We did have some people come in who were right in our size wheelhouse but they were not real customers. I don't know if it is a price thing (which I thing is possible) or a taste thing or some other thing but they put on some clothes that looked great on them but then walked out without anything.
There used to be a store about twenty blocks away from us who opened up to directly steal clients from us. They used to make fun of us and called us over priced and hoity toity. We used to call them by the name of that store and just no be bothered with them when they would come in. They would look around, never try anything on and then run out the door to go to the other joint. But we didn't care because you can't win with that customer. They find something wrong with everything you have. Hey if you don't want it that's fine. Don't buy it. There are plenty of people who will want it. And when we have the show we will be exposed to a much bigger client base who want what we have and will be happy to pay for high quality merchandise made in the USA instead of cheap Chinese shit that cost nothing and falls apart after a couple of weeks. But the show will not go on the air until May 29th so we have to hang on until then. Don't get me wrong we are doing fine. Our regular customers still come in and shop like crazy. But in retail if you have a slow day you start to shit your pants. So you have to have patience. It is just hard when these dummies come in and pass remarks. Luckily the wife wasn't in today or she might have slugged them one.
We are going to have a crazy good on-line sales because we are putting up a bunch of new items like the Lulu dresses pictured here. The new prints are great and the fuchsia paisley in particular is butter soft and a unique and very pretty color. So it will all work out in the end since this is the calm before the storm.
But you still want to sell if you can. It is the eternal problem of a shopkeeper.
35 comments:
Any smal business person worries during slow times. My fam was in the restaurant biz which is always manic. And, my small biz had slow periods, ironically during the Winter holidays which is the big time for retail.
Trooper, I'm mentoring a PI who started his biz a few years ago. I see him sweating the slow times. I simply tell him I had a successful biz for 25 years and I sweated like him. You should never get to high when you're busy, or too low when you're slow. You're a winner. Always remember that.
This counseling session will be $175.
...if you have a slow day you start to shit your pants.
Ain't it the truth.
I spent yesterday working on the shed I'm buying to go out back of the business. I stopped in to drop off the ladder I was using, and we were a little busy, so I helped out for about 10-15 minutes. My manager showed me the daily numbers up to then and I about crapped a kitten they were so bad. So I left, fretting about the payroll taxes I had to submit today, the sales tax due next Thursday, payroll on Tuesday, etc.
Less than two hours later, she texted me and we had done 50% more in those two hours than we had done in eight hours of business. We ended up being up 67% over that day last year.
Selling is brutal - if you are having a bad day and it shows on your face, your day will not get better.
Sincere optimism is the best approach. Once you learn to fake that you have it made.
I like the Lulu dresses, especially the yellow patterned one. the red paisley is very pretty. I imagine that when your show airs, you will have so many customers you won't know what to do with them.
That's the plan.
The Yellow Aztec has sold the best but the fuschia paisley is a really great dress and feels so soft I think it will be the best seller.
Tough day today but we will get them tomorrow.
That brown suede purse with the fringe, I had an almost identical one back in 1970. Loved it.
Remember Peter Ironweightsirowheels, the guy obsessed with pubic hair? I used to read his blog. He was a salesman. Some of his days were brutal.
He was in sales? Interesting. Dare we ask what?
Furs
Hi dolls. In Newport with husband and everything is fab, natch.
Did the Cliff Walk and walked along the beach with the rare clumber who was a hit, natch.
Went to a fab restaurant and am going to watch a movie with husband and rare clumber.
I got yelled at big time because I put my shoe on the bed, which I should know better, because he has bitched about it to me before.
We had afternoon sex and I came. Just jerky jerky, that's all we do, which I like. No sucky sucky because I am horrible at it and I don't do anal.
The restaurant we went to was divine, highly rated by Zagat. It can be hard finding a restaurant though because he is total vegey.
The b&b is fantastic.
I am glad I came today.
The rare clumber would not get out of the ocean. He doesn't actually swim in it he just likes to stand there and let the waves hit his body. A friend of mine, who is hilarious said he sounds like and old jewish woman.
We head to Providence tomorrow.
Do you know you can drive through Rhode Island in like 30 minutes?
toodles.
tits.
Zebulun Vance, Senator from North Carolina, speaking on Rhode Island:
To gain his ends and gain friends, Vance was not above using bad grammar or vulgarity. His story about a man whose shirt was chewed by a cow demonstrated that "Them what's got must lose." He expressed his discomfort at a Populist meeting by saying, "I felt like a grain of wheat in a bushel of rat turds."
When a Rhode Island Senator belittled the French Broad River's importance, he replied he "could stand on one border of Rhode Island and piss halfway across that state." And when the Rhode Island senator cried that Vance was out of order, Vance countered, "if I wasn't out of order, I could piss clear across the entire state."
I wasn't born in the South, but I got here as fast as I could.
I spent a lot of time in Rhode Island. Used to body surf in the Long Island Sound on the RI side. Went fishing in Narragansett Bay. Visited friends and relatives in Narr and Warwick. Spent a week in Providence in December '62.
All things considered, I'd much rather be in North Carolina.
Yep. It is scary when your business is sales or seasonal.
Every winter the Dumbplumber's business is slow slow slow. With the exception of emergencies, we have lots of time on our hands. Now that the weather is picking up and the snowbirds are returning it will get really busy. Feast or famine. We are used to it.
We used to own and operate a smoked foods deli operation. People who want to open a restaurant should have some counseling first.
If I might make a suggestion to Trooper: The purses are a distraction to me. They are not at all my particular style. Too large. Too white. It doesn't seem to me that hey go with the dresses at all, with the exception of the brown leather bag. Maybe some displays without the purses?
I LOVE the retro fabric look that you have going on.
I appreciate the suggestion but the wife handles that stuff. We actually sell a lot of purses that way because people call up for them. We only buy one of them at a time so it doesn't pay to put them online. We have about five photos per dress.
All of our clothing looks "retro" or what we prefer to term as "classic." Many people come in and ask if we are a "vintage" shop because that is the vibe we give off. Of course that means we are not the cutting edge of fashion but we make up for it by incorporating runway trends. This season it is the crayon box of bright primary colors which you hear a lot about on the show.
Love the bright primary colors, have them n my kitchen, reminiscent of a 1950's kitchen.
Very flattering style and beautiful colors/prints.
I wish I had some money!
But! Even when/if I do find money the order of things is: 1) New car 2) Boob job. So.
Hey, maybe then I'll meet someone who will buy me that dress. Does that mean this comment is circuitous?
Hmmmm...if you get #2 first, you might get a dress AND a car out of it...
Blake. LOL. I totally had that coming.
Darcy, I'm mostly bald now and have never felt a compulsion to do anything about it. "We are as God made us." However, I know there is much more pressure on women. You seem strong enough to me to just say "Fuck it". You need the Stuart Smalley daily affirmation.."I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darnnit, people like me."
I did splurge on these shoes
Thanks, Nick. I actually hope I get over this, too. I really have nothing to complain about. I'm healthy and really fit (finally!) at 49. This is a stupid, indulgent thought, really.
I think there's an important difference in doing something for validation and doing it because it just makes you happy.
I wouldn't want a woman I loved to go under the knife for cosmetic reasons, but if it was what she wanted, I'd be supportive.
A guy who would require a boob job before becoming interested in Darcy is a guy who isn't worthy of Darcy. Just sayin'.
He would have to be blind, just sayin'...
That's like sayin' "Yeah, Ingrid Bergman looked pretty good, but she would have been a lot hotter if she had implants". As if!
Speaking of implants, is Mad Men on yet?
You guys. *hugs all a youse*
My second worst day in business? That was the day a hospital system CEO called to tell me he'd changed his mind, and was reneging on the verbal commitment he'd made to me the previous day to hire my company to build an addition to his hospital.
The next day I had to lay off sixty architects, engineers, project managers and their support staff.
My worst day in business? Tuesday, January 20, 2009. Still haven't hit bottom.
A boob job for Darcy seems unnecessary.
But I'm withholding a final opinion until being able to assess the situation directly, as it were.
Chip S - you have your '59 Cad headed in that direction, please make a first hand report. D'oh!
Hey, I sound like a cad, making that remark.
Please disregard...
No problem, 60.
Darcy brings out the cad in all of us.
And now if you'll excuse me, I've got to see my banker about a loan to cover gas expenses for a major road trip.
Still haven't hit bottom.
I have a friend with a high-end landscaping business. Seriously high-end. I asked him to give me a quote on a little patio area and to fix up the front grass around my popsicle stand, and the next day a three-person crew was there with grid paper and measuring tapes and sketch books. Made me fairly nervous.
Anyhow, after Jan. '09 struck, his business fell off 65%. I don't know how he kept the doors open. I do know that he laid off almost everyone and he and his brother were back pushing mowers and pulling weeds on the 35% that was still with him.
Last I spoke with him, he was still in a free fall, as well. It took him two years to get that quote back to me, because his people weren't there to do it and he had to wing it himself.
Hopefully, things will change.
Guys,
I'd rather talk about Darcy (boobs or no) than business failures. That shit makes me nervous. I've had a lot of ups and downs, and right now I'm working three jobs because I'm not sure if I'm in an up or a down....
So. Yeah. Tits.
Hi fellow republicans and lovers of the Bush Doctrine.
I am in Providence with my hubby and the rare clumber.
We had dindin on Federal Hill and are staying at the Marriot which has a lovely outdoor pool and bar/restaurant. The rare clumber is welcome. The place is hopping. Something is happening at Brown, and as as crimson man, I do look down at them and their frivolities.
Heading back to Beantown tomorrow and it is fucking hot.
88 tomorrow. Say a prayer for all the Marathon runners. Lots of hills during that 26 miles.
Now show us some tits on this blog that are patriotic and republican and from "real" america Troop. Not some phony American tits.
I never knew Darce was single. I would def bang her and please, no tit job, especially In Michigan. I mean hello? You are hot bitch and do not need new tits.
tits.
toodles.
You guys! LOL
And windbag and Michael: My brother owned both a very successful small advertising agency and a print shop that went under in the last few years. He also went down to bare bones staff and worked so hard to try to keep it afloat until the economy got better.
After this, he went through a period of near depression because he was in his late 50s and was having a hard time finding work - he felt that he may never have a decent job again.
So many stories out there that we're probably not even hearing because the media is so protective of this administration.
Hope is a hard thing to hang on to sometimes. But we must.
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