For more than 25 years, SpecialtyStoreServices.com has been helping independent retailers and small businesses meet all their retail supply needs. With a wide selection of retail fixtures, store showcases, gondola displays, mannequins and apparel racks, we are able to offer quality products at some of the lowest prices around.
Author: ericw@specialtystoreservices.com
Creating an Effective Accent Wall
An effective accent wall breaks up the continuity of the store and makes a dull boring wall into something special with pizzazz and presence. Creating an accent wall can be as easy as painting a wall a bright color that will accent the items that will be on display. With the right positioning the accent wall can become a destination within the store and draw more traffic through your store by also maximizing your sales per square foot. If the store is one accent wall is enough but a larger store with many walls or separate areas should be able to accommodate up to 3-4 accent walls.
It is always good to place the accent wall in the rear or on the left hand side of the store. The advantages of having it in the back of the store customers will have to walk the whole length of the store to get to the wall in turn giving them more to look at. The wall on the left hand side brings customers to areas that are less visited and with the bright color will draws attention instead of being a dead zone. Make sure that the wall is changed every season so that it keeps the customers interested in the products. By just adding a new color and items is all that is needed.Use seasonally appropriate colors. When the weather is hot use blues and greens to make it feel cooler and more refreshing. When the weather outside is cool use warn colors- reds, oranges, and yellows to give warmth to the store. Adding painted props or tables adds elements of interest and gives the wall more of a presence. Always adjust your lighting to showcase products and draw attention. Positioning pin lights or floodlights at 45 degrees will concentrate the focus instead of leaving them in a shadow.
When merchandising the accent wall make sure that space is left on the wall and it doesn’t look overstuffed so that the customer gets confused. Keep the merchandise clean with strong groupings, racked and stacked neatly and always use multiple levels to maximize the space without creating clutter.
At Specialty Store Services we have a variety of items that would help create the perfect accent wall. For example, we have a new floating box shelf display that gives dimension as well as height. Along with display risers and signage that will help complete the vision.
New Innovative Displays for Tee Shirts
Specialty Store Services knows how hard it is for a retail store to display t-shirts, which is why SSS has designed the Revolving T-shirt Display This display is made out of scratch resistant melamine and acrylic to give that refined finish look to any décor. This display is 4 sided that can hold up to 20 different designs. Each side has 5 acrylic fronts with the ability to hold a sample of the shirt folded with the design showing. This display is a self-service unit so customer can pull the size needed. This unit is available in 3 colors: Black, White and Cherry and measures 23 ½” W x 23 ½” D x 63” H. The unit also has casters for easy maneuvering throughout the store.
Specialty Store Services also has a new t-shirt frame display that will hang right on grid or slatwall. This unit will help create an organized wall of shirts without the clutter. Each t-shirt frame measures 12” x 12” and has an acrylic front to protect from dirt or to just keep the shirts flat.
When displaying t-shirts it is important to keep them folded neat and tidy which is why Specialty Store Services has 2 different folding boards. The Flip n Fold Folding Board utilizes a simple step system to fold uniformly in less than five seconds. The CompactFolding board allows quick, clean folds. “Shirts need to be neat and foldedto attract the consumer., Julie, Merchandiser at Specialty Store Services.
Are you taking advantage of slow days?
Can we really find the good in a slow day? I would have to say yes. While this cannot be ideal everyday, sometimes slow days bring a welcome moment of extra time for planning, inventory and cleaning. As retailers we want our business to be the best that it can, so why not use the time wisely and take that time to take actions to insure that it is.
If you have been in business for a while you will likely know what time of year, month or day will be slow. If this is not the case you can probably judge based on the demographic and consumer trends. For example, if you are open on a Sunday’s in a neighborhood full of families you may not get a lot of foot traffic because of children activities. A retailer may want to plan for some retail chores that have been put on the back burner. Here is a look at what retailers need to be doing, yet never seem to find the time for:
- General Cleaning– dusting, vacuuming, bathrooms, floors
- Inventory Management – reorganizing, tracking, management, replenishment, and placing orders
- Office Management – filing, billing, payments, banking
- Employee Management – scheduling, reviews, new hires, training
- Social Media – posting, tweeting, responding to others, blogging
- Website Management– product management, e-commerce support, updating copy, scheduling updates
- Product Reviews- learning about new products for your store, gaining information on competitive products.
- Competitive Analysis- learning about other like retailers, challenging yourself to do better.
- Profit Makers – researching and implementing new ways to bring revenue into your store.
As a retailer it is always a good idea to keep a list handy of things that need to be done but never have to time- just like a Honey Do list. Having a list will help keep you on task and get the most out of your free time. It may also be a great time to use your part- time employees to help fill the space in the store and have some action going on. But remember, the input from your part-time employees may not always be as intense as your own but there is always plenty for them to do. As most retailers know, there is always something to do in the store, so being bored or playing on Facebook isn’t the answer.
That’s a Wrap!
Gift wrapping attracts and keep customers coming back.
I have been in many situations where I needed a birthday gift for a party and it was starting in 15 minutes and I didn’t have the time to wrap a gift. In my neighborhood I have many stores that have complementary gift- wrapping, now I never have to think twice about where I go to get that extra special gift. I always go to the stores that have pre- wrapped or a gift-wrapping service for a purchased gift. I have a store for boy gifts, girl gifts and friends and hostess gifts all wrapped up with a bow!
Gift wrapping saves the customers time and gives the retailer a chance to reinforce their brand. It also positions products that are in high demand or expensive. Think of everything you sell as a gift to your customer. How you package a product to send it home is just as important as the product itself. A customer will notice if the sale is just thrown in a bag and they will appreciate when a sale has been wrapped in tissue, placed into a bag and tied with a ribbon. It doesn’t seem that difficult so why not give your customer that extra personal touch.
With the holiday season quickly approaching, gift-wrapping is a great way to help your customers in deciding on the perfect gift. Why not have pre-wrapped items dispersed around the store for the customer that is in a hurry? I am sure they would appreciate the convenience.
Points to consider when thinking about gift-wrapping in your store:
· Have a few strategically placed signs with the words, “Complimentary Gift Wrapping” displayed in your store or the If you have gift-wrapped boxes, they can be used as an integral part of your store’s displays.
· Include your logo on the packaging. Whether you order custom imprinted labels or making your own, showcasing your logo acts as an extra form of advertising.
· When deciding on a gift wrap make sure they are not too trendy and styles everyone will like. When picking a style that is too trendy it may not be available for long. Pick a print that will be known only to your store and that people know exactly where it was purchased.
· Remember to give some thought to whether you are going to include ribbons and bows when choosing your design.
· Keep a variety of gift bags ready to go with sheets of tissue to keep things simple. So, when a gift is purchased it’s ready to go!
There’s never been a more important time for your store to look for additional ways to promote its brand and stand out from the competition, and this is a great way to do just that. Remember, whether you have one store or twenty stores your brand is vital to everything you do to promote your business.
Email Marketing is a proven way to increase your Sales
At Specialty Store Services we know the importance of emailing marketing, which is why we have partnered with Constant Contact. With Constant Contact it is easy to send out sales, specials and events email right to your customers. Constant Contact is easy to use, they have over 400+ templates to choose from. Stand out from your competition. Sign up for a free trial offer.
Now that you have the marketing tools now you need to get the email addresses from your customers. Here are five legitimate and unobtrusive ways to obtain your own customers email addresses:
1. Ask them while they are in the store
As a business owner, you have an advantage with your own customers — they are YOUR customers. Usually they want to see you survive and they’d be willing to help you out. Set up an email sign-up sheet right near your register. At the top of the sheet make a simple note like “Sign up for our email list”, add a note about confidentiality and state that you won’t sell or trade their email address You’ll be surprised how many people will give you their email.
2. Put a fish bowl on your counter
A quick and easy way to get your customers to provide an email is to ask customers to fill out a form. Have them drop it into a contest box and have a drawing for a free service or product.
3. Add an email sign-up link to your website
You should take advantage of that moment and have a prominent spot on all of your web pages pointing to an email signup form. Make the signup as painless as possible with only the necessary fields “First name” and “Email Address”. Any more requirements could prompt them to just close their browser. Remember to apply the same courtesy here as on your signup sheet: note confidentiality and don’t forget “please” and “thank you”.
4. Give something away
Put together a quick monthly or weekly giveaway of a product or service. The sign-up
slips should always require an email address.
5. Use your social media connections
If you have an active Facebook page you probably have access to many of your customer’s emails already. Getting their email address should not be difficult. Take the time to ask your connections for their email address. It is a fairly simple process to post a link to your web sites “contact us” page on your Facebook page or even just to say “Hi, could I get your email address so I can send you our company newsletter?” Many people will provide their email address when asked by an established connection.
Click Here to learn more about Constant Contact and what it can do for you!!!
Watch for the New Fall Catalog!!!!
Specialty Store Services, Chicago retail supply company, mailed out their latest catalog last week. Highlighted in the newest catalog are a wide variety of products with new lower pricing as well as new products.
With Back to School right around the corner customers are flocking to stores for newest in products from clothing to school supplies so why not grab the customers attention with mannequins. Mannequins can make the statement; clump them together for a dramatic look or individually for an item that you want to grab more attention. Also a great way to display the Back to School products is to have made a separate display that will have the customers focus on items they didn’t even know they needed.
A great way to have a special display is to use Nesting Tables to keep related products together to a wall display. The wall display can be a grid panel with either shelving or peg hooks to get as much product on it as possible. As a Retailer you want to take advantage of all the shopping that takes place before school starts.
The fall season tends to be the retailers busiest time of year with the beginning of the school year to the start of the holiday season, Specialty Store Services wants the retailers to be ready and fully stocked with Holiday Bags, wrapping paper and boxes. By offering all the products sooner retailers can have time to choose from the wide variety. This holiday season, Specialty Store Services will have a new Holiday Bag design that will be coming out the end of September
For more information about Specialty Store Services or to request the new catalog, visit the company’s website: http://www.specialtystoreservices.com
Jazz Up Your Displays
When customers walk into your store you want your displays to have flair and intrigue. Displays must help customers envision themselves using or wearing the products. There are four steps to help jazz up a display:
- Don’t Fear Open Space: Filling shelves too much will over stimulate your customers. Arrange the display into different groupings so that customers are not overwhelmed. When arranging a small cluster make sure that it is no more than 5 products where as a larger cluster can have up to 10. If the shelves are not deep enough, use risers to create levels. Product groupings can be similar products or can tell a story. Leave at least 4 inches in between the products so customers can easily distinguish the products. If you are not sure if the displays seem to crowded take a picture of the display and look to see if it is cohesive and will the customer understand your message.
- Stick to a Theme: Mixing unrelated products in the same space will make the display look cluttered and hard to shop. When displaying in a Display Case keep the theme consistent throughout. For example: Jewelry Shop may want to keep all the gold items together and group by styles. A store would not want to have a crystal vase it would be distracting. On a tiered table a drug store may want to have a display for back to school with all the school supplies needed to start the year off.
- Add Smart Signage: Keep signs uniform throughout the store. Signs should all be the same size and the same color scheme. Use bold dark font that is no smaller than 1 ½” high so that it pops off the sign and customers can read it from a distance. A customer only gives you 5 seconds of their time so make sure it has title, price and a descriptive point. Putting the signs in sign holders help the signs stand out.
- Avoid Uniform Arrangements: When displaying many of the same types of items don’t display items all the same way, this makes the customer bored. Thinking of different ways of displaying items will keep your customers intrigued and will keep on shopping. Add mannequins or forms to grab the customer’s attention and know what is trying to be promoted.
At Specialty Store Services we have all the products you need to make an attractive display- tables to risers to mannequins to sign holders.
The Grid N Go Display for Retailers on the Go!
Specialty Store Services knows that participating in events such as trade and art shows, festivals and craft fairs can be rewarding, exciting and profitable but can also be frustrating and time consuming. The Grid N Go Grid Display was created for the busy mobile retailer in mind.
One person can assemble the Grid N Go Grid Display in just minutes and due to the innovative push button lock design- no tools required. The display sets up in three easy steps: simply slide both legs into the bottom of the frame and then snap the top panel onto the standing panel. Push button locks and it will securely lock the unit together, creating a tip resistant base and sturdy grid panel. Taking down the grid display is just as quick and easy as set up. Check out the Assembly Video to see for yourself how easy it is to put together.
The Grid n Go Grid Display consists of four pieces that are easy to transport and to store when not is use. The Grid N Go can accommodate a variety of grid accessories to make a variety of different display options: For Example:
- Sock or Mug Display just attach Grid Peg Hooks
- Purse and T-shirt Display by attaching Grid Waterfall Hooks
- Candy Display just attaching Acrylic Bins
- Wine Display by attaching the Wine Bottle Shelf with Shelf Adapters
This Grid N Go is going to be the best product you have ever purchased and you are going to be thinking of Specialty Store Services every time you are moving from one Craft Fair, Festivals, Trade and Art Shows you do this summer.
Customization is a Great Way to Advertise your Business
Have you ever walked down the street and you see someone wearing a shirt that you like? You think to yourself where did they buy it, then you notice a bag with a logo and store name on it and you google the store. This is the best advertising you can get without it costing you a lot of money. Customizing retail bags can help reinforce your brand name and give the air of professionalism to your business. In a competitive marketplace there are hundreds of companies that are competing to get customers into their business. A retail business wants to grab attention from any avenue, which is why Custom Imprinted Bags have become the rage. A Custom imprinted bag is considered a walking billboard and a practical and low costing branding strategy.
At Specialty Store Services we have many different products to advertise your store.
An Eco Friendly Store may want give away Custom Imprinted Reusable Shopping Bags with the name and logo printed on it. For another option we carry Custom Imprinted Plastic Bags in many sizes with either single or double sided printing. And lastly if you have bags that you currently purchased we can have them imprinted in no time with a Large Custom Imprinted Labels that can be printed with your logo and store name. If you don’t have a logo Specialty Store Services can create one for you at an additional cost.
Just remember that when your customers are buying products from your store you must always supply them in a bag so there is no reason you shouldn’t use bags to your advantage and gain some exposure as well as some new customers.