brick & mortar
During the Dog Days of Summer , she does flash sales in different departments at different times , rather than the whole store at one time . She also puts certain items on sale , like all collars and leashes or all mugs and cups or all puzzles . A sale might be buy one , get one , which Karen figures is the same as half price , but instead of clearing out one item , she clears out two . Or she ’ ll have a shirt sale buy two , get the third free , which is equivalent to 25 % off .
Karen runs the Dog Days of Summer specials on social media , but keeps the posts creative with captions like , “ Even the dog pulled this out ,” to keep with the theme .
Karen also puts clearance tables in various sections . One of the tables is usually a last-one table , where everything is the last of its kind . The table is designated with a sign that says , “ Get it before it ’ s gone .” Karen says , “ We won ’ t sell everything . But we do a high-five when something off the table does sell .”
People will come in just to say thank you for doing the event
Tent Sale
Every summer , Dennis and Andrea Lovvorn , owners of The New Covenant Christian Bookstore in Shelbyville , TN , rent a white , circus-type tent and run an anniversary sale in their parking lot .
We really cleaned out a lot of dead inventory
“ A church friend told us , ‘ If you put up a tent , folks will come ,’ and he was right ! We really cleaned out a lot of dead inventory and decided to do it every year for our anniversary ,” Andrea says .
The tent goes up the weekend before the sale . And the Lovvorns advertise the event in their Munce catalog and on social media . They also have vinyl signs that were made several years ago , which say , “ Huge Anniversary Tent Sale 50 – 70 % off .” But Andrea says it ’ s the tent that draws them in .
Besides sales all summer long , Karen works with the local animal shelter to do a pet adoption event in front of the store . Anyone who adopts a pet receives a coupon for a discount on dog supplies in her store . “ People will come in just to say thank you for doing the event ,” Karen says .
If the Dog Days of Summer concept doesn ’ t work for your store , Karen suggests finding something you can create a theme around and go with it . She says , even if you don ’ t have a real dog , you could have a stuffed dog as your store mascot . Or get on board with an annual community event . Karen says a neighboring city has an annual festival with shirts , mugs and anything you can imagine — all about bananas . Whatever your community celebrates , go bananas with them ! continued on page 18 >>
www . christianretailassociation . org / CRA today 17