Secret Formula for Retail Success?

It doesn’t take a genius to look back at 2008 and work out that 2009 is going to be tough on the high street.

I’m currently editing a video on “Change”, featuring interviews with a number of people.  Whilst Change is obviously a hot subject at the minute, I discovered a quote from successful entrepreneur John Haines in which he suggests retailers should be doing the exact opposite right now.

It’s a shorty but a goodie.

Is Your Business in Attract Mode?

On my daily visit to Shorpy’s Blog I found this image of an Oldsmobile shop window taken in 1922:

How often in today’s world do you see such an interesting display for a car showroom?

Though surely in a modern society where we are seeing more competition, fewer customers and tighter purse strings we all need to be doing that one little extra thing that makes us stand out from the crowd.

Putting your product on a podium is no longer enough, it’s the bling you display around it that gets the customers through the door.

This could be a psychological memory recall which links back to childhood feelings of the toy in the shop window that was just out of reach but you’d still go and look at it every day nonetheless. 

Reminding your punters of the good things is the oldest trick in the book but it still works.  Did you manage to ignore the smell and walk past the bakers this morning without going in to buy?

image courtesy of www.shorpy.com