Retail Window Display Ideas for Spring

It’s always a good plan to have new retail window display ideas in the hopper so you can plan ahead, gather your props and be prepared when it’s time to change the display. Spring is a’ coming and it’ll soon be time to update the window displays so let’s go over a couple more window display ideas.

Let me tell you right now: clear fishing line will figure prominently in these window displays. I love this stuff! Ideal for hanging props or merchandise as focal points without the distraction of visible string, ribbon or rope.

Simple Spring – A simple and inexpensive way to draw attention to your spring-like window display is simply to hang accordion-fold tissue paper flowers or paper fans from the ceiling or top of the window frame, like in the window at Tomte Modern Craft. So easy! This doesn’t necessarily need to be a “theme” window; it is just an easy way to draw the eye as people are passing by. The free-floating flowers and fans get attention so of course folks will look in the window where your merchandise is neatly displayed. You can likely find paper fans, flowers and Japanese lanterns at any dollar store or party supply store.

Free Bird – Vintage style birdcages are attractive and have a fun, funky feel to them, especially if you spray paint them in a color that pops. Take a look at this window display from Slimline Warehouse. I love the way they made the birdcages the draw but then placed jewelry displays inside the cages, causing people to look more closely. Beautiful! These cages can be hung with fishing line from the ceiling or placed right on display tables in the window or on the selling floor. Do not, however, use live birds in your displays! Not only is it extremely stressful for the birds, but the accompanying poop and feathers are not appealing props. Birdcages aren’t just for jewelry displays, either. Other small merchandise can be suspended inside the cage with fishing line, giving a free-floating appearance. You can find these types of birdcages in thrift stores, garage sales and stores like Pier 1 and World Market.

What spring theme retail window displays have you used? We at Specialty Store Services would love to hear your ideas!

Redesigned Ultima Gondola Fixtures

Specialty Store Services is pleased to offer the economical yet durable and attractive Ultima Gondola Fixtures to its customers, in addition to Madix Gondola Fixtures. Gondola Fixtures are ideal for merchandising in a variety of retail environments including grocery, convenience, discount and variety stores.




Ultima Gondola Displays feature heavy gauge steel construction and steel uprights slotted for convenient shelf placement, and boast steel pegboard backs. Built-in levelers and snap-together parts make installation simple while yielding an exceptional load capacity. Ultima Gondola fixtures, available double-sided, single-sided and as end-caps, can be configured into many different displays to fit multiple merchandising needs. Another great feature is that some Madix shelves are also compatible with the Ultima gondolas!

 

 

The Gondola Fixtures, in a pleasant neutral beige color, are available 54″, 60″, 72″ and 84″ high. Double-sided Gondola Fixtures, aisle units that allow retailers to create well-designed and functional displays, are the building blocks of any effective gondola display. One-sided wall units make the most of existing wall space while end caps give a finished look to double-sided gondola fixtures and maximize display space. Starters and add-ons can be connected end to end to meet space and layout requirements.


Shelves, sold separately, are strong and versatile. Each shelf has slim, sturdy, dual-position steel brackets that allow the shelf to be used straight or at a 20 degree angle, ideal for creating multiple merchandising arrangements. Gondola accessories such as peg hooks and baskets can be use to capitalize on display space and to cross-merchandise effectively.


Ultima Gondola Fixtures are now available on the Specialty Stores Services website and will also be featured in the new product catalog, to be distributed in February 2012.


http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/1/prweb9152468.htm

Specialty Store Services Introduces More Retail Anti-theft Devices

According to an annual survey conducted by the University of Florida, retailers lost more than $37 billion to theft in 2010. With $12 billion lost due to shoplifting and $16.2 billion to employee theft, Specialty Store Services is aware of the great need for effective retail anti-theft devices. Clothes are popular items to shoplift or use and return so the Shark Tag Garment Security Tag and Cable Coat Security Lock are necessary retail anti-theft products for any store selling popular brand or high-end clothing and accessories.Apart from outright shoplifting, retailers are subject to a form of loss due to “wardrobers”. The Shark Tag Garment Security Tag is an economical anti-theft product that prevents wardrobers from purchasing, wearing and returning the used garments for a full refund. The highly visible red Garment Tag attaches easily to the front of any garment, making it impossible for anyone to wear the garment without the tag being seen by all. The customer simply removes the tag at home with household scissors before wearing the garment; the tag cannot be replaced on the garment after removing without evidence of tampering. The Shark Tag is ideal for use with dresses, special occasion garments, prom dresses, menswear, formal wear, lingerie and coats.

The Cable Coat Security Lock is an effective retail anti-theft device ideal for safeguarding leather jackets, fur coats, winter coats, team sports apparel and other expensive articles of clothing. The Cable Coat Lock easily mounts directly to garment rack and can also be mounted to the wall, if preferred. The Cable Coat Lock housing is constructed of heavy-gauge steel and features a hinged door and unique construction that prevents cables from popping out when the box is opened. The key cannot be removed from lock while in the unlocked position, preventing thieves from taking the key for future use if the sales clerk becomes distracted while the lock is open. Easy load/unload cable system holds 60 standard 8’ long cables, keeping a large amount of merchandise secure all at once.

Specialty Store Services is dedicated to helping retailers grow their businesses and protect their investment. In addition to the above anti-theft devices, Specialty Store Services also offers a variety of video security systems, simulated cameras and security tags systems.

Gumball Machines are Good Profit Makers

Profit makers, also known simply as gumball machines, truly do live up to their names. The machines pay for themselves, last for years and will keep on generating profit as long as they are stocked with gum, candy or toys. And believe me, these treats aren’t tempting to just kids!Most of us are used to seeing profit makers near the doorways of supermarkets, big box stores and Laundromats but what’s to stop people from employing them in any place of business? I recall being in an office environment – I think it may have been an insurance office – and thrilled that I was able to munch on peanut M&Ms from a bulk vend machine while my growling stomach and I waited for the agent. Retail stores or businesses leery of having sticky gum and melty chocolate near the merchandise or furniture can offer customers some refreshing Polar Mints or Sour Sweet Candy in bulk vend machines instead. Peckish customers = profit.

Yes, I said profit. For instance, the net profit on one carton of 1” gumballs vended at 25 cents each is $182.55 (not including tax and shipping). The cost of a single gumball machine with stand is $99.98. So, that first carton of gumballs will pay for the machine and net you a profit of $82.57. Not too shabby. Machines can vend 1″ gumballs/capsules or 2″ gumballs/capsules or bulk vend candies but if you’d like to offer a combination of product, simply combine different machines on a double, triple or quad stand. Imagine the profits generated by multiple profit maker machines!

As implied above, gumball machines aren’t just for gumballs. In addition to 1” and ½” gumballs, these profit makers can also vend 1” and 2” capsules with toys (which I cannot pass up!), 1” and 2” bounce balls (which my cats cannot live without so I’m always hitting those machines) or bulk candy like M&Ms, Skittles, Mike & Ike and other small vend candies. If vending gumballs, why not offer customers the chance to win a small prize by mixing in some gumballs imprinted with “winner”? People love a contest and will certainly try multiple times to win. The winner can claim their prize before popping the gumball in their mouth.

Gumball machines can be fun in addition to profitable. Take the Giant Spiral Gumball Machine, for instance. This 54” high attention-getter holds up to 1,000 gumballs and releases the gumballs down a long winding ramp, which kids just love to watch. But why just watch when you can play? The Pinball Gumball Machine is a fun interactive game with real pinball flippers and is played with gumballs instead of a metal ball. Players have the chance to win up to 3 gumballs and even when they lose, they win; the gumballs are dispensed at the end of the game!

So, really, there is something for everyone when it comes to profit makers; the customers get treats and toys while the merchant makes a profit. Win-win!

Lighted Showcases are Great Retail Focal Points

Lighted showcases are wonderful focal points for many retail businesses, from gift shops to jewelry stores. Specialty Store Services currently carries a large variety of showcases and is happy to offer two new lighted showcases to its customers. The lighted showcases include glass sides, offering unobstructed views off all merchandise, and measure 47-1/4″ H x 19-2/3” D x 37” H.

Business owners who prefer to keep inventory close at hand will be pleased with the new lighted showcase that includes a built-in storage cabinet. The showcase features eight halogen lights to highlight merchandise effectively. This stylish lighted showcase is constructed of black aluminum with tempered glass panels and glass sliding doors and includes one adjustable glass shelf. The spacious storage cabinet has black panel sliding doors to keep overstock neatly out of sight and also includes adjustable feet.

The next sleek lighted showcase does not have a storage cabinet, leaving more room for displaying merchandise. Featuring eight halogen spotlights, the showcase is constructed of black aluminum with tempered glass panels, glass sliding doors and two adjustable glass shelves. The showcase also includes adjustable feet.

Please call the knowledgeable Specialty Store Services sales staff for more information about these attractive lighted showcases.

Ambient Scent: Shop and Smell the Flowers

Do you smell what I smell? More importantly, do you smell what your customers smell? And just what do they smell, anyway? Research shows that a nice-smelling store may encourage people to linger and purchase. Are your customers lingering or sniffing and heading out the door?In one study, Eric Spangenberg, a consumer psychologist and dean of the College of Business and Economics at Washington State University in Pullman, and his colleagues carried out an experiment in a local retail clothing store. They discovered that when “feminine scents”, like vanilla, were used, sales of women’s clothes doubled; as did men’s clothes when scents like rose maroc were diffused.

It’s called “ambient scent” and it is everywhere. Katy Perry’s “California Dreams” tour incorporated the scent of cotton candy into her concerts for a fun smell-o-vision effect. Goodwill stores in Wisconsin and Illinois are infusing their stores with the scent of orange and honeysuckle to encourage customers to linger and buy. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather smell oranges and honeysuckle than dusty clothes or even cleaning supplies. This ambient scent business is on the rise so much so that there are entire companies, such as Prolitec, devoted to helping businesses boost sales through smell.

How it works is like this: of the five senses, smell is thought to be most closely linked to emotion because the brain’s olfactory bulb, which detects odors, fast-tracks signals to the limbic system, which links emotion to memories. Simplified: scents = emotions. Scent branding is when a scent is associated with a certain product or store and when that scent is smelled, it evokes the pleasurable memory associated with that product or store. For instance, there is a store where I like to shop and it always has the scent of raw silk in it. Whenever I am out and happen to smell raw silk, I immediately think of that retail store and the clothes that I love from that store.

So take out your sniffer and take a whiff of your store. What do you smell? Since you are there almost every day you may have gotten used to what your store smells like and possibly cannot detect anything significant. Bring in a few people who aren’t in your store very often and ask what they smell and what emotions or feelings the scent of your store evokes. Take their input and go from there. What scent do you want associated with your store? Just keep in mind that some people are hypersensitive to strong scents and may have a negative reaction, such as headaches, so don’t overpower everyone with the ambient scent. A little ambient scent can go a long way.

New Acrylic Slatwall Accessories

Slatwall. I love it! So versatile, great for cross-merchandising, you can dress it up or dress it down and it’s just plain good looking. And it’s just gotten better, what with new acrylic slatwall accessories we have just added.
The new Acrylic Eyewear Displays for slatwall offer full visibility of your sunglasses and are ideal for displaying eyewear alongside clothing. Display your sporty glasses with the sporty, athletic clothes and your chic eyewear alongside the fashionable streetwear. The eyewear displays are available as 3 or 6 pair displays.
Now, the Acrylic Semi-circle Shelves for slatwall have a contemporary flair and add interest to your slatwall displays. Available in 12″ or 18″, these shelves are ideal for merchandising everything from accessories to shoes to handbags.
Another hot item is the Acrylic Cellphone Display for slatwall. This cell phone display keeps the phone securely in place without obstructing visibility and can display a wide variety of phones.
I’m telling you – there is very little that cannot be effectively displayed on slatwall!

Slip, Trip and Fall Hazards in Retail Stores

Retailers worry a lot about sales. But here’s something else they need to worry about or it could cost them millions:

Slip, trip and fall hazards in and around their stores!

Wal-Mart learned this lesson the hard way: A truck driver, who slipped and fell on ice and grease while making a delivery to the retail giant in northern Colorado, was awarded nearly $10 million. Holly Averyt had three spine surgeries, was unable to return to work and lost her truck. The grease she slipped on was from the store’s deli. It didn’t get trapped in a device designed to keep it from getting into the sewer. Despite Wal-Mart’s claim that no grease had been spilled there and an appeal of the first trial, the Colorado Supreme Court awarded Averyt $10 million.

Slips, trips and falls can happen anywhere. And according to the National Safety Council and the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

  • Over 1 million people in the U.S. experience a significant slip, trip or fall each year
  • Slips and falls are the third largest cause of workplace injuries
  • they are the single most common reason for visits to the ER
  • 70% of slips and falls occur on level ground, and
  • they cost the U.S. $36 billion each year.

 

Here’s what retailers can do to make sure their employees and customers are safe in and around their stores:
  • Have someone periodically inspect floors for hazards, such as spills, uneven or unsecure mats, cords lying around, ice by delivery areas, etc.

 

  • Clean all spills immediately and mark them with “wet area” warning signs or barricades
  • Spread grease-absorbent compounds on oily surfaces
  • Apply anti-slip coating to walkways and floors in high-traffic areas
  • Remove obstacles from walkways and keep them free of clutter
  • Secure all mats and rugs by tacking or taping them down, and
  • Never leave cords and cables across walkways.

 

Applying these safety measures will help keep customers and staff safe and steady on their feet.

 

 

By: Renee Cocchi, http://www.retailnewsalert.com.pbpmedia.net/is-your-store-safe-from-slip-and-falls/?pulb=1

Retail Sales – A Positive Attitude Yields Positive Results

So, the busy retail holiday shopping season is really, truly, officially here! Woo-hoo! All the hustle and bustle and money changing hands…it can be so fun and energizing. It can also be very draining. It is hard to be upbeat and cheerful when you’re really just feeling tired, annoyed, hungry because there’s no time for a break and then there’s that cold you’re afraid may be around the corner. So, what’s a busy, stressed out retailer to do? Simple! Fake it til you make it!

Just do it. That’s right. Smile when you’d rather roll your eyes. Say “Have a great day!” when you’d rather say “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!” Smooth the ruffled feathers of an unreasonable customer; remember, they may be feeling as stressed and headachy as you are. I can tell you from personal experience that blasting people with a winning smile and forcing a cheerful attitude really does bring about a good mood! It’s hard to stay surly when you put effort into a smile. If you can talk yourself into a bad mood, you can talk yourself into a good one! I’ve done it many a time.

Take on the Grinch. I’ve worked the register at a popular toy store during the holiday season and, believe me, it is not for sissies. A lot of customers are worried about the money they’re spending, irritated with the long lines and they have somewhere else they need to be “right now“. Not everyone is feeling the holiday cheer so I make it a personal challenge to get people to smile and feel just a little bit better than they did before they interacted with me. Make cheerful small talk such as “Good for you, more items crossed off your shopping list!” Compliment them on their cute hat or pretty earrings. Thank them for their patience with the wait. It’s been over 10 years but I still remember one particular instance when I was feeling down while shopping and the friendliness of the sales clerk gave me a boost I really needed. A kind word and a smile can make a world of difference.

Smiles = Sales. Your positive attitude can bring about more retail sales. Really! Think about it. Someone walks into your store feeling grumpy, you turn their frown upside down and make their shopping experience more enjoyable. People are more likely to shop longer and purchase more if they feel comfortable and happy in their shopping environment…and people will remember your store as the one with the cheerful, helpful staff and will likely return on future shopping trips!
Feelin’ groovy. Optimism can help boost your immune system, especially when dealing with viral infections, as found in a 2007 study performed by the Department of Psychology at the University of Kentucky. So keep that internal (and external) dialog positive! Also, make sure you get enough rest and healthy foods to keep illness at bay.
Now, go give that winning smile to some frazzled customers! Please feel free to share your shopping experiences with me, from both sides of the counter.

Top 5 “must-haves” for Retail Online Shopping this Holiday Season

Great article not only for online retailers but for all retailers by Fiona Swerdlow of Shop.org. Click for the link to “Shoppers Share Top “5 ‘must haves’ for Buying Online this Holiday Season”. Enjoy!

Some of the most insightful data we gather from the annual Shop.org eHoliday Study centers simply on what matters most to consumers.In partnership with BIGinsight, we asked consumers: “When choosing to make holiday purchases from a given online retailer, what is most important to you?” In an industry fueled by constant innovation – whether technical, marketing, merchandising, and beyond – the answers are a reminder that, no matter what those of us in online retail may dream up next, our customers will be looking for a number of key factors.

With a nod to last year’s rankings, here is this year’s fantastic five “what matters most to consumers” list:

1. Seeing the shopping cart total prior to check out: 4.5 of 5. Like last year, this function tops the list for consumers again. As Forrester Research has found, a leading cause of shopping cart abandonment is simply sticker shock when they see the final total including shipping costs. Bottom line: continually update the shopping cart total on relevant pages, thereby getting ahead of this issue even before the customer starts the formal check out process.

2. Product available to ship immediately: 4.5 of 5. Up from number 5 last year, consumers clearly want no surprises on the inventory front, either. Many retailers have bought (very) carefully into inventory in recent years after the 2008 holiday inventory glut – all well and good, but the burden is on the retailer to communicate clearly when inventory levels are minimal (see Boden USA’s effective use of color coding to indicate product availability in terms of in-stock, limited inventory, and out of stock, still one of my favorite examples). Putting a different spin on managing inventory stock issues, ModCloth actually keeps out of stock items on its site, allowing customers to sign up to be notified via email when the item is back in stock – which, in turn, becomes a remarketing tool that the customer is happy to receive.

3. Value for money / good deals: 4.4 of 5. Solidly in third place again this year, consumers continue to look for good value. As many have pointed out, this doesn’t just mean the price itself – it’s about conveying to the customer how the price relates to the qualities of the product such as quality, durability, fashion quotient, uniqueness, and the like.

4. Clear product descriptions: 4.4 of 5. A merchandising basic that always needs updating and fine tuning, this merchandising area now also benefits from the explosion of product video available to consumers. Executed well, product video can significantly enhance the clarity and depth of the product description – a fact not lost on close to half of retailers surveyed who invested significantly this year in product videos. Indeed, Golfsmith’s commitment to using video to explain technical details and ease of use features for products has resulted in increases for both conversion and SEO rankings.

5. Guaranteed on time delivery: 4.4 of 5. Again, imperative for holiday purchases in particular. Those coordination meetings you held last month with your operations staff and shipping vendors will go a long way towards ensuring a minimum of delivery snafus – and for those rare instances, you’ve got a flawless plan to make things right for the customer. Of course, customers can help themselves on this front via clear, visible shipping deadlines calendars (number 10 on their list of customer priorities, by the way). Another perennial favorite of mine, Nordstrom’s holiday shipping calendar, lays out shipping deadlines by each of the three most popular winter holidays (Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa) – I just wish it were already accessible from the home page even now.

What else are consumers looking for when choosing to do business with one merchant versus another? Broad product selection (4.3); merchant reputation (4.2); free return shipping offer or policy (4.2); the ability to see product reviews from other customers (4.1); and – in tenth place, mind you – promotions (4.1). Clearly consumers don’t simply buy based on free shipping – yes, it’s important, but their decision to buy from you – or your competitor – is often likely much more multi-faceted.