You may think that the Swiss shop with the chocolate-themed name “Truffle” sells chocolate, and you would be right. But they also sell “lifestyle.”  Do you? And if you do, what kind of lifestyle are you selling?

Everyone has a lifestyle, of course, whether you are a college student living on ramen noodles in a shabby apartment or a frazzled mother of twins in a ranch house in suburbia. Somehow, somewhere, it was decided that the term lifestyle in retailing did not apply to either of these customers.  No, the lifestyle that retailers are promoting is an upper middle class, stylish approach to home fashions and accessories that is represented by stores such as Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters.  (Yes, Urban Outfitters does market to college students, but only to those who are hip and have disposable income.)

The way that these stores select and display their merchandise helps to define the lifestyle that they feel their customers should be living — i.e. the furnishings, clothing and accessories that fit a certain image or attitude.  It takes a savvy retailer to come up with a consistent lifestyle image, to stock a range of merchandise that fits that image, and to keep it current and fresh.  Both of these chain stores have been successful in doing so.

This lifestyle statement is one of the ways that these retailers set themselves apart from their competition. But what is most unique about them is the fact that they are willing to stock all different types of products not normally seen together in one shop, as long as they fit in with the lifestyle of their profile customers.  In an Urban Outfitters store, for example, you will find clothing, lamps and pillows — but you may also find tub toys and sexually-provocative gifts.

An example of a successful independent lifestyle store would be Twig, in Chapel Hill. Their tag line is “green without envy,” and their merchandise reflects the wide range of products that appeal to those interested in pursuing an environmentally-conscious life.  In addition to organic clothing and toys, they sell greeting cards, jewelry, energy-saving conversions, and many other products that show that they know what appeals to their profile shopper.

If you have a good idea of what your target customers are like, consider adding other products beyond what you normally carry if they would fit the customers’ lifestyle.  People who like (and can afford) good Swiss chocolates, for example, are also likely to enjoy other fine gifts — as this smart retailer in Switzerland has already discovered.

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder