Posts Tagged ‘resale stores’

Friday Feature Product: Shoe Store Essentials

 Friday, December 11th, 2009

Along with the tips from Tuesday about how to resell shoes, carrying some shoe specific store supplies will add to the selling tactics you are already using. Consider how some of these shoe retail options can increase the profits of your store.

If you have slatwall or wire grid in your store, specially made shelves are available to fit these display materials. The slatwall shoe displays are slanted to show the front view of shoes, while keeping shoes secure. The wire grid shoe displays show the side view of shoes and are versatile options to display other small merchandise. If you do not have slatwall or wire grid, the chrome shoe merchandiser includes eight shelves which holds 60-80 pairs of shoes.

Acrylic Heel Hold Swivel Shoe Display For Slatwall- Wire Shoe Shelves Fit On Grid Shoe Merchandiser

Slatwall Shoe Display |       Wire Grid Shoe Display |       Shoe Merchandiser

Customers will thank you for having sewn bottom footlet-footies available for trying on shoes. Offered in beige for women and black for men, these economical booties will prevent inventory damage, as well as make trying on shoes easier and more comfortable for the customer. Also, a helpful instrument to have on hand is a Brannock device shoe sizer for customers who may not know their shoe size. Men’s sizers, women’s sizers and children’s sizers are available. These devices will measure the length and width of your customers’ feet to find the most accurate shoe size.

Beige Women's Footlet Women's Brannock Device Shoe Sizer

Beige Women’s Footlets |      Women’s Shoe Sizer

To really complete your shoe section, consider adding stools and mirrors that are made specially for selling shoes. The shoe fitting stool is an attractive chrome stool with black upholstery. It’s easy to move and features a rubber surfaced foot rest. Also, the shoe floor mirror is made to sit on the floor to view foot apparel with ease. The durable design is made to last and will look great for years.

Shoe Fitting Stool

Shoe Floor Mirror |         Shoe Fitting Stool

Finally, seal the deal with a plastic bag that is perfect for fitting bulky shoe boxes. These white plastic draw tape bags feature draw tape handles for convenient closing and transportation.

Plastic draw tape bags

Plastic Draw Tape Bags

If you are opening a shoe store or just want to improve your shoe section, these shoe store essentials will impress customers, as well as add comfort and ease to their shopping experience.

What kind of store supplies do you use in your shoe store or shoe section?

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Tuesday Tip: How to Resell Shoes

 Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Selling used shoes differs a bit from selling new shoes. Instead of having one shoe on display and then several pairs of the same shoe stored in different sizes, you will have to display all your shoes at once. Here are a few tips that we recommend using when you are reselling shoes in your consignment or second hand shop.

Instead of grouping shoes by type and style, we recommend grouping them by size. Save your customers time by putting all the shoes in their size together. This way, customers can easily locate only the shoes that will fit them. We would still separate mens, womens and childrens shoes into different sections.

Just like other shoe stores, people are going to want to sit down and be comfortable when trying on shoes. Have chairs or stools in place for people to tie laces or buckle straps. Also, have mirrors close to the floor so people won’t have search for a mirror elsewhere.

Have the sizes clearly marked. Even if you have shoes sectioned by size, they are bound to get mixed up after a busy day. Make things easier on yourself and customers by placing a sticker inside of the shoe with the size and price. Also, try using stretch bands to keep the shoes together. This will keep people from walking out unnoticed, as well as keep pairs of shoes with their respected match.

Keep shoe polish on hand when used shoes come in. Sometimes they just need a good shining to make them look like new. Other things like changing out shoe laces or inserting pads in the bottom can make or break a sale.

How do you maximize sales of pre-owned shoes in your store?

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Tuesday Tip: Succeed Like the Discount Store

 Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

At Store Supply Warehouse, we get many stores asking us for tips on how to survive the recession. That is one of the reasons we created the Store Supply Blog and Forum for Independent Retailers, because we wanted to give retailers a place to go to get ideas on how to stay afloat during these hard times.

This Tuesday, we are going to celebrate a segment of the industry that is not only staying afloat, but thriving; the discount/resale industry.

Discount retailers such as dollar stores, thrift shops and discount chains are seeing increased demand as consumers turn away from brand names and bargain shop. Many dollar store chains have seen unprecedented revenue growth. Recent earnings statements declared that Family Dollar’s revenue is up 8% and Dollar Tree is up 4%.

Additionally, charity-based stores such as Goodwill are calling for donations. Because more people are shopping at discount stores such as Goodwill, increased demand is keeping the shelves from being stocked to capacity and more donations are needed in order to meet that demand.

Retail supply distributors such as Store Supply Warehouse often can predict the retail markets’ success by the amount of supplies ordered in each industry segment. Recently, we have seen a spike in orders from the discount retail industry. In addition to standard supplies such as bags, hangers and tags, discount retailers are ordering shelving, racks and displays to accommodate added merchandise needed to meet consumer demand.

Prior to our current economic status, many consumers may have avoided dollar and discount retail chains, and especially thrift stores and consignment shops. But things have changed.  There is no certainty in these hard economic times for consumers and retailers alike, but if buying patterns of Store Supply Warehouse customers are any indication of what the future may hold, then dollar store retailers and discounters may have the best chance of weathering the storm.

So we just want to congratulate the discount/resale store industry for their ability to adapt and meet demand during this economy downturn. As the economy recovers, we hope that consumers remember the discount stores that helped their families make ends meet.

Are you a discount store owner/manager? How has business been recently for your organization? Any tips to pass along to non-discount store owners?

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