Need help with advertising my thrift store

[Krisathome]

I could use some good ideas from all you thrifting professionals.   After being open for 1 3/4 years and people still don't know we are here.  We are very off the beaten path, on a very untraveled street in a residential district.  So we have NO foot traffic whatsoever.  We have no signs that the public can see other than the one on our building and that you can't see from the side roads at all. 

I have hung flyers in any public place I can think of.   My coworker and I hand out biz cards constantly.  We've put ads in the paper.  Word of mouth is ok but it just doesn't cut it.  Sales have been soooo slow and donations are even slower.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

I forgot to mention we have NO budget to work with.  My coworker and I have paid out of our own pockets for alot of what we have already done.  We are a fundraiser for the domestic abuse shelter in several counties and finances are VERY tight right now. 

[valleythriftshopper]

Do you have sales?  If so, you may want to advertise your sales to motivate people to check out your store.  Around here some of the antique stores put ads in the tag sale section advertising a tag sale (they put some items outside at reduced prices).  Maybe you could have a sidewalk sale or some other promotion & get the tag sale crowd interested.  Also try to get some free PR by contacting a local newspapaer or TV station to do a story on your charity.  I saw a story about a thrift not too far from here a little while ago on TV.  It made me want to go check out that thrift.
http://www.vnaandhospice.org/pages/posts/-the_hospice_shop-_on_wwlp_22_news2.php

The store that I just got the great dishes at also puts some of their stuff on Ebay.  Now people who have something of value to donate sometimes give their stuff directly to the director of the thrift (actually a food bank with a thrift store attached).  You can check out their auctions on Ebay at fasc964.  If you have any nicer items or nice clothes you could try auctioning them to increase profits.  This thrift will also pick up items locally.

I am not a pro, but I know what would motivate me to go check out a new thrift.

[Good Buddy]

If you do have sales. you can post them as events in the calender section of the forum. That might help a little.
Once I find out the thrift you run, I'll check some numbers and see if I can help on our end..

GB

[Krisathome]

Good Buddy, we're on your list:  2nd Chances Spencer Iowa 51301

We do have a good customer that we trust put some things on eBay for us but she already sells herself so it alittle too much for her.  Since there are only 2 employees at the store, I would be the one doing most of the online work since the other lady isn't tech minded at all. 

As far as sales go, we really don't have any.   The director of the domestic abuse shelter is techically my boss so we have to do as she decrees.  We use to have very high prices(as the boss said we must) until they decided we weren't moving enough inventory.  We lowered them and things flew out the doors.  Right now we are sooo low on furniture-which is our big money maker-that it's almost embarassing to be called a used furniture store. 

We are making ends meet but I would love us to do more than that.  Things are kind of "iffy" as far as govt funding right now.   The shelter has had to let some workers go and not replace them so less advotes are now doing more work.  I would like to see us be more than just that little thrift shop off on the side street that no one drives by.  At this point in time we are not self supporting...that is my goal. 

I sure wish some of you lived closer to me!  We could use your support!!

[valleythriftshopper]

Two other resources are freecycle and Craig's List.  I never used Craig's List before so I do not know if it is free to list.  I do see Flea Markets that advertise regularly in the garage sale section, so they must feel that it drives in customers.

On freecycle I see non-profits that ask for things & people do want to donate their stuff to non-profits.  I think people mostly offer stuff on freecycle because they don't have the time to take it over to a thrift.  Again, though this would probably require picking up the items. 

Lastly, you may want to investigate whether or not your state can help you.  In Massachusetts the Salvation Army (maybe Goodwill too) is an approved non-profit.  This means that, for example, people who are coming off goverment programs & need immediate employment can work at the Salvation Army, among other places, and the state pays their salary, until they can find regular employment.  Maybe the women who are transitioning out of the shelter could be employed at your store with state money.  Just a thought...

[Good Buddy]

Krisathome.

The link below is to your store's hits stats in our directory..

http://www.thethriftshopper.com/7125804483

As you can see advertising on our site wouldn't be beneficial.
I agree with VTS, you should use Craigslist and MySpace too.
Make the store a MySpace page and add friends within 15 miles of you. If you want help setting one up, just lemme know..

[valleythriftshopper]

My Space is a great idea!  I always forget about that one because I never go on it.  Maybe if there are colleges in the area offer a small discount to students. 

[genuineimitation]

as an idea to generate sales: my favorite thrift store has small hand-out flyers at the cash register: each day of the week is something different: one day is senior discount, one day is clothes on sale, one day is something else... each day is a small discount. Oh! one day is grab bag - when you get to the register, you get to pull a card which gives you a 10 - 50% discount at checkout. it's a nice way to break up the week, and i think people come by for certain sales. i KNOW on senior day, there are plenty of seniors because there is a nursing home who brings their clients in to shop!
i hope it all goes well..

[Magpie18]

Do you keep an e-mailing list of best shoppers & donors?

As long as you get permission to add them & promise not to sell the info on the list & are prompt to remove people who want off --- a good email list is great for sales notices or asking people for donations in the slow period.

[oceangurl]

Do you have a local free newspaper, like a pennysaver? Also do you have a local radio station that allows you to put your business on the air? I know our local radio station lets you call in and advertise your businees for free and that really helps generate their sales because alot of people are home and listen to this broadcast dailey, especially for bargains...just a thought....good luck!

[Krisathome]

No email list, yet anyway.  That's a good idea.  We do keep a list of donors but that is only for tax purposes.    We don't have current addresses on them. 

I am not sure how much traffic we would have at myspace.  We just don't have that kind of clientel. 

I would like to do special sales on certain days.  This will have to wait until we have more inventory though. 

No free newspapers here.  We have to pay full price to place an ad.  No wonder nonprofits have trouble staying afloat!

We have recently joined our local chamber of commerce, so now we are in their website.  We will have to have an after hours party with the other business owners and employees soon. 

The director of our CAASA(Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault) does a 5 minute radio show on Tues mornings.  Occasionally she mentions the store but not most of the time. 

It's hard not having a budget. 

I did open an account on craigslist but we don't even have a group for our town.  Sad!