By Don Johnson NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sometimes it takes a different approach. That’s what Jon Jenkins experimented with during recent shows in Nashville. The manager of Tailgate Antiques Show and Music Valley Antiques Market, Jenkins was looking for a way to bring new customers to the events. He decided to try something practically untested in the antiques industry — Groupons. The concept behind the online business Groupon is a simple one: harness the collective buying power of a group of interested individuals to guarantee low, volume pricing for the goods and services offered. The deal-of-the-day website offers only one item per day in each of the markets it serves, proffering more than 650 daily deals across its global network. Because the offers are localized to particular geographic markets, the deals are for goods and services specific to that area and provided by local retail establishments, restaurants, service providers and entertainment venues. Each day, Groupon features a new deal by one of its member companies, contacting local registered users via e-mail to outline the limited-time offer, which is typically available for only 24 hours. In order for the deal to become active, a pre-determined number of individuals must pledge to buy the special. Once the quota is met, the credit card transactions are processed, and each individual receives an e-mail link enabling them to print the Groupon. If not enough people are interested and the specified minimum is not met, no one gets that day’s deal, and nothing is charged At Nashville, Jenkins used Groupon to offer half-price admission to both antique shows — giving shoppers a combined ticket for $12. Jenkins can be considered an early pioneer when it comes to using Groupons to promote antiques, but he wasn’t the first. Randolph Street Market in Chicago had also tried the concept. “I was the second person to do it, that I know of,” Jenkins said. He went into the weekend at Nashville hopeful that Groupons would boost the gate and lead to sales, yet he was completely at the whim of area shoppers. “I didn’t know if we’d sell 10 tickets or 10,000,” he said. Between Groupon and another promotion, 500 tickets were sold. While no one can track the sales from those admissions, chances are good that the shows’ dealers benefited from the additional shoppers. That’s exactly what Jenkins wanted. A major benefit of Groupon was that it brought out people who might not otherwise have attended the event. Demographically, it targeted a largely untapped age group and geography. “They weren’t our customers,” explained Jenkins of the people he hoped to bring through the doors. It worked. “We had more young and local people than ever before,” Jenkins added. One dealer’s comment at the show drove home that point. The person noted it was good to see young people, including those with tattoos. Face it, people in their 20s and 30s, especially those with body piercings and tattoos, aren’t the usual clients at antiques shows. The key to Groupon is that it reaches beyond traditional advertising and promotions. As with other social media, it can bring a product or service to the forefront of potential customers. “Between Facebook, blogs and Groupons, people are making their decisions in different ways than they did 20 years ago. We now base our decisions on what our peers are doing,” said Jenkins. Social media can easily sway people to try something new, whether it’s an ethnic restaurant, an independent film or a book by an unknown author. Yet the value of such online referrals is seldom taken advantage of in the field of antiques. “As an industry, we have been very slow to react to that,” Jenkins said. However, there are cases where social media has made an impact. That was seen at Nashville when a Facebook post pictured a distinct Midwestern blanket chest. Within minutes of that item appearing, someone online was already checking on the price and availability of the piece. The Facebook post demonstrates the potential of technology to positively affect the antiques market. “That shows how cutting-edge technology can impact business,” said Jenkins. Yet the Facebook example is more the exception than the rule. Throughout much of the antiques industry, it’s business as usual. As Jenkins added, “We are stuck in the 19th century.” But, not everywhere. He recalled a recent New York City show where a shopper posted photos of a variety of items on display, resulting in $10,000 in sales by collectors who saw those images. There’s potential out there, according to Jenkins. “We’re just barely scratching the surface,” he said. He also believes the use of Groupons at Nashville is a step in the right direction toward bringing new buyers and, consequently, fresh eyes to the marketplace. “Attracting 500 new and local people to a show is a major accomplishment.” One success story to come out of the show involved 10 tickets that Jenkins had a blogger give away. One person who received a ticket later tracked down the writer. “Thank you for the tickets,” said the shopper, who didn’t collect antiques. “I bought seven pieces of furniture. Now I have to go rent a truck.” Getting that person through the doors of the show opened her mind to the possibilities of using antiques in her home. It’s something she might not otherwise have considered. As Jenkins sees it, the problem in the antiques industry isn’t that people won’t buy. Instead, it’s that they might not want to buy “antiques.” Put a different label on an item, and they’re willing to take a look. “Antique is a bad word in certain demographics,” he said. While they might not mind antiques, they don’t like the word. Cloak those same items in different terminology — vintage design or decorator items — and a whole new group of potential buyers will take a look. Groupon is one tool being used by Jenkins to get those new shoppers onto the show floor. It worked at Nashville, and he hopes to broker a deal to have the discount tickets available at the Harwinton Antiques & Design Weekend (formerly the Farmington Antiques & Design Weekend), which he promotes in Connecticut. www.Groupon.com www. JenkinsShows.com |