?
Current Planned Improvements Timeline
- Before Thanksgiving (date pending) - Carpet removed. Floor looks like rest of building (old fir).
- Before Christmas - shelving replaced with either wire racks and/or custom shelving a la shop people.
- After Christmas - Possible refinish of floors to make them *nice*
Boutique Thrift Store
Make the thrift store into a "boutique." They are (from about.com): A small retail shop that specializes in gifts, fashionable clothes, accessories, or food, for example. A small shop located within a large department store or supermarket.A small business offering specialized products and services: an investment boutique; a health-care boutique. So basically, something cool, something niche, a destination as well as a place so solve a problem. Think Hawthorne, N. Mississippi or Alberta, NW 21/23.
- Advantages (Reasons for doing this): Make more money per transaction. Make the store more appealing so people are more comfortable spending larger sums of money on stuff. Make the store environment nicer to encourage volunteering.
- Disadvantages - We have a niche. Does making the store nice mean that we will develop a new one or are we spinning our wheels trying to attract customers that will not shop here?
- Current - Slowly moving in this direction with the main justification being : 1) Volunteer retention (the store is nice!) and 2) increase in whole system sales.
Multiple Locations
Having more locations has one obvious benefit: We will have more customers to sell stuff to. This is not yet possible because we can't keep stuff stocked in out current store that people really want.
- Satellites with same basic stock
- Advantages - Easy to set up, easier to restock (pack-in and out lists reflect what is in the existing store).
- Disadvantages
- Satellites with a different stock
- Advantages
- Disadvantages
- Considerations for a store/drop-off site (this might be better as a separate page if it seems like we are going this direction)
- Type of store might be impacted by the neighborhood/suburb it is located in.
Two Different Stores
Perhaps using Goodwill as a model. That is, a "retail" store and a "bins" store. There are two reasons to do this 1) Increase reuse and 2) separate "bins"-style customers from "retail"-style customers (this also means separating parts geeks from whole-system buyers).
- Advantages
- Disadvantages
Brainstorming Impact of the Weirdness
The weirdness will have an unknown effect on the size and composition of our stream. Here are some possibilities:
- Size of stream goes up, quality goes down (more stuff that no one wants)
- Size goes up, quality goes up
- Size mainly unchanged, quality goes up
- Size mainly unchanged, quality goes down
- Size goes down, quality goes up
- Size goes down, quality goes down
And it's the economy stupid
- The economy is a likely basket case. What kind of impact will this have on our customer base?
- If this is merely a recession then people will probably substitute whole system purchases for parts to upgrade
- If this is a second great depression then the sales will likely go down (!). We would have to have a plan in place to deal with the change in revenue if this occurs.