Catalog 70 includes new additions to our always popular lineup of The Boutique at Store Supply Warehouse fixtures and merchandise displays. The latest offerings do not disappoint.
Women’s Metal Dressform
This is a modern take on a traditional dressmaker form or mannequin. The metal dressform is an exciting way to show off your accessories including scarves, hats shoes and other fashion jewelry. This form is available in two finishes Cobblestone and Ivory. It’s lightweight and sturdy frame will definitely make your customers take a second look at what you have on display. Break away from the traditional scarf rack or floor display rack!
Metal A-frame Signage
The Metal A-frame Sidewalk Signage adds a new twist on the traditional metal A-frame sign and wood frame sign. The Boutique A-frame signs feature the “o” rings of the Ivory collection, the “s” scroll of the Cobblestone collection and the “sleek” silver finish of the Raw Steel collection. All the signs stand approximately 42 ½”H x 21”W. Each one features a box of chalk and a magnetic eraser.
Cheval Floor Mirror
The Cheval Floor Mirrors are a stunning addition. There is no way these mirrors will go unnoticed on your sales floor. They are available in Cobblestone and Ivory finishes. The mirrors are 60” inches tall with am oval mirror surface of 39 ½” x 17” for optimal visual impact. These mirrors belong on your sales floor near dressing room areas or clothing racks. Any customer would be more than delighted to see their next purchase from head to toe looking at one of these. The mirrors are available at a reduced in price of $50 down from $65. Who could pass up that deal?
Please join us on Facebook today! You know have two chances to win $100 Store Supply credit! “Like” us on Facebook and take a quick survey today! You will be glad you did! Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates on Store Supply Warehouse merchandise, retail tips and trends.
2011 was a successful year for Store Supply Warehouse. We appreciate your continued support and are grateful for it. We are hopeful that 2012 will be Store Supply’s and yours best year yet!
Our new catalog is now available. This is the first catalog of the year. Catalog 70 includes 150 reduced priced and closeout items. Some of the highlights include reduced pricing on our Madix line of gondola units and add-ons. Both maple and cherry ready to assemble and fully assembled showcases are also reduced in price and are in stock and ready to be shipped to you.
We have introduced some new products. We are now featuring an addition to our Boutique line. We have two wire dress forms that are very fashion forward and add a unique twist on merchandising.
Our closeouts feature all sorts of merchandise from shopping bags to mannequins. Please take some time to look through our latest catalog cover to cover. We have a new version of our virtual catalog available now. We will be highlighting our new merchandise in future articles so please check back with us.
You now have two chances to win $100 Store Supply credit with us on Facebook. You are automatically entered if you “like” us and if you take our quick survey about your experience with us, this will give you a second chance at winning! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for up to date info on products and retail trends.
Valentine’s Day is the next BIG holiday coming up! It is very important that if you sell jewelry, this is the time that you MUST bring your A game! Play around and have fun with it! It is important that you make your merchandise POP! The more eye-catching and creative you are, the more likely it will be that your jewelry will catch the eye of your customers, pull them into the store and get that jewelry sold! Here is a great video that highlights our line of jewelry display merchandise. We have lots of styles for bracelets, necklaces and earrings. We have product this is sure to fit your budget and style.
In the corporate world, when someone (usually a senior manager who comes from the accounting side of the business) wants to reduce expenses, payroll is always the big target? I know very well that payroll is the big, big budget item for any of us . . . but is cutting expenses the only answer to profits? Must service always be eliminated in the name of making money? Is that the only way to get a retail business to a profitable position? I don’t think so. As a matter of fact, I know so!
There is an almost unanimous feeling in this country over the lack of customer service! Most department stores are perfect examples of stores that are less attractive places to shop than they were years ago. There is an increasing lack of service and knowledgeable sales help at these stores. What happened? They supposedly ARE NOT self-service stores! What is your store? Is it too close to being a self-service store? Why are people paying full retail price in your store? WHAT IS THE VALUE YOU’RE PROVIDING YOUR CUSTOMERS? Standing behind the counter and processing the debit or credit card is NOT “value” as far as your customers are concerned! They must be getting something extra for their money, if they’re going to pay “full boat” pricing!
If you’re getting good service and productivity out of your people, don’t be too hasty to cut your payroll. Take a look at some of the chapters in my book, “A Line Out The Door” and ask yourself once again if payroll should be your first choice.
My first choice would be to do everything possible to assure that I impressed and pleased my customers when they entered my store. Think about it. You may not get a second chance at pleasing or impressing them!Are today’s department stores listening to their customers, with their ever-increasing self-service approach? I’m really not so sure. If or when you cut payroll, are you listening to your customers? I do understand, if that truly is your only choice to survive, but all too often it becomes the easy answer. All too often, disappointing customers by further cutting your service just adds to the problem and the result is a continued downward spiral. Increasing sales is the answer to most problems. Cutting payroll may be a lot more like sticking some chewing gum on the leak in the swimming pool.
What about sales? Have you really done everything possible to increase sales? Maybe your sales could be a lot better if you asked more questions and listened more to your customers. I see way too many retail storeowners with the attitude they have done everything possible to increase sales, yet I can very easily see they are mistaken as I walk through their stores. I see poor service, poor signage, dirty windows, floors, stained ceilings and unimaginative displays. I also see the same store layout with the same products in the same places and walls that haven’t seen a fresh coat of paint or a splash of color in years.
Are you listening to your employees? Get your people together and tell them about your situation. Ask them what you can do to improve. Your people hear things and see things you don’t, and they can often provide some very enlightening information and answers that may surprise you. Get the answer to some questions including the following:
• Do you know what the competition is doing to serve customers better?
• Do you know what you’re doing that surpasses the competition? What can be emphasized, expanded or replicated that you are already doing well?
• What area of your store is least productive? Why?
• Is your store meeting the customer’s expectations or surpassing them?
• Does a process or a policy need to change?
• Ask your customers what you could do to make them come back more often?
• Ask your customers if they owned your business, what they would change?
• Have you ever called your store and acted like a customer to determine how things are handled?
There are many more questions like these that need to be asked and answered. Payroll may indeed be the answer to your problems, but get some answers before you go blindly hacking away at payroll.
Hopefully you’ve come to realize by now that there are two ways to produce more business: You can bring in new customers or you can sell more to the ones that you already have. If you’ve run the numbers or watched the most successful and profitable retailers you should know by now that it’s easier (and more profitable) to sell more to the customers you already have.
If you’re with me so far, you have to ask yourself, “How do you sell more to the customers you already have?”
1. Get Your People to Perform As Expected
Yes, I know that’s easier said than done. Whatever great mission or set of goals you’ve created going into 2012; you won’t get anywhere if you can’t manage these next four specifics.
• Know what motivates your people. Don’t just think you know. Find out what gets them excited. This may be different for every one of them.
• Give consistent and regular recognition for any positive efforts in the right direction.
• Do NOT assume that because you gave instructions once, or stated an important policy, or trained anyone on any specific topic, that it will “take” the first or even the second time. Good training means reinforcing and emphasizing desired behavior and actions over and over.
• Implement some specific corrective training for any employee that isn’t measuring up to expectations (if they’re sincerely trying), rather than any punitive or embarrassing actions.
• Do not reduce your standards or accept mediocrity.
2. Put A Smile On The Face Of Customers Who Enter Your Store.
Do not ignore or underestimate the importance of this objective. You can create memorable or remarkable moments in your store by working to ensure that your customers experience something special, emotional or outstanding that makes a lasting impression on them. The goal is to tie the customer’s memory regarding visits to your store to small daily positive memorable experiences or even big “wow” moments when possible. Over a period of time, real emotional ties develop and become much more powerful than any advertising campaign. Regardless, memorable experiences are extremely rare when visiting almost any store, so this becomes one more great chance to separate yourself from the competition!
Two Primary Ways Customers Evaluate Their Experience In Your Store.
• They compare their experience in your store to what they expected it would be. Can you do better?
• They compare their experience to other experiences they have in other stores. Can you do better?
Customers may have low expectations from any sales clerk these days. Your goal may be as simple as having a sales clerk who smiles, looks the customer in the eye and remembers their name. (I guarantee you that’s an improvement in many, many stores!)
Your store can begin to exceed experiences over other stores by simply having a pleasant conversation with the customer. Exceed the competition by offering to gift-wrap their purchase at no charge. Maybe it’s opening the door, making a funny comment and helping carry packages to the customer’s car. Wouldn’t any of these be memorable and put a smile on the customer’s face? (These things are a lot easier to accomplish if you have employees who actually enjoy people and want to help them. This becomes your goal when you hire.)
These things add up and go a long way in being memorable. Think about a cashier at a drive-thru who has a “glad to see you” smile. They might make a positive comment about a child or pet in the car. They may keep treats available for kids or for Fido. They may even hand a regular customer a special coupon for a free drink or sandwich the next time around.
NOTE:
One of Nordstrom’s nice touches comes when they finish ringing up the sale. They don’t hand the package over the counter to the customer or let them pick it up off the counter; they walk around the counter and present it to the customer with direct eye contact, a sincere smile and a “Thank You” . . . . Nice Touch!
3. Ask Questions And Try To Add To Every Sale!
One simple goal is to train your employees to ask questions of the customer to uncover their needs and more importantly their wants. You can have your employees do some suggestive selling. Give your employees a goal of adding on just 10% to every sale, no matter where the purchase starts out. The simple and magic phrase to remember is, “Have you seen this?” You don’t want them badgering customers and repeatedly asking if the customer is sure they don’t want this and that, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking if the customer has considered this or that, or if the customer needs a tie with that suit, or do they need some socks before they leave. This is actually helping the customer to make sure they’ve picked up everything that they intended to buy or maybe they haven’t thought of. You don’t want your employees to sell customers anything they don’t actually want and you don’t want them to bombard the customer with this same question over and over! The goal is to be helpful. Customers already have the “want” built in if you find the right item or push the right button.
Once your employees realize that a 10% add-on is a pretty reasonable goal, you may actually find that a little competition begins once the first employee achieves this goal. I’m sure you can encourage this effort by encouraging and challenging others to follow suit. Bolster this effort and encourage this atmosphere by having some simple contests with some gift card rewards.
4. Get Customers On Your E-Mail List With An Incentive
Ask ALL customers at the time of purchase to provide you with their contact information so they can be on your e-mail list. Let them know they will receive a healthy discount on their next purchase if they bring back the printed e-mail you will send them with the discount coupon. Collecting this information is CRITICAL. It’s worth whatever discount you may decide to provide. Also let them know that they will receive special offers for their loyalty along with announcements of new product arrivals and helpful information. You won’t get them all, but those you do get, probably like your store quite a bit and want to be informed. Don’t disappoint!
Catalog 70 includes new additions to our always popular lineup of The Boutique at Store Supply Warehouse fixtures and merchandise displays. The latest offerings do not disappoint.
Women’s Metal Dressform
This is a modern take on a traditional dressmaker form or mannequin. The metal dressform is an exciting way to show off your accessories including scarves, hats shoes and other fashion jewelry. This form is available in two finishes Cobblestone and Ivory. It’s lightweight and sturdy frame will definitely make your customers take a second look at what you have on display. Break away from the traditional scarf rack or floor display rack!
Metal A-frame Signage
The Metal A-frame Sidewalk Signage adds a new twist on the traditional metal A-frame sign and wood frame sign. The Boutique A-frame signs feature the “o” rings of the Ivory collection, the “s” scroll of the Cobblestone collection and the “sleek” silver finish of the Raw Steel collection. All the signs stand approximately 42 ½”H x 21”W. Each one features a box of chalk and a magnetic eraser.
Cheval Floor Mirror
The Cheval Floor Mirrors are a stunning addition. There is no way these mirrors will go unnoticed on your sales floor. They are available in Cobblestone and Ivory finishes. The mirrors are 60” inches tall with am oval mirror surface of 39 ½” x 17” for optimal visual impact. These mirrors belong on your sales floor near dressing room areas or clothing racks. Any customer would be more than delighted to see their next purchase from head to toe looking at one of these. The mirrors are available at a reduced in price of $50 down from $65. Who could pass up that deal?
Please join us on Facebook today! You know have two chances to win $100 Store Supply credit! “Like” us on Facebook and take a quick survey today! You will be glad you did! Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates on Store Supply Warehouse merchandise, retail tips and trends.
Catalog 70 is Here
Catalog 70 is Here
2011 was a successful year for Store Supply Warehouse. We appreciate your continued support and are grateful for it. We are hopeful that 2012 will be Store Supply’s and yours best year yet!
Our new catalog is now available. This is the first catalog of the year. Catalog 70 includes 150 reduced priced and closeout items. Some of the highlights include reduced pricing on our Madix line of gondola units and add-ons. Both maple and cherry ready to assemble and fully assembled showcases are also reduced in price and are in stock and ready to be shipped to you.
We have introduced some new products. We are now featuring an addition to our Boutique line. We have two wire dress forms that are very fashion forward and add a unique twist on merchandising.
Our closeouts feature all sorts of merchandise from shopping bags to mannequins. Please take some time to look through our latest catalog cover to cover. We have a new version of our virtual catalog available now. We will be highlighting our new merchandise in future articles so please check back with us.
You now have two chances to win $100 Store Supply credit with us on Facebook. You are automatically entered if you “like” us and if you take our quick survey about your experience with us, this will give you a second chance at winning! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for up to date info on products and retail trends.
Jewelry Display Video
Jewelry Display Video
Valentine’s Day is the next BIG holiday coming up! It is very important that if you sell jewelry, this is the time that you MUST bring your A game! Play around and have fun with it! It is important that you make your merchandise POP! The more eye-catching and creative you are, the more likely it will be that your jewelry will catch the eye of your customers, pull them into the store and get that jewelry sold! Here is a great video that highlights our line of jewelry display merchandise. We have lots of styles for bracelets, necklaces and earrings. We have product this is sure to fit your budget and style.
Is Cutting Payroll The Answer To Your Problems?
Is Cutting Payroll The Answer To Your Problems?
by Rich Gordon AKA Retail Rich
In the corporate world, when someone (usually a senior manager who comes from the accounting side of the business) wants to reduce expenses, payroll is always the big target? I know very well that payroll is the big, big budget item for any of us . . . but is cutting expenses the only answer to profits? Must service always be eliminated in the name of making money? Is that the only way to get a retail business to a profitable position? I don’t think so. As a matter of fact, I know so!
There is an almost unanimous feeling in this country over the lack of customer service! Most department stores are perfect examples of stores that are less attractive places to shop than they were years ago. There is an increasing lack of service and knowledgeable sales help at these stores. What happened? They supposedly ARE NOT self-service stores! What is your store? Is it too close to being a self-service store? Why are people paying full retail price in your store? WHAT IS THE VALUE YOU’RE PROVIDING YOUR CUSTOMERS? Standing behind the counter and processing the debit or credit card is NOT “value” as far as your customers are concerned! They must be getting something extra for their money, if they’re going to pay “full boat” pricing!
If you’re getting good service and productivity out of your people, don’t be too hasty to cut your payroll. Take a look at some of the chapters in my book, “A Line Out The Door” and ask yourself once again if payroll should be your first choice.
My first choice would be to do everything possible to assure that I impressed and pleased my customers when they entered my store. Think about it. You may not get a second chance at pleasing or impressing them!Are today’s department stores listening to their customers, with their ever-increasing self-service approach? I’m really not so sure. If or when you cut payroll, are you listening to your customers? I do understand, if that truly is your only choice to survive, but all too often it becomes the easy answer. All too often, disappointing customers by further cutting your service just adds to the problem and the result is a continued downward spiral. Increasing sales is the answer to most problems. Cutting payroll may be a lot more like sticking some chewing gum on the leak in the swimming pool.
What about sales? Have you really done everything possible to increase sales? Maybe your sales could be a lot better if you asked more questions and listened more to your customers. I see way too many retail storeowners with the attitude they have done everything possible to increase sales, yet I can very easily see they are mistaken as I walk through their stores. I see poor service, poor signage, dirty windows, floors, stained ceilings and unimaginative displays. I also see the same store layout with the same products in the same places and walls that haven’t seen a fresh coat of paint or a splash of color in years.
Are you listening to your employees? Get your people together and tell them about your situation. Ask them what you can do to improve. Your people hear things and see things you don’t, and they can often provide some very enlightening information and answers that may surprise you. Get the answer to some questions including the following:
• Do you know what the competition is doing to serve customers better?
• Do you know what you’re doing that surpasses the competition? What can be emphasized, expanded or replicated that you are already doing well?
• What area of your store is least productive? Why?
• Is your store meeting the customer’s expectations or surpassing them?
• Does a process or a policy need to change?
• Ask your customers what you could do to make them come back more often?
• Ask your customers if they owned your business, what they would change?
• Have you ever called your store and acted like a customer to determine how things are handled?
There are many more questions like these that need to be asked and answered. Payroll may indeed be the answer to your problems, but get some answers before you go blindly hacking away at payroll.
Hopefully you’ve come to realize by now that there are two ways to produce more business: You can bring in new customers or you can sell more to the ones that you already have. If you’ve run the numbers or watched the most successful and profitable retailers you should know by now that it’s easier (and more profitable) to sell more to the customers you already have.
If you’re with me so far, you have to ask yourself, “How do you sell more to the customers you already have?”
1. Get Your People to Perform As Expected
Yes, I know that’s easier said than done. Whatever great mission or set of goals you’ve created going into 2012; you won’t get anywhere if you can’t manage these next four specifics.
• Know what motivates your people. Don’t just think you know. Find out what gets them excited. This may be different for every one of them.
• Give consistent and regular recognition for any positive efforts in the right direction.
• Do NOT assume that because you gave instructions once, or stated an important policy, or trained anyone on any specific topic, that it will “take” the first or even the second time. Good training means reinforcing and emphasizing desired behavior and actions over and over.
• Implement some specific corrective training for any employee that isn’t measuring up to expectations (if they’re sincerely trying), rather than any punitive or embarrassing actions.
• Do not reduce your standards or accept mediocrity.
2. Put A Smile On The Face Of Customers Who Enter Your Store.
Do not ignore or underestimate the importance of this objective. You can create memorable or remarkable moments in your store by working to ensure that your customers experience something special, emotional or outstanding that makes a lasting impression on them. The goal is to tie the customer’s memory regarding visits to your store to small daily positive memorable experiences or even big “wow” moments when possible. Over a period of time, real emotional ties develop and become much more powerful than any advertising campaign. Regardless, memorable experiences are extremely rare when visiting almost any store, so this becomes one more great chance to separate yourself from the competition!
Two Primary Ways Customers Evaluate Their Experience In Your Store.
• They compare their experience in your store to what they expected it would be. Can you do better?
• They compare their experience to other experiences they have in other stores. Can you do better?
Customers may have low expectations from any sales clerk these days. Your goal may be as simple as having a sales clerk who smiles, looks the customer in the eye and remembers their name. (I guarantee you that’s an improvement in many, many stores!)
Your store can begin to exceed experiences over other stores by simply having a pleasant conversation with the customer. Exceed the competition by offering to gift-wrap their purchase at no charge. Maybe it’s opening the door, making a funny comment and helping carry packages to the customer’s car. Wouldn’t any of these be memorable and put a smile on the customer’s face? (These things are a lot easier to accomplish if you have employees who actually enjoy people and want to help them. This becomes your goal when you hire.)
These things add up and go a long way in being memorable. Think about a cashier at a drive-thru who has a “glad to see you” smile. They might make a positive comment about a child or pet in the car. They may keep treats available for kids or for Fido. They may even hand a regular customer a special coupon for a free drink or sandwich the next time around.
NOTE:
One of Nordstrom’s nice touches comes when they finish ringing up the sale. They don’t hand the package over the counter to the customer or let them pick it up off the counter; they walk around the counter and present it to the customer with direct eye contact, a sincere smile and a “Thank You” . . . . Nice Touch!
3. Ask Questions And Try To Add To Every Sale!
One simple goal is to train your employees to ask questions of the customer to uncover their needs and more importantly their wants. You can have your employees do some suggestive selling. Give your employees a goal of adding on just 10% to every sale, no matter where the purchase starts out. The simple and magic phrase to remember is, “Have you seen this?” You don’t want them badgering customers and repeatedly asking if the customer is sure they don’t want this and that, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking if the customer has considered this or that, or if the customer needs a tie with that suit, or do they need some socks before they leave. This is actually helping the customer to make sure they’ve picked up everything that they intended to buy or maybe they haven’t thought of. You don’t want your employees to sell customers anything they don’t actually want and you don’t want them to bombard the customer with this same question over and over! The goal is to be helpful. Customers already have the “want” built in if you find the right item or push the right button.
Once your employees realize that a 10% add-on is a pretty reasonable goal, you may actually find that a little competition begins once the first employee achieves this goal. I’m sure you can encourage this effort by encouraging and challenging others to follow suit. Bolster this effort and encourage this atmosphere by having some simple contests with some gift card rewards.
4. Get Customers On Your E-Mail List With An Incentive
Ask ALL customers at the time of purchase to provide you with their contact information so they can be on your e-mail list. Let them know they will receive a healthy discount on their next purchase if they bring back the printed e-mail you will send them with the discount coupon. Collecting this information is CRITICAL. It’s worth whatever discount you may decide to provide. Also let them know that they will receive special offers for their loyalty along with announcements of new product arrivals and helpful information. You won’t get them all, but those you do get, probably like your store quite a bit and want to be informed. Don’t disappoint!
I have a kids clothing store that is fun and funky! We have zebra ceilings, pink flying pigs, and a different color in each themed room. We sell a lot of hairbows that are just as wild! My question, what is a cute idea of displaying all the bows? My area to use is 7 feet tall and 3 feet wide. – Tracie, TX
You definitely have a lot of options when it comes to displaying accessories in your store, no matter how wild the decor! If you are looking to display a large amount of hair bows all at one time, consider some different types of floor displays.
You could use 2X6 grid panel and attach legs to it so that it stands freely. Then you can attach peghooks of any size to display your bows. Another option is a rotating slatwall unit. Just attach some slatwall peghooks and you will be able to have a display that rotates for customer convenience.
There is also a rotating peg displayer that has 4 tiers where you can hang your hair bows. It rotates and is very light and portable so you can move it around to suit the changing display needs of your store. There is also a counter-top version that is perfect for those impulse buys at the check out.
You could also use swivel clips to clip the hair ribbons and bows and hang them anywhere in your store. Since your store is fun and funky, don’t be afraid to go wild with any of your displays! – Store Supply Guy
I need help re-decorating the displays for my vendor/tent shop. I’m on a budget and am thinking of adding Self-Standing Grid-Wall systems. Items must be easy to move & set-up since my store is set-up at horse shows. I am a one-person shop and I sell Spanish Flamenco Equestrian and Dance Dresses. Could these work for me? – Maura
For any retailer that is on the go and traveling to trade shows to sell their wares, grid panels and accessories are a portable and easy to use system to “set up shop” anywhere you go! Both slat-grid panels and square grid panels can be attached to legs or rolling bases to create an attractive and enticing display.
Use a combination of accessories like shelving, brackets, peghooks, waterfalls, baskets, hangrails and even lights to show off your merchandise. Dresses could be displayed attractively by using waterfall faceouts, or by using a quarter-circle hangrail attached to two panels connected into a “V” shape.
Bright colors will stand out against chrome, white or black panels, and set up and breakdown are easy. However you set up your traveling store with grid panels, use your imagination! There are thousands of combinations that are affordable and sure to help you sell your merchandise. – Store Supply Guy
