Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Grand Opening Ideas For Small Retail Shop

Posted by Anonymous on 5/27/2008 at 1:59 PM ET 125 Points
We have just opened a very small retail shop which carries fine children's clothing, toys, and other gifts. Our main concern is how to attract new people to this shop, and for our grand opening, especially because we have an extremely small budget. Our main benefit is that we We are a sister company to a large swimming instructional school which is located right next door. We know that our main group of customers will be from the swim school, and we are already completely making use of that customer base. My main concern is getting new people in the door for our grand opening in a couple of weeks. We are going to be flyering cars with a small discount attatched and we are doing a pass along email to friends and family. The grand opening is going to be week long, and we are doing daily giveaways and a grand prize. But, we can't even afford a mailer right now. So, does anyone have any good ideas for attracting new customers to that type of establishment and/or grand opening ideas?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Harry Hallman on 5/27/2008 at 2:46 PM Accepted
    Does the sister company have an email lsit. If so use it. Email is very inexpensive. Also, try to get the people going to the swim school to spread the word to friends. Maybe it includes giving a prize to someone who comes to the Grand Opening or it could be a percent to a charity.
  • Posted by Gail@PUBLISIDE on 5/27/2008 at 2:59 PM Accepted
    Consider a fashion show with some kids involved with the swim school modeling your merchandise. At the fashion show, invite people to put their contact information in a box, from which you may also select a prize winner (prize does not have to be a costly item).

    Also, assuming that the swim school reminds the public about swimming safety, you could latch on and provide media and thus, consumers, info about appropriate swimwear for specific age children (e.g., avoid long strings when dressing infants and toddlers for the pool).
  • Posted on 5/27/2008 at 4:56 PM Accepted
    Print off your own Grand Opening cards (size of postcard). Make them very colorful - staple on an eye-catching bow/ribbon. Go around to all businesses (grocery stores, restaurants, etc.) that let people put up business cards, flyers, etc. on their bulletin boards and tack one up wherever you can.

    Call all the nursary schools in the area and see if they have a board they would let you pin an announcement on.

    Have friends post them on their work bulletin boards.

    That sort of local advertising is inexpensive and it works.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 5/28/2008 at 9:24 AM Accepted
    Have you offered a referral bonus to customers that the swim school refers? If there's a swim team, give the bonus to the team to pay for gas, cover-ups, etc.

    Where do the parents go when their kids are taking swim classes? Make it your store by offering free drinks and snacks (comarket with a local snack shop) and a cool place to sit and read.

    When kids are waiting for their class to start, or for their parents to pick them up, where do they wait? Can you offer to set up a small game room for them to use?

    Also: consider an essay contest ("Why I want to win the prize") for a shopping spree. Post the entries on a wall, let everyone vote for their favorite (using an email address?). A press release about the contest would be a natural for the local newspapers to pick up on.
  • Posted on 6/2/2008 at 4:51 PM Accepted
    Lots of great answers!

    Not knowing where you are located might make a difference in some of the answers. For example, one could (within an hour of here) go to no fewer than a dozen public aquatic parks and talk with the managers about working with them to get the word out about your new shop.

    Definitely give yourself time to get the bugs out before your grand opening! And, make sure you hit your high schools with swim teams. They could be a good pool of lower cost employees too. The idea to hit day care and nursery school is good too - as long as the children are using the adjacent swim center.

    Good Luck!
    CVN
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