Month: May 2007

Stew Speaks: Point of Purchase Displays

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

Editorial Comments: Stew Gershbaum is one of Specialty Store Services outside sales reps. In this entry he is discussing Point of Purchase, also known as P.O.P displays.

Our background in POP displays goes back many years when one of the founders of our company (Mal Finke) was a pioneer in retailing with one of the first big-box style discount chains in the midwest. The innovative merchandising style he created in the late 50s in these stores were a real trend setter.

We have a wide variety of merchandising systems or P.O.P displays that are truly beneficial to our clients as very often they can be created from in-stock components. The custom portion of the display really comes from the artwork! Large colorful dome signage, vertical signs, informative shelf talkers are all what drives the consumer to the merchandise. And that is what the STAR of the fixture is.

I think sometime people get caught up in over-designing a fixture and overwhelming the product. When you analyze the product lines and merchandising, I’ll think you’ll agree an awful lot of time and money is spent on incredible packaging.

Effective graphics and signage will draw the consumer to the fixture but the packaging is the clincher. Our modular wire displays can be outfitted with a tremendous assortment of retail store shelving and/or peg hooks to merchandise any products our clients wish to showcase. Most can be outfitted with h/d locking casters so the fixture location can change periodically in the store. I believe stores need to change fixture locations often to keep the consumer interested.

Getting back to POP Displays. We recently rolled out a new exciting process that allows us to PRINT full color graphics on 4′ X 8′ slat wall, Masonite. plywood,etc. This is actually a printing process not a label that sticks. It creates the most vibrant colors imaginable.

We’re currently working with two major suppliers in the adult industry to create an 8′ X 8′ area in stores using this process on slat wall to display their products. If you’d like to see a sample of this process I can send you some. Our Perf-fect perforated metal display system lends itself to exciting high-tech POP displays. Decor panels, 8 varieties of shelves, etc in a heavy duty modular platform that allows us to use magnetic base shelf talkers and signage is beginning to take off in the adult industry.

To summarize I feel that fixtures don’t have to be elaborate. The fixture should be simple and basic. The excitement comes from the signage and graphics and of course the product. The consumer will be drawn to the display. Its our job to be sure he has easy access to the merchandise in a clean and safe environment.

How to “Turn Passion Into Profit”

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com


One of the local giants in the video retail business in the Chicago area, John Sarantakis, President of People’s Choice Video Express, has written a great article in the Video Business Magazine. It is about how video retailers can stay competitive in today’s market. Click here for the link.

In the article he refers to the IDEA Chicago which is a local chapter of the iDEA Group:

“The iDEA vision is to place independent retailers in control of our own destiny. The iDEA is going to empower the independent sector of our industry to grow our businesses through networking, communication, education, and business tools.”

Click here for link for that trade group’s website and where you can find out more information on their nationwide and local events..

A few weeks ago there had been an iDEA event at People’s Choice Video Express where more than 80 independent video store retailers, including Specialty Store Services came to swap success stories and talk to vendors and suppliers. The above picture is our outside sales staff from left to right: Q, Stew, Hope and Lee.

New “Sexy” Mannequins

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

As I just finished that last post I reminded myself that we have a new line of “Sexy” mannequins. The are very real looking(to say the least). They are more full figured and have a more realistic shape (more curves) than the stereotypical “model” shape of most mannequins. They are perfect for swimwear and lingerie. We have a brochure featuring this new line of mannequins so please call us if you would like more information or you can visit our website. Click here to see more of our new mannequins.

Retail Merchandising 101

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

We have a new showroom here at Specialty Stores. The other day I went in to it and took a look around. There is gleaming bamboo floors, a wall color that was pleasing to the eye and a series of suspended black grid panels that hang above the showroom floor and give the space a modern appearance. We have some displays out on the floor and shelving on the walls. The problem is there is nothing displayed on them. There was even a female mannequin hiding naked behind a slatwall display.

The room had very little in terms of styling: it was empty, a blank slate. I could imagine a new store owner in the same situation: what do you do to make your product look nice and attractive to the customer? I imagined myself as a customer coming in though the front door of the showroom, was I impressed? To be honest I was not. The sales floor was crowded, there was nothing that attracted my eye(except the naked mannequin) and on top of it all there was no product on the displays or shelves as I had said before. So to start I rearranged the what was on display, clearing path so that the first thing the customer sees when the enter the showroom is our great looking maple showcase display. I raided the photo studio for clothes to hang on the clothing racks and I put a dress on the mannequin and moved it to where it could be seen by customers. And do you know what happened? The mannequin sold two days later and customer asked what was different in the showroom. And this is just the start and I will keep you updated on my progress.

As retailers you have to be always conscious of what your customer sees when they enter your business: what kind of impression do you want to make? What is the “item” you want to promote and sell? The top retailers spend thousands of dollars on designers to make their stores work and by that I mean sell. As an independent business owners we do not have the money to hire fancy designers, but as long as we keep our attention on the customer experience, we can be just as successful. A store is not just a random conglomeration of merchandise; a store is a sensual experience and by that I mean pleasing to the senses. Use color, such as retail signage, to attract the eye, use risers to create interesting displays, and most important keep your business clean and neat.

Specialty Store Services has thousands of items to help you make your stores work for you. Our phone reps can suggest new merchandising ideas for you new or existing project.

We have just had a nice write-up in an industry magazine

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

A couple of weeks ago an associate editor from AVN Novelty Business, Nate Johnson, contacted me about an article he was working on for the magazine. He wanted some background information about Specialty Store Services. After several e-mail exchanges and a phone call or two I finally got him all the info he needed. The title of the article is “Bringing Special Back: Putting the Service in Specialty Store Services.” It is a well-written article about the company’s history, product line and a little taste of what is to come in the future. One of the best lines in the article is “Several things will always remain consistent: top quality products, low prices and great service.” These three ideas are something that is in the DNA of this company, but it is nice to see it in print once in a while!
Attention: due to the content of the AVN magazine, the following link is not appropriate for people who are offended by things of a sexual nature:

One thing he did not include in the article was a picture I had sent of one of our salesmen, Stew Gershbaum. For the sake of posterity I am including it in this post.

Patents

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

I was doing some searching online the other day and found that our company presidents have several patents in teier names. There is a patent for the CD and DVD Security labels. We call them “donut” labels. There is another patent, United States Patent 5277308 or the “Transparent display case with resilient long-life hinge.”
You can go to this site to see the actual patents at www.freepatentsonline.com. They look more official on other site.

Store Security – What Retailers Should Know

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

Every 4 seconds some kind of theft occurs. Theft is a problem that directly affects the retail storeowners’ bottom line and sense of security. Imagine in the time it takes to write this sentence, 3 thefts have occurred in the United States. That is why it is more important than ever that business owners protect themselves and their property with safe, non-lethal protection.

 

When a storeowner is thinking about securing their place of business they have to be aware of the different types of danger facing them. They face threats from the inside: from employee theft of merchandise and stolen cash from the register. They face threats from the outside: break-ins, robberies, shoplifting. Each one of these threats requires a different kind of protection.

Imagine a storeowner or manager, alone, busy at work in the back room counting stock and a person enters though the front door. It could be just a customer, but it could also be someone with bad intentions. A simple and inexpensive way not to be caught off guard is to install wireless door entry alert. There are a variety of models; a magnetic, passive infrared, light sensing, motion activated, but they all to the same thing: they let you know when someone enters your store or business with an adjustable chime tone. Door chime alerts are also great for letting you know when a customer enters your store or business so you or your employees can be ready to assist them.

Having excess, unsecured currency in the cash register in your place of business is a recipe for disaster. That is why a cash drop box is a necessity for anyone dealing with any amount of money on a day-to-day basis. It is not just a hold ups that are a danger, but large amounts of unsecured cash is a temptation to any clerk or stock person. The best solution for both these situations it to get the excess monies under lock and key and away from temptation and view. Cash drop boxes come in a variety of sizes and can be bolted to floors or counters.

Imagine a storeowner is robbed, but there are no witnesses or imagine thousands of dollars in merchandise suddenly “disappears” what are they going to do? It they had a DVR based video security system they would have proof of the crime to take all the way to the courthouse. Digital video recorders are now eclipsing VHS tapes as the optimum way to record thousands of hours of activity. The best thing about DVRs is that there are no VHS tapes to worry about. Storeowners should install a multi-camera system all around their stores: at the cash register, front and back door, and wherever they need to watch what is going on. Instead of tapes the DVR records directly to a hard drive which can be swapped out and stored for future viewing.

 

Store security is more important than ever, that is why storeowners need to take steps to secure their places of business and their hard earned profits. Solutions range from inexpensive door chime alerts to high-end multi-camera DVR based video security systems. No matter what the threat, either from employee theft or robbery, a store owners best strategy is having a great defense by using door chime alerts, cash drop boxes, and DVR-based video surveillance systems.

New (sort of) Security Catalog

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

We are putting the finishing touches on a small security/cash handling catalog. It will feature our customer favorites in those categories. I think the benefit of a smaller catalog is that in a bigger catalog sometimes it is easy to overlook categories, especially in our media/video retailing catalog. We have a great line up of security and cash handling products that can help business and others protect themselves and their investments. Items such as currency counters, video security systems, safes, cash drops, security mirrors and door chimes. Don’t look for it in your mailbox, this catalog will be sent to our customers as a box-stuffer with every order we send out.

There always is a discussion around here about the impact of box-stuffers. I know when I get my credit card bills there are always “extra” items in there selling stuff like ceramic figurines to term life insurance. I guess it works or they would not do it, right?

One new item that is not making it into this security/cash handling catalog is a complete Point of Sale (P.O.S.) system. It is pretty sweet in that all you have to do is plug it in and start using it. Most times systems like this are not sold together; where the hardware and software are sold separately. The best thing about the system is that it electronically keeps tabs on all your inventory and sales.

Interesting

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

I imagine that I will title a lot of blog entries ‘Interesting’, but one of my co-workers gave me an article out of a magazine called “EdDealer.” The article is called “21 tips for a better store experience” by a guy named Doug Fleener.

The 21st tip is “Smile!” and on the surface it seems silly, like a throw away feel good kind of a thing, but if you think about it, it really makes sense. I mean, how many times have you gone into a store and behind the counter was a grim-faced teen greeting you with a scowl? One time my wife and I went to the movie and they had a place to buy ice cream. My wife wanted a milk shake so we went to the counter and asked for one. The 2 girls behind the counter were talking and looking at their cell phones (I think cell phone should be banned from the place of business, but that is for another discussion).

The FMI Show Was in Town

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

The FMI show was in town over the weeked, May 5-9th. It is a huge trade show, mostly aimed at grocery and food specialty stores. It is necessary to go hungry because everyone is handing out FREE samples of food. I stayed away from all the snack foods and cakes due to the fact that my wife and I have been on the South Beach Diet for the last month(I lost 10 pounds), but I made up for it by eating more than my weight in cheese. I did try some aloe vera juice which was good. Apart from the food there were all the newest models of grocery carts and anti-bacterial wipes for carts. I knew 2 people who say they got seriously ill from touching grocery cart push rails. So if you have carts, get the wipes, because I think your customers would really appreciate them.

A few of us went to the show to look for interesting new products for the catalog and website. We found some great new stuff, but I have to keep it under wraps until we finalize the deals. You’ll probably see them in our Fall 2007 Specialty Store Services catalogs. Trade shows and suggestions from our customers is how we keep bringing our customers the best and newest items from around the world.

I would also like to thank Aruba Networks for my $50.00 Amex gift card. They were doing a promotion at the show to get people into thier booth. I walked by and a woman asked me if i’d like to win a trip to Aruba. I didn’t win the trip or the $5000.00 gift card, but $50.00 is a nice dinner.