In Praise of Chocolate   

When the line of customers got a bit long this holiday season, I grabbed a handful of gold chocolate coins and gave one to each shopper with a sincere apology for the wait.  No matter how harried they were, all the customers smiled at this unexpected treat.  And I like to think that by making the wait sweeter, we earned their good will despite the inconvenience.

We happen to have chocolate coins on hand (in addition to those we sell as Hanukah gelt) because we offer one to every customer using their own bag instead of taking one of ours.  Our large shopping bags cost considerably more than the 15¢ or so we spend on the chocolate, and this is a nice way to thank customers for being environmentally aware.

I imagine that at some time we’ve all left something out of a customer’s bag, requiring them to make a trip back to the store to pick it up.  I encourage our staff to offer a small gift such as a bar of chocolate to recognize the value of the customer’s time, and to apologize for the negative experience.

Of course it helps that we carry chocolate bars at Orange Tree Imports, but here is another reason to love chocolate: it sells! Almost everyone either likes chocolate or knows someone who does, so it makes a great impulse item.  In addition to imported lines, we feature some non-refrigerated chocolates by local chocolate makers (including the fabulous Gail Ambrosius), which are a wonderful addition to our regional products.

Valentine’s Day is a particularly good time to promote chocolate. According to CNN, consumers spend $2 billion on candy for Valentine’s Day — and we’re not talking lollipops.

A few years ago our staff did a window featuring each employee’s favorite item, and inside a large frame was the little square of very dark chocolate from Lake Champlain that I enjoy with my mid-morning tea.  They know me well!

One of the things you may not know about me is that in addition to retailing, I write textbooks on medical terminology (long story…).  So I can assure you that in addition to being a great way to generate sales and make customers happy, dark chocolate is a good source of antioxidants.  Certainly a very enjoyable way to help your body fight off disease!

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder