Since 2020, COVID has affected how we live, work, shop, and go to school. Remote work and virtual schooling caused many people to remain in their homes more than ever before. Overnight, people needed space for home offices, exercise equipment, and a place where the kids could focus on school. If that sounds like you and you’re experiencing a lack of space and an abundance of clutter, a garage or yard sale could be just what you need. We’ll cover some tips to keep you and potential customers safe during an indoor yard sale.
Set Safety Guidelines And Requirements For Your Sale
During the initial planning phase of your indoor yard sale, establish the guidelines and rules you require attendees to follow to gain entry. Regardless of your political stance, you must remember that many customers will not attend if they feel there’s a chance for exposure. Your goal should be to make everyone feel safe. Listing out the safety measures beforehand will make people less apprehensive about attending your sale. You want to make it easy and pleasurable for potential buyers to do business with you.
Make sure you list your requirements in all advertising and promotions. On the Yard Sale Radar platform, you can list your safety measures and attendance requirements in the additional information box when you post your sale. If you’re not advertising with us, place the requirements on all signage and flyers to make everything clear. Don’t forget to include your safety measures on all indoor garage sale signage to remind customers of the rules and provide them with a safe environment.
Increase Space Between Display Tables & Garment Racks
The layout of your indoor yard sale should provide the most space possible for workers and customers. Spread your garment racks and folding tables farther out than usual to encourage people to keep their distance. For garment racks, take the time to organize clothing by size and type so people won’t need to handle as many items to find the clothing items they need. If possible, tag each piece of clothing with a price tag and size so customers can browse more efficiently.
Space folding tables out far enough to control and encourage customers to practice social distancing. All merchandise should be cleaned and sanitized before placing them on the tables for sale. Consider putting hand sanitizer on every table or place sanitizing stations near each table.
Control The Traffic Flow
We’ve all seen the arrows and x’s on the floor in grocery stores, dollar stores, etc. That idea works perfectly for an indoor yard sale as well. With concrete flooring, you can use tape or chalk to make the arrows that will guide customers through the sale. Ideally, you should have one-way traffic with one entry point and one exit point to keep everyone moving smoothly.
Limit the number of customers allowed to shop inside at one time. If you have customers waiting outside, limit the number of minutes customers can spend shopping to keep everyone happy. People are very aware of current conditions and will appreciate crowd control measures, especially with an indoor garage sale.
Provide Materials To Keep Customers Safe
It is unlikely that everyone will come prepared, so you should be ready to provide them with the materials they need to enter your indoor yard sale to do business with you. Provide disposable face masks, hand sanitizer, paper bags, and trash receptacles for a good customer experience.
As the sale progresses, wipe down high-touch surfaces and sale items frequently to keep an acceptable level of safety. Monitor and empty all trash receptacles when needed and keep an eye on the amount of hand sanitizer you have available. You can make these tasks easier on yourself and others if you set an age limit for children. Put an age limit in your yard or indoor garage sale description when you place ads or do any promotion.
Set Payment Options & Be Prepared
If you’re planning to accept cash, go to the bank the day before and pull out $100 to $150 in all denominations so you can make change for your buyers. Keep the money in an envelope and have it on hand at checkout time. Some sellers prefer payment buckets or drop boxes with slots on the top. You’ll need to be confident they are secure and emptied as needed. The last thing you want is for your hard-earned money to go missing at your next indoor yard sale.
To minimize cash handling or go completely cashless, you have two options: You can choose to have a priceless sale where you allow customers to pay you what they think your item is worth, or you can offer electronic payment options such as Paypal, Zelle, Venmo, or Cash App. Both of these options work well if you don’t want to handle cash or have to provide change to customers.
Well, there you have it. We’ve just covered five ways to keep your next yard or indoor garage sale safe and pleasurable for the customer. Click here for more yard sale tips and tricks!