Retailers: Collaborate and Create

Do you ever find yourself saying “Oh, I’m not an artist, but I sell other people’s work”?  As retail store owners, we may not actually be artists but we certainly have an eye for design and a talent for finding what our customers love.  So why not expand on that and work with your artists to create something special and unique for your customers?

At the end of the day, you know your customer best!

Collaborating can be as simple as asking the designer or artist if a particular item can be made in a different color or as complex as creating an item together.  Not only do you get to flex your creative muscles, but you’ll also create something exclusive to your store.  If your customers are anything like mine, than they love knowing that what they’re buying is something unique and can’t be found anywhere else.  If you think about it, that’s why our customers shop indie stores or shop local.  They’re looking for those special items. 

And what’s more special than something you helped create just for them!

To give you an example, here’s what I did over the holidays.  I had been looking for stocking stuffer gifts for the store and wasn’t having much luck finding “the one”.  I knew I wanted to carry sachets and small cosmetic bags - but I couldn’t find that special design. I decided to email one of my favorite artists to see if she would be able to create something for me.  Lo and behold, she was more than willing to do so and with a little direction from me as to color and pattern, she created these striped sachets & bags for my store.  They fit the store perfectly (after all, they were created with my store colors in mind - even I couldn’t resist them - I ended up keeping some for myself!)

The best way to start collaborating is by having a conversation with your artists.  Start by asking if they would be willing to create an exclusive product.  Once you know they’re open to the idea, you can start tossing around thoughts and ideas as to what to create. 

Don’t be afraid to let your inner artist come out to play!

Have you considered collaborating with your artists?  What would you create?

Images:  1. Collaboration between Pigeon Toe Ceramics and Shanna Murray

2. Collaboration between Yorktown Road and one sydney road

Piper Toth happily traded the corporate world for the online world when she opened her online boutique,one sydney road. She authors the blog of the same name where she waxes poetic on the crazy roller coaster ride that is entrepreneurship!

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