Here in the UK we used to have a Woolworths shop on every highstreet.

It was a much loved national icon, but it didn't really have an identity which led to the chain collapsing.

How can you stop your crochet shop becoming a Woolworths?

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Hello and welcome to the Crochet Business School podcast where you can use your crochet to build a business that will give you the lifestyle you've been dreaming of.

Don't let your shop turn into Woolworth's for those of you who remember Woolworth's was a shop on the high street in the UK.

That was everywhere.

Every high street in the country had a Woolworth.

It was hugely iconic really But about 15 years ago it collapsed and it disappeared from the high street everywhere.

So what's this got to do with your crochet Wallace was that shop that didn't do anything in particular?

It sold a bit of everything.

It sold cds dvds, kids clothes, books, greetings, cards, arts and crafts, sewing supplies, pots and pans, kitchen accessories, kids toys, pick and mix.

Everybody went always with pick and mix.

That's to create your own bag of sweets.

If you have not heard of that before.

But it did a bit of everything.

It hadn't it didn't sell anything in particular.

And that was the problem when you went shopping you did not go to Woolworth's if you were looking for something in particular.

So if you're looking specifically perhaps you didn't go there you go to the hat shop.

So if you think of all the other shops on the high Street Primark budget Close W.

H.

Smith books and stationery curry's electronics, P.

C.

World computers, you say names over the shops and you know immediately what they sell but you can't say that for walrus you couldn't say it it was a bit of everything, it was the kind of place that you went to if you needed several bits and pieces, but you weren't sure where you'd find them.

So if you go into a supermarket before you get to the grocery aisles, you know, a few miles of things with just bits and pieces, a few books, a few greetings cards, a few things in the kitchen, but it's a small selection, you go to those aisles when you think well I'm going shopping anyway, I'll just check those aisles and to see if that thing I'm looking for is there.

But it's only a small selection if you want a specific book, you're not going to go to those aisles.

It was the same for Woolworth.

If you have something specific in mind, you did not go there, You went there.

If you were looking for, say a birthday gift, you don't have a clue what to get someone.

So you weren't there for inspiration, you kind of browsed around if you just wanted to window shop and just pass the time, you will go into Woolworth's and browse.

It was a browsing shop and you might pick up a few bits while you're there.

The thing is a shop can't survive on just selling a few bits from people browsing and that's why it collapsed, nobody could tell you what walrus was and what they did, it was just that bit of everything shop and back in the day when it was created, it was great, it was sort of first one stop shop of its kind and back when it's created early in the 19 1, Oh early in the 19th 20th century at least when selections were small.

Anyway that worked.

But now there's such a huge variety of options available that that kind of shop just can't hold the selection that people are looking for and that's why it went under.

And this is where your crochet becomes relevant because unless people know what to expect and what you sell, they don't know to come to you for it.

If someone's looking for a bag they're going to go to the bag shop.

Not the shop that might sell a bag if they're looking for something to decorate their baby's nursery with, they're going to go to the shop at the cells nursery decor, they're not going to go to the place which might sell something and you saw something a few months back.

But it's not usually what they do Wall worse was the high street version of a jumble sale and it collapsed because of it.

If your crochet shop has a bit of everything but nothing in particular, you become a browsing place, it's a great place to browse around and pass the time.

But it's not where you're going to shop browsing is looking around and maybe if something catches your eye you'll buy it browsing does not equal shopping and if people aren't shopping they're not spending money, you are far more likely to make sales if you sell a particular item.

So think of those other shops on the high street Prime Mark equals budget clothes, curries equals electronics.

Wh smith equals books and stationery.

What does your shop equal when people say your shop name, what do they immediately say that you sell?

Because if you can't put it in a few words you have problems.

And if the only word that you can use is my shop equals crochet, you've got even bigger problems because nobody is going to your shop because you sell crochet.

The truth is and might be a little harsh, but the truth is nobody cares how the items are made.

They don't care that it's crochet, they care that it looks the way they does that they love the look and it does the job they need.

So you need to work out what your shop equals.

Why will people come to shop with you instead of browsing?

You want shoppers not browsers, you want people coming with a purpose and not just coming to have a rummage around the jumble sale.

So make sure your shop does not end up like Woolworth's and that you have a purpose and that you attract shoppers who will spend money with you and that is how your shop will survive.

Unlike walrus, which unfortunately is no longer on the high street.

Apparently he's back online though, which I haven't checked out, which I really should because walrus is one of those kind of nostalgic memories of when I was a teenager going shopping on the high street with my friends here in the UK.

I get why it collapsed.

But it's a shame.

So please don't be another collapse like war with.

So we don't want to say it's a shame they disappeared.

What a talent and it's lost.

Make sure you get shoppers not browsers and no what you're selling and so your customer can remember what you're selling.

Thank you for joining me today.

And I hope this has given you something to think about and something to incorporate into your business.

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