You can’t be all things to all people as an owner-operator retailer. As much as you want to cater to everyone with the greatest assortment of products in every price range, you cannot do it as a smaller retailer and survive the retail game. Carrying a wide range of products in all price points is the stuff of big-box, mass-market retailers. Unless you’re one of them, you cannot enter the same arena they’re playing in.

You’ve heard the words “target your niche” countless times. It’s the business catch phrase of the new millennium. This phrase often refers to narrowing your product and customer focus. When it comes to selling candles it may mean to you not just “selling candles”, but “selling top-quality Candles of Eden soy candles”. Your niche is the consumer looking for elegant, high quality, all-natural soy candles such as our SoyLuscious® Soy Candles line. Here, you’re targeting a specific candle line to a particular customer group.

However, you can also target a specific customer “attitude”. Customers’ attitudes normally fall into five categories according to Jim Dion and Ted Topping in their book “Start and Run a Profitable Retail Business”. These five attitudes are:

Price-Sensitive nonshoppers – rely on discounters and mass merchandisers and normally do not like shopping around and consider in-store service a low priority. They make up roughly 35% of the market.

Price-sensitive shoppers –like to shop, rely on mass-merchandisers, are concerned with price, require little in-store service, and are not overly loyal to one retailer. They make up approximately 30% of the market.

Specialty shoppers- shop at specialty stores and traditional department stores. Quality, fashion, and in-store service are more important than price to them. They make up roughly 15% of the market.

Sociable shoppers – desire and expect personal in-store service, are loyal to a few stores, and avoid mass merchandisers. They make up about 10% of the market.

Quality shoppers – put quality and fashion well before price, enjoy shopping, and prefer a moderate degree of personal service. They are also moderately loyal to a few stores and tend to not shop at mass-merchandisers as well. They make up 10% of the market.

When targeting a niche for your Candles of Eden products, that last group, the “Quality Shoppers” is a great one to hone in on. While you can target the “Sociable Shopper” and the “Specialty Shopper” with great success too, the “Quality Shopper” will give you the best return for time invested. The first two categories under the “Price-Sensitive” headings belong to the massive retail discount chains.

That’s why 10% of the customers out there can provide you 100% success. All it takes is you marketing your quality products, like Candles of Eden candles, to those who demand quality. They will do the rest by coming to you on a regular basis for those items. Your time investment is less with this group for two main reasons. First, they enjoy shopping and will seek out quality, and then spend the time necessary shopping in your store to investigate that quality. Second, they are not high-maintenance so-to-speak, as they demand only a moderate level of customer service. Not that you do not want to offer them fantastic customer service…you do…it’s just that they tend to buy anyway, when offered a reasonable level and are not over-demanding. That’s why for effort invested they offer the best return.

We at Candles of Eden have the high quality candle products and candle accessories you need to satisfy that 10% that demands quality above all else when they shop. We promise you quality products and service, which you can then pass on to those customers who seek the same. Let us help you meet that 10% of customers who are waiting for you to give them the top-quality candles they desire.