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These days, local coffee shops and the like are selling their decor off the walls and their customers are bringing home a keepsake that allows them to decorate their own kitchens with the same look and feel as being at their favorite bistro. It's simple little idea that has become quite a profitable little idea, and it's really starting to catch on.
How did it start happening for one popular cafe? We asked the friendly clerk to give us some history about his store. "You know, people were always asking me about this one nostalgic sign we had hanging behind the counter that said 'Try Our Coffee, It's Delicious'. They were like, 'oh, where did you find that? Do you think your boss can get one for me?' For the longest time, I didn't think too much of it and then one day I thought maybe there is an idea here."
Well, what an idea it was. The store owner listened to this idea and contacted the manufacturer of their coffee sign to get more information. The sign's manufacturer, Vintage Metal Art of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, located at http://www.vintagemetalart.com, was happy to help. As it turns out, this company was a wholesaler as well as a retailer and could provide this coffee shop with customized metal sign art for their shop that had the same nostalgic look and feel of a 1940's diner or breakfast house.
"This has almost taken on a life of its own. Sometimes I tell our customers that we are a sign shop that also sells coffee. We are working with our manufacturer now to come up with new sign ideas so the concept will stay fresh and our products stay unique. I'm pretty sure I saw one of our signs in a competitor's store recently and I thought that couldn't be good for business."
Not surprisingly, these vintage signs are showing up in the hands of their competitors because word is getting out that they are becoming hot sellers and can offer as much as 100% profitability or more. Not too shabby for an oridinary little coffee joint, huh?Restaurants such as Cracker Barrel have long been recognizing the benefits of offering
keepsake gift shopping all along, but most cafes and bistros just don't have the space or personnel to run a separate gift shop. With their novel coffee signs adorning their four walls, they get maximum exposure to all of their customers, and their customers don't have to stop their dining experience to peruse a separate gift shop.
When we asked if our friendly clerk was promoted after having this lightbulb idea...or as Oprah would call it, an "Ah-Ha Moment," we were told by the store owner, "Well, he is certainly enjoying the benefits of being a real go-getter. We expect from all of our employees here that they make this cafe their number one concern when on the job, and he is a shining example of how to do just that."
We're hoping that he at least got a little extra bonus in his paycheck or maybe an extra day off. Job description or no job description, creative employees that take initiave are invaluable and hard-to-find gems.
Retail Trends
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