For the past few weeks I have been shopkeeping like never before. Yes, the sales have gone up, customers are happy and I am feeling self-assured. The art of shopkeeping is about learning and creating new things everyday. It is about meeting new people and having the opportunity to have a friendship with your loyal customers. You are the face that they will want to see as they will know you will help them as much as you can. But what happens when there is not a single soul on your high street?

It is always a little secret among shopkeepers of what one does if there are no customers for a certain period of time. This could mean all day or just 5 minutes. What does one do alone in a shop where you know every single price of every single item, where it comes from, what it is for and how long it has been on that same shelf? This is no longer going to be a secret and I will share with you my first hand experience of how to get through a customer-less day of a shopkeeper.

I have seen that some shopkeepers have found their comfort in reading various books during the day but what if you don’t like reading? Or the music in your shop is too loud or wordy for you to focus on a book? Well, my method has proved to be time consuming which perfect to get through a lonely day.

If you have not already done the routine cleaning or arranging first get that out of the way. If you have no other real task to do start by picking a random product preferably one that has not been so successful in its sales. A good shopkeeper should be able to sell just about anything. So when the next long awaited customer comes in you should be ready to sell that product even if she or he is not looking for it. Think of a sales pitch. What is the most important thing about it? Can they try it? Why should they buy it? A perfect present? Try and create ‘mix and match’ products in your mind. The shop owner has trusted you with you communication and creative skills so live up to it.

If this does not sound like an appealing way of getting through the day, there is always the task of completely rearranging a section of the shop. I am fortunate enough to be allowed to do this. If you are not, then get crafty. Start up a new mailing list where your customers can sign up. Or create a new gift box that you can use at a later sale. Write up a short questionnaire that customers can fill out while you wrap up their products. The opportunities are endless.. The main goal should not be for you to get through the day.. It is how you end the day feeling that you have been productive. Do not wait for someone to ask you to do something. Take initiative. This is the shopkeepers secret. It is not counting how many cars have passed your shop today.. It is guaranteeing the next sales pitch so that those cars travel with a bag that you compiled.

The art of shopkeeping… Every experience is different… One thing in common is we are always happy to help..