29 Jul News from Experienced Goods August 2022

I confess, I am a creature of habit and routine.  While some people feel most alive in an atmosphere of chaos and instability, stimulated by uncertainty, I thrive when I know what’s coming.  I like to plan and organize.  I am the person who, when going on a trip, has my suitcase packed a week in advance.

Some would say routine kills creativity, but I disagree. The foundation of a good plan leaves all sorts of room for improvisation, in fact encourages it.  At Experienced Goods, after being open in our new space for over a month, we have settled into the rhythm of daily routine after many months of transition and now learning how the transformed store works in real time. When people ask where the belts or men’s shoes are, we know where to direct them. When there are housewares or linens to put out, we get it done lickety-split because we already see the placement in our minds’ eyes. Clothing racks have their footprints on the sales floor, the book room invites shoppers to browse with full shelves and good lighting. We know that donations happen on Saturdays now, so by Friday afternoon space has been cleared for new donations to come in and a plan is in place for who will be doing what during those busy, physically demanding hours. 

And yet, we tweak.  We rearrange racks for better shopping flow or create new areas of interest, like the display of pet items Imelda artfully devised recently. We add focal points, like the beautiful display case in the front of the store filled with interesting vintage and high-end items.  We listen to feedback from shoppers and donors and glean ideas for ways to do things better.  For instance, after many subtle and not so subtle hints from patrons, we reinstated the much loved Quarter Shelf, extending the retail space slightly into the area where donations are processed and devoting a nook to that institution of treasure hunting.  We have also added a second cash register, a change that involved a steep learning curve for all of us but that has made the checkout process much smoother and faster.

Every morning we arrive at least an hour before the store opens to prepare for the day, putting out product, cleaning, adding or consolidating displays.  We check in with each other about what’s working or not working.  Shall we take away the swim suit rack because there are only two mismatched bikinis and three pairs of trunks on it? Where are we going to put that really cool full-sized weaving loom that was just donated?  What’s the next seasonal clothing transition and are we ready to start that ball rolling? Do people actually buy mass market paperback books?  Can we come up with a more efficient way to pack, transport and store off-season clothing boxes when we are sorting the donation pile? Some days we just “do the do,” as Karen says.  Other mornings there’s a full-on staff brainstorming session fueled by coffee and doughnuts. But we always check in with each other.  It’s part of the routine.

In short, we have the rhythm down, and the basic predictability of it leaves us lots of room to be creative and have fun. When we were first talking about moving the store all those months ago, the thought of disrupting and uprooting known patterns and trading them for the unknown was daunting, scary even.  We balked and resisted.  But we took the risk anyway and are now enjoying the freedom afforded us by making that good choice.  And just because we’ve established routines does not mean Experienced Goods will be anything even approaching boring.  With so many creative people working here, you can be sure to expect the unexpected when you walk through our doors.