Author: ericw@specialtystoreservices.com

Changable Message Signs are an Inexpensive Way to Advertise

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

I have been getting calls from all sorts of people asking if Specialty Store Services would like to advertise in their publications and ultimately the decision comes down to money. The only kind of advertising we like to do is low-cost advertising. With any print advertising you would do you are guaranteed not to have a good response with one ad run. The trick is exposure. That is why I am recommending Changeable Message Signs and Write On/Wipe Off Signs. Changeable Letter Messages Signs can be reused and they can keep on promoting your message day after day. With Write On/Wipe Off Signs your message can change everyday if you want. Outdoor Sidewalk Swinger Signs are perfect in getting your ads message across to passersby. And if your customers are speeding by in their cars then Roadside Signs are what you are looking for. These classic changeable letter signs are available in electric and non-electric version. Why stop there, why not turn your front windows into giant ads with our Reusable Static Cling Vinyl Window Lettering Kit. The Day-Glow letters are sure to grab anyone’s attention.

In these hard economic times it is more important now than ever before to spend your advertising dollers wisely. Let Specialty Store Services help find the right Retail Store Sign for you!

www.activeandable.com
www.pawschoice.com

Holiday Sales Promotion and Supplies Ideas

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com



Yes the Holidays are upon us, and it looks like the sales numbers are not that bad, in fact it appears that consumer spending is increasing according to some sources. Not time to lose since there are less than 15 shopping days left. Don’t send your customers home with a plain old ‘Thank You” bag, send them home with holiday cheer with the “Happy Holidays” printed T-Shirt Bag. Add some cheer to your storefront or windows with some Illuminated Holiday Window Decorations. I especially like the Lighted Snow Flakes. For those last minute shoppers who can’t make up their minds, preprinted and custom gift certificates are the perfect gift.

If you are looking for a great gift yourself check out www.activeandable.com for some gifts that people can actually use. One of my favorites is the Atomic Talking Watch. It speaks the time and you never have to set the time. How is that for convenience!

Check out The Sale section a www.SpeciatyStoreServices.com for some great last minute store supply bargins.

 

Holding In-Store Events to Drive Traffic to Your Store

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

I was talking to a customer, she owns a woman’s clothing store, the other day and I was asking her how she was holding up during the last half of this year, especially with all the bad news about retail stores and the decline in sales. She said she is actually having a great year. I asked her why? I figure that she must be massivly discounting prices on her merchandise. “No”, she said, “What I have been doing is holding events, such as fashion shows or wine tasting nights in my store to get people in the door.”

I have been thinking about the in-store special event and what a great idea it is. I even mention this customer’s success with my business partner and he said that he goes to special wine tastings a his local wine shop and almost always buys what he had tasted during that event. I think there are two things going on here: people like a free event, people are looking for something to do that does not require any extra money and people like to feel special and unique, they want to be “invited” to a special, exclusive event.

Try it, hold a special event at your store. Invite a local celebrity and see happens. Team up with a local liquor store and host a wine a cheese night and display your new merchandise. Who knows who will show up?

Visit http://www.specialtystoreservices.com/ and see how we can help you promote your special event. If you have an event we would love to hear how it went. Send pictures if you have them.

Giant Store Display and Supply Warehouse Sale

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

We are having our first warehouse sale here in Chicago. We are actually in Des Plaines which is located near O’Hare Airport. We need to make room in our warehouse for the 2009 products. We have all kinds of items at low prices and especially with the news the last couple of days, we all need to figure out how to save money.

But we, like retailers everywhere still need to generate sales and that always means spending money. Whether it is the new Specialty Store Services 2008 Winter catalog or a new impulse display or holiday sale signs for your front window, we need to spend money to nurture and create relationships with our customers.

The Warehouse sale is on the 10th and 11th of October from 10-4 both days.

UPDATE: 11/17/2008
The Warehouse Sale was a big success. Thank you to everyone who came. It was such a success we are planning another one in the coming year.

New 2008 Specialty Store Services Winter Catalog

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

Watch your mailbox for Specialty Store Services 2008 Holiday Catalog. This catalog is packed with everything you need for a successful holiday season. They have got the Gift Wrap, jewelry gift boxes, and so much more. Need an impulse display to show off your last minute gift ideas? Check out the Blowout Section on the Specialty Store Services website and get your self a real bargain on a 3 Tier Impulse Bin. 2″ Toy Capsules are now in stock. Stock up now for those extra profits. This years Specialty Store Services Retail catalog is bigger and better than ever. Don’t have a catalog? Call us at 1-800-999-0771 or click here to request a free catalog.

Whats Old Is New: Recycling Old Furniture for Displays

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

The other day I was in a local boutique and I noticed the interesting displays that this store had. When I looked closer I realized that these displays were old shelving units that someone might have had used at a store or an office. I commented on how much I liked the display and the store owner remarked about how much fun she had combing the local thrift shops for them. I was not only the furniture that made the display it was how they had them merchandised and propped. They used acrylic display risers and adjustable display easels to create an eye catching display. So next time you are short of money and need to create an new display for your store, visit your local antique or thrift shop.

If you are in the mood to see talking watches, go to www.activeandable.com to see their complete selection of these handy gizmos.

Keeping Your Small Business Success Secure

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

You’ve worked hard to build your business. Whether you run a convenience store, an administrative company, a boutique, a small shop or restaurant, you have put in countless hours – and invested a sizable amount of capital – to turn your vision into a reality. And that was just too be ready for your grand opening.

 

We all know that any successful business builds its reputation on service and quality, but that reputation spreads by word of mouth from satisfied customers. When your patrons feel secure with your goods and services, they will tell others and build your business. But nothing can shake your customer’s sense of security like a robbery, or violent crime committed on your premises.

 

Don’t let a crime damage your business, and destroy all of your hard work. Let’s walk through a possible crime step-by-step, and look at a number of possibilities you can consider to keep your business – and your dreams – safe and secure.

 

 

Entry Alerts

 

The first, best defense when it comes to keeping your business safe is an entry alert. If you are informed by a distinct, non-intrusive sound every time a customer enters your place of business, you eliminate any sense of surprise the criminal may have. You’ll immediately be able to size up any customer, in terms of their potential threat to your business. Does the person seem intoxicated? Does the person seem overly aggressive? Is the person wearing unusual clothing that could be hiding a weapon? All of these questions can help you keep your business safe if you have the opportunity to ask them within the first few minutes when a new customer enters your business. Even a Magnetic Wireless Door Chime is a simple, functional solution, that can alert you to a promising new customer, or a dangerous threat.

 

 

Security Cameras

 

Security cameras provide two primary functions: they record the activity in your store and allow you to identify criminals after the fact, but they may also provide a deterrent, keeping would-be robbers and burglars from committing the crime in the first place for fear of being identified by the cameras. There are a number of solutions you can look to for security cameras for your business. A Color Dome Camera can provide you with vivid images and state of the art security. While there are also a number of simulated cameras on the market that can provide you with the deterrence of a video monitoring system, without the expense.

 

 

Counterfeit Money Detectors

 

Once a customer has made his way into your store, and completed a transaction for a friendly purchase, it may seem as if this was a non-threatening exchange. Think again. Due to the general stability of the U.S. dollar, it is one of the most widely counterfeited currencies in the world. According to the United States Department of Treasury, there are approximately $70 million in circulation at any given time, which translates to $1 counterfeit dollar for every $12,500 in circulation. Even when there has been no struggle, no violence, and no indicationof a crime, you may still find you have been a victim of fraud and theft, but there are ways to fight back. One of the best Automatic Counterfeit Detectors and Bill Counters on the market allows you to tally your till, while also protecting you from being conned.

 

The Safest Safes

 

After you’ve had a great day at your business, busily serving your increasing number of customers, you turn out the lights, flip the “closed” sign, and head home for much-deserved quiet evening. However, no matter how many precautions you take to keep you business and customers safe during your working hours, you have to keep on protecting your assets even when no one is on hand. The best safe for any business is one with proven security as well a fireproof qualifications. This type of safe will allow even the most nervous entrepreneur to sleep at night, knowing they are protected against the worst of both human nature, and mother nature alike.

 

Food Services – A Delicious New Revenue Stream

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

You know the feeling. You’ve built your business and a great reputation, but it feels like you’ve peaked. Not only does this turn running your own shop, store or service into same-thing-every-day kind of drag, but it limits your profits. Raising prices is never popular with customers, but with the costs of gas – and all transported items – rising, all business owners are looking for new, creative ways to maximize the output of their stores, and shops.

One fun, easy, inexpensive way to add a new revenue stream to your business is through food services. By providing everything from a tasty snack to a real meal for your customers on-the-go, you can bolster the amount of purchases per customer. You can even give people craving your newly-available goodies a reason to stop by your store in the first place.

 

The easiest way to test out the food friendly possibilities that may exist at your business is to begin by offering light snacks. These snack solutions require little investment or maintenance on your part, but can bring in super-sized profits for your business.

 

 

Fill Up On Snacks

 

 

Once you have determined the demand for your new foodstuffs, there are any number of items you may be able to offer in order to satisfy your customer’s taste, curiosity, and appetites. Who doesn’t love a big, chewy, fresh-baked pretzel? This is the kind of item that nearly any business could offer to the delight of customer’s young and old. Just the smell alone will bring customers in to peruse your goods and enjoy a delicious treat. These easy to use, point of purchase food displays are a winning way to increase your per-customer sales, as well as enticing new customers to examine your wares. If pretzels aren’t to your customer’s taste, what about nacho chip merchandiser, or popcorn popper machine? There are a number of ways that these simple snack displays can become a booming part of your staple business. Mobile popcorn machine and cart can be very effective for antique dealers, flea market sales, or any kind of mobile artisan looking for that extra something that will draw customers in.

 

 

An Appetite For Profits

 

Perhaps you’ve already had some success offering food services at your business or you are interested in diving head first into adding food items as an integral part of your business plan, what is the next step? There are a number of ways that you can take food services to the next level at your business, creating a substantial revenue stream that may have customers stopping at your business for a meal in addition to becoming active buyers of your primary products and services. Offering hot dog lunches is a great way to attract new customers while also satisfying the cravings of lunch hour customers running errands during their midday work breaks. Hot dogs can also be a fantastic late night snack for convenience stores, catering to the late night bar crowd.

Pizza can be a luxurious alternative to snacks and hot dogs, creating a real-meal following among hungry customers looking for something more substantial for their food-hungry dollar. These low-maintenance types of displays allow your customers the luxury of a hot meal with minimal upkeep and maintenance on your part.

 

Your business needs to make a profit at every point. No matter what your product or service, don’t send a customer away hungry! Food services are a simple solution to customer satisfaction as well as growing your business in a new exciting way.

Jewelry Displays

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com


I went passed a great window display the other day. It was a display for jewelry that really showed how to use jewelry displays . They didn’t just have one kind of necklace display in the window, they had about 10-15 different necklaces shown on different sizes and shapes of necklace displays creating an attractive window display that stops traffic everytime. The final word is spice it up and making it different are the ingredients for a great display.