My cry for help

[numbskull]

Years ago a local tackle store had a really earnest friendly employee who was absolutely full of shiit. NOTHING he said was anywhere near true. Yet he'd get talking to you about some poppycock story concerning another world record fish he caught using some plug and, even though you didn't believe a word of it, you'd always end up leaving with one of those plugs. Why? Because a small business succeeds when it improves the life of its customers and to improve someone's life you have to provide them with what they need. The truth is that most of us don't really "need" fishing tackle. What most of us need is diversion from, and reward for, the rat race we all end up stuck in. We get that by fishing, which requires tackle (and bait for hopeless simpletons like Back Beach and Sauerkraut), but we also get it by immersing ourselves in the hobby. We get it by talking, reading, listening, thinking about, shopping for, and ultimately buying gear. The small tackle shop competes with the internet, catalog, and discount box stores to fulfill these needs. The ones that succeed offer convenience, ambience, knowledge, selection (tailored to the local fisheries), and service, that exceeds what is available from the other options. Most importantly, however, they do it with a friendly non-judgmental attitude that makes the customer want to reward the business by purchasing an item from them (even if it can be had marginally cheaper elsewhere) and to keep coming back.

[PNG]

"We get that by fishing, which requires tackle (and bait for hopeless simpletons like Back Beach and Sauerkraut)"

[Tagger]

Originally Posted by numbskull

The truth is that most of us don't really "need" fishing tackle. What most of us need is diversion from, and reward for, the rat race we all end up stuck in.

you nailed it George .

[beaver]

Thanks numbskull. I'll make sure to add "tell ridiculous fish stories" to my marketing plan. Althought, that is true. Whenever some one at a tackle shop gets to talking to me I always end up buying something even if they didn't have what I originally went there for. As I like to tell myself, "you can never have too much fishing stuff."

[Clogston29]

you need to offer something that others don't. niche items that someone can't get someplace else cheaper. i think a good website is key, too. i don't see how any shop can survive and compete in today's world without one. look at SWE and Cape Cod Tackle as examples.

[Joe]

Considering that you have to rent space and incur the same overhead as other retail businesses, you'd be better off selling pretty much anything else over tackle as the margins are among the lowest in retail.
My sister owns a botique selling bath products and her margins are almost twice as big as mine.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Joe

Considering that you have to rent space and incur the same overhead as other retail businesses, you'd be better off selling pretty much anything else over tackle as the margins are among the lowest in retail.
My sister owns a botique selling bath products and her margins are almost twice as big as mine.

I bet she smells better than someone who rigs sluggos all day too

[Joe]

She does. I've found that Sluggos are not worth selling anymore - the wholesale price is too high.