Stuffed Monkeys Encourage Customers to Explore Store

The stuffed monkeys hanging around Fishers Do it Center have some serious business to do. They are all part of an activity designed to encourage children and their parents to explore every area of the salesfloor.

Kim Young, co-owner of the Fishers, Indiana, store, along with John Brass, the repair and rental manager who came up with the idea, have strategically placed 22 monkeys in various departments throughout the store. Each are labeled with the name of a staff member. The animals might be sitting on a shelf, clinging to the side of a display or hanging from a department sign. Children on the search for monkeys write down the names of every one they find. Those who find all 22 get a free bag of candy.

“This is a great activity to give kids something to do when they’re in the store, but it’s really just as much about the parents,” says Young.

Parents typically follow their children in their search for the monkeys, which means they may visit more departments than they normally would and see items they didn’t know the store carried. That’s part of the strategy, as Young has made sure there are monkeys hanging around in every corner of the store.

“It’s simple and fun, but it has been very popular so far,” says Young, who started the activity late last year. “For just the cost of a bag of candy, we can get people to spend an extra 15 minutes or so in the store and hopefully find some items they didn’t know we carried.”