The cosmetic industry heavily uses a 'gift with purchase' to entice customers to shop, as well as to come back.
The practice began with Estee Lauder. In the 1920s and 1930s, she offered beauty parlor customers a dollop of free cream on wax paper. The idea grew in the 1950s, because of a tight advertising budget. The Lauders "hoped sampling would create a more direct & personal connection with consumers."
"The giveaways & the later gift-with-purchase that Estée pioneered created an opportunity to exercise Lauder's sales approach, encourage spontaneous buying, & increase customer loyalty."
"Competitors began to copy the innovation. By the late 1960s, most major cosmetics firms regularly used the gift-with-purchase to drive traffic to their counters, and this practice remains an important tool today in marketing beauty products."
We can use this same giveaway or gift-with-purchase practice to build customer loyalty to our own shops. What some Etsy Trashion members are giving away:
- Jodi of tubbytabby surprises her customers with a little something unexpected.
- Tammy of junck also likes to surprise her customers with a photo or stickers.
- Pam of remaker adds Matchbook Notebooks, stickers, Etsy buttons, & also % off coupons for a customer's next purchase.
- Alex of alexkeller gives away pocket mirrors & vintagebyalexkeller customers may get old recipe cards, paper ephemera or buttons.
- Jackie of urbanartifaks includes recycled notebooks & jewelry pouches made from recycled t-shirts for her pendants.
- Rhonda of oddartist collaborates with other Etsy sellers to swap small promotional items. These items will then be sent out to a more diverse group of buyers.
- Michelle of wingsofflutter sends a handmade magnet.
source & photo credits: Harvard Business School
