Attention dollar stores and discount shops! We'd like to introduce you to a new kind of value-focused shopper. She works a white collar job, is between the ages of 35 and 54, and her yearly household income is over $100,000. That's right, $100,000.

According to a recent Nielsen report, the new trend for affluent households seems to be shopping at dollar and discount shops for household essentials. This all makes sense when you consider that high-end stores in up-market areas like Manhattan's Fifth Avenue and LA's Rodeo Drive are closing their doors or suffering 40%+ quarterly losses.

According to Nielsen, affluent households earning over 100K spent 18% more at dollar stores in the 2nd half of 2008, compared to the second half of 2007. That's a big jump for a demographic that traditionally keeps its distance from down market destinations like dollar and discount stores.

The biggest non-food sellers to this group were household essentials such as paper goods, detergent, trash bags, and cleaning and laundry supplies.

Don't lose these valuable new shoppers! Use this influx of up-market customers as motivation to continue to improve the appearance, feel, and merchandise selection of your store. A well-organized, freshly-painted and well-lit store with wide aisles can make the difference between a one-time visit and a loyal affluent customer who comes back every week. And of course, don't forget the importance of quality customer service during check-out and on the sales floor.

"With more shoppers having positive experiences at dollar stores, there is a significant opportunity for dollar stores and CPG manufacturers to build loyalty and expand into new product categories..." said Nielsen Retail Services VP Jeff Gregori. "The challenge for dollar stores and CPG manufacturers is to get the product mix right to meet the needs of their traditional customers as well as new customers with higher incomes."

It's hard to pick up a magazine or newspaper without reading about the skyrocketing popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook.com, Twitter.com, LinkedIn.com, and Myspace.com.

Far from being only for private individuals, these wildly popular sites make great business networking tools.

Users of social networking sites can keep up with the latest updates from their vendors, customers, and business associates at the click of a button. For instance, Four Seasons' Twitter account (www.twitter.com/4sgm) keeps its followers up-to-date on special deals, new website features, and limited-time offers.

Your level of involvement in using these networking sites is entirely up to you. Your business can use its social network profile to actively seek out new clients and sales leads, or just as a way to remind customers that your business is active, thriving, and aware of industry trends.
Check out Four Seasons General Merchandise on these social networking sites, and create an account for your own business! When you do, don't forget to add 4SGM as one of your contacts!

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/4sgm

LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com

MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com