Feel-Good Retail

摘要

Admit it. We are all guilty of it from time to time. We get so caught up in the "industry" of craft retail—consumer and trade magazines, trade associations, gift marts, trade shows, online forums, buying groups, the store staff—that we are deluded, thinking that we have our fingers firmly on the pulse of what shoppers want. Funny thing is, we often forget to ask the shoppers. How do you know what products they wish you had? Do you know what they really think of your store? Do they plan and anticipate a visit to you to see what's new, or do they end up at your place of business as the reluctant last resort because you're a) nearby, b) their third stop after the two nearby chains were out of stock or c) because they are giving you one last chance to prove you are worth their discretionary dollars?