SUMMER SLOWDOWN RETAIL FORUM “Even though there are fewer people
coming through the door, they’re still buying when they do,” he stresses. “It’s crucial that your guys on the shop floor are doing a good job because there is more time available to them. We all like it when it’s dead busy, but when it’s not, it’s a good opportunity to analyse what you’re about. How does the shop look? Has it been updated recently? I’ve found that it’s when you have your backs against the wall that you come up with the best ideas.” For those either not in a position to go
down the teaching route, or wanting to do more than carry out a few chores, putting on a sale is another way to tackle the decline. John Millington of Millington Music in Sheffield feels this is the best way for his business to go through the holiday season unscathed. “Like all businesses, we have our peak
Newcastle’s JG Windows (top) and (bottom) Musicale in Harpenden’s summertime Holidays tuition project
trading period and like most MI shops, there’s a dip around summer time,” Millington reveals. “We do a structured sale at the end of June and we feel this is the best time because that’s usually when people get paid. “We know we have to be competitive
by not cutting margin and adding benefits to the customer. We’ll do this by throwing in a free stool with a piano, for example, trying to convince end users to buy it there and then, rather than wait.”
small jobs that come about as a result of running a small business. “We have our slow months in June,
July and August, but see this as the best time to do the jobs that need doing, such as updating the website and getting on with a bit of spring cleaning,” comments Chris Yarnton of CY Music in Winchester. “A lot of small independents do this because we expect the slow down. We do get involved with local events in the summertime though, like the Winchester street parties that are held every year.” These jobs differ from dealer to
dealer, but there are some retailers out there that, instead of simply dusting down a few amps, view the shortage in footfall as the ideal time to kick-start large scale projects. “In our case, the job was opening a
new shop,” reveals JG Windows’ MD Rupert Bradbury. “We’d been thinking about opening a shop in Darlington for a while and decided to get stuck in during the quiet period.” Although the vast majority of UK retailers will be unable to relate to this situation, Bradbury did highlight a few other important tasks.
www.mi-pro.co.uk “
Like all businesses, we have our peak trading period and like most MI shops there’s a dip around summer time.
It’s also important to consider your location when coming up with a summer plan. Settle Music, in the Yorkshire Dales, has demonstrated this by experimenting with a variety of workshops to attract not just the locals, but holiday-makers as well. “We’re situated in a holiday destination, so there’s a lot more scope for events here,” explains Settle’s Allan Evans. “We put on a slide guitar workshop back in March and we’ve planned a lot of other similar gatherings. As we get involved with schools a lot, we don’t get a lot of orders from them during the exam term and music tuition sort of trails off. So we have to make sure the money comes in from somewhere.” There’s a lot that can be done to
combat the seasonal decline. It’s about finding the right thing for your store. It requires thought, imagination and effort to open a shop in the first place, so taking time to plan before the damage is done can make a real difference.
DPA 4099 Instrument Microphones
New DPA Reference Standard Series
SOUND network
Sound Network The Media Village
July 2011 21
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