Whether you’re traveling on buying trips, vacation or for family visits this summer, I hope you’ll go shopping.  That, is after all one of the top-ranked activities for travelers of all types — but for retailers, visiting other stores can be a great source of inspiration. That’s one of the main reasons that gift shows such as Chicago and New York offer insider tours of the specialty shops in their cities.  The Chicago retail road trip is appropriately called a Trolley Tour, since it uses these distinctive, fun reproductions for transportation.

There is a certain etiquette involved in visiting other stores, and that would include no note taking or photos without permission. But I think you’ll find most of your fellow retailers happy to share information with you if you introduce yourself before you look around.  And if you are too shy to do that, you can always purchase a sample of a product you are interested in (at retail!) and research the source when you get home.

These are some of the things that I hope to see when I visit other stores, as well as ideas for products, promotion, signage or displays that I can adapt to my shop.  Going shopping also allows me to observe customers and their interactions with staff, both positive and negative.  I also learn from the clearance shelf, if there is one, what merchandise did not do well for at least one retailer.  That doesn’t mean it would sell for me, but it does make me think twice about its viability.

Visiting stores in other locations is also a chance to be a customer, and to support the local economy.  Be sure to leave room in your suitcase for your special finds!

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder