Educate yourself now on some tips for increasing cash flow on this milestone day, and your store may reap the rewards
1. Launch a social media campaign.
Creating buzz about this somewhat obscure day is your first job, and social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram are perfect for this purpose. Use the pages you are hopefully already updating on a regular cadence, and let your followers know why April 9 will be a special day at your store.
You might highlight some of your most exciting antique products, advertise an event created just for the day, or tell everyone about a contest you are sponsoring. The goal is to inspire foot traffic, which tends to lead to increased sales.
2. Prepare your back office.
Without a solid infrastructure to accept payments, keep track of customers and otherwise help run your business, your operations on April 9 will not be as efficient as they could be. Look over the agreement you have signed with your high-risk payment processor, and take stock of your point of sale equipment.
If things need to be updated or improved before what will hopefully be a busy day of payment transactions, this is the time to take action.
3. Host an antiques valuation event.
Everyone has things lying around in their basement or attic that just might be valuable. Capitalize on customers’ curiosity about these potential treasures by offering discounts on appraisals.
You could invite an expert on a particular category such as jewelry to offer their expertise. Once customers have come to your shop for the event, you can amaze them with antique merchandise of your own, and might even convince them to make a purchase.
4. Collaborate with other community members.
Chances are good that your town or city is home to one or more historical societies whose mission is to raise awareness about the importance of the past. Inspiring interest in their particular niche can often be a challenge for these organizations.
If you offer to partner with one of them on National Cherish an Antique Day to showcase the importance of preserving and understanding heirlooms and other antiques, both they and your shop can benefit.
5. Bring in business with incentives.
Give your customers a reason to take time out of their busy schedule on April 9 to focus on vintage jewelry and other antiques. Consider offering a discount on items that people bring in for trade or sale. Another idea is to reward each client who walks in with a discount coupon that can be used on any purchase made on that day.
Antiques connect us with our past and help us to celebrate tradition. As an institution in your local community, your pawn shop is uniquely positioned to raise awareness and inspire interest in the treasures of the past.
With a little planning, both your business and your customers can enjoy this milestone date.
North is a leading financial technology company that builds innovative, frictionless end-to-end payment solutions designed to simplify and grow businesses of all sizes. From the front door, to the back office, the developer world, and partnerships that expand the payments landscape, North offers proactive, comprehensive merchant services, in-house processing, and more.
