“Whenever a holiday is approaching, such as Mother’s Day, I have a display dedicated to appropriate and thoughtful gifts. For Mother’s Day, I put out pretty scarves, jewelry and other accessories. That way, when someone runs in desperately the night before, I can direct them to that area and they get a wide variety of gift ideas.” - Christine B from Illinois

“I own a gift shop and I keep colored tissue paper and gift tags up by the register. As I am checking customers out, I ask them if their purchase is going to be a gift. If so, I suggest purchasing those additional items and I go ahead and wrap the gift right then and there. I have colors that complement birthdays, baby shower and weddings to meet any need. Customers really like that they walk out of my store ready to go to their party or event.” - Sue S from New York

“At my consignment shop, I put my secondhand merchandise on four way display racks as opposed to the standard straight racks. I have found that this encourages people to browse, and lets me showcase my best (and most expensive) merchandise on the front of the racks. These racks have made my store flow much better and people tend to buy more items as a result.” –Erin T, Georgia

“I run a children’s museum gift shop and I have noticed that if kids can pick out their own souvenirs, their parents are more likely to buy them. So I tend to keep merchandise in baskets and bins on low shelves. That way, the kids can see and touch their potential new toys.”
–Laura S, Portland, OR