Posts Tagged ‘impulse purchases’

Attract Last Minute V-Day Shoppers

 Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

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?

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Tuesday Tip: How to Increase Impulse Buys

 Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Impulse buys are items that shoppers purchase that they had not planned on buying beforehand. Items near registers are not put there on accident. They are strategically placed to capitalize on impulse purchases. Usually these items are smaller, easily identifiable and priced lower than other items in your store. Though the register is a key place for merchandise, you can utilize other areas by creating special displays in high traffic locations or next to related merchandise. For increasing impulse buys, here are a few tips that we recommend trying.

Change out merchandise frequently. We have given this advice before about displays in general, but it is especially important for special displays designed for impulse buying. Regular customers look for updated merchandise, new products and featured sales. Make sure that you are regularly featuring new items so they keep coming back. Try to keep track of what you have displayed, where you setup the display and the success rate. This will help you know what works and what does not.

Highlight return policies near impulse purchase displays. Customers will be more likely to purchase higher priced merchandise on the spot when they are assured that it will be easy for them to return or exchange if they regret the decision later. Also, make sure that you clearly communicate if sales are final either with signs or at the register.

Put accessories next to related items. Accessories are great impulse merchandise sales. For example, when someone is looking for a great coat and sees scarves, gloves and hats to match, it will be too good to pass up. This also works with items that have accessories that are sold separately such as games, toys and tools.

Remember, you won’t know what works until you try it. Now is the time to experiment a bit with holidays such as Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day so you will be extra prepared for maximum sales during the next Christmas season.

What are your best impulse purchase displays?

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