(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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I was between flights in Baltimore, hungry, and looking for a snack.I stopped at the Hudson News store, grabbed a Coke and went to the counter.I saw a “Kind” brand nut bar.I put it on the counter, waiting for the clerk to ring me up. 
I was mindlessly looking at magazine covers when the clerk said, “You know that’s $2.76?”
“Huh?” I asked.
“That candy is $2.76 – you still want to buy it?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I just wanted you to know before I rang it up.”
I waited a moment and then asked, “Why, shouldn’t I buy it?”
“Well that’s a lot of money,” he added as he rang it up.
Just the other day a buddy of mine, a member of the Rolls-Royce Owner’s Club was relating their letter about an upcoming meet to me.The first line said Rolls-Royce had withdrawn sponsorship of the club activities so now people would have to pay more.It went on to say how you could get 50% off the fee if you did x, y and z.The punchline?The event was $15.00! Yes, we were talking about $7.50!No WONDER RR isn’t supporting this mindset!
For you retailers, you have to be very careful about who you put behind your counters!
Twenty-five years ago when I was selling western wear, I had an employee who could only sell $100 boots.Mind you we carried them all the way up to $1000. No matter what I said, he could only sell the cheap ones.
One day I took him to visit the other stores in South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, CA.Gucchi, Tiffany, Armani -Mark Cross had an ostrich garment bag for $20,000 hanging in the window!While he understood my point, he couldn’t “get it” and we parted company.To him, everything was overpriced and anyone willing to pay it was a fool.
Do you have one of these people working for you?You can only do so much for them.Until they see how they attract that mindset, they will openly (or behind-your-back) challenge you.
Fire ‘em or risk only selling the markdowns.
A lack mentality is deadly when your customer base is being challenged. That’s true of any business from an airport concession, Lord & Taylor or western wear store.
Especially as we come into the holidays…
To find out how to grow your business, checkout The Retail Doctor’s Guide to Growing Your Business (Wiley & Sons.)
So So True. To question a person’s reason to purchase anything in your store is not selling. That is what they are paid hard cash to do. A few years ago I had a customer question for a few moments the purchase of a “custom” built gold leaf frame. But with out my saying a word she came around and said that my price, high as it was, was still less than she had just spent on a 1/4 ounce of perfume in Paris on their world tour. I learned a huge lesson that day. The price for a hard days work is worth every dollar spent. The perfume is gone. But the framed piece still hangs in it’s special place. Take pride in all of your labors.