Author: ericw@specialtystoreservices.com

Mother’s Day Sale Signage

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The day honoring Mom is coming. The woman who tucked us in at night, kissed our owies, grounded us just because she didn’t like how the dog looked after he was shaved and colored in with marker. She may not have an artistic bone in her body, but she’s Mom. And people are going to be crawling out of the woodwork to purchase her yearly “Thanks for not strangling me when I was a mouthy teenager” gift. You’ve probably got all your sale ideas in place but make sure people know that you’re even having a sale.
A beautiful sign in your window will draw attention, remind people that Mom’s day is coming and get them in the store to take advantage of your fantastic sale. Your Mother’s Day Sale sign will be shipped out the day after you order so it will be hanging in your window in no time. You can see our sale sign above and, as you can see, I wasn’t lying when I said it was beautiful.
Have a great sale! And give Mom a hug for me.

Custom Labels = Customized Anything

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Would you like customized bags, cups or packages to send home with your customers but do not want to spend big bucks? Then custom labels are the way to go! You can have custom labels printed for mere pennies. Pennies, I tell you!
“I put stickers with my company logo on all styro cups in the cafe – works great and is a very economical way to have customized cups!”. Those are words right out of the mouth of a business owner who was quite pleased with a 2″ circle custom label. In addition to the circle labels we also offer rectangle, square, oval and triangle shaped labels to suit your needs exactly. The custom labels are available in a variety of label colors, ink colors, shapes and sizes so your options are nearly limitless.
Looking for a little more flash? Check out gold foil custom labels or silver foil custom labels. These labels look fantastic with the contrasting black ink and are especially effective with a logo. Send us a high-resolution image of your logo to print on the label or, for a small fee, we will create a professional custom logo for you.
Here is something you don’t see every day: 8 1/2″W x 5 1/2″L custom labels! These beauties really dress up paper shopping bags and plastic shopping bags. See the label above and notice how it really draws attention to the bag and then imagine your customers walking down the street with these custom labels on your bags. They will advertise your store for you! Nice. These labels are white and can be printed in full color. Design your labels with your logo or a photo, store information, advertising message…it’s your custom label so go nuts.
So, think outside the bags…or box or cup. And never underestimate the big power of a little label.

Retail In-Store Event Ideas

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So, everyone with cabin fever is looking for something interesting to do. Why not hold an in-store event? They will have something to do and you will have potential customers walking through your door. It’s a win-win! Now, let’s start tossing around some ideas.
Invite people in. How about an open house or after-hours event? Provide some beverages and little snacks and invite folks to take a look around. Put on a fashion show if you own a clothing or jewelry store. Give a demonstration or presentation about services you offer or merchandise you sell. If you’d like to liven things up a little, recruit a musician or two from the local college or music school to provide some entertainment or background music. You could have a door prize raffle, the prize being an item from your store or gift certificate for a service you offer. When participants fill out the raffle ticket, ask for email addresses so you can inform them about upcoming events and promotions.
Play nice with others. Contact a local non-competing business and create a reciprocal program. If you own a clothing store you can put a coupon to the local dry cleaner in your customers’ bags and the dry cleaner can return the favor by providing a coupon for your store. If you own a pet supply store you can work in cahoots with a hotdog stand. (Ha!) Although working with a business in the same sphere would be ideal, the businesses do not necessarily have to complement each other. Everybody has a wide variety of needs so a hardware store could very well work out a program with a restaurant, for example. You can easily print up coupons on your printer but remember to keep the font and text simple. Be sure to specify any restrictions, such as expiration date and maximum discount amount. Make sure the coupons make it into the customers’ bags and are not just sitting on the counter; otherwise people may not see them.
Spread the love. People like to get a good deal and they like to feel good about themselves. Helping others makes us all feel good and there are plenty of organizations that can use help. For instance, a local animal shelter will certainly need food, towels, kitty litter, bleach, toys and other items. You can let the shelter know you’d like to help, ask them what they need and work your promotion around that. Ask people to bring items for the shelter to your business and in exchange they will receive a coupon for a certain percentage off their purchase or a free little give-away item. When promoting this event, state the benefiting organization, the date(s), items needed and what people will receive in return (a discount on their purchase and a smile in their heart!). Ask the shelter to post information about this event on their website and to spread the word to their volunteers. This is also an excellent idea to benefit food pantries, veteran’s services, homeless shelters and battered women’s shelters. Not only will you get people in your door, you will also be creating a sense of good will and caring in the community that people will remember and appreciate.
Get the word out. Start publicising your event weeks in advance if possible. People will not show up to your event if you do not tell them about it so send out your emails, print up those flyers, put up your signs and, if it’s a charitable event, your local newspaper will likely put the event info in their calendar of events for free. Post the info on your sidewalk sign a few days in advance and especially on the day of the event.
Please let me know about any events that you have and how it went. Good luck and have fun!

Lighted Showcases – Shedding Some Light on Your Merchandise

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So, you have got some lovely merchandise that you’d like to highlight but are leery about having it be too approachable. What to do, what to do? Display it in a locked and lighted showcase, of course.
A showcase that I find to be elegant yet functional is the Rectangular Lighted Tower Showcase which includes a bottom mirror deck shelf. This Tower Showcase comes with three adjustable tempered glass shelves and frameless locking doors so your merchandise will be safe. This display case allows a 360-degree view of your jewelry, collectables and any other small, valuable items you would like to display. The double halogen spotlights in the top canopy and the six adjustable halogen mini-spots on the sides ensure that your merchandise will be displayed to full advantage. This 39.5”W x 13.75”D x 78”H showcase includes a 20” high locking cabinet on the bottom to keep your overstock safe and tucked out of sight. Look at the photo above to see how brilliantly this showcase not only displays the shop owner’s merchandise but how strikingly it complements her decor. If you like this cabinet but the size isn’t quite what you are looking for then you may want to explore the Rectangular Lighted Tower Showcase with more glass display space or the Square Lighted Showcase Tower if your display area is limited. All these display cases ship fully assembled so you will not have to monkey around with tools.
Another very pretty lighted cabinet is the elegant Hexagonal Glass Countertop Showcase. This darling showcase has strong, black aluminum framing with tempered glass so it is sturdy but will look lovely while displaying your merchandise with elegance and style. It also includes six 20-watt halogen lights and three tempered glass shelves. At 35”H x 16”D x 18.5”W, the display case is roomy but won’t take up very much valuable counter space.
If you already have showcases that your are happy with but are wistfully thinking “Gosh, if only my showcases had LED lighting”, be wistful no longer. Cool White LED Strip Lights are available in 11.8” lengths and can be connected end-to-end to meet your lighting needs. These lights are super easy to install with the included mounting clips, do not build up excess heat and have a life span of 8 to 10 years of continuous use. Team up the LED Strip Light with the LED Strip Light Controller and LED Strip Light Lead and you are all set to light up your current showcases beautifully!

LED Signage

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A light can be a beacon in a window. Light gets our attention and draws the eye. So it makes sense to have lighted signage to get your customers’ attention, no? When choosing your lighted signage, you will want to take LED signs into consideration. LED lights are fantastic! They are long lasting, inexpensive to operate, super bright, safer and sturdier than neon lights and they don’t get hot so you can leave them on 24/7 if you want to.
The Multi-Color LED Single Line Message Display and Multi-Color LED Double Line Message Display are very effective in getting your message across. Just program your message with the handheld remote keyboard to let people know what you’ve got going on in your store. This display boasts yellow/gold, red and green lights that can be meshed into a multi-color rainbow message. These message displays have 25 display options, 8 available fonts, multi-motion speeds, and can display international characters as well as time, date and temperature. And the display is password protected so no jokesters can mess with your message! This sign can also help you save on marketing expenses, too, because you can just change your message at will rather than having to make up a new sign every time your specials or sales change.
If you are not currently in the market for a Message Display then you may want to consider some appealing non-moving LED signs. An attractive, brilliantly lit LED “Open” sign will let customers know when they can pop into your store. If they stop by when you are closed, just inform them of the hours with this lighted LED “Open” sign with static cling numbers so you can post your hours of operation. One of its notable features is that the hours will stay lit even when the open sign is turned off!
Have an ATM? Let everyone know with a nifty LED “ATM” sign. Own a pet supply store? A cute LED “Open” sign in the shape of a bone will be sure to generate some smiles and sales. There are so many LED signs to choose from! Check them out and see which ones will work for your business.

Jewelry Displays Get Creative

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Velvet and leatherette jewelry displays are lovely and classic. I love nothing more than to see a sparkly little creation nestled on a black velvet display, unless it is nestled on my own black sweater. As pretty as the classic displays are, it is nice to shake things up sometimes and think outside the (jewelry) box.

 

I came across an article that featured an incredibly creative jewelry display at Paper Moon in Reno, NV. It never occurred to me to use a jersey form as a jewelry display but there you are. See how they used jewelry U-pins to attach the pendants across the torso in a pattern that flows and draws your eye across and down? Notice that smaller pendants and earrings are placed at the neck, where the space is smaller and they won’t get lost in the midst of larger pieces. I also like how the designer created a belt-like break between the “shirt” and the “skirt”. And, oh, that skirt! I am completely smitten with that “skirt” which is created with individual chains in graduated sizes. So clever!

The reason this display works is because, although it is showcasing many items, it isn’t busy. The lines are more or less symmetrical and organized so you can see all the pieces in order, rather than searching through a jumble. This display apparently took some time and effort to create but it does what is supposed to: draw the eye, display the product effectively and make people say “wow”. If you are short on time you can still display your jewelry in an attractive and eye-catching manner.


The designer at Craftland in Providence, RI, came up with a simple yet striking display. I love the way the green and hot pink contrast but really work together. This display is as easy as placing colored paper underneath glass plates and arranging the jewelry in a neat and orderly fashion. Add some simple tabletop displays and, voila! You’ve got something special. Think about what other colors contrast yet complement and try to work them into your next display. Just remember not to use more than two, maybe three colors at a time because you don’t want the jewelry itself to fight for attention with the display.

Channel your inner designer and have some fun!

Pop-Up Shops

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We’ve all passed by empty storefronts or offices, wondering what business will be opening up next. With the economy in its current state many people are hesitant to start a new venture or expand their current business, which leaves these stores empty and landlords eager for some sort of income. Enter Pop-up Shops.
As defined on Wikipedia, a “pop-up retail space is a venue that is temporary — the space could be a sample sale one day and host a private cocktail party the next evening. The trend involves “popping-up” one day, then disappearing anywhere from one day to several weeks later. These stores, while small and temporary, can build up interest by consumer exposure. Pop-up retail allows a company to create a unique environment that engages their customers, as well as generates a feeling of relevance and interactivity. They are often used by marketers for seasonal items such as Halloween costumes, holiday gifts and Christmas trees, or fireworks.” Pop-up shops can also be used as an opportunity to test a brand or market without committing to opening a permanent shop. Department stores are known to open pop-up shops to generate buzz about designers or to focus on several new items each week. Some online stores will also open up these temporary stores to unload overstock. Many landlords are now willing to negotiate short term leases in an effort to generate some revenue so obtaining a temporary space is easier than ever. Sound good to you? If you think that you might want to test out a market or idea let’s think about what you’ll need to open up a pop-up shop.
First of all, you’ll need displays and fixtures that are quick and easy to set up and knock down. Slatgrid and grid panels answer that need. Grid panels can be assembled into multiple configurations to meet your display requirements and can also be easily attached to walls with wall brackets for a more (semi)permanent display. Attach peg hooks, shelves, hang rails, faceouts, waterfalls and/or baskets and you’ve got everything you need to display a wide variety of different items. Install some casters and you can scoot the displays all around the store to change the floorplan. Keep in mind that slatwall accessories also work on slatgrid so if you’ve already got slatwall, you’re all set. Grid panels can also be purchased preconfigured in various ways such as quads, H displays or simple impulse displays if you don’t want to bother coming up with your own arrangement.
If you are looking for quick and easy garment racks then the heavy duty folding rack and professional Z rack may be just the ticket. The heavy duty folding rack is available in single and double rail and the casters also make it easy to rearrange the floorplan. The folding Z rack also sturdy and mobile and has the option to add another rail as well as a bottom shelf for more display space. Single rail garment racks are a good idea if you don’t plan on rearranging the floorplan during your stay in the store. Don’t forget your sturdy folding hand trucks to help you move merchandise in and out of the shop.
Well, we’ve touched on items you’ll need to display your merchandise but before you get going, don’t forget to publicize your pop-up shop! Send out an email blast on Constant Contact, post on FaceBook and tweet away on Twitter. If you want to print out invitations or advertisements, remember to keep the color scheme and font simple (think Arial or Times New Roman) and wording to a minimum. Don’t forget to order a banner for your pop-up shop so people know that you’ve come to visit for a while. Good luck and let me know if you’ve decided to “pop up” anywhere!

Spruce Up Your Retail Store

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Okay, so we’ve got the window displays popping and the staff smiling, ready to welcome the swarm of warm weather customers coming your way. But now let’s deal with the aftermath of the cold weather customers. I’m afraid that I have to mention something that strikes fear (or at least dismay) into the hearts of most folks: spring cleaning. Yes, it’s a dirty job but someone’s gotta do it. We’ve already covered cleaning to a lesser extent in “What Is Your Store Saying?” but it’s time to get down with the dirt.
Here is an interesting tidbit for you: spring cleaning is a phrase from the days when people used coal to heat their homes and oil lamps to light it up. After a season of closed windows, the walls and pretty much everything else were covered in soot and general ickiness so a good cleaning was needed once warmer weather arrived and the windows could remain open to let out the stale air and let in the fresh. Although we don’t use coal for heating any more, rooms get stuffy and dusty from being closed up during cold weather. Also, spring cleaning is a great way to give a little face lift to your store without investing in new flooring or a paint job!
Subjecting your floor to wet, muddy boots for months at a time can really take a toll on your flooring and give it a shabby look. You might want to invest in a good floor cleaner so you can clean and freshen up your floor a few times a year. Rather than buying a separate shampooer and a buffer, some machines can deep clean carpeting, scrub hard floors, and buff and clean hardwood, ceramic and marble. Neat, huh? If you only have carpeting then it’s a good idea to invest in a steam cleaner; those things can work wonders. This steam-vac carpet cleaner does not require faucet hook-up, just fill the tank with hot water and pre-measured detergent. Super easy! Of course you’ll also want to keep a vacuum and/or sweeper on hand for daily clean ups. Wait till you see how terrific the freshly cleaned floor looks after you’ve gotten used to seeing it all dingy and winterish, especially when the sunlight streams in through your clean windows.

Come on, let’s clean those windows inside and out to let that sunshine in! It is amazing how much better a bright, sunny room can look. You do not have to freshly repaint the entire store to make it look sparkling new. I have three words for you: clean, clean, clean! Yes, it’s actually one word but one word that will make a huge difference in the appearance of any store. When we see the same areas day after day, little scuffs and patches of dirt just become part of the scenery that we don’t notice…but your customers will! So, scrub-a-dub! Don’t forget to dust the tops of door frames, shelves, fixtures, pictures and moldings first; dusting last will just get dust all over everything you just cleaned. Add a gentle yet effective cleaner (we don’t want to scrub the paint off the walls) to your bucket of warm water and attack those walls, fixtures, shelves and counters with a sponge or lint-free cloth. We’re giving this store a once-over to make it ready for the busy upcoming season so let’s put our backs into it and move furniture, fixtures, racks and shelving rather than cleaning around them. Wait until you see the difference a good cleaning can make!

Okay, the inside it ready to go. What about the outside? You’ve cleaned the outside of your windows and doors so that’s covered but what about your sidewalk and parking area? Make sure you pick up any trash, glass and dead leaves lurking around and sweep that sidewalk. The outside of your store should be a reflection of what folks will find on the inside so make sure it’s clean and inviting so that people will even want to walk through your door.

Now, if you’ve incorporated everything from the last several blogs you should have colorful, eye-catching signage, organized shelves and racks, attention-grabbing window displays and a sparkling clean store. Bring on the shoppers!

Peevish Customer Service

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Pet peeves. We’ve all got them. Cars that swerve into our lane without the courtesy of a turn signal. When people say “I could care less” instead of the correct “I couldn’t care less” (and don’t even get me started on “irregardless”). Store clerks who are more interested in talking to co-workers about their personal lives than helping the customers. Hmmm. Let’s expound on the latter peeve, shall we?

Let’s be honest. There is a lot of competition out there so it’s important to put our best foot forward at all times. What do we do to attract and keep customers? We stock our stores with merchandise that people want and price that merchandise competitively. We try to make our place of business appealing to customers by keeping it clean and organized. We hire staff who are courteous, friendly, honest and, if not knowledgeable right off the bat, at least eager to learn. Let me tell you, the experience customers have with the staff can be the difference between “This place was nice and I’ll come here again” and “I am going to tell everyone I know just how rude the help is at this place!” Here is an important fact: people are much more likely to talk about a negative experience they’ve had than a positive one.

So what can business owners and their employees do to ensure customers have a pleasant experience, as far as customer service goes? First off, smile. A smile can go a long way. I recall times when I’ve stopped into a store worn out, cranky and longing for home, and a cashier with a warm, sincere smile and sincere “How are you doing today?” honestly gave me a little pick-me-up. Also, people like to be acknowledged. When someone walks into a store, being greeted with eye contact, a smile and “Hello! What can I help you find today?” is very pleasant. We like to know that there is someone available to help us when and if we need the help buuuuuuut…we don’t want to be stalked while walking around the store. Regarding eye contact; people are less likely to shoplift if the staff makes eye contact with them because direct eye contact is a distinct indication of the staff’s attention. It’s true. I wouldn’t lie to you.

Another thing that is important is tone of voice. Studies have proven that the tone in which something is said is more important than the actual words spoken. Think about that. You can hear in a person’s tone of voice if they are angry, happy, sarcastic, combative, etc. Smile when you answer the phone. The person on the other end will be able to hear it and will respond to it. One thing your customers do not want to hear is chatter about an employee’s lying spouse or financial trouble, how much a coworker is disliked, how drunk someone was at a party and any other number of topics that are not appropriate for discussion while helping customers.

The focus of the employees should be on the customers. Period. Those customers are the reason we are in business and that is something owners and employees need to remember at all times. No one wants to be rung up, basically ignored by the cashier until he or she barks out the total and then barely receive a “thank you” because said cashier is too busy gossiping or talking on the phone to provide quality service. Save the talk about personal and operational issues for home or the break room. And I say that with a smile.

Retail Window Display Ideas That Pop!

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It’s just around the corner! Spring! Sunshine. Flowers. Rainbows and rain showers. People coming out of their winter hibernation, stretching, yawning and ready for something new. Hooray for spring! Now that people are venturing out of their lairs more often, how about we spruce up your retail window displays to attract them into your store? Let’s go over some simple ways to dress up your windows.
~ Hang some colorful bouncy balls from the ceiling with fishing line and ceiling clips at different levels. Beach balls are a great option for summertime windows and large ornaments or snowflakes would look fantastic in winter windows. You can likely find the balls at a local dollar store. Or you can choose to hang colorful gift bags fluffed with tissue paper. These are inexpensive ways to bring color to your display and to draw the eyes of passersby. Not only will the display pop, but it will convey a sense of fun to your customers.

~ String a clean new clothesline across your window and hang some of your new items on the line with clothespins, or use fishing line to hang them if they are too bulky for the pins. Hang some colorful signage that says “Fresh from the Line” so people will know you’ve gotten in new product. Remember to keep your signs simple and legible because people need to read them in the 3 seconds it takes to pass by. Make the window bright enough and they just may slow down to take a longer look!

~ “Plant” some items in colorful flowerpots. Attach a small item for sale to the top of a stake or heavy gauge wire and glue on some leaves cut from felt fabric. Visit any craft store or dollar store for the felt and for some foam bases that you can poke the stakes into. Put the foam into the flowerpot, poke in the stake and top it off with some Easter grass and you’ve got a cute, eye-catching prop for your window. If the foam doesn’t fit snugly in the flowerpot, you may need to glue it to the bottom of the pot so your “plant” doesn’t topple over. Make sure you don’t try to plant heavy merchandise or again with the toppling. Depending on your product, you may be able to plant your items directly in the flowerpot without the stake. Place a few of these pots sprouting your products in your windows and people stop to smell the flowers.

~ Place several boxes or cubes of different sizes in your window and cover them with one large unwrinkled cloth or expanse of fabric. You can pick up fabric fairly cheaply from the craft/sewing store or even a big box store with a sewing section. Smooth the cloth to emphasize the different heights and place your items on the covered boxes. Use a solid colored cloth (such as green to give the impression of grass) to make sure the merchandise you are displaying doesn’t get lost in a busy pattern. The varying heights of the boxes will create visual interest and keep the viewer’s eyes moving around the display. What other attention-grabbing, light-weight items can you scatter on the cloth in this display? Silk flowers? Pretty glass/acrylic globes? Decorative stones or pebbles? You want something to draw the eye and complement your merchandise but not steal the show.

One more thing: if you want to keep the same display up for any length of time, remember to move around or introduce new items every few days to keep the display fresh. Use your imagination and play around with these ideas and I bet you’ll have fun! Feel free to send me some pics of your fun and fresh retail window displays!