Cha-ching! (10-6)

Here's a good idea from the great folks at Town and Country Gardens: Host a Yard Sale.

Each year, at the close of summer, the two-store garden retailer in Idaho Falls, Idaho, invites customers to its yard to help them find great items -- and great bargains on great items -- for their yards.

The three-day event features discounts from 40% to 70% on a vast array of products, including overstocks, one-of-a kinds, discontinued merchandise, out-of-season items, and some things, as the stores' ad notes, "we're just plain tired of having around."

Said things include assorted seeds, trees, shrubs, perennials, pond pumps, pond plants, statuary, fountains, pottery, garden decor, and more. As with any rummage sale, the early birds get the worms; the section tends to dwindle as the hours/days pass.

While this idea isn't the stuff of a direct bonanza -- everything's discounted, so the margins aren't the best -- the intangible effect of hosting something that is marked by both anticipation and participation is generally good for the long-term branding of the store. And long-term branding almost always means long-term "Cha-ching!," which is some of the best kind.

Looking for a Cha-ching! you might have missed? Go to the search box and type Cha-ching! Items are listed by date.