Tips for Creating Successful Window and Focal Displays

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woman-clothes-shopping-vertEffective store fixtures are the backbone of a retailer’s business. It’s easy to fall into the trap of taking your displays, shelves, and mannequins for granted. However, without these fixtures, your stores’ sales would be in trouble. They are doing more than keeping your merchandise off the floor—the right fixture, used in the most effective way, can make the difference between meeting your sales goals and missing them.

Ways to Use Fixtures Effectively  

Use your fixtures to create eye-catching displays in store windows and at the front of your stores. These displays are important to initially grabbing shoppers’ attention. These are called “focal fixtures.” Often the customer experience begins the minute a shopper sees one of your stores—even before he or she walks in. Do not be afraid to use creative and innovative tactics when displaying your merchandise. A great way to find new ideas and spark creativity is by browsing through magazines, photography blogs, or Pinterest.

Creating captivating window and focal fixture displays is an important part of successful store merchandising. Window displays help get shoppers into the store, enticing them with color, imagery and sometimes fantasy, to appeal to their inspirational selves. Once the shopper is in the store the focal fixture displays, especially expertly merchandised mannequins, engage the shopper and pulling them deeper into the store, continuing the emotional dialogue with the shopper, and getting them into the mindset to make a purchase.

 Tips for Successful Window and Focal Displays

One of the first steps to developing a window or front display is to know your customer base. Are your customer targets young, trendy people in their twenties? Are they middle-aged moms with kids? Or are they retired but still active couples? Once you have determined what type of customers you are targeting, tailor your fixtures and displays in a way that maximizes their interests and experiences.

Sean Reed, the CEO of Fashion Media, urges retailers to not underestimate the power of a window display. “Window displays are important in retail stores throughout the world extending from high streets to the mall environment. They are the shop front to consumers and influence the consumer’s decision on whether to enter the store or not,” he says.

Another point to keep in mind is never obscuring a shopper’s view. Arrange products and fixtures in a way so they can still see to back of your stores. This helps entice them to walk through the entire store. Using the appropriate signage will also help shoppers find what they need and want. Use easy-to-follow signs to guide shoppers throughout your stores and help them discover something new for themselves.

Store fixtures are not just metal or wood, they are the screens onto which dreams are projected by the merchant and from which they are acquired by the shopper. Interested in learning how well made and cost effective displays can boost your sales? The retail experts at Specialty Store Services can help. Call us today at 800.999.0771 or click here to visit our website for more information.

After the Holiday Buzz is Over: How to Keep the Magic Alive (and Avoid the Hangover)

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holiday-hangover2-254x300If a group of retail professionals was asked this question, “What lies at the core of high sales and profits?” how would they answer? Some would say great products and others might suggest competitive prices, but they are both wrong. Studies have proven over and over again that an outstanding customer experience is the number one answer. Without an outstanding first impression—followed by many more great experiences—your potential customers won’t give you a second thought. Providing customers with a memorable and superior customer experience should surpass the excellence of your product or low prices, especially during the holiday season.

Exterior and Interior Impressions

The festive, warm atmosphere is one of the major reasons why so many people enjoy the holiday season. Can a customer enter one of your stores and immediately be cheered up by the holiday lights, garlands, and other colorful decorations and have their shopper mojo activated? The decorations help create a positive, memorable customer experience and stimulate buying—an accomplishment that you want to maintain all year long.

Need a Boost? Some Quick & Easy Fixes

If your store branding needs a boost, you have some great options to choose from. Here are some proven ways to create a colorful, inviting atmosphere and encourage your customers to buy:

  • Use new store fixtures to add interest and excitement in different areas of the store
  • Design and develop a unique line of custom store fixtures for an entire store chain makeover
  • Choose a bright, welcoming color and repaint your stores’ exteriors and interiors
  • Add framed pictures or custom banners or signs to select areas in your stores

Creating warm, inviting storefronts and interiors is easy to accomplish during the holidays; the challenge is keeping this feeling when the holidays end. When you take the decorations down, the welcoming store atmosphere can disappear. How does your current store branding measure up when the holiday glitz and glitter are gone? As you evaluate the situation don’t gloss over areas of improvement. Be honest with yourself and your employees. The sooner you figure out what needs to be improved, the sooner you can begin building an atmosphere that welcomes and cheers customers year-round—and ultimately keeps customers buying.

Interested in learning more about how to avoid the post holiday shopping hangover? The retail experts at Specialty Store Services can help. Call us today at 800.999.0771 or click here to visit our website for more information.

Getting it Right: Quality Control & the Overseas Supplier

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getting it rightWhen you work with a fixture company that has overseas partners it very important to make sure ahead of time that they have a stringent quality control process in place both overseas and in the USA. Starting with the prototype and ending with the delivery of the final product, each stage has its own issues  that need to be checked to maintain a maximum level of quality.

Documented Overseas Q/C Process. To make sure that you are receiving the best quality product, there needs to be a secure and documented inspection process at every project stage. First, the prototype must be designed and approved to specification and then production can begin. During production through completion, it is important that the supplier have overseas employees to inspect at every production stage up to the final product on site to make sure it meets all the buyer’s specifications. They also keep the project moving to ensure the buyer’s deadlines will be met.

Onsite Factory Inspections. The supplier needs to have a rigorous process for testing quality, finish and packing before the finished fixture leaves its offshore destination. A good supplier will not ship a product that does not pass inspections and will have employees onsite to make sure this happens. The lead time for the overseas manufacturing process is generally about 8-10 weeks so it is important to get the inspections done right so the fixtures and ship on schedule.

Rigorous Stateside Pre-delivery Inspection. Once the product has been shipped, it generally takes about 3 weeks to reach its stateside destination. When the final product arrives at the supplier’s facility, should undergoe another rigorous inspection to make sure there are no missing parts or defects. Since a poorly made product that is not created to the correct specifications will waste the buyer’s valuable time and money, the supplier should have a detailed and comprehensive inspection process for each product before delivery.

Ultimately your job depends on the speed and the quality that your chosen partner can deliver, so it is key that you do your homework ahead of time and know who you are working with. Ask your fixture vendor if they have overseas staff for both engineering and inspection and if they do you will be able to rest easy in the knowledge that your project will arrive stateside on-time and looking great.

Interested in learning more? The retail experts at Specialty Store Services can help. Call us today at 800.999.0771 or click here to visit our website for more information.

Choosing the Right Fixture for Your Stores: Three Important Fixture Considerations

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decisionChoosing the right fixtures for your store and merchandise is not as easy as it may seem. There are many factors that have an impact on what fixture is chosen; from what is going to be displayed on the fixture to how fast the delivery needs to be. Making the wrong choice can cost money and time so take the time to review the following points before you jump.

1. Product and store appropriate

To get the most of your store fixtures, you need to choose ones that best suit your products and stores. There are many factors to consider, such as your products’ pricing, store space, target customer base, and more. If you are selling a high-end product like jewelry, choosing a sophisticated looking display that matches the quality of your merchandise is important. A cheap-looking display may become a turn-off to your target customer base. Also, be sure to choose a fixture that displays your product to its full advantage. Folding a sweater up will not showcase the style and details; while you may need to fold and store the majority of sweaters on shelves, displaying the sweater on a

mannequin will allow the sweater to shine—and encourage shoppers to imagine themselves wearing the sweater. The quality and appearance of your fixtures should always meet or exceed your customers’ expectations.

 2. Longevity and ease of upkeep

Since buying fixtures can be a large investment, another factor to keep in mind is how long they will last. A sturdy, well-built shelf will stand the test of time better than a less expensive but lower-quality shelf. The idea of longevity should also tie-in with the nature of your products. Are you constantly getting newer and trendier products in

that need different displays each time? If so, a wider variety and amount of fixtures may be an acceptable trade-off for higher-quality.

Also, consider how much work it will take to maintain a fixture. If you have staff already working at capacity, they may not have time to take care of a maintenance intensive fixture. Different materials like chrome and other metals, plastic, and wood require varying amounts of upkeep time; wood fixtures may need dusting quite regularly, but chrome may need constant polishing to remove fingerprints and other smudges. Another factor to take into account is where you will be placing the fixture. If it will sit in a high-traffic area, will it stand up to the wear and tear of the crowds?

 3. Price and delivery

The fixture decision includes choosing stock or custom designs. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options; the key is being aware of them and making informed decisions.

Stock fixtures are less expensive and can typically be delivered faster. However, a stock fixture may not have the appearance or characteristics needed to help your merchandise sell. Custom-designed fixtures will be developed and produced with your exact needs in mind. They may cost more initially, but can deliver more return on your investment in the long-run. When deciding on the price and design of your fixture, also consider the cost and speed of delivery. High-quality and reasonable pricing are important qualities for a fixture, but you also want to make sure you get the product when you need it—not 15 weeks after you order it and 4 weeks past your deadline. Choose a vendor that truly meets the promise of fast and affordable delivery.

Interested in learning more about how to choose the perfect fixture? The retail experts at Specialty Store Services can help. Call us today at 800.999.0771 or click here to visit our website for more information.

What Makes a Successful Store Display? Five Tips To Help You Succeed.

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ConsumersUnfortunately, the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” doesn’t apply to retail shops. As a consumer, it’s easy to decipher between a good product display and a bad one; this initial observation is what fosters a customer’s first feeling towards a store they’ve just walked into. It’s important to develop a creative strategy for your display concept that compels customers to come back time and time again. But what elements go in to creating both an appealing and successful display? Here are some helpful tips to help you create an effective and efficient store display:

  • What’s your vision?– Develop a clear vision that will connect with you core customer group. Is there clarity around the offering? Have you identified the target group? What about the value proposition? First establish the type of customer you want coming into your store: what are their needs and wants? Not only will this will help you better understand your customer, but it will help you to know the types of displays that will appeal to them.
  • Establish an atmosphere– Every store has a culture. Stores create an atmosphere through decorative concepts and the way their products are displayed. For Anthropology, it’s an enchanting, rustic, feminine atmosphere. Cabela’s has an outdoor, sporty atmosphere, and for stores like Best Buy, it’s a clean and techy atmosphere. Consumers adopt these feelings after seeing an ad for a store, walking past a store and finally after walking into a store. What is the feeling you want customers to take away when interacting with your store? Your store displays are what will create the atmosphere within your store, which is why it is important to pay close attention to how you display your merchandise throughout the store.
  • Surprise your customers– A display is your first chance to make an impression on your customers, so don’t stick with the norm. Entice your customers with exciting, unexpected displays. Try using bold, bright colors and funky shapes. Unique window displays can make any passerby or driver stop in to see what your store is all about. In an article from Entrepreneur, Noelle Nicks,  the visual merchandiser for Cole Hardware in San Francisco, discusses a unique window display she used for Halloween. Nicks hung more than a dozen types of brooms against an orange backdrop with the words, “Which broom?” across the glass beneath them. The display not only played on the traditional witch-on-a-broomstick theme, but it also showcased the store’s large broom selection.
  • Don’t overdo it– Keep your displays simple. Trying to go over the top can result in a confusing, cluttered display. If you are trying to feature a certain item, it can become lost in an overly busy display.
  • Work with the seasons– It sounds cliché; however, the seasons allow you to mix up your fixtures and visual displays. The seasons also offer the perfect amount of time to showcase a certain display before spicing it up again.

Interested in learning more about how to create the perfect displays? The retail experts at Specialty Store Services can help. Call us today at 800.999.0771 or click here to visit our website for more information

There is No Such Thing as Being Too Prepared: Tips on how your business can survive the impending holiday season

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It’s not uncommon to spot Halloween and fall                                                  black-friday-crowd                                         merchandise on the sales floor by September 1st. For most store owners, managers and employees, this incites a sense of pressure and anxiety for the upcoming holiday season. There are simple steps and action plans you and your team can take to ensure you are prepared for the chaos that’s to come.

Here are four important tips to help you plan a stress-free and successful holiday season:

 1.     Train Staff. Your employees are the backbone of the operation, so take the time to make sure your team is knowledgeable and trained for holiday traffic.

  •  Is your staff trained for potential shoplifters? The month of December can be a costly month for a lot of retailers. Prepare your staff in advance on what to expect and how to handle a shoplifting situation.
  •  Schedule regular meetings to stay connected to what’s going on in all areas of the store. What needs improvement or more support? Communication can prevent inventory disasters, unhappy customers and store fixtures that need fixing.
  • “Happy wife, happy life”- the saying goes for store associates as well.  You can’t achieve results without your staff being at its best. Develop staff incentives to encourage motivation. Friends and family are heading out of town for the holidays, taking the spirit out of the holidays for many of your employees. Give your staff an extra reason to work their hardest to offer customers the best possible experience.
  • Plan for employee time off before the holiday season. This is smart for two reasons: 1) making sure you’re staffed appropriately for the entire season with enough team members to cover expected high traffic weeks 2) ensuring there won’t be any surprises for you or your employees. You’re able to plan ahead and they can plan ahead for time off with family and friends.

2.     Review history. The best way to improve is to learn from past mistakes. Look at past sales records, staff schedules and promotional calendars. What worked last year? What didn’t? Plan ahead and safeguard against past complications. Although the holiday season is hectic, try to note happenings as they come or after the holidays for you or other associates to reference the following year.

 3.     Inventory. You can’t run a store without merchandise. Was there enough last year? Was there inventory on the floor at all times? Have the right inventory available by developing a replenishing function as part of the staff routine, which holds a specific individual accountable to ensure the sales floor is stocked at all times.

 4.    Maintenance. Even in a busy environment, it’s critical your team maintains the clean look of the store. An article from DMS Retail has a great checklist for keeping your store clean: Be sure all light fixtures are working, exit signs are lit, fitting rooms are tidy, fire extinguishers have been checked, your flooring and carpets have no turned up edges that can trip people, your POS and printers are working properly, your doors or door grills are in good repair, ceiling ducts are clean and dust free, fitting rooms are clean and welcoming, shelves are firmly in place to avoid accidents, no chipped glass anywhere, no rough edges on sign holders, the back room is well organized, the plumbing (if any) and any illuminated store signage is working properly. Be prepared so store upkeep is not taking away from sales.

These tips are designed to help streamline your holiday selling season to make it as successful as possible. Plan ahead in all aspects of your business to reduce anxiety before the holidays come; they’ll be here before you can say, “Deck the halls with boughs of holly.”

Not prepared or don’t know where to start? The retail experts at Specialty Store Services can help. Call us today at 800.999.0771 or click here to visit our website for more information.

Top Retail News for This Month

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imagesAs you prepare your stores for the holiday season, don’t forget to stay up-to-date on retail news and trends. The weeks will get busier and busier, so you want to make sure you’re well-informed and discovering new ways to display and sell your merchandise. To make your life a little bit easier and help spark some creative ideas, here’s some top retail news from this month:

Visual Merchandising

Retail Trends

I’ll leave you with a great quote to end the week:

“If eyes are the windows to the soul, then shop windows are just as revealing. They reveal the soul of the shop.” –Debra Templar, retail business coach

Need a little more inspiration? Our team of talented and creative project managers and customer service representatives can help with anything from store planning to fixture design. Call today at 800-999-0771 or visit our website: www.specialtystoreservices.com.

Learn from the Best: Thoughts from Famous Retailers

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During busy weeks, it’s helpful to take a few minutes to stop, think, and improve. There’s always something to learn, from improving customer service to building a stronger company culture. Here’s some inspiration from some of the top leaders in retail to start your week off well:

“In the end, the customer doesn’t know, or care, if you are small or large as an organization…she or he only focuses on the garment hanging on the rail in the store.” –Giorgio Armani, Founder of Giorgio Armani 
 
“Our mission statement about treating people with respect and dignity is not just words but a creed we live by every day. You can’t expect your employees to exceed the expectations of your customers if you don’t exceed the employees’ expectations of management.”–Howard Schultz. CEO of Starbucks

“If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.” –Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon
 
“If you’re a big-picture guy, you’re not in the picture. Retail is detail.”  –James Sinegal, CEO of Costco
 
“The secret of successful retailing is to give your customers what they want. And really, if you think about it from the point of view of the customer, you want everything: a wide assortment of good quality merchandise; the lowest possible prices; guaranteed satisfaction with what you buy; friendly, knowledgeable service; convenient hours; free parking; a pleasant shopping experience.” –Sam Walton, Founder of Walmart
 
“We believe that customer service shouldn’t be just a department; it should be the entire company.” –Tony Hsieh, CRO of Zappos.com
 
“Your vision is very important. You should know whom you’re selling to, what your marketing and advertising says about you, and whom it’s speaking to. Me personally, I don’t try to please everyone. I understand who I am selling to and I work towards that vision all the time.” –Ralph Lauren, Founder of Ralph Lauren
 
“The friendly smile, the word of greeting, are certainly something fleeting and seemingly insubstantial. You can’t take them with you. But they work for good beyond your power to measure their influence. It is the service we are not obliged to give that people value most.” –James Cash Penney, Founder of JCPenney
 
“What is good for our customers is also, in the long run, good for us. “ –Ingovar Kamprad, CEO of IKEA
 
“Those department stores that have survived the decades did so by keeping pace with customer needs and preferences.” –Terry Lundgren, CEO of Macy’s

 

Visit our website today or call us at 1-800-999-0771 to find out how Specialty Store Services can help with your store fixture and display needs. Maybe in a couple of year we will be quoting you too. 

Smart Retail Choices: 4 Considerations When Building a Store Fixture Budget

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The decision to buy retail store fixtures is a fairly easy one—you’re going to need to buy fixtures at some time or another to keep your store going. The hard part is deciding how much to spend and what to buy. Fixtures are the backbone of your business, and you definitely want to get the highest ROI from them as possible.

As you build your fixture budget for the holiday season and upcoming new year, there are some important factors to consider:
1.      Current Store Sales
What do store sales look like right now? If sales are flat, it’s probably time to look into a store makeover. Adding some more polish and excitement with custom fixtures may be just what your store needs to attract more customers. You definitely don’t want to break the bank buying new retail fixtures, but it’s important to have good-quality fixtures that reflect your store’s branding and accentuate your merchandise.

If you have multiple stores that are suffering from low sales, try testing new fixtures in one of them. Do a complete transformation of your store’s look, and keep a close eye on how sales perform and customers react. After the test period, your findings should help you decide how much to invest in store fixtures for your entire chain of stores.

2.      Design Options
Having a small budget doesn’t mean you can’t invest in high-quality retail store fixtures. It just means you have to be smart about what design you choose. Find or create a versatile fixture design that can be easily adapted to your floor space and work for multiple products. This approach gives you a double-win—you end up with fixtures that create a cohesive look throughout your store, and look great when it comes time to roll out new merchandise.

A large budget is easier to work with, but you still need to be smart. Versatile displays and fixtures are good choices, but also consider developing a custom-made display for a special piece of merchandise. A display or fixture made specifically for one product can really help that product stand out and appeal to customers. 

3.      Type of Material
Different materials come with different price tags. If you like the look of a certain material, like wood, and are working with a small budget, ask your fixture supplier if they have less expensive options that have a similar look as wood. Metal is always a good choice—it adapts well to other fixtures, is durable, and is less expensive than many other materials. With a larger budget, choosing a material like wood may be a special touch that your store needs to stand out. Choose a material that supports your store’s brand and creates a store atmosphere that appeals to your customer base.
4.      Level of Maintenance
How much work do you want to put in to keep your store fixtures looking clean and presentable? Probably not very much since the store employees are already busy helping customers and putting out merchandise. When you start planning out your fixture budget, make sure you’re looking at store fixtures and displays that are easy to maintain. A fixture that requires daily polishing, cleaning, and dusting might not be the best choice for a busy staff—especially during the holidays. Talk to your fixture supplier and get their thoughts on what materials and designs tend to be the easiest to take care of.  

 

Find out how Specialty Store Services can help answer your store fixture budget questions. Call us today at 1-800-999-0771 or visit our website for more information and a FREE store fixture consultation.

3 Ways Custom Retail Fixtures Can Boost Sales

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“We get confused a bit about what retail is. It is really just buying things, putting them on a floor and selling them.” -Gerry Harvey, Australian furniture retailer
These days, as retailers are asked to do more with less, it’s hard to determine what’s important to invest in and what is not. Which products should you sell? How many store fixtures should you purchase? What kind? The questions can become overwhelming. In the quote above, Harvey cuts through the chaos and simplifies a retailer’s job to its simplest function: SELL. All your actions should be supporting your ultimate goal of selling more merchandise.
One of the key ways to achieve that goal is to use the right store fixture to display your products. Generic fixtures can work just fine, but sometimes, the situation calls for more. Sometimes you need a superhero to come in and save the day—a secret weapon like custom store fixtures.
Custom fixtures have more flexibility than generic ones, and can sell your products more effectively. Putting your merchandise on the floor with style can do wonders for your margins. Here are three ways that custom retail fixtures can boost store sales and drive profits:
1.      Make Fixtures More Shoppable
When you customize a fixture to fit with your stores’ unique space and feel, you give your store an extra edge. Rather than sticking your merchandise on a basic, plain fixture, you’re putting it on a fixture that has character and style. A well-made, stylish fixture appeals to customers more, making them more likely to notice your merchandise and buy. Custom fixtures that truly fit the atmosphere of your store showcase your products and provide a customer experience that draws people back.
2.      Increase Branding
Custom fixtures allow stores to increase their brand presence and give customers an exceptional experience. From signage and POP displays to garment racks and gondolas, you can design a look that fits the colors, logo, message, and values of your brand. The possibilities are only as limited as your imagination. For example, one of our athletic apparel customers really wanted a unique, branded look for their store to stand out from their competitors. Custom fixtures gave them the ability to design mesh and metal fixtures that made their products stand out. When customers now enter the store, they are immediately in a branded atmosphere that they’ll remember—and buy from.
3.      Showcase a Unique Product

Another major advantage of custom retail fixtures is their design flexibility. The color, shape, and size can be designed to uniquely fit a special product. Sometime a product needs more than a stock display or shelf. Having a well-made fixture that accentuates your product will add to its appeal and encourage customers to buy. Approach it from the viewpoint of a customer. Which product are you more likely to buy—a watch that’s sitting on a plain, white shelf, or a watch nestled on a velvet square inside a gleaming glass case?