Streetlevel: Flowers for Hanson Place
We’re not sure exactly when this new flower store opened up at 33 Hanson Place, but judging from the handful of emails from readers last week trumpeting its arrival, we’re willing to bet it was quite recently. Anyone been in? GMAP
We’re not sure exactly when this new flower store opened up at 33 Hanson Place, but judging from the handful of emails from readers last week trumpeting its arrival, we’re willing to bet it was quite recently. Anyone been in? GMAP
I’m not sure how my reply to Mr. B’s question invited a lecture on the do’s and don’ts of opening a small business, especially when you don’t actually know the people involved and their reasons for what they have and haven’t done within barely two weeks of their (quiet) opening. Because I do know the owners, I will add that they are smart, hard-working people who have gathered their resources (beyond the financial and within the community), and obviously they are open to hearing what people want as the store continues to come together. I wish them luck in trying to meet those expressed needs. There are businesses that manage to stay open despite terrible customer service, limited stock, and dubious (at best) branding, and sometimes people do the “right” things and still have a failed business. If/when Saffron’s owners no longer can invest their time and money in running a shop, they’ll move on to other interesting things, and someone else will come along to give it a try.
Regardless of my knowledge of Saffron specifically, I’m personally glad to see anyone attempting to open a shop in the current economic environment, especially longtime locals who are trying to do something interesting in their own neighborhood, on a strip where there isn’t much else besides a newsstand, a deli, and a bagel shop, despite the commuter foot traffic. Apparently, their flowers have been a hit so far; the ones I bought at the opening party two weeks ago still look great.
I really wish them well, but there are really simple reasons why 50% of all small businesses fail:
1) They have no or poor signage. How do you tell a friend were you purchased something? How do people find you? Subtle might be cool, but it also kills profits and profits mean you get to stay in business and get better at what you love doing.
2) Know exactly who you customer is and cater to him/her. If you ask the CEO of the Urban Outfitters or Anthropologie he’s can tell you exactly who his customer is and how she thinks, what her aspirations are. Can you do this?
3) How does a customer know what he/she will find in the store? What makes it compelling to enter? A name, a logo, a clear expertise in some area needs to be demonstrated to the casual passerby.
4) The correct mix of merchandise with the correct mix of price points is the difference between paying the rent and not. Everyday you need to cover your expenses at the very least.
5) Consignment seems like a good deal, but it isn’t. You take on all the responsibility of warehousing, merchandising and selling the item but have very little control over the quality, selection of sizes and replacement inventory. We have flea markets for this type of merchandise. You need a HUGE amount of vintage clothing in a HUGE selection of sizes and styles to grab a decent share of the customers that come into your store.
6) Small shops have to be VERY smart and VERY tightly organized. Shops that are seen fully from the outside with one glance need to be visually enticing and make clear statements. Your walls, window display, cash/wrap counter surface all need to be be speaking a clear message.
The store is called Saffron, and you can read the intent behind it on their website:
http://saffron-brooklyn.com
One of the owners (a friend of mine, in the interest of disclosure) grew up in Fort Greene, is a young artist, and seized an opportunity to take a long-vacant storefront and try to do something interesting with it. From their website:
” everyone is wondering what kind of store we are, we don’t really know either. We like to think of it as a mix mash of a lot of things. we don’t strive for a category nor do we have a target (not the store) crowd. we like to carry all things one of a kind, different, interesting, fashionable and creative. this goes for everything we have – flowers, plants, vintage, clothing, shoes, artwork & that’s just a start.
we have been getting requests for consignment & looking to expand selection. please send us what you intend to place, and a small statement about why you think it will be a great addition to saffron, to our email address: contact@saffron-brooklyn.com “
It has a nice modern flower selection, somewhat limited, which is smart given it’s newness, but it also has clothing and used cowboy boots for sale. In a larger more fleshed out shop you might say they are trying to create a lifestyle brand. This tiny shop just comes off as confusing mix of one off clothing pieces and flowers.
Maybe there are ladies in the neighborhood that enjoy purchasing their own flowers while buying patch-quilt vests, but it hardly seems like a huge hungry market.
They need to become the very best floral designers or the very best women’s accessory shop in the neighborhood if they don’t want to die pretty quickly from doing neither well at all.