Retail Marketing: target the kids

Lowes and Home Depot have taken a page from McDonalds' marketing handbook. They're successfully drawing parents into their stores by offering free monthly do-it-yourself workshops for children. The kids take home free workshop aprons with the store logo on them.

Home Depot stores host kids workshops from 9 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday of the month. Spokeswoman Chris Gronkiewicz said attendance varies, but the Fort Wayne stores typically see about 50 children each month.

Lowe’s stores have their kids clinics at 10 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month. The clinics at Lowe’s store at 44430 Illinois Road are so popular that the location has added a second session: the fourth Saturday of each month. Jane Ward, kids clinic captain, said the first workshop of the month can draw as many as 200 or more children to the Illinois Road location. And the store drew almost 100 last weekend for its second workshop of the month.

If home improvement stores can do this, can't you? There must be something fun that's related to your store that you can offer kids on a regular basis. It's a sure-fire winner.