New Packaging Collections

 July 28th, 2010

For retailers, the only piece of your store other than your merchandise that goes home with a customer are your bags and packaging. Packaging can leave a lasting impression on the quality of your store and can speak volumes about a store’s customer service. That is why Store Supply Warehouse is introducing a new line of premium packaging that includes coordinating bags, tissue paper and accents that are affordable for store owners.

Our customer service representatives are consistently making recommendations of how to group together our current merchandise to create a packaging collection and as a result, we decide to create collections for our customers. The collections integrate some of our existing products with new items to create a suite of products designed to create a cohesive look to a store’s packaging. With five expertly coordinated collections, stores are bound to find a collection that matches the look and mood of their retail store.

The five collections include glossy euro tote bags, frosty bags, tissue paper, raffia, curling ribbon and other accents. The collections are designed to express the mood of a store:

Neapolitan Collection: Reminiscent of the favorite ice cream combo, the Neapolitan collection integrates stripes and polka dots in the classic colors of white, pink and brown.  Raffia and ribbon accents finalize the collection that is topped with colorful tissue paper.

Cabana Bay Collection: Summon the feel of the islands with the Cabana Bay Collection. Cool colors are complemented with Island stripes accessorized with blues, oranges and yellows. Add a touch of the island with oatmeal and sage colored raffia to finish the look.

Treasury Collection: The classic combination of black and white is revved up by zebra print accents on bags and tissue paper and subtle metallic highlights. This timeless look would fit in with almost any store design.

Glamazon Collection: Black, Purple, Zebra and Leopard prints come together to fashion a distinct collection that will appeal to many clothing store owners. This collection is perfect for the store that caters to the woman that wants everything from her hair to the bag she is carrying to look polished.

Wild Raffari Collection: Giraffe prints are set off with the natural accents of raffia. Light green, orange and yellow items brighten the look and add an unexpected twist to an animal print collection.

The premium bag collections can be customized in regards to sizes and accents to a retailer’s specifications. And all of these collections can be supplemented by our already extensive lines of solid color tissue paper, frosty bags, glossy euro totes, ribbons and raffia to create a truly unique look for any store. Because of our extensive network, we are able to provide these items at affordable rates so that any store can add a touch of excitement and color to their packaging without breaking the bank.

Posted in All, Featured Products, Gifts, Packaging | No Comments »

Back-to-School: Clothing Displays

 July 8th, 2010

For kids everywhere, the 4th of July is the middle point of summer vacation. Now that the 4th is behind us, before you know it, moms and kids will be rolling into stores across the country ready to stock up. That’s right, Back-to-School time is almost upon us and it is time to start planning for this event. Over the next few weeks, we will explore a few issues regarding back-to-school merchandising and displays.

One of the biggest markets for back-to-school shopping is clothing. New school wardrobes are a must for many students. Some schools require uniforms and an increasing number of schools are enforcing a stricter dress code than normal. Being aware of the general clothing limitations will help you highlight school appropriate clothing in order to push sales.

In general, most school dress schools have regulations similar to these items:

  • No clothing with rips, tears or frays even if they are part of the clothing design.
  • Writing/branding is often discouraged, or should be minimal and non-offensive.
  • All shirts should have sleeves and should be long enough to completely cover the torso.
  • Cargo shorts and pants are banned in many schools.
  • Shorts and skirts often need to fall between fingertip and knee length.
  • Hats or other head coverings such as bandanas are forbidden.
  • Shoes need to be fully fastened to the feet and many schools require closed toe shoes. Flip flops are usually not allowed and if heels are permitted, often they must be restricted to a 1” heel.
  • Pants must be appropriately sized, should not hang off the body and often must be a khaki or docker type material or plain (non-embellished) blue jeans.

Other schools with uniforms tend to have items that can be purchased in retail stores, including:

  • Solid color polo shirts. Often colors are limited to white and powder blue for boys, however, some schools allow other colors if they are school colors.
  • Solid navy or khaki colored pants, long skirts or walking shorts.
  • Leather belts.
  • Solid colored tennis shoes or leather shoes.

We recommend researching the school districts in your area. Often, schools post their dress codes or uniform information on the school website. Then you can make sure that you carry items that are in compliance with the school dress code.

Once back-to-school shopping season begins, we recommend grouping clothing into outfits. Put all the uniform specific items together. Uniform items do very well on round racks or folded on tables because parents are looking for a specific size and will buy more than one of the same item. So you will want to make sure you stock multiples of each size and style.

For dress code items, four way racks work well. Put coordinating tops and bottoms together so that students can see an entire outfit put together. And then have other items that would coordinate with the same tops and bottoms nearby so that parents can maximize their budgets.

Remember that this time of year can be stressful for students and parents alike. Stores are crowded, budgets are tight and often this can lead to tantrums and fights. By displaying items in a manner that is conducive for parents and students to easily find what they need, you will sooth nerves and make your customers happy.

What other topics regarding back-to-school sales would you like us to cover in the coming weeks?

Posted in All, Displays, Merchandising, Promotions, Sales | 4 Comments »

NARTS Raffle Winners

 July 7th, 2010

First of all we would like to thank everyone at NARTS for putting on yet another great Conference.  The location could not have been better, and from what we’ve heard and read from various attendees the content of the sessions was extremely useful. Kudos to Gail, Adele, and the entire Board of Directors!  We know everyone is already looking for next year.

Secondly we want to thank everyone who stopped by our booth to say hello, discuss prior and/or potential purchases, and to throw out some ideas on how we can improve our product line to best serve the Resale/Consignment Store Industry.  We can assure you that your ideas are taken to heart and heavily considered as we update our product line.

Lastly, it is time to announce the winners of the free raffle that was held at our booth this year.  Two lucky winners are going to receive $100 each to use at Store Supply Warehouse on any type of supplies they would like.

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Gary & Stephanie George from Finders Keepers, LLC in Arlington, VA

AND

Peggy from Children’s Crossing in Sturbridge, MA

*** IMPORTANT/REQUIRED *** To claim your prize contact Tom Smith at 314-292-5908 or  tsmith@storesupply.com.

Thank you to everyone who participated and please join us in congratulating Finders Keepers and Children’s Crossing!  Be sure to come by our booth next year at Sourcemart to enter for your chance to win!

Be sure to check this blog frequently for updates, new stories, new ideas, and much more.

Posted in All, News | No Comments »

Summer Displays: Bags

 July 1st, 2010

Bags, totes, purses, backpacks, diaper bags and more; bags and purses are a major source of revenue for many retail stores. And summer is the time of year when bigger is better. Huge purses and totes double as beach and pool bags. Summer is also the time when people switch out bags or buy purses especially for this season.

So get out the bright colors and huge tote bags. It’s time to display your bags with some creativity to increase bag sales.

Bags with straps always tend to look better when hung. And there are many display solutions that work for hanging bags. One of our favorites is the 4 way rack. First of all, they display many items in a small space. They are easy to maneuver for clients. And they break up the monotony of traditional clothing items.

This specific rack features 2 Straight And 2 Slant Dimensional Arms. And the arms can be extended or retracted depending on the amount of merchandise on each arm. We recommend mixing up styles and colors but usually, it tends to work best if you place larger bags on the lower arms and your smaller bags on the top.

For smaller bags like clutches and wallets that don’t have straps, some sort of table or basket display is a good way to display bags. A double sided merchandise basket easily displays small wallets and purses. And the baskets can be rearranged to allow for space restraints. Like with the spinner rack, you can get many items into one space with a display item like this one.

And wall displays like grid and slat wall can always be customized with different attachments so that purses and bags can be displayed on hooks and shelves.

Another opportunity for bags is to sell bags like beach bags as packages. A beach bag that includes a towel, sunscreen and other pool and beach items can be sold as an all in one unit. You can then display empty bags for a less expensive rate. Not only is this a great gift, but the filled bags make great displays and show off your merchandise in a unique and visually engaging way.

Finally, don’t forget to reflect the mood of the season in your bag merchandise this summer. Bright colors, large patterns, striking stripes and flowered bags all are popular summer items and also add a pop of color and pattern to your store’s displays.

Which types of summer bags are flying off your shelves right now?

Posted in All, Displays | No Comments »

Visual Displays from Ziezo Boutique

 June 29th, 2010

Carol Crudden started Ziezo Boutique when she was 21 from a passion for silk-screening and now 29 years later is still operating the successful boutique in the historical Delmar Loop area.

Carol launched Ziezo as a way for customers to find unique clothing. She didn’t want to closely follow fashion trends but wanted to attract customers that thought outside of the box when it came to their fashion trends.

This mentality has overlapped into the design of her store. With bright colors, unique art and props in her displays that aren’t usually used in the retail industry, Ziezo as a space perfectly reflects Carol’s merchandise and her customers.

Carol offers many ideas for setting up displays in a boutique, including:

  • There is no specific formula for displays or for running your store, don’t be afraid to try new things.
  • You have to pull something out of yourself and find inspiration in places other than other retail venues to create unique spaces.
  • Think outside of the box and present things in a way that you have never seen before. Use props, paint items and create extravagant window displays to make your store stand out.

Ziezo truly is an environment that doesn’t fade into the background. Check out the space that Carol has created at Ziezo in this video about Carol’s design ideas.

Posted in All, Displays, Owner Spotlight, Videos | 1 Comment »

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