PULL™ Magnetic Fixtures

by ETS, Inc.

Retailing Tips

Retailing is perhaps one of the most exciting professions today. As a salon owner or manager, not only are you part of the allure of the “look good, feel great” indoor tanning industry, you also are fortunate to have the freedom of owning or managing a business, as well as taking pride in something you can build and grow.

However, growth can’t occur without profits. One way to increase your profits is to maximize retail opportunities through merchandising.

The term merchandising refers to the arrangement of your items for sale to your clients. However, most experts say merchandising goes beyond simple product arrangement to include your product’s quality, how your salon’s looks, your staff’s attitudes, knowledge and customer service abilities.

Quality, Quality, Quality

One of the first things to consider before you begin the actual process of merchandising is to select quality products to merchandise. The ’90s consumer demands high-quality products that are reasonably priced, is smarter and asks a lot of questions in order to make an informed purchase.

Set a standard for quality at your salon and make sure to only purchase those products that meet this standard. Discuss your quality concept with the staff, making sure they understand what you look for in a product.

On the subject of quality, it is important to carry product lines or brands that are familiar to the consumer and have good reputations. Brands are those labels that are easily recognized by the consumer and are manufactured according to the strictest of quality guidelines.

Consumers tend to buy and be loyal to brands they perceive as having strong reputations for quality and integrity. Something that can increase your profits is to offer brands your clients like and are unique in addition to being of high-quality. You don’t want your salon to be a “me too” business where the products you carry can be found everywhere else.

Another key principle is to know your products. Educate yourself on their ingredients, benefits and effects on the client (using the products will give you first-hand knowledge). Pass this knowledge on to your staff because their product knowledge will help sell more as well as provide you with feedback in terms of which products are not meeting your quality standard based on client responses.

Also, be confident in the products you are selling. If you’re not, consider changing or dropping lines. If you don’t believe in and stand by what you are selling, you will never be able to increase your retail profits.

Customer Service

According to Paula Wardell, author of Successful Retailing, product knowledge goes hand-in-hand with customer service, which, believe it or not, should be a part of your merchandising efforts. Wardell says that subscribing to a formula of customer service and personal selling techniques will advance your business more effectively and profitably than any advertising you may do.

But what makes customer service? Wardell says that superior customer service is made up of five basic elements:

Product knowledge
Staff attitude
Honesty
Etiquette
Communication

Customer service is an obscure and important merchandising tool. You want customers to feel special and wanted, and no matter how attractive your salon is or how creatively products are displayed, the only way to achieve this is through your staff and the “human touch” only they can provide. When selecting a staff, Wardell says there are certain attributes to look for, or, if one has already been selected, to develop. They include:

Customer interest
Friendliness
Communication skills (including being a good listener)
Honesty
Understanding and patience
Trustworthiness
Enthusiasm
Knowledge of salon polices and philosophies
Intuition (predicting what the customer wants)
Positive personal attributes among your staff are important to foster and maintain. Wardell suggests using them in conjunction with the following guidelines to develop strong selling abilities:

Features, advantages and benefits (FAB) selling
Anticipating objections
Changing customer beliefs, attitudes or courses of action
Generating goodwill
Visual Merchandising

The goal of visual merchandising is a simple one. Arrange your merchandise so that it will sell. Ultimately, you want to motivate your customer to make a purchase and more importantly, you want to make it easy for the customer to do so.

Visual merchandising not only includes the way merchandise is presented, but also includes the physical layout of your salon as well as the design and decor.

Salon Design

When you select a design for your salon, you are communicating to your customer your salon concept whether it’s more of an upscale spa environment, trendy, fun and upbeat or more of a traditional, value-priced salon. Use design elements to support your salon concept or theme. Wardell suggests evaluating the following points to see if these items support your concept:

Style of fixtures (display units, signage, counters, etc.)
Overall design (upscale, traditional, upbeat, tropical, etc.)
Carpet
Wall Coverings
Lighting

If you remodel your salon, make sure to update marketing support pieces to reflect your new image—make sure to change direct marketing pieces, advertising, promotions and in-store presentations. For example, if you change your image from a more traditional one-on-one salon to a more trendy and contemporary one, make sure to change the fonts on all your printed pieces to reflect this updated image. The experts say remodeling is a valuable profit booster because customers prefer new, contemporary and attractive salons rather than ones that look old.

Window and Interior Designs

Tell a story about your salon through window and interior displays. Use your salon concept as a guide—you can support your salon’s story or theme through window displays. Get potential customers to visit your salon by creating interesting and enticing window displays showcasing trends in products, colors, concepts or selling a promotion.

According to Wardell, sparse windows generally indicate higher-priced specialty items inside the store whereas cluttered windows usually indicate lower-priced items, budget merchandising and little or no sales service.

One important thing to keep in mind is to make your windows productive. To accomplish this, use timely merchandise—meaning merchandise that is new or in current demand. Choose the quality of items displayed that fit in with your salon’s image and make sure your stock levels for all items displayed are adequate. Don’t make your customers angry by displaying items that are not available for purchase. When you begin to run low on a particular item or sell out completely, it’s time to change your window displays until your stock is replenished.

Use the interior of your salon to support your theme as it is presented in your windows, direct mail pieces, special promotions and other advertising. Remember, the design of your salon’s interior encourages and promotes its image as well as its products.

Placement of retail products also is important. The closer products are to the point-of-purchase the better. Customers do not want to have to go far to find and purchase something that interests them. Displays of products placed near the point-of-purchase are beneficial in that they encourage impulse spending and make it easier for your staff to soft-sell or cross-sell different products. It also makes it easier for your staff to answer questions the customer may have about products.

According to retail expert Colleen Cunningham, it is important to display creatively. Ask suppliers for creative ways to display items and change your displays regularly. Move things around in your salon to give regular clients a change of scenery—part of retailing is generating and maintaining client interest.

Staff communication also is important. You want to make sure your staff can effectively communicate. All experts agree that communication is an integral part of any merchandising program. Without it, how do customers understand the benefits of your products? Their effects? Additionally, how would your staff understand your client’s needs? Their likes and dislikes? After all, you are merchandising for the client.

Merchandising goes beyond the obvious. Your products, staff attributes, communication abilities and sales skills as well as the design of your salon all contribute to the fine art of merchandising. If used together, these elements may help your retail profits soar, allowing you to watch your salon grow.

by EMoore

Windows that are loud with eye -catching appeal grab the attention of shoppers who otherwise might have hurried on. The store itself may be no different from other department stores, but the fanciful display is miles ahead in response evoking possibilities. Onlookers will want to go in and browse. Imagination is what separates one window from another.

Art and daring is the key to effective window dressing. The seasoned artist may have had little previous experience in window dressing but has found themselves out of a regular job and, on a whim, went in and explained to the manager, or who ever was responsible for such a bland window, what the window needed, was hired on the spot.

The next day they stripped the area bare. Gone were the hap-hazard display where items were randomly stacked as if they were waiting to be picked up, and up began a background worthy of the items to be displayed. Summertime adventure was the theme for the sporting goods shop and since a real lake could not miraculously appear, wall board was carefully painted depicting a peaceful and cooling lake scene was hastily put together.

To complete the camping scene, a miniature child size tent was set up, complete with manikins of children and a family group enjoying the camping adventure. What’s the promotional here? Tents, camping equipment, books about camping and outdoor living, fishing, boats, and whatever. The unusual is what gives this theme its originality. Its appeal is to the tired and the weary who trudge past the window day by day in the hot humid weather.

Those with little money to spare on expensive vacations will ask themselves – why not a camping trip, a relaxing trip to a nearby wilderness will save money. Instead of going further into debt, they could use the money spent to pay off credit card debtss.

Essentially, effective window displays engage the passersby into conversation. It gets them beyond their problems, answers questions asked that they would never have asked without walking past the window. It treats them to the wonder of shopping, beckoning them to walk in and inquire about the display.

Of course a window is a window is a window, and no two are alike because many businesses fail to understand that what shows in their windows is a fair example of what to expect inside. It should show their better selves. Where this is not done, it is a good guess that within there will only be humdrum business. They expect only those who arein need of what they sell to find their way to their store. And they will, but maybe they have a better mind view of the other comparable businesses that are more appealing.

Just so so windows are not bad if they are routinely washed and if they let light in; It could be said they are doing what windows are supposed to do. Going beyond that, depending on what is being sold inside, windows could delightfully advertise their wares. What can those do who have window dressing needs but who are without clues as to what to display? They decide who their best customers are and they welcome them inside with their artful displays.

Ideas for store fronts:

A store selling clothes for children is an easy one. Dress the manikins in the latest fashions depicting an upcoming event, Easter, vacation time at the beach, back to school. But what is boring about these window displays? Their lack of originality.
Why not instead have a real life entertainer in the window on certain times during the day reading an oversize book, drawing, and displaying art, or whatever.

A store selling books will need something other than books. That will be what is being sold, and ideas for relaxation are needed for window displays. Why not have the first chapter of a new book, or at least a few first pages written in large letters and easy to read for those on the outside. The display will change as needed. In other words, interaction is what is needed. A play on words, in other words, will entice and invite customers to come on in.

For those stores that appeal to the health conscious, something promising them a respite from their miseries instead of more doom and gloom, will work. Reality somehow limits the imagination, but good taste and sensibilities will refresh the soul. A tranquil window setting, a tree with a real live chirping bird, a sky with a rainbow in the sky, is appropriate.

by Andrea Theisson

Window displays can be every bit as creative as any artists’ canvas or gallery-space. The unusual, the moving object, the bright, the witty, and, sometimes, the sublime will make the difference in grabbing attention.

There is also the inevitable peephole approach…it is irresistible to have a small opening in a large window, with a great display inside, but the passerby must walk up and peep in. It is tempting, titillating, and just plain fun.

Large items can be hung or displayed at odd angles to make an impact. How about a flying canoe, full of summer items? Books can be stacked to the ceiling. Mannequins can be piled in one corner in a football scrimmage-type mess. Find antiques or odd versions of what you are selling, and contrast with the modern version, or vice versa, if you are selling antiques.

Dramatic lighting is another good tool – strong spotlights or a color-mix can grab the eye and connote a mood for your products or services. Tunnels of light can be created inexpensively with large cardboard tubes or metal cans, spray-painted to direct light where you need it, spotlighting one item or area. Moving lights are also attractive, and the new diodes are even energy-efficient.

Speaking of motion – water-features or animated figures are always popular, and can be made original by your scale and color, composition and design of the window. Let the dog or cat hang out in the window, with a water dish and plenty of ventilation. Drape fabric and blow it around with a fan. Diagonals and triangles pull the eye into the window or toward a featured item. A window is a work of art, indeed.

Tell a story – or imply one. An old armchair, with an empty wine-bottle, chocolate wrappers, and a trail of flower petals could lead to a wonderful stack of romance novels, new sheets, perfumes, make-up, a sexy evening gown. Throw in some music, maybe some confetti. Hope springs eternal. People are attracted to scenes they identify with or fantasize about.

A minimalist approach can be effective, especially if your shop is in a retail area inundated by other displays and windows…a bare window with one strong item, spotlighted, with a high-contrast background, can speak loudly, be visually strong.

Seasonal symbols can be played-up in an almost Zen-like way, for contrast with other stores’ overkill. Or, if it’s winter, play up Spring fever or exotic escapes. Items from nature are refreshing in a plastic urban environment.

Take advantage of the inner craving for fun and playfulness among downtown or Mall crowds. Silly themes, like a flock of rubber duckies swimming through your window, or a Conga line of mannequins, will amuse and intrigue your audience. Mustaches on the lady mannequins? Feature a variety of goods, or a single item repeated or spotlighted. Think of meaningful backgrounds, or perhaps totally contrasting scenes. Bathing-suits in front of a snowstorm? Make ‘em smile. Go for it! It’s show-biz!