As with any holiday, last minute shoppers will be out and about these next few days. Make your displays inviting and impulse buys convenient in order to maximize profits during this special time of year.

Valentine’s Day is a very good holiday for convincing shoppers to pick up something extra. Jewelry, flowers, candy and stuffed animals are always go-to items for Valentine’s Day, so place these items near the register and in close proximity to other Valentine’s Day gift items.

Also, considering pre-assembling gift baskets or grouping similar items together in order to encourage people to pick up another item that complements the original gift. For example, place coordinating earrings next to a necklace. Put together a variety of spa items such as robes, lotion, pedicure supplies, slippers, etc.

Here are some ideas for gift sets that not only will draw in customers, but will encourage them to spend just a little bit more for a quality gift this year.

Gift Sets for Men

• A toiletry bag filled with nice shaving essentials such as a razor, shaving cream warming, shaving brush, aftershave and cologne.
• Cigar Sets that include nice cigars, cutters, lighters and a cigar box.
• Grilling sets that include utensils, rubs, marinades, spices, smoking chips and kabob skewers.
• Any alcohol gift set that includes alcohol, glasses, a wine opener or bottle opener, a flask and various accoutrements.

Gift Sets for Women

• Spa/bath set including salt scrubs, bubbles, lotion, loofahs and candles.
• Manicure/Pedicure sets with foot scrub, nail polish, pumice stones, hand lotion and cuticle oil.
• Chocolate gift packs with assorted candies.

Another idea would be to provide baskets and a “build your own gift set” with complimentary basket wrapping. Then have a table with various items like perfume, stuffed animals, chocolate and more so that people can build their own gift set that is in range with their exact budget.

Then don’t forget to have some flowers, stuffed animals and extra Valentine’s Day cards at the register so that shopping can pick up these last minute items and add them to their total.

How do you encourage people to purchase gifts in your store?

Some statistics out there have said that 10% of all engagements in the U.S. happen on Valentine’s Day. This number seems a little high, but the bottom line is that many use this romantic day to pop the big question and that means ring sales! Even if you’re not a diamond selling store, in today’s economy, it is not unusual for women to opt for a non-diamond engagement ring. And really, any store that sells rings can benefit from effectively displaying products. In addition to making rings standout against a flattering background, having ring displays keeps these small items in front of your sales associates.

Depending in your store’s needs there are several ring displays to choose from. And because each of these displays are available in either black velvet or faux white leather, store owners will be able to choose the best color backdrop for featured merchandise.

To display many rings at once we recommend using the five finger ring display, twelve finger ring display, foam ring insert with 72 slots, foam ring inserts with 36 slots or foam ring pads with 8 sections. To highlight a special ring or to let a customer view a ring alone, the single finger ring display is available with either a round or square base. If your goal is to add some interest to your displays, the polystyrene display hand or the horizontal display hand are great options that will make rings sparkle.  the horizontal display hand are great options that will make rings sparkle.

72 Ring Foam Display |   5 Finger Ring Display |  Polystyrene Display Hand |   Single Ring Display

Also, don’t forget a plastic ring size measuring stick and a finger size measuring ring set with 25 plastic rings on a chain so customers know exactly what will work for them.

Ring Size Measuring Stick | Finger Size Measuring Rings

How do you display rings you sell? Do you display single rings? Multiple rings? Or both?

Like many things, it’s not surprising that men and women have different shopping behaviors. It is beneficial for store owners to cater certain displays toward women and others toward men, depending on the item featured and the season. Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to test how creating displays targeted at gender can increase sales because both men and women will be out in search of gifts for their significant others.

You can find countless articles about the different shopping habits between men and women. I would advise glancing over a few of these because they are very interesting. You will find information such as:

• Women spend $4 trillion annually and account for 83% of consumer spending in the U.S. (from WomenCertified.com)
• “A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn’t need.”
• One of the most important aspects for men when shopping is checking out fast. One of the most important things for women is the experience and feeling like an important customer. (from a 2007 study done at Penn State)

Knowing some of this information, you may be asking yourself how do you translate this to your displays. Here is what we recommend thinking about when displaying for men:

• Make sure items that your popular items for men are very easy to find and in stock. Because men have a “get in, get out” shopping mentality, they may give up at your store if they cannot find exactly what they are looking for quickly. Instead of creating cute, decorated displays we would recommend focusing on visible signage and keeping products organized.
• Men are less likely to ask for help than women, try to make all products available on the floor. Though it may look better to display an item without the clutter of having multiples of that product, men may not go looking for that displayed product if it is not readily available.
• Especially during Valentine’s Day, men may be a little out of their element when shopping for wives or girlfriends. To make them more comfortable, keeping popular Valentine’s Day merchandise in one area might be a good idea so they are not overwhelmed having to walk and search through the entire store.

Women are a little more eclectic in their shopping style, so you have more freedom with your displays. Here is what we recommend thinking about when displaying for women:

• Because women love options and deals, displaying a plethora of merchandise can be advantageous when targeting women. You can utilize a mix of dump bins, tables and racks to feature lots of merchandise. Displaying products at different price points will allow women to measure their options. Most women are not overwhelmed by a large inventory.
• Make sure that you let your female customers know that you appreciate their business and ask for feedback from them. You can do this by adding things such as comment boxes or survey slips in your store.
• Women are more likely to buy multiple items when they can see them together. For example, when a woman is shopping for her husband, pair that great wallet with a snazzy watch.

How do you make displays more appealing to men verses displaying for women?

Because jewelry is a top seller for Valentine’s Day, offering jewelry boxes with purchases is a nice touch for buyers. Jewelry boxes are great for keeping purchases safe, secure and unharmed from the time of purchase to when the recipient opens the box. They help keep necklaces and bracelets from becoming a tangled mess, as well as add an extra element of surprise when opening.

Many women also keep the original boxes their jewelry comes in as a way to neatly store and organize jewelry. Plus, many times stores put their brand name on their boxes so it is a good way to remind customers where they purchased their favorite jewelry items. You can easily brand boxes by adding custom sticker labels with your company name and contact information.

For many stores that carry jewelry, cotton-filled jewelry gift boxes will suffice with customer purchases. These boxes come in silver, white, kraft and gold to match any other packaging materials you offer. Many shapes and sizes are available to accommodate necklaces, bracelets, earrings, watches, pendants and rings. Additionally, they come with a piece of cotton that is sized to the box, so these are great for packaging other small, fragile items as well.

Cotton-Filled Jewelry Gift Boxes in silver, kraft, white and gold.

Jewelry stores that want to create a dramatic presentation with their products, faux leather and black velvet boxes are perfect for creating the WOW factor. These not only look great but because they close tight, items will be stored safely wherever they go. Boxes for rings, earrings, necklaces, pendants and watches are available in black velvet with gold accents, faux leather white and faux leather black.

Black Velvet Earring Box | Faux Leather Necklace Box | Faux Leather Watch Box

Since many retail stores have cut back budgets and do not offer gift boxes with purchases, your store will standout above the competition when you have these items available.

Many people who order online want to have their purchase sent directly to the recipient for the holidays. Offering gift wrapping services for online sales is a good strategy for these buyers, making your online store a one-stop-shop for holiday customers.

There are many different pattern options of gift wrapping to match your customer’s tastes. The following are offered as half ream rolls measuring 24” W x 75’ L.

• Red-Gold Holly Leaf
• Candles
• Metallic Gold Pine Cone
• Metallic Poinsettia
• Metallic Silver Stripe
• Metallic Snowflake
• Ornaments
• Holiday Block Print

Offering customers different wrapping options will personalize the gift and experience for them. Usually people ship gifts to people they cannot see over the holidays, so any amount of custom options you can offers will be appreciated. We recommend stocking up on your packaging material such as stretch film, bubble wrap and Kraft paper.

For more information on packaging, refer to previous blog posts in the packaging category.

Since we started the Store Supply Blog back in April, we have gotten fabulous responses from retailers on their tips for success. We developed the Store Supply Blog and Forum to be a valuable resource for independent retailers. Because of the response of our readers and our dedication to offering valuable information, we have decided to introduce a new reoccurring feature to the Store Supply Blog: The Store Owner Spotlight.

About once a month, we will turn to a store owner for their “Tuesday Tips” on how to successfully run a retail operation. This month, we focus on Maura Lawlor, owner of Kerry Cottage, an Irish merchandise store based in Maplewood, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis.

At Kerry Cottage, you will find everything Irish from Waterford Crystal to St. Patrick’s Day apparel. Maura Lawlor opened the store more than 20 years ago with her mother, having no idea it would turn into a fulfilling career. Starting with a big dream and a little bit of luck, Kerry Cottage has become a local favorite and has even been featured on local news.

We asked Maura to share her five tips for success in the retail industry:

1. Be passionate: Maura says you should either love what you do or don’t do it. If you aren’t passionate about your store, you won’t take the extra steps to make it a success.
2. Focus on the details: If you only concentrate on the big picture, it can be overwhelming. Maura suggests focusing on the small details one at a time and they will come together to make a successful store.
3. Don’t buy what you like: Just because you like an item doesn’t mean that it will sell well. Maura recommends paying attention to buying trends to determine what to purchase for your store.
4. Work with vendors you trust: Maura turns to her vendors to suggest merchandise that is successful. She only works with vendors she can trust to make good recommendations. Then she follows their recommendations.
5. Only carry high quality merchandise: Make sure your merchandise is high quality because not only does it reflect well on your store, it will keep your customers coming back for more.

With the luck of the Irish, Maura Lawlor turned her passion into a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Do you know a retailer that we should spotlight next month? Do you have tips for success? Let us know!

On Tuesday, we discussed the benefits of starting a gift certificate program at your store. But what about the person that purchases merchandise for their loved ones? Oftentimes, people are in a rush and would like to get a gift, packaging and wrap all in one place. So today we are going to discuss the different options in gift packaging.

First you need to decide if you are going to offer gift wrap as an additional or complimentary service. Many stores will offer it for free around the holidays to woo in customers. If you have the space, the resources and the man power, it might not be a bad idea to throw this service in on the house after a certain purchase point.

If you are doing gift wrap for free, the most cost effective solution is to purchase gift boxes in bulk and then have several large rolls of gift wrap on hand. The gift wrap you choose says a lot about your store. So it is better to err on the conservative side in higher end stores. We recommend solid gold or silver paper or even gold or silver striped paper. This style of paper is versatile for weddings, birthdays or shower presents. But don’t be afraid to have a little fun, especially if you are a store that caters to children. Choose paper the compliments your store’s logo and design.

Retail gift wrap comes in half ream rolls, so you will want to invest in a gift wrap dispenser. These stands protect your paper, make it extremely easy to measure and cut, and come in a variety of sizes to hold either one or multiple rolls. Then purchase ribbon and tags as the finishing touch to your packaging.

If you aren’t planning on offering gift wrap, another option is to stock wrapping supplies such as gift bags and tissue paper. Then keep these items near the counter and train your sales staff to ask customers if they would like to add gift wrapping supplies to their order.

Another way to do gift wrap is to having shopping bags that can double as gift bags. Victoria’s Secret has perfected this idea by placing every item in a gift bag with their signature pink tissue paper. Glossy euro totes and frosted shopping bags are both good options if going this route.

Just remember, by offering gift wrapping options at your store, you are helping your customers and keeping profits in your store.

How do you handle gift wrapping in your retail store?

In 2006, the National Retail Federation estimated that consumers would purchase $25 billion in gift cards. Companies like Best Buy and Victoria’s Secret have seen upwards of $40 million each in profits in unused gift cards alone. So why the trend toward gift cards, and how can your store cash in on the potential profits?

Gift cards have recently become an extremely popular item around the holidays, for birthdays and wedding or baby showers. Some couples even now register for very few items hoping to get gift cards so they can pick out their own gifts. Gift cards are seen as a thoughtful purchase because they let your loved one know that you were thinking of them, but it gives them the freedom to choose their own items. Gift certificates to specialty stores, boutiques, spas or other niche stores can speak volumes about how you were truly thinking of that individual when selecting a store.

To get in on the gift card action, you should make it very easy to purchase a gift card/certificate. Place a sign advertising that gift certificates are available. We recommend not only putting one at the counter, but also placing one at the entrance to the store, so that weary buyers know right away that they have an alternative gift idea. Plus, if your store has a website, advertise that gift certificates are available.

We like gift certificates that can be customized to any amount. That way, people aren’t pigeonholed into a certain price. If you have only increments of $25, someone planning to spend $30 will go down to $25 rather than up to $50. That is $5 lost.

Now, plastic gift cards are great, but they are pretty impractical for independent retailers. The costs to start up a plastic gift card program would far outweigh the profits. And paper gift certificates and plastic cards spend exactly the same way, so people tend to not even notice the difference. So for now, stick with paper gift certificates and then if they take off, then consider investing in a card system.

We suggest having 2-part gift certificates. These packages allow you to give one certificate to the customer while you have an exact replica for your records. This way, when a certificate is redeemed, you know how long ago it was purchased, the selling associate, etc. These types of gift certificates help you add checks and balances to your gift certificate program.

The final thing to think about when starting a gift certificate program is an expiration date. It is pretty standard for gift certificates to be valid for either one to two years from the purchase date. Most organizations do not count a gift certificate as revenue until it is redeemed, so after two years, that certificate is automatically figured into profits. That way, you don’t have to keep your records open. Plus, as we mentioned before, many gift certificates go unclaimed, so you need an official date to stop acknowledging that sale.

Gift certificates can be an extremely good way to generate additional revenue. So don’t be scared, start a gift certificate program.

How have gift certificates sales impacted your stores bottom line?