Shoppers with dogs may be willing to leave them outside while they browse in your store, especially if you provide a bowl of water and a place to tie the leash. But shoppers with children are going to bring them in.  Ready or not, here they come!

The shopping experience will be more pleasant for you, and your customers, if you have a few distractions on hand for the little ones.  A big basket of books appropriate for a variety of ages will keep some children occupied.  Toddlers might enjoy playing with sturdy wooden or plastic toys, although you will need to clean these before sharing with other visiting children.

Mitchell’s of Fairfield, CT actually hires a babysitter to keep their customers’ children occupied in a special section of the store set up as a play area.  Refreshments are available for both the adults and children, so no one feels that they need to rush through their shopping experience. 

Another way of making parents feel welcome is to have a diaper changing table available in your restroom.  One of our local coffee shops provides one in their women’s bathroom, with a sign making it clear that fathers are welcome to use it too.  (This wouldn’t work if you have multiple stalls in your women’s bathroom, of course.)

It is both a plus and a minus that we sell toys in our store, because no matter what distraction we might offer a child, the lure of the toy department is a stronger temptation.  We try to not have parents leave their children in the toy area while they shop in other parts of the store — and haven’t given in to the temptation to post one of those signs that we’ve seen, including “Children left unattended sold to the circus.”  Although on some days, it’s tempting….

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder