Slatwall for the Retail Store

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Hmmm…what can I say about slatwall? Well, a lot, actually! Slatwall is attractive, versatile, strong…kind of like Russel Crowe or a Transformer sports car/robot. You may think I’m reaching but slatwall can really make a huge impact.

First of all, slatwall really is attractive. It can be purchased in several different colors to complement your decor such as black, almond, grey, white or paint grade that is ready to paint any color you choose. Slatwall comes with uncolored grooves which bring out the color of the slats, but you can also order it with brushed aluminum inserts which add strength and finesse to the panels. When installing the slatwall panels, you can drill screws right through the aluminum and into the wall, reinforcing the panels and making your display more durable.

Slatwall can be purchased as 4’W x 8’H standard slatwall panels or 8’W x4’H vertical slatwall panels that you can install directly on your walls. Slatwall can also be used in the form of freestanding slatwall displays which are available in black, cherry, maple or white. Slatwall displays are available as double sided displays, revolving slatwall displays, “H” island displays, quad displays, and even as service counters with slatwall fronts for more display space. Check them all out to see all of the merchandising options you have!

If you’d like the option to change the look of your slatwall at will then you’ll want to consider slatwall inserts or slatwall snaps. Slatwall inserts come in 130′ rolls and are available in black or white. Simply slide the vinyl slatwall inserts into the grooves and cut at the correct length. Slatwall snaps, available in 8′ lengths in red, white, black or grey, are easy to install and only take seconds to uninstall. Use inserts of the same color as the slatwall to give the display a more uniform look or use snaps in a contrasting color to make your display pop! No matter if you choose wall panels or displays, you have a wide variety of slatwall accessories to choose from. Choose from slatwall hooks to display hanging items, slatwall faceouts for clothing or body forms, slatwall waterfalls for clothing, purses or belts, slatwall jar displays for smaller items such as pens or hairgoods, slatwall hangrails for all types of apparel or acrylic slatwall shelves for any numbers of items.

Your slatwall display options are nearly endless! All the colors, configurations, display options…I’m nearly dizzy. Take a look and I’m positive you will find something slatwallish that will make a positive impact on your merchandising.

Shopping Baskets and Shopping Carts

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Okay, so you’ve got customers in your store, happily shopping and browsing your merchandise. Uh-oh, their arms are full…what to do, what to do? Well, offer them a shopping basket or shopping cart, of course, so they can keep on shopping in comfort!Shopping baskets are great for those quick in-&-out shopping trips and for small stores. The

Standard Size Shopping Baskets and Jumbo Size Shopping Baskets come in handy in any retail environment from convenience stores to stationary stores. I know that when I stop into a store for “just one thing”, pretty soon I am juggling several items (I am a fantastic impulse shopper!) and am searching for a shopping basket to use. The shopping baskets are available individually or in sets of 12 in blue, red or yellow. And, since you asked, we listened. The shopping baskets are now also available in assorted color sets consisting of 3 each blue, green, red and yellow! You can also have your store name printed in block letters on these personalized shopping baskets for free! A basket stand and sign are also included with the plastic shopping basket sets. If your customers are like me and just cannot stop shopping, those baskets can get heavy so make sure you have browsing basket carts on hand. The browsing basket cart, constructed with steel nickel finish, has two shelves that can each hold a jumbo size shopping basket.

If you’d like a more contemporary look for your store, wire mesh shopping baskets are just what you are looking for. Are your customers’ arms getting tired from carrying the baskets? Relieve their discomfort by offering them rolling shopping baskets! The rolling shopping basket, available in sets of 10 in black, blue, red or green, comes with a long handle and wheels for easy maneuvering and also includes a strong molded plastic carrying handle, as well.

Now, let’s not forget the sturdy steel shopping carts which are perfect for grocery stores, pet supply stores, convenience stores…and any kind of store you can think of! The mini shopping cart with double baskets and the single basket mini shopping cart are compact, easy to maneuver and are great for those smaller stores with narrow aisles. Also good for narrow aisles is the mini grocery shopping cart. The mini grocery shopping cart measures 17 1/4″W x 35 1/2″H x 29″L and the carts nest, saving on storage space when not in use. If your customers need a bit more room for their purchases, try a larger shopping cart. The standard size shopping cart measures 20 1/4″W x 37 1/2″H x 36″L and also nests with the other standard shopping carts. Both the mini and standard shopping carts are made of easy to clean, sturdy steel and include child seats complete with safety belts.

There! Now you’ve got plenty of options to make your customers’ shopping experience more comfortable and a comfy customer is a happy customer. Happy selling!

Counterfeit Detectors

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You work hard for your money so make sure the money you receive isn’t counterfeit. Although the government has modified bills to make it more difficult for thieves to counterfeit, the thieves have gotten pretty crafty at faking bills. Counterfeit bills are circulating throughout the U.S. so a counterfeit detector is necessary for any business.
The most common types of bill detectors are ultraviolet (UV), watermark, magnetic and pen. The UV detectors use a light to detect built in features in authentic bills. Watermark detectors also use a certain light spectrum to detect hidden watermarks in the bill’s paper. Magnetic detectors detect magnetic ink in authentic bills. Pen detectors use a special solution that turns a certain color when applied to the bill to indicate if the bill is fake. Bleached bills, which are created by bleaching a $5 bill and printing 50 or 100 over the bleached areas, can be difficult to detect so it’s best to employ several different methods when verifying bills.
One of our most popular counterfeit detectors employs UV, infrared and magnetic detection and can even detect bleached bills. No cashier training needed, just feed your bill into the machine and an audible and visual alarm will let you know if the bill is fake. Another popular model, the 4-way Counterfeit Detector, also uses magnetic and UV detection in addition to watermark detection. This machine also magnifies the bill so you can see microprinted words on authentic bills. The UV function on this machine can also verify other documents such as driver’s licences, birth certificates, major credit cards, traveller’s checks and more. The Infrared Camera Counterfeit Detector displays an image of the bill on the screen so you can check for the infrared stripe on authentic bills. A handy chart on the machine displays the areas in which infrared stripes are located on U.S. currency. A pleased owner of this infrared detector says this machine works like magic!
If you’re on the go at festivals or open markets, a Counterfeit Detector Pen is the mobile, economical, quick and easy way to make sure you’re not taking any funny money. Simply draw a line across the bill; if the line stays amber the bill is authentic but if the line turns black the bill is fake. Either mark will fade after application so you won’t have a drawer full of marked up money. Happy customers say that the pen works great and is small enough to keep next to the register.
Check out the full inventory of our currency counterfeit detectors to see which one best suits your needs. If you accidentally accept a counterfeit bill, be assured that the bank will not accept it and then you will be out of luck. With all the fake bills in circulation, how can you afford not to use a counterfeit detector?

Greeting Customers 101

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Have you ever gotten whiplash in a retail store? You know, when you walk into the store and slowly start taking in the layout and merchandise when a gaggle of sales clerks at the counter or a clerk at a display across the store yell out “Hi, howyadoin’today?” Then you have to look around to see where the half-hearted but strident greeting is coming from so you can acknowledge them?
I know that clerks think they are doing their job by promptly greeting customers in this manner but whiplash greetings are not the way to go. You don’t want to distract the customers while they are just settling in and getting acquainted with the store and products that they may purchase. The quality of the greeting is more important than the speed of the greeting so take the time to approach the customer, even if you cannot get to them for a minute or two. A sincere face-to-face greeting along with a warm smile will make a more positive impression than an indifferent greeting shouted from across the store.

Phone Systems, Postage Meters and more!

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We’ve already covered several merchant services available via the Specialty Stores Services website and here a five more helpful services for you to explore.
Phone Systems. There are so many options of phone system that it can be a bit tricky to find the right system for your business. You want a phone system that will give you all the features you need, none of the add-ons that you don’t and will be cost effective. Learn more about different phone systems and check out some tips on how to compare services before committing to a new phone system.

 

Postage Meters. Businesses that send out bulk mailings can really save time and money by stamping, postmarking and mailing right from their own place of business. No more wasting time by running to the post office or dealing with rolls of stamps!

 

Telemarketing. By outsourcing your telemarketing to a telemarketing service company, you are putting your calls in the hands of professionals who know how to contact the right people at the right time to close a sale, renew a business relationship or inform existing customers about new products or services.

 

Stamps and Badges. Create and maintain a professional image with name badges, custom stamps, nameplates and embossers. Email your custom artwork to have original stamps created or choose from stock stamps. Use the stamps to inexpensively customize sales slips, stationary and envelopes.

 

Buy Gold for Cash. You see Cash for Gold stores everywhere and these shops would not be everywhere if they weren’t turning a profit. You can start buying gold from your customers and generate extra revenue averaging $2,000 a month with no up front start up fees incurred. Click the link to find out more information!

4th of July Sale Sign

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Freedom! Fireworks! Friends, family and food! That’s a lot of alliterative fun for the 4th of July! Throw some fantastic sales into the mix and we’ve got the makings of a terrific holiday weekend.

 

Don’t forget to order your eye-catching 4th of July Sale Sign, which is on sale itself right now for only $7.99! Your new sign will ship the day after you order so there is still time to advertise your 4th of July sale.

Merchant Services: POS System and Free Cash Register

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I hope that you found the blog about email marketing and custom logos informative and helpful! Let’s go over some more Merchant Services offered through the Specialty Store Services website that can help save you money and keep track of your sales.

Specialty Store Services and United Bank Card, in partnership with Casio, are offering retail and hospitality merchants the opportunity to receive a free cash register with fully integrated credit card processing services! You will be able to accept all major credit cards and ring up cash sales on one machine so there is no need for a separate credit card machine. The cash registers offered also feature drop and load thermal printers, further streamlining your transaction process. Two machines are offered: one geared toward retail merchants and a one geared toward restaurant merchants. Both machines will track your daily cash, check and credit card sales and both feature large memory capacity, large LED display, 72 flat keys, customizable keypad layout with user friendly online wizard, are PCI PED compliant and allow dial-up or Ethernet connection. Best of all, you are guaranteed a replacement cash register free of charge in the event your register breaks or malfunctions if you process credit cards with Specialty Store Services/United Bank Card!

Businesses generating more than $250,000 in yearly sales may want to consider a more complex Point of Sale system, or POS system. More complex POS systems are capable of running detailed reports and also may have inventory management capabilities that will allow the store buyer to generate purchase orders based on sales and product popularity. Time clocks, touch screens and accounting features such as credit card verification may also be integrated into a POS system. Restaurant POS systems have the ability to print order tickets directly in the kitchen which will speed up the serving process. So, as you can see, POS systems can be as simple or as detailed and you like. Check out POS systems for yourself and see how your company could benefit from employing one.

New Retail Products

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Did you know that new products are added to Specialty Store Services’ website every week? It’s true! You asked for particular new items and we listened.

For instance, we’ve just added two scales, per customer request. The glass top easy-to-read Digital Scale has an auto turn-off feature which turns the scale off after three minutes of inactivity, prolonging the life of the batteries. The stainless steel Professional Dial Face Scale has a removable weighing bowl and is perfect for weighing anything from vegetables to candy. We have also added chic copper Metal Jewelry Displays and stylish Body Form Jewelry Displays that are perfect for any boutique.

Be sure to check out the New Items page frequently to see what great additions we have in store for you!

Merchant Services: Email Marketing and Custom Logo

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Are you aware of all the Merchant Services that are offered through the Specialty Store Services’ website? We have already covered credit card processing and retail training classes in previous blogs so let’s explore other ways to boost your business and bottom line.

You’ve got mail. One great way to stay in touch with current customers and build your client base is through email. We see about 4,000 marketing message a day and with all that competition you want to make sure your message grabs attention and is informative from the get-go. That being said, slapping together an email and sending it out willy-nilly won’t get you far. A professional email marketing service will guide you through all the challenges of setting up your own email marketing newsletters and communications. Constant Contact offers over 400 templates and will guide you through setting up color schemes as well as adding logos, photos and coupons, so creating your own emails or newsletters is super easy. Not only will you receive free personal guidance via email, phone, chat or in person, there are free or very inexpensive seminars (think $10-$30) offered to help you develop your email marketing skills. I, myself, have previously attended a free seminar sponsored by Constant Contact and found it to be very informative and useful. You can try this email marketing service for free for 60 days (Really! And no contract!) and if you do decide to keep the service you can, for as little as $15 a month. It truly is a great investment for the business owner or manager who wants to run effective email marketing campaigns but just needs a little guidance.

I’d know you anywhere! When I say “McDonald’s” what is the first thing that comes to mind? Golden arches, maybe? The color combo of red and yellow? Logos and color branding are a fantastic way for companies to get their names out there and to stick in the minds of consumers. In fact, color recognition can increase sales by 80%! If you do not yet have a logo for your company, you may want to consider enlisting the help of a logo design company. These professional graphic designers will design several original, custom logos for you to choose from for the low price of $149. You will own the copyright of your finished logo design so it will be yours, and you can even trademark it. The designers at Logo Design Team never use clipart so the design will be original and they will work with you to capture the style and tone you wish to convey. This logo design company offers a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee so your full payment will be refunded if you are not satisfied. You will be able to use the new logo on signage, bags, stationary, business cards and company vehicle to get your brand out there and in the minds of consumers!

These are just two more ideas to help your business blossom. We will cover some more Merchant Services available through Specialty Store Services’ website in an upcoming blog.

Sunglass Displays

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To quote Katrina and the Waves, “I’m walkin’ on sunshine.” I’m walking on it, in it, next to it…and I’m loving it! When the sun is shining, the one thing I hate to be without is my sunglasses and I will not hesitate to purchase a new pair if I leave home without them. Sunglasses are a great money maker year round but sales really seem to take off in the summer months. If you are not currently carrying sunglasses, why not choose an eyewear display appropriate for your store and stock it with inexpensive yet attractive sunglasses?

If you have some counter space to spare, consider this elegant countertop sunglass spinner. This eyeglass spinner has a lovely metal frame with almond base and acrylic mirror and can hold up to 24 pairs of glasses. If you would like to fit some more glasses in a small space, this economy countertop eyeglass spinner can hold up to 40 pairs of glasses and it is also constructed of metal and has 2 acrylic mirrors.

If you have some floor space to play with, this attractive spinning maple eyewear display with black trim may be just the ticket. This maple display is six sided, includes 2 acrylic mirrors and can display up to 108 pairs of glasses. If you prefer something a little more contemporary then consider this silver spinning eyewear display with storage base. This sleek display can hold up to 72 pairs of glasses, includes 2 acrylic mirrors and boasts a locking storage base to keep your overstock safe and out of sight.

These spinning eyewear displays will also display reading glasses so they can work double-duty for you. As long as the sun in shining or small print needs to be read, folks are going to need sunglasses and reading glasses so why not offer your customers what they need?