Small handicrafts shop charges fee for “just looking”

The handicrafts shop Taitajapuoti Terttu charges a €5 entry fee. Customers have also paid the “just-looking” fee in the online shop.

When the owners of the Taitajapuoti Terttu handicrafts shop in Pieksämäki announced in the summer of 2024 that they would be closing their physical shop by the end of the year, customers were disappointed.

“People said: you’ve such a lovely shop, don’t close down, it’s so nice to visit it to feel and look,” says Satu Antikainen, one of the business owners.

The shop sells handmade products such as clothes, interior design and stationery from over 40 small Finnish producers.

“It’s great that people come and look, but we can’t keep the lights on from touching and looking alone. We have to get an income from somewhere,” Antikainen says.

The business owners Antikainen, Anna Pesonen and Elsa Pohjalainen decided that before they closed the doors, they wanted to come up with a radical idea that would draw people’s attention to brick-and-mortar retailers’ problems.

Antikainen says that a widespread problem that small shops and physical retailers face is that customers come into the shop to try on shoes and clothes and to get expert advice from the business owner. After that, they buy the products online for a little less.

“We haven’t experienced that exactly, because we’re a handicrafts shop, but in general we share the concern for brick-and-mortar businesses. In the worst case, the money doesn’t even go to a Finnish e-merchant – instead, it goes abroad,” Antikainen says.

Then the three had a radical idea: a “just-looking” fee.

“We thought that would be one way to get people’s attention and express our concern about the survival of physical retailers.”

Physical retail funeral

In January, the owners of the shop intend to pack up, but they are keeping the doors open for customers who pay the just-looking fee.

There are posters on the shop doors and windows informing that entry to the shop costs a €5 just-looking fee. In addition, the business owners have announced the fee on social media.

If a customer comes into the shop and finds something they want to buy, the €5 is deducted from their bill.

“And if the customer doesn’t find something they want to buy, they at least know about the ideology behind this fee – a campaign for physical retailers’ survival,” Antikainen says.

“They stand the small risk of losing €5, but they’re supporting a good cause.”

At the end of January, the Taitajapuoti Terttu will host a funeral not only for the shop but also for all small Finnish businesses that have closed down.

“The main idea is to make people aware of the dire straits brick-and-mortar retailers are in, not to get €5 of free money.”

Antikainen and her fellow business owners are worried that soon there will be no brick-and-mortar retailers left. With them, things like expert customer service will be lost.

“As a business owner, I think it feels quite small not to buy something in a physical shop because you can’t find the right product and size. Then people go and save €10 by buying online. Is that really such a big saving?” she asks.

Feelings aroused

Many visitors to Taitajapuoti Terttu in January were already aware of the just-looking fee, as it had been widely reported on. Visitors are told openly about the fee and welcomed in via the cash register.

“I have to say, quite a few people have come in, in spite of the fee.”

The just-looking fee has provoked extensive and passionate discussion on social media and in the comment sections in many media outlets. Antikainen says that a discussion is what the business owners were seeking. The amount of positive feedback surprised them.

“People have said that this is a great stunt for an important cause, and that we’re brave to take all the flak for it.”

The business owners did indeed expect the fee to cause a highly emotional conversation.

“This has really aroused people’s feelings.”

People have also told the business owners that a just-looking fee and blaming customers are not correct marketing strategies.

“This isn’t marketing; it’s a conversation starter,” Antikainen says.

People have suggested to the business owners that instead of charging an entry fee which can be offset against purchases, they should give customers €5 which they can use when they spend more than €30.

“Would that have made the news?” Antikainen asks.

Just-looking fee online too

Even though the physical Taitajapuoti Terttu shop is closing down, the online shop will keep operating. The business owners launched the online shop three years ago and the physical shop two years ago.

“Naturally, we thought about how this campaign would affect our online clients, even if we had nothing to lose in the physical shop.”

So far, the just-looking fee campaign and the ensuing social media storm has increased traffic to the Taitajapuoti Terttu online shop. The business owners decided to add fuel to the flames and came up with a just-looking fee for the online shop as well.

When a customer pays the just-looking fee, they get a small PDF file. Surprisingly, customers have also paid the just-looking fee online.

“We didn’t think it would be a success, but it’s sold there too. Some customers have shopped for products and added the just-looking fee to their shopping basket,” Antikainen says.

This finally convinced the business owners that at least some customers understand the purpose of the just-looking fee: to support physical retailers who face the pressure of global online retail giants.

What do the business owners themselves think about customers who are just looking?

“When customers come in and look, they are deciding whether to buy. I couldn’t buy a hat if I couldn’t try it on first,” Antikainen says.

She wants to thank people for starting a conversation about the just-looking fee.

“In particular, I also thank our customers, because without them the physical shop wouldn’t even be open now.”

The story was first reported by Pieksämäen Lehti.

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