I have a crazy idea that I think could help you drive more traffic and sell more products in your store… offer a class that ties in the merchandise that you sell. You could offer a class on trimming the perfect holiday tree, or putting together great gift baskets, or even something more crafty like designing a wonderful fall wreath.

Now it'd be helpful if you or one of your staff has strong skills in visual merchandising and/or decorating, but if you don't, you can always find a local expert by looking in your area (putting up flyers in local coffee shops, asking loyal customers if they known of someone, or even posting a free listing on Craigslist.org).

Here's how it would work: you sell the basic supplies needed to complete the project and then (maybe?) charge a nominal fee for the class instruction depending on how much you pay the instructor, how much profit you'll be making on the supplies and how much it's worth getting customers into the store. If it turns out that the average customer spends $100 every time they visit your store, it may be worthwhile not to charge a fee at all. (If you don't have space in your store for classes, you can find inexpensive room rentals in your area. You may even want to consider a local club (i.e., Kiwanis Club), hotel or a chamber of commerce office.)

One of the local independent toy stores in our area has created a weekly craft project for kids (for a small fee they complete a project in an hour) and it's a great way to encourage us to stop by more frequently. Big box stores are doing it too.. just last week I received an email from William Sonoma, inviting me to take cooking classes in their local store.

I hope you can offer a creative class and boost your sales, and if you're already offering one, I'd love to hear about it.