Posts Tagged ‘Gifts’

Friday Feature Product: Jewelry Boxes

Friday, January 15th, 2010

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.

Jewelry Gift Boxes Jewelry Gift Boxes Jewelry Gift Boxes Jewelry Gift Boxes

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 White Jewelry Box Faux Black Leather Watch Box

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.

Friday Featured Product: Gift Packaging

Friday, May 15th, 2009

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?

Tuesday Tip: Making a Profit with Gift Certificates

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

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?

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

“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

Gift Wrap Idea

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

“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