Shopping Under the Influence – Creating the Holiday Sales “Buzz”

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a pretty funny article on the perils of SUI – shopping under the influence. Since The Retail Contrarian is a retailer’s blog we’ll use the article Guilty of SUI? to discuss the strategy of selling to the customer who is buzzed.

The article shares some examples of people shopping under the influence including an example I shared from my days of running a Sharper Image at Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston. But the article also point out there are some actual benefits to the customer to drink and shop.

“Still, sipping while shopping is not always a bad thing. A drink can help you relax, loosening you up to finally treat yourself to a new gadget or outfit.”

There you have it. Helping people who are buzzed buy things is our civic duty.

As a matter of fact lingerie stores have used this strategy for years with their Men’s Night promotion. Then again that might be called shopping under the influence of alcohol and lust.