That Saturday I sold 12 whole lambs before noon and actually had to turn people away

I had this one Saturday last fall where every single person who walked in wanted a whole lamb for a graduation party or something, and by 10 AM I was completely out of stock. Has anyone else had a day where demand just completely caught you off guard like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

norathomas18d ago

I'm gonna push back a little on that whole "stood there with his hands in his pockets" story. I mean, yeah, it sucks to lose sales, but is it really that big of a deal? Turning people away happens in retail all the time, it's not like someone died. Your buddy probably learned a lesson about holiday weekends and now he'll order extra next time. And honestly, sending people to the grocery store is kind of a win-win if they're patient enough to drive a few miles. I just don't see the point in getting all dramatic about a busy day when you could just shrug it off and move on. Take it from someone who's seen way worse inventory screw-ups, a sold-out cooler is a good problem to have.

the_margaret6d ago

Grabbed a flat of soda from the back room once during a heatwave and the whole thing exploded on the way to the register, sticky mess everywhere, and @norathomas knows that kind of nonsense sticks with you more than some missed sales. It’s the little dumb things that make you rethink your whole setup, not the big picture stuff. A cooler full of air might be fine today, but it’s the quiet regret of not having extra that hangs around.

masonbell18d ago

My buddy runs a small meat shop down in Georgia and one Friday before Memorial Day he had a guy come in and clean him out of 30 shoulders for a big cookout. Then like three more people showed up wanting the exact same thing and he had to send them to the grocery store down the road. He said he just stood there with his hands in his pockets watching people walk back out the door. Did you start taking deposits after that?