Three Great Donated Categories to Feature at the Checkout in Thrift
Top off that shopping cart with checkout merchandise
More and more stores are creating aisles that people have to go through to get to the cash registers. As a customer I find them frustrating, as a merchant, I see that they sell products. I like to call them gauntlets, that’s how they can feel.
There is a tendency even in thrift to put new goods in this space. While not necessarily a bad idea, there are great donated items that sell well in this impulse heavy high traffic area. Of course, donated has a higher gross margin than purchased.
Merchandising the checkout area for sales can raise that average sale. The customers are already in your store, if they are at the checkout they are already spending money.
The trick is a low dollar cost with wide appeal that is donated in abundance.
CDs, and DVDs — It’s easy to merchandise a wide selection of genres so nearly anyone can find something they like. Even though nearly everything can be streamed, some people still like to own physical proucts.
Paperback books — Like CDs and DVDs, it’s easy to merchandise a wide variety of authors and genres. An assortment of kids’ books can also be a winner.
Toys/Games/Puzzles — As I mentioned in a previous post, these are super easy impulse goods. Kids can be great at helping close the sale. Toy cars and trucks are almost too easy.
There is no reason to discount these goods. Simply sell them at your regular prices.
Setting them up in distinct two to four-foot sections can be appealing and increase sales.
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Tim Gebauer - Thrift Retailer
