There
is a theory amongst traders that on days
when customers are reluctant to buy and they are giving you a hard time, it is simply
because the good customers are absent. Bad customers are always part of the
buying population but they really stand out when the good customers for some
reason are missing.
But
it doesn't take a lot to change a trader's mindset and "Jeff" and his
family did that for me on Saturday. It had been a flat morning and good
customers seemed to be absent. "Jeff" turned up with his wife and two
daughters and we started a conversation. "Jeff" hadn't been to the
market for a number of years but he'd been caught up in the media discussion on
renewal and decided it was time he visited again (tick the box marked "Any
publicity is good publicity").
He
came in to buy food and was delighted with the quality and price particularly of
fruit and vegetables down in H&I shed (tick that box). He had devoted half
a day to his market trip so the family decided to wander the specialty stalls in
the top end and found a number of stalls that interested them (tick that box).
Oh, and he also spent $100 at my stall buying something he didn't think he
would find at his normal shopping venues (BIG tick - thanks Jeff).
Yes,
just one good customer helped swing our day, not just in his contribution to
sales but the tantalising prospect of what a rejuvenated market might hold. The important thing is that those customers like “Jeff” who come
back don’t get disappointed and there are many who think we still have some
work to do there.
COMMENTS:
26/09/2016 07:31:41 Just One Good Customer "Doesn't this article say something about the lack of advertising and promotion of the market when ""Jeff"" and his family only came to the market because they had heard about it in the media otherwise it was not something he thought about even though he knew of the existence of the market.
Why do retailers like Myer, David Jones, Harvey Norman, JB HiFi et al advertise all the time even though they are well known stores? So they are always in peoples thoughts when they think of shopping and thats what the Queen Vic should be. We are not just a food market we encompass a whole range of products people need to buy, we are nearly a ""one stop shop"" venue. For example with the spring racing carnival coming up a woman could buy everything she needed for a great day out starting with the latest fashions in dresses, shoes and hats then for the picnic basket the best bread and cakes, cheeses, fruit a even the wine can be bought at ""The Vic"" all at a reasonable price why isn't that promoted right now? or don't we have a marketing person anymore since Sylvia Goldstein was put off so many years ago. Does anyone else agree with my thoughts? " Frank
26/09/2016 07:31:41 Just One Good Customer "Doesn't this article say something about the lack of advertising and promotion of the market when ""Jeff"" and his family only came to the market because they had heard about it in the media otherwise it was not something he thought about even though he knew of the existence of the market.
Why do retailers like Myer, David Jones, Harvey Norman, JB HiFi et al advertise all the time even though they are well known stores? So they are always in peoples thoughts when they think of shopping and thats what the Queen Vic should be. We are not just a food market we encompass a whole range of products people need to buy, we are nearly a ""one stop shop"" venue. For example with the spring racing carnival coming up a woman could buy everything she needed for a great day out starting with the latest fashions in dresses, shoes and hats then for the picnic basket the best bread and cakes, cheeses, fruit a even the wine can be bought at ""The Vic"" all at a reasonable price why isn't that promoted right now? or don't we have a marketing person anymore since Sylvia Goldstein was put off so many years ago. Does anyone else agree with my thoughts? " Frank