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Retailer Spotlight: Uniform Headquarters
Meet the retailer who is the winner of Landau's first-ever Social Media Excellence Award!
Uniform Headquarters, a retailer located in Paducah, Kentucky, has been in business for more than 40 years. The store's current owner, Kim, has been in charge of the store since 1994 and prides herself on building personal relationships with her customers.
Recently, we sat down with Kim and her daughter, Brooke, to discuss their store, social media presence and more. Check out the interview below:
Kim, why did you decide to open a uniform store?
A: Uniform Headquarters has been in business since 1970. My husband and I were looking for an investment and decided to purchase UHQ in 1994. Ever since it has been a wonderful family business. My children have graduated college and have come back to work with us! My son, Landon, is managing our mobile sales division, and my daughter, Brooke, handles social media and marketing.
What tips do you have for retailers just starting out?
A: Get to know your customers, they may save your life one day! Get to know your vendors, they may have the tools to make your business thrive! Lastly, get to know your employees, they hold the key to successful sales!
Regarding social media, what have you seen work well for your brand and store?
A: Facebook and Instagram giveaways – asking your audience to “like, comment, and share” to win something always yields us tremendous exposure. Additionally, we ask our customers- real healthcare professionals- to be our scrub models for photos. We have found that our followers really enjoy seeing coworkers and people they recognize on our feed!
What trends have you tried that did not work?
A: Using stock/model images- they are great for our website- but our social media followers tend to interact much more with pictures we take, rather than those taken in a studio.
For retailers who are trying to create a social strategy, what advice would you give them?
A: Create a plan and stick to it! Decide WHAT you’re going to post, come up with a few different “themes” - you could alternate between sales/promotional, informative, personal, relatable quotes, etc. Then decide WHEN and how often you’re going to post. The Instagram algorithm shows more of your content to your followers when you post on a consistent schedule.
What is your favorite part of your job/using social media for your job?
A: We enjoy the feedback we receive on social media and use it to inform future ordering decisions. If your audience goes crazy over a picture of hot pink shoes, you’ll know to order more hot pink shoes next time!
We also love the Instagram “community;” we are able to learn from and network with other scrub stores across the country that we have never met in person!
What are your top three tips for using social media effectively?
Check out the free insights on Facebook and Instagram to determine when most of your followers are online, and plan your posts around those times.
Use the same filter on your photos to ensure your feed looks cohesive.
Ask a question in your photo caption to generate engagement (comments) from your audience.
Join us on Facebook, July 31, for an exciting Facebook Live event with Uniform Headquarters.
Shop their website here: https://www.shopuhq.com/
Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uniformheadquarters/
Follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Uniform-Headquarters-1249811361718143