This retail lark is somewhat harder than I first imagined! Ok, so I knew it wasn't going to be a walk in the park but had not prepared myself for the subtle and hidden aspects of retail and marketing.
Things the small brain has finally learnt!
It took me a while, because for us recycling is a natural part of who we are. We have always just thought, oh what can I use that for now? but never specifically put the label of recycling on it. However, in a retail environment we now realise that we need to. Just because we know we re-use everything possible why should a customer know this?
The strangest thing for me was watching people pick up the bottle clocks and not know they were glass or not realise they actually started life as a bottle. So, we took down 3 coke bottles - normal, flattened and then drilled to show people what we do, and kids love the tactility of this. But then, if you've never seen it why would you know? So, now we realise that we have to signpost people a lot more than we have done up till now. Also, because we genuinely recycle the bottles to make clocks we never know what we'll have next - and I now know that this can be used to our advantage to remind people that if you don't buy it when you see it we can't guarantee another one later. What did it for me was selling the Chateauneuf du Pape bottle clock and thinking it will be a long time before I see one of those again. And again, just because we know this how on earth would a customer know this? Simple answer is they don't, it's up to us to tell them. Not in a horrible pushy way, but a genuine we never know what will be made next kind of way. Hard selling based on half truths is never going to work with us, I'd probably end up looking at the floor and apologising to a customer which is not a good or professional technique!
Apologies to those in the know who probably think I am a right donut brain, but the learning curve is great - ok I wish I'd twigged on some things quicker but that's life and the main thing is to use what you learn not just file it away under err useful, maybe?
So, with that in mind I am off to create some posters for the shop :)
