5 Must-Dos to Prepare for New Store Openings

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Opening a new store is an exciting and nerve-racking time, so it is easy to get distracted and turn a successful opening into a flop. A new store is like most things in the sense that it is important to get things off to a good start and a bad opening day event can set the tone for the future. There are five definite must-dos when opening a new store to make sure things get off to a great start and a great future:
 
1) Get customers into your store for your new store opening
Use your network, both online and offline, to let people know about your new store opening. Call or e-mail all your friends and relatives and ask them to let their friends and family know about your opening. If your mom is not excited enough to be at your store opening, neither will others. Tap into local online publications and websites such as patch.com. Most are free and post local business news. Some sites might even do an article on your store. Send an e-mail and ask the editor- you might be surprised at their response. 
2) Make sure the store looks clean and organized
Spend a lot of time before opening day to make sure your store looks its best. Make sure your displays are organized and interesting. Clean the floors, fixtures, counter tops and windows. Also make sure your shelves are stocked. Nothing is more disappointing than empty shelves. You only have one chance to make a first impression so spend a little extra time on this. A clean store projects a lot about your business
3) Have plenty of trained staff on hand 
Nothing is worse than being a customer and not being helped. Make sure on opening day that you are fully staffed with competent and knowledgeable help. It might just be you and a partner, but for opening day at least, have a couple of extra people around to help with the register and check out.   
4) Get customers to come back
Getting the first purchase is one thing, but getting a second purchase gets you a customer. When a customer makes a purchase, give them a coupon for a discount on their next purchase. Collect e-mail addresses and send out sale and event notices. Get a Facebook page for your store and ask people to “like” you. The more opportunities you get for people to interact with your store, the greater the chance that they will come back. 
 
5) Say thank you
People like to do business with friendly, likeable people. Smile and talk to the people that come into your store. You might be nervous at first, but keep at it and it will become natural. Ask them if you can be of help. If they make a purchase, always say thank you. The quickest way to go out of business is to not mind the business, and customer service is the most important part of minding the business.  
Download our new whitepaper on how to maximize the profitability of your store fixture and displays. Click here.

 

Impact of Store Layouts

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A store’s layout has a huge impact on its performance. It is important to constantly evaluate how the layout is working and how fixtures work as a whole. The layout of a store should welcome customers in with attractive displays arranged in a cohesive design. I will discuss ways to draw shoppers into you store with attractive displays further below, as well as how to evaluate floor space performance. In addition I will discuss ways to improve the shopping experience, making it easier and more shopper-friendly.

DRAW SHOPPERS IN

Use your fixtures to create eye-catching displays in store windows and at the front of your store. These displays are important to initially grabbing shoppers’ attention. Often the customer experience begins the minute a shopper sees your store—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. 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? Tailor your fixtures and displays to your typical shoppers’ 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 store. This helps entice them to walk through the entire store.

EVALUATE FLOOR SPACE PERFORMANCE 

How does the performance of your fixtures measure up as a whole? Your store has a limited amount of space; that is why maximizing each square foot is so important. An excellent way to measure your floor space’s productivity is by looking at each of the following factors:

  • Store margin contribution
  • Sales per square foot Net profit (store)
  • Average transaction
  • Items per ticket Conversion rate / traffic

Another way to measure the productivity of your floor is to look at sales per square foot. Simply divide your store’s total sales by the square footage of selling area in your store. Keep in mind that store selling area does not include cash register or checkout space, supply or storage rooms, window areas, and dressing rooms (unless it contains a mirror).

EASY SHOPPING 

Using space effectively does not mean crowding your fixtures together. While it may seem tempting to place as many products together as possible, shoppers need to have enough room to move easily throughout the store. For example, in a clothing store, there should be a clear pathway between all the clothing racks and displays on the floors. If your store offers shoppers carts, make sure a cart can fit down each pathway. Making products easy to find and get to is an important part of creating a good customer experience. You will not regret using an extra square inch or two.

Download our new whitepaper on how to maximize the profitability of your store fixture and displays. Click here.

Marketing Tasks Should be a Top Priority

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When opening or running a store, we believe that if we build it they will come. As store owners, you cannot only rely on word of mouth; you need to work at it and having good marketing is the difference between a store being successful and a store that is not.
To make a business thrive, here are 5 marketing ideas that can help you be successful:
  1. Clearly Write Out and Develop a Plan
At the beginning of every year, I write out a strategy that revolves around the calendar and I determine how many emails and the topics of the emails that I want to cover each month.  A great starting point is to revolve marketing ideas around holidays; even if it is only four times a year, it is better than not having anything at all.
  1. Promotions and Press Releases
Each month write a Press Release to your local newspaper, and have in-store promotions as well as Facebookpromotions. Consider weekly contests where they have to comment or share with a friend.  The great part about this idea is that it is no cost to you and you can only benefit from more people learning about your store. 
  1. Thank-You Cards
After each order, either send customers a thank-you card, thanking them for their purchase, or insert a card into the bag.  This goes a long way and customers will feel appreciated.  You may want to add an offer to entice the customer to come back and shop. This little token will go along way – remember, it is cheaper to keep and existing customer than it is to get new customers.
  1. Encourage Interaction through Facebook
Add new pictures of products or events to Facebook and encourage customers to “Like” your store while they are shopping and maybe give out a free gift.  The more Likes your store gets, the more exposure your store will get. 
  1. Email Blasts and Texts
Emails and texts must be done on a regular basis and in a timely manner to correlate with the seasons.  Blasts can include pictures of new products, new service, a special item that is on sale for the week. If customers like you they will be happy to hear from you no matter what. 
Marketing should be a top priority; if you don’t have the want or know how, then it is time to hire a person who is skilled at marketing.  As a Store Owner, you want only the best, so step it up and increase your bottom line.

New Modern and Fresh Displays for the Savvy Retailer

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Specialty Store Services helps retail stores make the most out of the limited spaces by offering displays that have many merchandising solutions. The Wood Island Display debuting in the Spring 2013 catalog is perfect for displaying T-shirts, Handbags, Giftware and much more. 
With display space at a premium in most retail spaces, Specialty Store Services has added several new displays options with that in mind.  Many of these new displays have many merchandising solutions and can be found in our Spring 2013 catalog or on our website. All these new display are available for immediate delivery.
The Wood Island Displays are available in 3 sizes as well as 3 colors.  The Wood Island Display is a Melamine cube that creates an elegant and functional area in a store. The Cube Display is available in black, white and maple to compliment any color scheme.   The Cube Island Display is 42 inches high so it makes for the perfect display area.  Each cube is 12 inches by 12 inches to hold almost any items sold. The unit is finished with closed ends so there is never a worry that items will fall off the shelves. 
 
The Wood Island Display is available in three different sizes:

  • Single Sided Wood Island Display is 38 inches wide x 24 inches deep x 42 inches High.
  • Double Sided Wood Island Display is 38 inches wide x 18 inches deep x 42 inches High.
  • Grand Double Sided Wood Island is 51-1/2 inches wide x 24 inches deep x 42 inches High.
 
“These new Island displays can be used together to create an entire new look for the store or separately to add a new category product.  They are perfect for t-shirts, purses, shoes or giftware” adds Julie Mitchell, Marketing Manager for Specialty Store Services.
The top of the wood display can be used as the perfect selling area.  There is enough space to use Jersey Forms to Handbag Displays to display the newest fashions.  Acrylic Shoe displays to showcase product in the cubes. Riser Sets to give the giftware prominent display area.   The Wood Island Display has many different merchandising functions and Specialty Store Services is sure that it does not disappoint. 

Why Specialty Store Services?

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Direct, straightforward pricing

On the pages of our website and catalog, you can expect that the prices you see are the prices that you are charged. At Specialty Store Services we have the lowest price guarantee.  We will meet or beat any competitor’s current (within 30 days) advertised price.  At time of your purchase, simply provide us with the copy of their advertisement. All products must be equivalent in quality and quantity.

Our no hassle return policy

Your complete satisfaction is our number one priority.  If you are not completely satisfied for any reason our customer service department is here to help.  Just as long as it is within the 30 days we will be happy to give you an RA# to return your product for a complete refund or we will help you find the exact merchandise.

Phone calls are always answered by a real person

During business hours, calls are always answered by a friendly voice, not an automated system.  When we answer we answer quickly and give you personalized service.  We have over 100 combined years of experience and you can always be sure we are giving you tips and advice that you can trust.  You are not only a customer to us, you are our partner. 

Quality, value, 100% satisfaction guaranteed

Specialty Store Services is committed to providing you with quality products at competitive prices along with our 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Orders ship within 24 hours

All orders no matter the size will ship within 24 hours from our 100,000+ sq ft warehouse in Des Plaines IL. 

Creating an Effective Accent Wall

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An effective accent wall breaks up the continuity of the store and makes a dull boring wall into something special with pizzazz and presence.  Creating an accent wall can be as easy as painting a wall a bright color that will accent the items that will be on display. With the right positioning the accent wall can become a destination within the store and draw more traffic through your store by also maximizing your sales per square foot.  If the store is one accent wall is enough but a larger store with many walls or separate areas should be able to accommodate up to 3-4 accent walls.
It is always good to place the accent wall in the rear or on the left hand side of the store. The advantages of having it in the back of the store customers will have to walk the whole length of the store to get to the wall in turn giving them more to look at. The wall on the left hand side brings customers to areas that are less visited and with the bright color will draws attention instead of being a dead zone. Make sure that the wall is changed every season so that it keeps the customers interested in the products.  By just adding a new color and items is all that is needed.
Use seasonally appropriate colors. When the weather is hot use blues and greens to make it feel cooler and more refreshing. When the weather outside is cool use warn colors- reds, oranges, and yellows to give warmth to the store.  Adding painted props or tables adds elements of interest and gives the wall more of a presence.  Always adjust your lighting to showcase products and draw attention. Positioning pin lights or floodlights at 45 degrees will concentrate the focus instead of leaving them in a shadow.
When merchandising the accent wall make sure that space is left on the wall and it doesn’t look overstuffed so that the customer gets confused. Keep the merchandise clean with strong groupings, racked and stacked neatly and always use multiple levels to maximize the space without creating clutter.
At Specialty Store Services we have a variety of items that would help create the perfect accent wall. For example, we have a new floating box shelf display that gives dimension as well as height.  Along with display risers and signage that will help complete the vision.
 
 
 

New Innovative Displays for Tee Shirts

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Specialty Store Services knows how hard it is for a retail store to display t-shirts, which is why SSS has designed the  Revolving T-shirt Display This display is made out of scratch resistant melamine and acrylic to give that refined finish look to any décor. This display is 4 sided that can hold up to 20 different designs. Each side has 5 acrylic fronts with the ability to hold a sample of the shirt folded with the design showing. This display is a self-service unit so customer can pull the size needed.  This unit is available in 3 colors: Black, White and Cherry and measures 23 ½” W x 23 ½” D x 63” H. The unit also has casters for easy maneuvering throughout the store.
Specialty Store Services also has a new t-shirt frame display that will hang right on grid or slatwall.  This unit will help create an organized wall of shirts without the clutter.  Each t-shirt frame measures 12” x 12” and has an acrylic front to protect from dirt or to just keep the shirts flat.  
When displaying t-shirts it is important to keep them folded neat and tidy which is why Specialty Store Services has 2 different folding boards. The Flip n Fold Folding Board utilizes a simple step system to fold uniformly in less than five seconds. The CompactFolding board allows quick, clean folds. “Shirts need to be neat and foldedto attract the consumer., Julie, Merchandiser at Specialty Store Services. 

Are you taking advantage of slow days?

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Can we really find the good in a slow day? I would have to say yes. While this cannot be ideal everyday, sometimes slow days bring a welcome moment of extra time for planning, inventory and cleaning. As retailers we want our business to be the best that it can, so why not use the time wisely and take that time to take actions to insure that it is.
If you have been in business for a while you will likely know what time of year, month or day will be slow.  If this is not the case you can probably judge based on the demographic and consumer trends.  For example, if you are open on a Sunday’s in a neighborhood full of families you may not get a lot of foot traffic because of children activities. A retailer may want to plan for some retail chores that have been put on the back burner.  Here is a look at what retailers need to be doing, yet never seem to find the time for:
  1. General Cleaning– dusting, vacuuming, bathrooms, floors
  2. Inventory Management – reorganizing, tracking, management, replenishment, and placing orders
  3. Office Management – filing, billing, payments, banking
  4. Employee Management – scheduling, reviews, new hires, training
  5. Social Media – posting, tweeting, responding to others, blogging
  6. Website Management– product management, e-commerce support, updating copy, scheduling updates
  7. Product Reviews- learning about new products for your store, gaining information on competitive products.
  8. Competitive Analysis- learning about other like retailers, challenging yourself to do better.  
  9. Profit Makers – researching and implementing new ways to bring revenue into your store. 
As a retailer it is always a good idea to keep a list handy of things that need to be done but never have to time- just like a Honey Do list.  Having a list will help keep you on task and get the most out of your free time.  It may also be a great time to use your part- time employees to help fill the space in the store and have some action going on. But remember, the input from your part-time employees may not always be as intense as your own but there is always plenty for them to do.  As most retailers know, there is always something to do in the store, so being bored or playing on Facebook isn’t the answer. 

That’s a Wrap!

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Gift wrapping attracts and keep customers coming back.
I have been in many situations where I needed a birthday gift for a party and it was starting in 15 minutes and I didn’t have the time to wrap a gift. In my neighborhood I have many stores that have complementary gift- wrapping, now I never have to think twice about where I go to get that extra special gift. I always go to the stores that have pre- wrapped or a gift-wrapping service for a purchased gift. I have a store for boy gifts, girl gifts and friends and hostess gifts all wrapped up with a bow! 
Gift wrapping saves the customers time and gives the retailer a chance to reinforce their brand. It also positions products that are in high demand or expensive. Think of everything you sell as a gift to your customer. How you package a product to send it home is just as important as the product itself. A customer will notice if the sale is just thrown in a bag and they will appreciate when a sale has been wrapped in tissue, placed into a bag and tied with a ribbon.  It doesn’t seem that difficult so why not give your customer that extra personal touch.
With the holiday season quickly approaching, gift-wrapping is a great way to help your customers in deciding on the perfect gift. Why not have pre-wrapped items dispersed around the store for the customer that is in a hurry? I am sure they would appreciate the convenience.
Points to consider when thinking about gift-wrapping in your store:
·        Have a few strategically placed signs with the words, “Complimentary Gift Wrapping” displayed in your store or the If you have gift-wrapped boxes, they can be used as an integral part of your store’s displays.
·        Include your logo on the packaging. Whether you order custom imprinted labels or making your own, showcasing your logo acts as an extra form of advertising.  
·        When deciding on a gift wrap make sure they are not too trendy and styles everyone will like. When picking a style that is too trendy it may not be available for long. Pick a print that will be known only to your store and that people know exactly where it was purchased.  
·        Remember to give some thought to whether you are going to include ribbons and bows when choosing your design.
·        Keep a variety of gift bags ready to go with sheets of tissue to keep things simple. So, when a gift is purchased it’s ready to go!

There’s never been a more important time for your store to look for additional ways to promote its brand and stand out from the competition, and this is a great way to do just that. Remember, whether you have one store or twenty stores your brand is vital to everything you do to promote your business.