Month: June 2013

5 Must-Dos to Prepare for New Store Openings

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

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

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

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

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

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

Posted onAuthorericw@specialtystoreservices.com

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.