You may think “Why is there a post about Simple Living on a Blog about Furniture and Interior Design?
The reason is that a growing number of people realize that chasing the Golden Egg does not make you happy. Long working hours, stressful jobs, exhausting commutes are just not worth it anymore. People prefer spending time with their family, being together with friends and neighbors or working out in Mother Nature. They like to spend time preparing for a good meal and be part of what their kids are doing.
I am not talking here about hippie communes or lonesome hermits in the middle of nowhere. More and more people rethink their life and choose different priorities than before. The idea of simple living is almost 3000 years old and can be found in every civilization. The famous Bohemians in Paris in the 19th Century were part of this movement.
Simple living does not mean you have to refrain from luxury but enjoy it. Luxury is great as long as money plays a minor role. Being happy and grateful – That’s what’s important.
Simple living is also about the little things in life. Things you would not even recognize doing like enjoying the foliage of the forest in the fall on a hike.
This way of life creates different expectations from retail stores. These people don’t storm in the store every time the sales sign goes up.
In my opinion these customers value their time and want something different out of their visit.
Some of them may come, because food is offered (think of Ikea). Others may be attracted by events for the kids, like a puppet theater, a magician or a crafting table.
These customers prefer to enjoy the merchandise, not necessarily with a buying intention in mind. Some may be inspired by the store layout and develop design ideas for their home.
Some Boutique Stores also mix up their merchandise with art, jewelry, shoes, food, cosmetics and table ware. The stores have a special type of customer in mind and cater exactly to his taste.
There are many ways to increase traffic in a store, but to find out what fits best, you have ask the customer. People like it, when their opinion is valued. The customer feels taken care of. The customer feels in control and that creates trust.
The good news about trusting customers: They may become loyal to your store and you see them again and again.
