After finishing my 3rd yarn crawl ever, I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the process along with some personal insights, and more.
Back in 2021, the only crawls I had ever heard of were Pub crawls, and by the time I learned about those I was too old to be interested. When I learned that there was such a thing as a YARN crawl, I was intrigued! Three (3) years ago I embarked on my very 1st yarn crawl. As I look back at this most recent one (only my 3rd), I feel more clear-eyed and resolute than deliriously excited and have the clarity that comes when something is better known and understood.
First I want to say that the idea of a crawl is wonderful! It helps outlying and perhaps lesser-known shops get "on-the-map" for knitters, crocheters and other yarn enthusiasts. It gives people who shop yarn more options if they are on the hunt and most importantly, I believe that it gives local yarn shops that participate a cash flow boost. None of these are negatives and all, I suggest, are positive aspects of a yarn crawl.
While I can think of no negative aspects, I have come to look more critically at my own behavior, motivations and reactions during these events and am sharing from that perspective.
First realization: I fell for the hype!
A Sense of Urgency
If you've ever worked in SALES, you know about the concept of "creating a sense of urgency". This is the impulse behind "doorbuster sales" at big box stores, and it triggers our (consumer) sense of scarcity. Creating a sense of urgency in sales is implemented to drive shoppers to the stores in greater numbers.
According to one source, the following are key elements to creating that sense of urgency:
Offer Something People Want. A product or service must be one people actively seek out in order for urgency to be compelling.
Set a Deadline.
Create Scarcity.
Use the Right Words.
Offer a Bonus Incentive.
Write Powerful Subject Lines for Your Emails.
Use Numbers.
Use Warm Colors.
If we look at these through the lens of a yarn crawl, a couple don't necessarily apply, but let's look at them briefly.
Offering something people want
This a no-brainer. Yarn people LOVE yarn, hard stop.
Setting a deadline
This is the limited dates of the crawl. Now, I don't know a single shop owner who would want the crawl to go on much longer, but the hype around the limited time for the crawl aligns with this principle.
Creating scarcity
In my opinion, the "scarcity" is the limited opportunity to get the swag that accompanies the crawl. Every one of us likes getting something "free" and if it's yarn-themed, ever better!
Offer a Bonus Incentive
This shows up as the many prize baskets at the individual stores as well as the BIG PRIZE overall. We *all* want a chance to win one of those and excitedly fill out our tickets and choose the basket(s) we hope to win. AND,... while everyone gets ONE ticket for showing up with a passport, the "bonus incentive" to increase our odds of winning comes in the additional tickets we get for making a purchase.
For transparency, I won one of these baskets last year and was ECSTATIC!
Other factors
In terms of the other factors; using the right words (yarn and prize baskets works for me!), writing powerful subject lines for emails ("yarn crawl" suffices!) and using numbers or warm colors - these are less critical. Still, I see the fingerprints of sales strategy all over the yarn crawl promotions and deployment.
This is NOT a criticism. I am just interested in understanding the psychology of why we (people) do things and so for me - understanding the psychology that impacts me around something like a yarn crawl is fascinating.
Variety - the spice of (yarn) life
The next self-realization I had was that, for the most part, all these shops carry the same things. Sure, there are some variations here and there - but there is NOTHING at any of the distant (from me) yarn shops that I would not be able to find at my regular, local yarn shop (LYS). Furthermore, if I wanted or needed something that was not carried in my LYS, I can ask and the shop owner could either order it in for me, OR send me to that other local/regional store that carries it.
So while I absolutely enjoy seeing the different areas of this region as part of the yarn crawl, I have come to realize that I'm not discovering some new supply of yarn or notions. It was THIS realization, in combination with my tally of total dollars spent, that led to my next question: what if - instead of spreading this "joy" across multiple shops, I spent it at ONE shop? (my LYS).
Good question, and one that I believe will be pivotal for me in future yarn crawls. This then led me to ask myself what changes might inspire me CONTINUE to participate in future yarn crawls?
Before I answer that question, I do want to acknowledge that is is highly likely that the yarn crawl seeks to spread the purchasing habits of "generous yarn shoppers" across more shops, in addition to creating hype that will attract NEW yarn shoppers. Again - not a criticism of the crawl; in fact, I think it's a good idea! These ramblings are just my own self-reflection of realizations I have had, post-crawl, this year.
Other Value-Adds
I am trying to downsize many things in my life, including my yarn stash. To be perfectly honest, that's hard enough throughout the year. The YARN CRAWL just adds to the challenge.
Why? As I noted in an earlier post, I don't just get my passport stamped, collect the swag and leave. I make a purchase of some sort at every shop as a way to support each one. With MULTIPLE shops on the crawl, it's not feasible for me to buy large-scale project yarn batches at each stop, so I end up with 2 to 3 skeins at each location. Many of these are attractive to me due to their texture, color and I'll admit - toward the end of the crawl, PRICE! So I end up with small collections of yarn for which I have no intended project, and no pattern (yet).
All yarn enthusiasts joke about SHOPPING for yarn and actually crocheting/knitting being 2 very different hobbies. In fact, I heard this spoken on one of my stops along the crawl this year! BUT,... the truth of it all is that if I want to tame my yarn stash, I need to stop buying yarn that appeals to me but that I have no plans for. In my world, this means dialing back on my yarn crawling behaviors.
Am I suggesting that the yarn crawl is a BAD thing? No.
I applaud the stores that offer Yarn Crawl-themed KITS that make the purchasing decision easier for people who are trying desperately not to simply add to their ever-growing yarn stash.
I also feel that the event of a yarn crawl is a WONDERFUL way to attract NEW yarn enthusiasts to local/regional yarn shops. AND,... to highlight these shops to those who may never have looked for them before. Lastly, and something I have mentioned earlier: if this event helps boost the bottom line at some of the shops, even better! I support on-going yarn crawl activities for as long as it makes sense to the planners/shop owners to support.
At the end of this 2023 Yarn Crawl season, I am considering my own yarn crawl activities through a different lens. First off, it's in my own selfish interests to support the local yarn shop that's closest to my house. The money I spend each year on gas and yarn purchases on the crawl at multiple OTHER yarn shops would be most welcome - and likely impactful! - at my "home" LYS and would help support keeping the doors of that LYS open. Right now my plan is to take a couple years off from crawling and focus on my local shop; but if I know myself, I'll crawl again in the not-too-distant future - even if only to a few shops.
Ultimately, a yarn crawl should be something that BOOSTS the business at local yarn shops, raises awareness of different shop locations and encourages yarn enthusiasts to participate in yarn-themed activities. In that regard, the 2023 Steel Valley Yarn Crawl has been a wild success!!
In closing I want to again reiterate that we will all come away from our yarn crawl experience with a different perspective. I hope yours, like mine, is a positive one that is supportive of local yarn shops, knitting, crocheting and similar activities. Whether you plan to CRAWL again or not, I encourage you to regularly - as your time and budget dictate - support the local yarn shop(s) of your choosing so that they can enjoy the attention and love we show during crawls, all year long.
Happy crocheting/knitting!
(( Coming soon - a blog post on yarn-themed getaways! Here's one in Reno scheduled for this September - higher price point; here's one in Columbus, Ohio that was much more affordable. It's good to have options! ))
(C) 2023 Stitch 'n Dish
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