Beating the “Wal-Mart Mentality”
Sunday February 25, 2007
The "Wal-Mart Mentality" is a factor that every modern day craftsperson and artist must take into account. By facing this quandary, you can help to alleviate its effects on your bottom line. What is the Wal-Mart Mentality? It's the conscious or unconscious decision made by shoppers of always looking for the lowest price. When shopping for paper towels, this is a good thing, but when shopping for crafts, it can be very bad, especially for the professional crafter! What can crafters do to compete in this race to the bottom?
Comments
Try and have more personaized items. This is something most crafters can do easily. This is something WalMart can’t compete with. Or try the souvenir market, making items that emphasize the area in which you are selling.
Actually, Walmart is committing business suicide, at least where I am. They are completely getting rid of their craft department, along with some other major changes, not to mention Walmart’s quality and ethics are going right down the tubes. Walmart no longer has any mentality, and people are already starting to realize this.
I like this article and is timely as on another forum this is a hot topic. I firmly believe when people come up to a booth and say that dreaded line they could really be saying, I have seen this before and can get it some where else, maybe cheaper, but are really saying “I like this, I may have a use for it, “WHAT MAKES YOUR ITEMS BETTER THAN SAY SOMETHING SEEN AT W-MART?” This is the opportunity to sell, not let them go and think eh not worth asking questions as others may over hear and if you let the conversation die at W-Mart, others will think the same. However bringing the conversation back to you will show you are passionate about your work, you LOVE making it and sharing it with others - that is how to change a “W-Mart phrase” to an “I’ll take one”.
Although I don’t participate in too many craft shows anymore, I had two ways to deal with the Wal-Mart Mentality. First I would explain to the customer that my items were handmade by me, here in the US and not by children in a third world country or prisoners in a Chinese Labor Camp. If that argument did not persuade them then I would ask them to leave my booth. At one of the last shows I did, a young girl fell in love with one of my candles and begged her mother to buy it for her. Her mother replied that she could find one just as nice at Michaels for a lot less. I gave the woman directions to the nearest Michaels Store and told her she had insulted me and to get the hell out of my booth!
I know there are alot of scrollers here and hope most subscribe to the Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine. Anyway my point is there is a very interesting series of articles being written by Jeff Zaffino about the world of crafting. I have seen some of our members cutting his patterns and for this I applaud you for they are challenging. In his latest edition he goes into “Pricing your work” where he discusses the “Wal-Mart Mentality” in pricing.
Wow !
Everyone has such good comments.
I do what Michelle (#3 above) does. Sometimes it is enough, but there are always those who think that because we are not famous designers that our products should be cheap.
My daughter makes one-of-a-kind crocheted hats most of which are from designs in her head. She doesn’t follow any pattern she just gets an idea for a look she wants and then figures out how to get that look.
I do the same with my soaps and gift baskets and embroidery… .
We still get a few people who would rather pay more for a “designer” product at the mall eventhough there are dozens (or more) of people in town with the EXACT same thing.
Example, at one of the mall stores, there were mass produced, machine made crocheted/knitted hats selling for $45. My daughter’s hats sell for $15 - $40 on average.
Hmmm, Maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather have a unique creation made by a local craftsperson rather than a run-of-the-mill item.
Sometimes you just need to remind them that your craft is unique and handmade. Sure they can purchase for less at walmart and then have their neighbor wearing the same thing or they can purchase a unique one from you and have their neighbor comment on how unique it is and where can the get one;-)
I’m in agreement with Michelle. We are not only artists and craft persons, we are also salespeople. And we better be good ones at that. There is so much competition out there not only from tha “marts” and discount stores but also galleries and art shops galore. We have a captive audience while they are in our booths. Don’t kick them out!!! SELL THEM YOUR WORK!!!
I made a large teddy bear and a fellow looked it over and stated he could buy it at KMart for less. I then explained the fur was from Germany, the stuffing a HiLoft Polyester and that the features were all hand done. I also gave him the cost of making the bear and stated that I was not showing it at a flea market, but a craft show and that just like K Mart, I too needed to make a profit.
Then I told him he should go to K Mart because he obviously didn’t appreciate a product which had been created by an individual, one of a kind, not mass produced in a 3rd World Country. He walked off! We need to speak up for ourselves in a courteous but firm way.
One’s market is important, too. My work does not appeal to people who shop at walmart, and I know that, so I try to show and sell to people in more affluent communities. I still watch my prices, and don’t assume I can over charge wealthier people. I do want their return business next month. That walmart-is-cheaper discussion is usually moot (thank heavens). If it came up, I would hope I would be kind and suggest Michelle’s #3.
I honestly welcome it when a customer makes that “why should I purchase this from you instead of at “mart” speech. I then have a wonderful opportunity to speak about the quality of the ingredients that I use (and I love the shocked look on their faces when I can tell them what each and every one of these ingredients does. Wal mart employes are good at their jobs but so am I. And If you love what you do and have pride in your product it shows. And that really matters to lots of people who attend craft shows. Anger at ignorance just makes it worse. Knowledge and pride in your product helps you go farther then rudness.
We were just discussing this over at the new Wholesale Matters blog (http://buyersmarketblog.typepad.com)
It seems to me that it’s all about the experience of shopping for something handmade. Target & Wal-mart are about convenience, where craft is about stimulating the senses.
Daniel
PR manager
The Rosen Group
The answer for me is to sell a wide variety of items.
For the higher end, artistic market-I make pieces that are not reproducable, even by myself. Very specialized.
These items appeal to the market here in Oregon, if I was in a different area I would make a different style.
I do everything from jewelery to leather work …
For example: Jewelry stringing, I have one or 2 features in every piece besides the stringing that makes it mine and unique.
For my low end market, I a make simpler items with wider appeal, such as breast cancer jewelery and leather cell phone pouches. These are smaller and less detailed items.
There are people who understand and appreciate the art of true craftsmanship, and there are people who don’t.
The key is to diversify and make things for both groups.
Melissa McClintock
When someone comes up to me and say “Why are your prices so high” and tells me they can go to Wal-Mart, K-Mart etc. to get the same thing. The first thing I tell them is: What you buy is not from U.S.A. and are not hand made, made with sincere devotion, love, that come from my hands. There products are factory made, 1000’s of them, all alike except different colors, and there is NO PRIDE IN THERE WORK.
Hand made items are made with quality work, Not quanity.
Thank it how I see it, in this Great United States of America.
Connie Bedell
Interesting discussion. I have a different take, I had a custom order for my handpainted portraits on hand sculpted pottery. When I offered several “variations” of support medium for my painting, my customer said “no, I can get something like that at Wal-Mart, I want your handprints all over this so I want it on your handmade pottery”. This “confirmed” to me, people are beginning to want individually crafted, handmade items rather than run-of-the-mill china-made look alikes. Obviously there are many who don’t care and buy on price but I want to market to those who want, and will pay for, handcrafted quality items. The pendulum, I believe, will swing back to handwork from local artisans. I’ll let the big box stores compete on price and lack of individuality–I’m in search of the customer who wants something different–and they are out there.
After “hitting our heads against the wall” for over a year, we have decided to only go to upscale shows or those that are juried. We want shoppers who value our work.
Sure, my candle business will never make the dollars that Wal-Mart can boast, but I also have to believe that I sell as much as many individual Wal-Mart stores do.
My pitch is personalized candles, where a customer can pick the shape, size, color and fragrance of a candle that I’ll make by hand for them.
Can you find a blue bayberry candle at Wal-Mart? How about a yellow pine candle? Or a pink Dr. Pepper? or any combination of 25 colors and 85 fragrances I currently have in stock.
The combinations add up to a lot - you do the math…..and Wal-Mart cannot even come close to offering that combination to customers.
The business my wife and I own will never make the dollars that a Wal-Mart does, but we are very content doing the volume of business we currently do. Since this is part-time for us (for now - who knows once we retire in a few years) and we very much enjoy making candles - we are not concerned with the big box stores.
As for craft shows? Well, the small potatoes shows bring in the people looking for deals or bargains (I can’t tell you how many people try to negotiate prices - like we’re at a Garage Sale). If you’re serious about your craft - spend the money and go to larger craft shows where people appreciate your craft and are willing to pay for it.
Thank you for allowng me to participate in this discussion.
It amazes me that people could “blame” Walmart or any other company for their lack of sales. I’m in a small town and have a sidewalk veggie/crafts stand. We are just down the street from Walmart and we do extremely well - even with fresh-cut flowers.
Selection of your art and craft items should be obvious that it can not be purchased at a large retailer.
People do recognize quality but you must also be able to “sell” your items. Even at craft shows I am surprised at the lack of salemanship at booths.
Sure, you have the bargin hunters and I’ve even had people who said they would be back at the end of a show ’cause my items would “probably be reduced.” After I set them straight they bought then and there.
My mistake is I didn’t make the booth professional enough so they thought that. That never happened again.
Forget Walmart, ignore your competitors and create the best art you can. And if you think I don’t know what I’m talking about, at times, while I’m in Walmart some of my customers stop me to find out when they can come buy that “special gift!”
I’m a little taken back by the “Get out of my booth” customer service practiced by some here. If you tell someone to “get out” it will be all over the show in about five minutes and you will find yourself very alone.
Treat people with respect. If they don’t know what is involved with your craft, why should they? Be kind to people if you want them to buy anything no matter where you are.