As they say, necessity is the mother of invention, so, here I am, after 9 years of being in business, inventing a new way of doing business for us. I was never really interested in an online presence. I know that sounds silly, maybe even crazy, in a world where online shopping is a billion dollar business. Part of the problem with my having a website for the MIX is that, well, truth be told, I am really unorganized, a terrible delegater and just not that tech savvy. I'm also a very hands on, old fashioned owner.
I grew up in retail, I literally grew up in a retail store. My father owned shoe stores and I spent most weekends and school holidays "working" in them. My mom used to work in one of the stores every Saturday and I'd go with her to "help". I would get the sales people coffee and lunch, straighten up the racks, clean the stockroom etc. Eventually, when I was old enough I started to wait on customers. I learned how a retail store worked from the ground up.
What I learned is that retail is a people business, it's about connecting with customers. The product you're selling matters but it's not the most important thing - it's the relationship you have with the people that come into the store that matters. That doesn't happen on a website. I do have to admit that social media sites have gotten closer to that relationship type experience when it comes to sales. However, there is nothing like the experience you can give a customer when they walk into your store - nothing can replace that.
That being said, the world we're living in has changed, especially during the last few weeks. There's no way to offer customers a face to face experience - at least not for a little while. So I'm going to sell gifts online, online presents. I'm going to try and give you a personal experience just like we do when you come to the Mix. We're all scared, unsure and trying to navigate these new waters but good things are still happening. Here's to celebrating them!
I hope to see you all very soon - stay safe
Michelle