Share:
It’s not just The People of Wal Mart that keep retail an entertaining industry, although the site does provide a steady stream of “Are you kidding me?!” moments. But in the realm of current events over the past couple of weeks are some other stories that find their basis inonline retail related contexts. We can’t make up funny retail stories like these.
1. Hide No More
IKEA is known for its dorm-room friendly furniture, massive showrooms, and tasty meatballs. More recently, it’s been known for being a bit of a buzz kill, too. After multiple games of hide-and-seek in their retail stores all around the world, the company had to retract and officially ban the game on store properties, saying something along the lines of it being difficult to keep customers safe when they can’t find them. Lest you think it was just a handful of teenagers playing a small game here and there, think again. Using the viral nature of social media, up to 32,000 people signed up to play one game before the ban went into effect.
2. Generic Headline Inspires Craft Beer
Ridiculous headlines in Florida newspapers include the phrase “Florida man” so often that an anonymous person created a Twitter account under the pseudonym. The collective persona is not the brightest bulb, either, and in some cases has been dubbed the “world’s worst superhero.” Here are some of the actual headlines prompting his claim to fame:
As if the Twitter account wasn’t enough of a claim to fame, now a Florida brewery is making a craft beer under the name. Cigar City Brewing plans to sell the 3,000 bottles at $9 each to retail locations in Florida.
3. #TheDress Continues To Turn Heads
If you want to make money, figure out some way to go viral. There is no greater proof of this tactic working than the sales numbers for the infamous dress. The gold and white/black and blue striped dress that was ubiquitous online and sparked a debate that made the broader population sympathetic to the colorblind has been selling well. CNN reports that sales of the dress have soared 347% for fashion retailer, Roman.
4. Online Retail Store for Vaginas
Yes, you read that correctly. I told you we couldn’t make this stuff up. Social enterprise SHEVA is selling feminine hygiene products online. The motivation behind the idea is not to save husbands and boyfriends the embarrassment of shopping for their ladies. The motivation is the education of girls in Guatemala. Using a similar business model as Toms and Warby Parker, SHEVA employs the buy one, give one method of charity. Many girls in Guatemala drop out of school when they reach puberty because they lack the proper supplies to navigate menstruation. (You can breathe a sigh of relief. This particular online retail store has absolutely nothing to do with Fifty Shades of Grey.)
Chances are that none of these events would have occurred were it not for the Internet. Isn’t technology grand? It makes it easier to sell merchandise and harder to hide the crazy. For guidance with how to increase your retail sales, read Michael Stevens’ ebook Proven Methods To Grow Your Retail Business In 2015. You’re on your own with hiding the crazy that emerges in funny retail stories.
It’s a retailer’s nightmare. With only one product left in stock, two customers approach and they both want to buy it. If they’re not physically fighting for it, there’s a good chance you can remedy the situation. When fists start to fly, call security and put the product back on display (after they leave the store, of course).
Small businesses and social media make today’s world go ’round. If you’re a small business and you’re not yet on Facebook, you shouldn’t feel like you’re behind. In fact, you should be super excited right now because the opportunity that lies ahead of you is tremendous.
