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OPINION: Christine Hope explains how to give shoppers a warm feeling this winter

We wanted a warm end to the summer to prolong the tourist season. Sadly this hasn’t happened, so hot water bottles, flasks and woolly hats are already out

We wanted a warm end to the summer to prolong the tourist season, but sadly this hasn’t happened. That’s meant that the hot water bottles, flasks and woolly hats have been ordered a month early and are already on the shelves.

Training has started with new members of staff ready for my maternity leave. You can tell I don’t plan because my due date is Christmas Eve, our busiest day of the year. 

One of the elements we try to achieve is positive chatter. It’s a simple formula; listen to a shopper’s life complaint and simply suggest a positive solution.

Customers will say: “The weather is cold” and our response will be “it’s a perfect to enjoy a warm fire, hot chocolate and read the paper. Naturally we sell fabulous fire starters, kindling, hot chocolate, marshmallows and papers.

If a customer says: “It’s raining again”, then turn it into a positive and recommend a hot bath when they get home. We sell a selection of bubble baths and mineral salts for the bath.

Don’t allow your customers to be negative. Ask them what exciting things they are doing today. If they don’t have anything in mind, then remember their hobbies or suggest something new. We’re encouraging our shoppers to write a card to a friend they haven’t seen for a while. 

Your customer may be wet and cold but that doesn’t mean that they leave your shop without a warm feeling inside.

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