Sales Promotion & Retail Marketing

Retail Sale Idea: Boss is Away Sale

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

Here is a fun and creative idea to generate interest in your store, courtesy of The Cozy Nest in New Hampshire. The employees at the Cozy Nest had a “Boss is Away Sale”, and just look what great results they had when they were given permission to go wild, have fun, and create sales in her absence!

“I wanted to share a promotion that my staff had while I was at the June Retail Success Summit. I borrowed the idea from someone that said she had a “While the cat is away the mice will play” promotion while she was away from her store. I asked my employees if they would like to plan a similar event while I was at the Summit and that I would trust them to handle it and didn’t want to know anything about it.

“It was a huge success. They had a 237% gain over last year.

“Here are some of the things they did:

  • Wore little glittery mouse ears with a pink bow the whole time I was gone
  • Sent out a daily e-mail about the deal of the day (borrowed idea from the 12 days of Christmas)
  • Had a big poster for the customers to sign and leave me a message
  • Created a poster with a thermometer that they filled in every day to show how they were progressing
  • Asked neighboring businesses to send their customers over and gave those customers an extra 10% off. Plus, the business that sent the most people received a gift certificate
  • Raffled off a gift basket worth $300 (all clearance items)
  • Held a daily raffle for 4 gift certificates ($25 each)

“I gave them a hefty sales goal and if they met it, I’d give them each a day off with pay, and they met their goal. They had a blast and were really proud of their event. The customers also had a blast.

“I had a friend drive by and they told me it was like a feeding frenzy and the parking lot was a mob scene. I am sure that created some buzz around town, plus it brought in some new customers that wanted to see what was going on!”

What a fun idea! I especially love the Deal of the Day email, the reciprocal program with neighboring businesses, the message poster for the boss and the mouse ears. Gosh, I guess I loved all the ideas. Please me know if you try this out. It sounds like a hoot!

Candy: The Ultimate Impulse Item!

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

Okay, show of hands. Who does not like chocolate? Hmmm, not many hands up. Chocolate and other candies are popular treats year round and that makes them excellent candidates for your impulse purchase displays.

Although chocolate is tasty at any time (Chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast washed down with chocolate milk? Yes, please!) it doesn’t always store and ship very well in the summer heat. Enter Specialty Store’s annual chocolate sale! That’s right, all of our chocolate is on sale right now so stock up and satisfy your peckish customers’ hankering for a sweet snack after shopping at your store. Candy isn’t just for convenience stores and food stores any more. If you look at many big-name department stores you will see candy for sale at their check out counters and believe me when I say that it is hard to resist. I speak from experience (but never with my mouth full).
Check out our chocolate sale items including Snickers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Twix and M&Ms, just to name a few. But why stop there when other favorites such as Twizzlers, Skittles, lollipops and Sour Patch Kids are available? Give impulse candy a try if you haven’t already. Your sugared-up customers will thank you.

Mother’s Day Sale Signage

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

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.

Retail In-Store Event Ideas

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

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!

Indoor Signage to Snag Sales

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

Okay, so you’ve got potential customers in your door. Now what? Where would you like them to go and what do you want them to purchase in particular?

Direct buyers to your sale or featured product racks with an attractive Acrylic Sign Holder with Chrome Base placed on top of your display shelf or rack shelf. A satisfied customer says it is “even better than pictured.” You can choose Printable Fluorescent Card Signs to print your own signs on your printer and place in the sign holder. These cards come in rainbow packs with 25 sheets each of red, yellow, green and magenta that really pop! As endearing as the home made sign created by your 9 year old daughter may be, you’ll want to make sure your sign conveys a professional look so printing them on your personal printer is a good idea. Remember to use a large font and keep the wording to a minimum to attract and keep your customer’s attention. If you don’t have a printer you can always take your computer file to a print shop. Or you can choose from a variety of eye-catching preprinted signs such as a “Sale” sign in brilliant red with white print.

The Freestanding Sign Holder is another good way to convey your store’s news to your customers. At 22”x28” and 56 ½” tall and chrome plated, it is sure to garner some attention. Pop in a Custom Sign in attractive, contrasting colors which not only communicate your message but your choice of colors and artwork will convey the tone of your store. Or choose a preprinted “Sale” or “Clearance” 22″x28″ sign if that’s all you need to say.

Creative placement of this sign holder can draw people into your store, relate sale information while they are shopping or let them know about up-coming in-store promotions or contests while they are waiting in line. Make sure the sign does not block displays, traffic flow or the interior view of your store if placed in a window or door. Take a look at your store with fresh eyes to see what your customers see. Is the sign informative but to the point? If placed in the window, can you see the sign with sunlight reflecting off the window? Get creative! Hang signs from the ceiling with a Chain Kit. Having a huge sale? Use a Blow-Out or Sale Sign Kit that includes 22 different pieces in bright red/yellow. Use your imagination and you’ll see that quality signage and proper placement can make a big impact on your sales. Have fun and happy selling!

Snappy Signage = Interested Customers

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

So, you need some snappy signage but lack the time or handiness to whip them up on your own. Let us create the signs and banners for you!

Custom banners numbers 9031, 4500, 4503 and 4504 come in a variety of sizes and colors and can be used both indoors and outdoors. Simply fax or email us your layout and our art department will create a professionally finished sign or banner. Pre-printed “Sale” signs are also a fantastic way to gain attention. I personally know several people who, due to the current economic climate, hesitate to shop unless they know the items of interest are on sale. That’s where our eye-catching red and yellow signs come in! Hang signs with this bold color combination in your window to announce your “Sale” or “50% off” with Vertical Window Sale Signs. A customer states, “Great, large, eye-catching signs. Easy to mount with the suction cups, looks great in my store windows.” These 24”W x 48”H signs with bright color contrast are sure to grab the attention of drivers and strollers alike.

If your style is more understated yet spirited then you may want to consider our elegant Fabric “Sale” Banner. The heavy cotton duck fabric is dyed a rich red color and has “Sale” printed on it in bright white letters in a bold font. A happy customer says, “It looks VERY polished and blends well with our environment.” Hemmed pockets on the top and bottom of the banner make it a breeze to hang on Banner Stand. The same customer raves, “I originally purchased this stand to show a sale sign. But when the sign arrived, I loved it so much I’m going to use it to communicate other big events in the boutique.” Check out the customer photo to see how she made this beautiful sign pop and complement her storefront.

Catch my next blog when we explore sign placement and the effectiveness of indoor signage!

3 Second Marketing: Sidewalk Signs

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

Quick, read fast! You have about 3 seconds to capture a potential customer’s attention as they walk or drive by your store! How are you going to get their attention? Well, an eye-catching sign on the sidewalk or in the window is a great start.

A sidewalk sign needs to be big enough to get the attention of drivers but also concise enough for them to read as they are whizzing by. As our teachers told us in school, keep it simple. Just give enough information to make customers eager to enter your store and you can provide the details once they are inside. The XL Springer Sidewalk Sign is a good option to attract the attention of potential customers. It is large enough to announce “Sale” or “Special” with 10” high headers but compact enough that it will not cause sidewalk gridlock. The XL Springer Sidewalk Sign also includes 289 large 5” letters, numbers and symbols so you can change your sign daily. The strong contrast of the black/red letters and white board makes the sign very easy to read.

If you are feeling creative and would like to announce your information in freehand style then the Double-Sided Write on/Wipe Off Sidewalk sign may be the one for you. It’s great for indoor/outdoor use and is foldable for easy portability and storage. If you are fortunate enough to have someone in your employ with beautiful handwriting and an artistic flair then creating an original, changeable sign can be a creative way to draw attention. Remember to keep your color scheme simple and not to add too many distracting artistic details; you want to get your customers’ attention, not lose it by making the sign too busy to read in just a few seconds. Also keep in mind that the sign does still need to be attractive and be more than just simply legible. I, myself, have the writing and artistic talent of an over-caffeinated 5 year old so a custom banner or pre-printed sign would be my best option.

Don’t miss the next blog when I expound on the benefits of custom and pre-printed banners for those of us artistically challenged.

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!

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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.