Bus Tour: Let's start on the outside

There is always a plethora of things to see and think about on the NARTS Conference Consignment, Resale, and Thrift Shop Bus Tour. So many, that I have to break them up into several entries here on Auntie Kate the Blog for you.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

This is exceptionally true for retail stores, and doubly exception of resale shops, when we have to attract attention to a business that many potential shoppers are not yet enthusiastic about. So the exterior appearance of our business matters. Here’s some ideas I spotted on the Bus Tour (click on any photo to enlarge):

Window Graphics

Not only does this bright window graphic call attention to the shop Clique (pronounced “Click”) but it also serves to obscure the secondary, unused door into the shop. Nothing makes a future customer feel sillier than tugging on a door that is locked, so this graphic saves embarrassment too! Notice that the window decal is applied on the OUTSIDE of the glass. This eliminates glare, making the colors more vivid, and in my personal experience, doesn’t cut down on the life of the decal by much.

Rhythm and Repetition

With a wide storefront of many sections of glass, and furniture to display, choices must be made. This shop elects to cover every other pane with sheer curtains, which give rhythm and repetition to their frontage. The sheer curtains also create a backdrop for their furniture vignettes inside.

An interior shot of the sheers, thanks to a fellow resaler. Notice how such a simple idea creates a backdrop for furniture vignettes in this shop.

Getting Attention on the Cheap

This shop, which is set back from the road, catches motorists’ eyes with the simplest of all attention-getters: neon-bright polka dots! That’s a 5-minute Fix if ever I saw one!

Awww…

This neighbor business uses another way to make a first impression: a road-side character! Doesn’t that chubby little mechanic make you feel all warm and fuzzy? This is branding at its best, assuming the local government doesn’t forbid you to use such signage.

Coming up tomorrow, I’ll show you some great ways to use teeny bits of space, and a non-profit thrift store which does a super job of… well, tune back to see! (Or you could use the signup box in the upper right of this page to get AuntieKate in your email, every time there’s a new post.)

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