The $ailslady

Retail Rediscovers Manners

2011-06-27T13:28:00.000-05:00

Retail Rediscovers Manners

Browsing at one of Billy Reid's six fashion boutiques, located in New York City and throughout the South, feels akin to coming home. Though Reid's apparel garners tons of buzz (GQ named him 2010's Best New Menswear Designer and, yes, he dresses women, too), his stores are furnished with comfy sofas, tattered rugs, and aged portraits.

Linger long enough and a salesperson might even offer you a glass of sweet tea. Little surprise, then, that this Louisiana native chose country clothier Stetson for his latest high-profile collaboration.

Good Wood

2011-04-10T14:44:00.002-05:00

The Classics... you'll never go wrong with designs that pass the test of time over and over again. In a world where decor trends can be "so last week" before they even begin it's good to know that some things never change. Classic interior elements will always be "in." There is no substitute for the richness and character that a good antique piece adds to a space. It only takes one piece of Good Wood to make a room special, like the mahogany table and matching chairs in a photo from Color Outside The Lines. This modern dining niche is both fresh and sophisticated. It's the look that antique shop owners need to show and sell now.

The tide is turning. After a whitewashed spell in home decor, first time homeowners are starting to select old-school favorites in deeper finishes as a contrasting feature in all that paleness. They need and want a statement piece of lasting value. The real allure of using old furnishings is the quality and the price. "Why buy the more expensive knock off if you can have the real thing for less?" says Emily Henderson, HGTV's newest talent, who features vintage finds in all her interior projects.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have Grandmother's furniture, and they're just starting to realize that... again. It's hardly a new concept, but it seems that every generation has to re-discover it for themselves. Antiquing they will go! It's a budding opportunity for antique shops everywhere. Don't miss the boat.

Mood Music...Create a Selling Soundscape

2011-03-20T15:14:00.036-05:00

Music hath charms... to sell! The soundscape of your shop is often overlooked as part of a strong sales strategy. You want a unique look in your shop to showcase and sell your merchandise. You want your soundscape to do the same. The power of music as a selling tool is often overlooked.

Muzak or your favorite radio station can't be fine tuned enough to suit the needs of your shop. So, consider alternative ways to fill the air with a selling sound. Create a signature mix of music to sell by.

Consider the mood you want to set in your place of business. You want music that encourages your customers to shop a little bit longer and spend more. You want a sound that complements your merchandise and enhances it's value. Music creates a magical subliminal message that can actually influence your customers to love what you sell and actually be willing to pay more for it.

Experts agree that light classical does indeed keep customers of all age groups in a store longer than other genres and boosts the perceived value of the merchandise. Just in high end shops like gourmet food, wines, or antiques, right? Wrong! Studies proved it's true for all kinds of stores. So, why not start with a little of the classics and build from there? A little variety is good, but create a blend that is harmonious... every song must play-well-with-others.

I like a mix for The Shop that makes the contemporary furnishings seem classic and the antique ones updated and fresh. I've listed a few of my selections for business hours here on The Sailslady's Pandora link along the left of this blog. Pandora is my choice for an easy way to find music you know you want and some you never knew you did.

Keep these thoughts to keep in mind as you create a selling soundscape...

It's called background music for a reason. Keep the volume low.
Good quality speakers are a must.
A good blend transcends genre.
There's a difference between upbeat and jarring, relaxing and boring.
Surprise! Music for the young or for the not-so-young? There's no difference. Shoppers' minds work in mysterious ways.
Change is good... don't torture your customers with the same songs (even good ones) over and over and over again. There is no such thing as too many tunes in your mix.
Timing is important. Try to program your music so that your regular 2:30 every afternoon customer doesn't hear the same thing every single time he comes in the front door.
Nothing personal... what's going through the airwaves in your store is a business decision. Your individual listening preferences may or may not not be the best for your business. But I'll bet they're not. You and your employees can listen to your favorites off the job.
Pay attention. Notice what works and what doesn't with your customers... money talks!

The Business of Bliss... How To Profit From Doing What You Love

2011-03-13T15:04:00.003-05:00

Long ago and far away there was The Business of Bliss... a beautiful little book from the publishers of what was once Victoria magazine. So, you want to be a shopowner? You're already up and running? This is a wonderful, relaxing retail read for all. Your mind and soul will be nourished with this retail read no matter what your phase of shoplife. B of B, though sometimes dated, is still one of my favorites with lots of good ideas and advice to consider from dozens of "Sailsladies." I enjoy page after beautifully photographed page of unusual small shops and their owners who followed their bliss. Ahhh... wouldn't it be nice if the land of boutique retail still existed like it did a couple of decades ago? I sometimes wonder which of these little businesses bloomed and which faded away. The stories date to before Katrina and other disastrous natural and economic events to follow. I guess I could Google each business to know for sure, but would prefer to imagine that each and every one had a happy ending in The Business of Bliss.

But, wait! A rising tide carries all boats, and the tide is definitely rising. Lots of little shops out on The Retail Sea have weathered the worst. Some are a bit battered, others actually found their way through the storm and came out looking good on the other side... really good! More about some of these Sailsladies later.

You Like? You Buy?

2011-03-07T20:00:00.002-06:00

"You like? You buy?" Who can refuse? Bloody Mary of South Pacific fame is about the only saleslady I know who can ask a forbidden dead end yes-or-no question to customers and never ever hit the dead end. I think it's in the delivery... enticing, almost hypnotic. So, Bloody Mary is the first on my list... A Real Life Sailslady?

"Bloody Mary Is The Girls We Love, Now Ain't That Too Damn Bad"
Loretta Ables Sayre IS Bloody Mary

You may think you've never met Mary. But if you know the tunes "Bali Ha'i" and "Happy Talk" you know her well. Bloody Mary is one of the pivotal characters in Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical South Pacific.

The story concerns the lives of U.S. military men, nurses and the residents of the Polynesian island they occupy during World War II. There is one civilian woman on the island nicknamed "Bloody Mary", a sassy middle-aged Tonkinese vendor of grass skirts, who engages the sailors in sarcastic, flirtatious, even bawdy banter as she tries to sell them the wares she brings by boat from the mysterious neighboring island of Bali Ha'i. Souvenir sales is a brisk business, and an intense rivalry develops between Mary and Seabee Luther Billis, who has cornered the market in everything from grass skirts to shrunken heads. Luther's a wily rascal and Mary's one tough cookie (with a soft center.) It's fun to watch the two battle it out..

I first met Mary in the summer of 1969 onstage in an under-the-stars production at The Muny in St. Louis. Live theatre! I was hooked. I've seen other versions over the years, some good and others not so much. But, the music and the story will always shine. By far the best version of this classic show was Lincoln Center Theater's Revival of South Pacific. So fresh and yet a true revival... as close as possible to Rodgers and Hammerstein's original production decades ago. Lincoln Center is not into DVD's, so you'll have to hope to catch the rerun one day on PBS. You'll be glad you did.

Bloody Mary truly is, as the sailors sing, "is the girl we love" for my first favorite Sailslady.

The Art of The Steal and Stopping It

2011-03-02T00:38:00.007-06:00

BUSTED!
"The Steal" on Amazon.com

If you think you do not have a shoplifting problem in your store you are probably mistaken. These people are talented criminals. It happens all the time and it's not that easy to spot, much in the same way that it's hard to see how a magician does a trick.

I've been in retail for a long time and have gotten pretty good at spotting sticky-fingered shoppers. The Big Purse Girls caught my attention the minute they strolled into The Shop last weekend. Big jackets, big purses, big attitude. Not our typical customers at all. Smothering the trio with one-on-one customer service worked quickly. Our staff overwhelmed the would-be thieves. The Girls soon realized there was little chance of their "finding some sterling for our Auntie's wedding present." Out they went. They drove across town to another nice antique shop and found a perfectly lovely pair of sterling candelabra for dear Auntie... for FREE!

With the price of silver sky high these days, there's been quite a hike in shoplifting. Sterling, coins, and jewelry are all hot commodities.  Antique stores full of fine things are prime targets, treasure troves of valuable merchandise that's easy to turn into cash.

Designer clothing is on a shoplifter's wish list, too. There is a wonderful couture consignment shop in downtown Palm Beach... Deja Vu. The high fashion garments on the racks are so beautiful, but I can't show them to you. That's because no cell phones or cameras are alllowed in Deja Vu. No pictures or contact with anyone waiting outside. The owner explained that professional shoplifters, a.k.a. boosters, often use cell phone cameras to case a store, creating a sort of photo catalog of choice picks to steal later.  Cell phones also allow a lookout to communicate with their partners in crime inside a store.

Now some customers might have been offended by such tight measures, but I admired Ms. Deja Vu for her tough approach, no exceptions. Other shopowners could learn a lesson from her like I did. Mental note to self: Cell phones? Cameras? Who knew? More ammo in my arsenal to fight the bad guys and gals.

So, what else can be done to stop this crime? Read Stop Professional Shoplifting and Ten Cheap and Easy Shoplifting Prevention Tips for tips on recognizing trouble signals and preventing theft before it happens. Your local friendly policemen will gladly instruct you and your personnel on how to be a Crimestopper. Oddly enough, I got the best tips on spotting shoplifters' tricky tactics from shoplifters' own blogs and sites promoting shoplifting as a career choice. It's amazing how many ways they've got to steal! Phone camera, huh? I can play this game, too.

So, once again one of the Big Purse Girls came through the front door this morning, her friends waiting outside in the getaway car. But, armed with new knowledge and a new Smart Phone, I was ready to go on the offensive. Poor girl, she got a bit unnerved when I set my phone camera on video and held it up to my ear, pretending to be on the phone and making video of her every move at the same time. I'd seen her do the same to case our store before.  The look on her face told me she knew I was on to the trick. Away she rushed when I turned the lens toward their car in our parking lot. Tires screeched on the pavement as they sped down the street. And, I heard her exclaim as they drove out of sight... "Bitch!" I love happy endings.

Made You Look!

2011-02-22T08:27:00.009-06:00

The purpose of display is to sell, but first you've got to make 'em look. Be eyecatching, Little Shop! Come on... you can do it! The pros can show you a thing or two about show-and-sell. Tops in creative visual umphh this week for me are d4r and Anthropologie. These visuals say "Look, look! See, see! Buy, buy!"

Take note, all you vintage fashion shopowners. This post is for you.

Spring color is captured in Tom Dolle's snapshot of Anthropologie's extravagantly fun window display. Lush but light della robbia garlands, created from recycled plastic bottle blooms, accentuate the retro style casual wear. What an inventive way to showcase vintage style. Recycled pop... both bottles and fashion!

My other pick for Make-Em-Look visuals is Tenet's power packed menswear display, featured in d4r's "Stuff We Like." The vintage man-toys double as display fixtures...classic motorcycles, leather seating, mounted deer heads. d4r's photo is like a page in an "I Spy" picture book. Fun surprises everywhere.

So, why be boring? Rethink how to show off your wares in new and interesting ways. Customers like new and interesting... makes 'em look.

Let's Give 'Em Something To Talk About... Blog!

2011-02-08T08:36:00.001-06:00

The best way to get everyone talking about your shop and to boost your business is at your fingertips. Start a blog... now! Yes, right now. It's that quick and easy. What's even better is it's free. That beats spending your shop's cash on old-fashioned print, radio, and TV ads, doesn't it? In your shop blog you can tell everyone about your business in a very easy and straightforward way. You don't have to be the best blogger ever. You just need to love your business and want to share what's going on at your shop with everyone in a personable, fun way.

In Blog Post Ideas for a Retail Gift Shop owner of Swagger Gifts in Cary NC shares her ideas about creating and using a shop blog. Her advice is to start your blog now and to blog consistently. The more often you post the better. So, what to blog about? The goal is to make your little shop a hot shopping destination. You want to attract new customers and entice old ones to keep coming in the door. Turn blog followers into good customers by making them feel special. Give them something to talk about... inside info only they will know about. Clue your customers in about new merchandise on its way to your shop. Invite them to exclusive events and sales. Show-and-tell about the latest displays in the shop. Get the idea? Good! Now get out there and blog!

The Elephant in The Room

2011-02-06T10:56:00.000-06:00

Tops on my list of favorite inspiration destinations is The Elephant's Foot in Palm Beach FL. Odd name for a beautiful antique store to inspire any interiors oriented antique dealer like me. Want to create a beautiful room? Start here.

The Elephant's keeper is a lovely lady with years of experience and expertise. She's also blessed with a designer's eye that makes this shop shine. Other shopkeepers may waste time on stocking mediocre merchandise in a lackluster setting. Not this one... a great example to follow. Truly nice antique furnishings and accessories, displayed in a straightforward yet tidy fashion, are the hallmark of The Foot. The inventory/collection, carefully selected over decades, features jillions of intrinsically valuable old things and some fine quality newer ones that outshine what many other stores have to offer. Lately a few Palm Beach estate consignment pieces, gorgeous accessories and furnishings, have made their way into the store as well. It's obvious from the moment you walk in the front door that there is absolutely no place for junk in the scheme of things. I never miss the opportunity to wander in wonder through rows and roomsful of true treasure. Ahhhh, so good for this Sailslady's soul...and an excellent example of what every little shop should want to be when it grows up.

This pair of handpainted sea-inspired panels... my favorite!

Ship Shapes

2011-02-03T10:58:00.003-06:00

photo courtesy of Prize Antiques

Antiques have the reputation of being a bit stuffy and formal. But, sometimes just one fine yet fun piece in a room adds a touch of whimsical class to lighten the spirit of a tradition interior or give more umphh to a contemporary space. This stately English Pond Yacht from Prize Antiques floats my boat. Certainly this "toy" is appropriate for a home by the sea, but I can see it in a Manhattan loft or a even mountain lodge. (There are bodies of water inland, you know.) You really don't have to limit using nautical antiques to tried and true nautical decor. Grand scale and fine details of this vintage piece are the basic design concepts to used to guide my choice.

What Not To Ware... Junk!

2011-01-18T09:35:00.000-06:00

It's January.... the month that shopkeepers head out in search of new inventory. Hmm, what to buy? What will sell? Most retailers look for something new, the latest trendy must-have.. Retail buyer beware! When updating your merchandise keep overall basic trend directions in mind to chart your course for 2011. Let the pages of home decor and fashion magazines, and the most popular home furnishings catalogs be your guide for color and the overall design feel of what's in vogue as well as what will be. Then look beyond the obvious "for sale" items in the shots. Focus on the unusual vintage accessories photo stylists use to play up the furnishings. These gems are the final touches that complete the look to perfection. Offer these on-of-a-kind items in your retail mix. Instead of pretend vintage imports chose the real thing to offer in your shop. No mass marketed ,made-in-China, faux antique apothecary bottle can match a one-of-a kind 19th century antique one? Rustic old wrought iron has real patina, not fake. Real vintage brass and wood and marble instead of everything a la resin stands up better in any design now and forever. Original art and handcrafted items are a must. So, pass up the junk and flash fads. Find what's fashion forward and authentic. Get the feel, but keep it real!

A Little Bit of England in Alabama

2011-01-01T17:38:00.000-06:00

English tea caddies and other beautiful antique boxes are the specialty of The Unicorn Shop. Other finds include Italian della robbias of all sizes as well as English and French furnishings. Tucked away in Montgomery Alabama in the Mulberry Street District, this is one of the last of a dying breed of quaintly crowded antique shops. Generations of Montgomery families have shopped for fine pieces here for over 30 years, and enjoy the privilege of being able to register for wonderful wedding gifts including heirloom sterling and antique chests.

Setting Sail!

2011-01-01T17:11:00.000-06:00

The Sailslady is preparing to set sail. What unique antiques, original art, and other decorative treasures are waiting just over the horizon?