Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Have you tried to open an online store such as eBay? You would be amazed how many people are purchasing products on line.

What city is the boutique in?

Do you collect email addresses from people who visit? If so start emailing the new Fall items pictures and do it every week during the season and through the end of the year.

When a market is down you have to give people a reason to come to you. You might also try to figure a good way to get people to tell friends about your store. Perhaps you give a card out that says if you bring a friend you both get 10,15,20 whatever percent off.

It is well worth it to get a new customer.

Have an in store event to try to get people there and experience your store.

The truth is there could be many things that effect sales. Merchandise, layout of the store, price, gas prices, location, competition and so on.

If you do not have a web site get one up and take advantage of people's penchant for looking up a store or product online before they buy.

Is the objective to increase sales or to maintain/increase profits? Are you in survival mode? Have you cut all the fixed costs you can? What about your marketing plan? Have you tried new advertising approaches? Do you think you have a pricing problem?

The fact that all the stores in your area are experiencing declines may help you feel like it's a broader problem than just you, but that doesn't help pay the rent, so you need to do what YOU need to do to survive.

Go back to your marketing plan, look at every aspect of the marketing mix, and start making adjustments ... and do it quickly, while there is still time to turn things around.

Don't have a marketing plan? Then maybe it's time to focus on an exit strategy that minimizes the pain/loss as you exit the business. There probably isn't time to develop a proper marketing plan that takes into account the market particulars.


P.S. Using all capital letters is seen by the online community as SHOUTING. I don't think that's what you intended, but you need to be sensitive to that next time you post. Many people are put off by a message in all capital letters.

Different locations mean different customers. I think this is why your friend´s stores are fine and your's not.

I am managing communication for apparel company., and i would invest in visibility and relationship marketing. Try to make your shops well known in all the places where you might find potencial clients. Hair salons, SPA's, fashion events, companies where you might find female employees, etc. This does not require a huge investment. You can choose the places where you want to be clearly visible (for instance sponsor the owner of the best hair salon) and on the others just spend some money on brochures to leave at the stores.

Also try to boost the info you have about your clients. If you have the right information, you can send them proposal for Christmas gifts, for instance.

Have you ever considered a small event? Something like the season's opening, where you would invite your best clients and ask them to bring a friend. It might help. This way you would be reinforcing the relationship with your clients and also trying to atract new ones.

Just one more thing. Make your business personal. Try to convert all the clients into store's friends. Call them, if they didnt show up for more than usual, just to ask if everything's fine. They might be your most helpful communication agent, so, even if you give them an extra discount, it will still be worth.


Hope it helps.
Tiago

Dear,

From the limited information we have from you, it appears some or other external factors (apart from a direct competition) are influencing the business in the locality you have business in. Or is it a seasonal factor that is at work ?

Even if it is due to factors that are beyond your control, you should work on the factors that you could work on. As suggestions I put forth the following :

In case of Boutique type of businesses the customer look for varieties and, uniqueness in the products. When you say that the first year was good followed by sharp drop in the business, it makes me to suspect whether the stock, designs and or displays are becoming stale. In such businesses, the stocks have to be replenished frequently ( say every one or two months); that is, none of the unsold item should remain in the shelf or in display for more than say 30 to 60 days. You could exchange stocks with your other friends who have their shops elsewhere. Further, even the displays are to be changed more frequently than this period. Customers' every visit should be a new experience in these areas.

In these types of businesses the word of mouth publicity goes a long way. So, the customer relationship also is very important. Have their contact numbers / addresses. Greet them on their birthdays, anniversaries with an an exclusive discount for them for the purchases for those particular days. Further, you could provide them referral cards through which they could recommend their friends and relatives for an attractive discount purchases from your shop.

Further, as the sales persons play very important role in such customer relationship you must have very lively persons to take care of the sale. They should engage the customers and make them very comfortable and inquisitive.

Best Wishes,

kannan