Have you ever thought about the fact that you, as a boutique owner, have a big advantage in many ways over big retail? Large chain stores and department stores are limited as to what they can do. They have to concentrate on preserving brand image over many markets and departments. You, on the other hand, have creative freedom in establishing the environment that you want to present.
You can get involved in your local community drawing positive attention to yourself and your business. You can make personal contacts and actually keep up with them easily on social networking sites. Big retail stores could never do these things. Your presence in your community will make people want to support you and your small business. It makes them feel like they are doing some good to preserve small businesses in their community. You can show people you care by attending benefits and other local events where you can get your name out there.
You can use your personal connections around town to figure out which promotions will be most effective. Have people tell you what they would like to see. Would they want a portion of their purchase price to be donated to a charity? Would they rather see some other brands that you haven’t thought about carrying? Would they be more inclined to stop in if they received regular coupons by e-mail? All of these things could be invaluable to know and could really help your business to take off.
People love the atmosphere that a boutique offers, as well as the unique products. Make sure that when they approach a clothing rack that it is not too crowded for them to see what they’re looking for. Keep things stocked so that people know that you’re likely to have the sizes that they need, but make sure that they can leisurely look through the clothing racks without much effort.
Make your displays interesting and enticing for customers to explore. Heighten their curiosity by having special visuals around every corner. If someone can look into the store and immediately start planning which sections they are going to want to visit, then you’ve done a good job. Making the atmosphere relaxed and personal, in a way, will help you to provide the experience that boutique shoppers are hoping to encounter when they come inside. Take advantage of the many advantages of being a small boutique and you’ll reap the benefits.
About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of clothing racks including garment racks. Find a high quality clothing rack or garment rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.