The most impersonal shopping experience in America may well be the dollar store, where there is no need to even ask the price of any item. And yet there is a “dollar store” in Copenhagen called Søstrene Grene where customers are made to feel like the owners are old friends — even though the persona of sisters Clara and Anna are largely fictional.

There are witty, personal signs throughout the store showing what Anna and Clara think about the products. For example, the sign a display of paper plates starts out with, “Dearest Clara, we don’t really have to go on a picnic in order to use these lovely paper plates and napkins, do we?” and then gives Anna’s cheery response. At the two checkout counters, one handwritten sign says “this lane for beautiful people only,” and the other “exclusively for those under 95.”

The popularity of the charming messages from Clara and Anna just goes to show how eager we are for a personal connection when we shop. We have gotten used to serving ourselves in most stores, so we don’t see anything wrong with going into a shop, finding what we want and sometimes even checking out without speaking to anyone. I hope you agree with me that this is not the type of experience we want to offer our customers.  The interaction between the customers and staff are part of what makes shopping fun both for the consumer and for the store’s employees.

The quality of this interaction and the unique personality of the retailer help distinguish an independent store from its competitors.  We like to buy from people we know, and if you have the advantage of not being fictional — and I hope you’re not — think about ways that you can infuse your store with personal touches even when you’re not present.  You can inspire your staff to give friendly and helpful service, and you can use signage, social media and even public appearances to let your customers know who you are.  If you’re too shy to focus on yourself, you could create an fictional spokesperson (it works for Betty Crocker) or animal (just think of Geico’s success).

By the way, it would not be accurate to call Søstrene Grene a dollar store, because not much is that inexpensive in Scandinavia, but it does have the distinction of being Denmark’s first discount store. Their mission statement says that they want to be their customers’ favorite store, and to this end they usually open branches only as franchises — because they want there to be one person in every shop who owns the store and has a passion to run it in the best possible way.  Even with the semi-fictional Clara and Anna at the helm, Søstrene Grene recognizes that it is the personal touch that makes a store succeed.

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder