Do You Have The Minutes?
Hey guys and gals! Today I want to challenge you. Think about it, how many time slots in a day do you have an extra 10 minutes? Probably more than you think. Sometimes our days can be quite hectic, but a lot of us aren’t using their free time to their full advantage. This is why in today’s post, I’d like to ask you just what you’d look for in a thrift shop, if you only had 10 minutes to search for inventory.
Let me know in the comments below if you are up for the challenge!! Let’s see how many quality items we can find within the time frame. The winner will receive $25 via PayPal credit to use as they wish on improving their business!
If I Only Had 10 Minutes to Spare…
Personally, if I had these 10 minutes we’re speaking of, I would most likely hit up the men’s section first and foremost. These items tend to move a little better in my store, and can always be labeled as “unisex” as well, which will help increase exposure to more demographics.
My favorite thrift shop down the road from my home, is only about a 5 minute drive. (This gets especially tempting if I have to do any grocery shopping or quick errands during the day!)
Side Note: Stay tuned for next Monday’s post, where I’d like to go over how I’ve saved oodles of time in the grocery shopping experience, and how in turn, it has rewarded me with more time to dedicate to growing my business.
Anyways, I’ll pop in every now and then if I’m passing, and a lot of times I have just what we’re discussing today, minutes. Whether this be 60, 45, 30, or 10, I typically try to keep it pretty short and sweet. I’m busier now more than ever on the home front and unfortunately don’t have all day to spend moseying around the thrift anymore. (Even though I would very much like to!!)
- Related: Speaking of 10, check out My Top 10 (most recent) Sales of the Week!
Like I said previously, I’ll usually start with the men’s section, lucky for me in this store, it’s also the closest to the doors! Score!
Clothing, Shoes, or Both?
I like to browse the shoes first. They seem to hold a higher value in profit margins, and are a pretty small selection in comparison to the many racks of clothing available. The shoes are usually located on top of the clothing racks, so I can just peep at them on my tiptoes quickly while running down the aisles. (Noooo I don’t actually run, I do some serious power walking though!)
After I’m finished looking over the shoes quickly, I like to hit up the jeans section. This is also pretty quick to go through, especially if your thrift store hangs their jeans in a way where the back tag in on the outside of the aisle! (Mine unfortunately doesn’t do this, but it sure would be nice!)
When I’m finished with the shoes and jeans, my time is pretty near being up. At this point, I’ll just do my power walk down the men’s sweatshirt and button down aisles, and stop if anything catches my eye, (or if I feel something unique in material). Making a point to know your fabrics is of great importance!
Don’t forget to include check out time! For this challenge, we will EXclude it, but just remember in the future if you’re popping in and are in a hurry, you’ll typically be at the check out line for a little bit. Not to mention, you’ll be holding up the line while you check out, with all your newest treasures! Don’t forget to account for these minutes if you have an appointment or school pick up to get to!
Would You Prefer Multiple Short Trips, Or One Long One?
I know I mentioned earlier that I’d love to mosey around the store all day, but honestly, I don’t think I’d do so at this time. In the beginning, it was much harder to be picky and choose which items to pick up, but now with much more experience, I tend to enjoy moving faster and getting in and out.
If I stay too long, I find myself second guessing things, or taking too much time in other categories that may not actually benefit my store as much. This can be a serious waste of time, especially if you plan to get all of your new goodies up and online in the same day!
So, in that case, I’d definitely prefer shorter trips nowadays, more often and at more stores. This, in my opinion, affords you the flexibility to find more unique items.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below if you plan to take the challenge! Or, if you’ve already been doing short trips like this, what’s your thoughts on them? Do you miss the longer trips you used to take in the beginning? Or are the shorter ones working more to your advantage?
Thank You!
A giant thanks to everyone that has supported me this far into my journey! I greatly appreciate you returning to read my posts hope that you will continue to drop by in the future.
Please feel free to drop any comments below that you would like to add! I am always open to advice, suggestions, or even hearing related stories of your own!
I stay as active as possible in the comment section, therefore I will reply to any questions asap.
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Happy selling friends!
-Shelby
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