Know what you're selling (and why)!
03/17/26 07:25 AM
In late December I was looking around my store at a display that just didn't sit right with me. We had an electronic drum kit placed front and center in the store. An employee had the idea that it would generate greater drum sales. Granted, this is where a large guitar strap display used to be. First of all, I didn't like the way the drums looked where they were. Yes, they were front and center, but that didn't really seem to drive sales as expected. Second, I had a gut feeling that we were losing strap sales due to the placement of the drums. I ran a quick report in ClerkHound to see how many electronic drum kits I had sold during the course of a year. I had sold a total of 6. My investment in these 6 kits was just shy of $2,000 and the profit was less than $800. Needless to say, I quickly put the guitar straps back front and center on January 1st.
As of today (Happy St. Patty's Day), I just checked the sales of the straps and they've already far surpassed the return on investment. With only a $194 investment, the straps have generated $500 in sales with $300 profit (and it's only been two and a half months). I'm clearly on track to more than DOUBLE my profit….. at a FAR LESS INVESTMENT!!!
But this really makes me think of a bigger issue with retail. Sure, you could say that the location had a lot to do with sales - and you would be correct. Location, like in real estate, has a lot to do with sales in your store. But there is another underlying issue that can easily be missed. If you can't track the sales to know for sure, then you have no proof. Sure, I had a gut feeling, but I didn't truly know until I read the numbers. We often say things like "I feel like if we did this or that, we would sell x amount".
You don't just have to feel anymore. ClerkHound gives you the proof.
Now let's look a little deeper at the bigger and even more important issue. When your customers are buying WHAT THEY WANT, they are happy customers.
I often think about my role as a business owner in a town of about 50,000 people. I want my customers to have a great user experience and to have the products that they need (when they need it). I have a beautiful store. I've spent years designing and developing an atmosphere that is inviting. Having a guitar strap selection isn't just about my sales; it's about that 13 year old that gets her first guitar strap and loves the way it looks on her guitar. And for a music store, I've got to say that I REALLY love it when she's showing that strap off on stage!
Can ClerkHound tell you when your customers are happy? Nope.
But it can tell you what they buy (and what they want) - and that's how you keep them happy!
You already have a good idea of what your customers want. Let ClerkHound's advanced reporting help you identify the things that may slip under the radar.
Trust me, your customers will thank you!
-Chris Mitchell