How to Up Your Thrift Clothing Department Game
One merchandising technique that improves thrift customer satisfaction and sales.
Good merchandising, no matter the style of store, adds value in the form of convenience for the customer.Â
When a customer goes to Kohl’s they always expect to find the type, brand, and size they are looking for. Fortunately, thrift shoppers don’t have the same expectation. They do expect to easily see if what they are looking for is in stock.
If I am looking for a pair of Levi’s, let’s just pretend a size 32, I want to be able to go men’s denim and find whatever is in stock in that size. (Just like Kohl’s) If it’s there it’s sold, if not I’ll be back another day. Or I’ll check out another thrift store.Â
Today’s thrift shoppers don’t have the time or patience to sort through a general category. Digging through assorted medium men’s pants with several sizes and types mixed takes time. As a generally impatient shopper, I won’t work that hard to save a few dollars.
A customer shopping progression goes something like this:
Textiles department
Gender
Category
Sometimes Sub Category
Size
The idea works in hard lines as well. Your Mr. Coffee coffee maker shopper might narrow their search down this way:
Hardlines
Housewares
Kitchen goods
Kitchen Electrics
Coffee makers
The less detailed a store and department is the more work it is for a thrift shopper to find what they are looking for. The less motivated they will be to dig around much less come back.
Thrift stores that merchandise more like traditional retail are and will be more successful.
Another trick is to include size buttons on the hangers. The best ones are color-coded and numbered, making it easy to tell when something is out of place.
The customer benefits from a quick and easy way to see where things are. Out of place items are easy to spot.
If those size 32 Levi’s are in the 38 section, or the Women’s 12 section it’s a lost sale. Without identifiers, it’s hard to tell.
There are several options. Hangers are pre-made with specific sizes. The disadvantage is they can only be used for that size.Â
Clip-on and slip over allow for adjusting how many of each size are in use depending on demand. Clip-on types do end up on the sales floor from time to time. Slipover types have to fit over the knob at the end of the hanger curve.Â
Adding sizers do change processing departments as all sizes have to be easily available to the processor. Feel free to reach out if you have questions.Â
An easy to shop store adds value for customers and helps the bottom line.Â
about me
I am a thrift, e-commerce, and retail business expert located near Chicago helping individuals and entrepreneurs grow and succeed. You can benefit from my twenty plus years of retail, and seven-plus years of thrift and eCommerce experience.
Check out my web site, thethrifter.com for lots of thrift oriented resources. You will find plenty of free tips for retailers, resellers, eCommerce operators, and shoppers. I’m always happy to connect on LinkedIn.
You might also be interested in my Thrift Merchandising ebook on Amazon. It’s about merchandising thrift stores more like traditional stores. It’s free with a Kindle Unlimited membership.
Tim Gebauer — The Thrifter