Just Like a Breath of Springtime: The Art of Freshening Your Store Without Breaking the Bank

– Don Capman, President,
   J.D. Associates

I consider myself very fortunate to live in a contemporary house full of big windows in the hill-country of Central Massachusetts. Every morning I open all of the window shades and have breakfast while looking outdoors at the changing beauty of nature. My house is in a very forested area in the New England countryside surrounded by ancient stone walls. I see something new and different every day. Today it was raining but as I was looking out through my front window I thought I saw bright sunlight. Instead, it was a magnificent display of bright golden forsythias in full bloom. What a sight! I never tire of looking out of my windows because I see something new every day.

Why do many people shop these stores at least once a week? It’s almost like a compulsion. Don’t you wish you could get that kind of traffic from the majority of your customers? So what’s the draw?

So, you ask, what do my views have to do with retail? Have you been to a HomeGoods, T.J. Maxx or Marshalls lately? Why do many people shop these stores at least once a week? It’s almost like a compulsion. Don’t you wish you could get that kind of traffic from the majority of your customers? So what’s the draw? Yes, to some extent bargain pricing is a factor but the real draw is FRESH, QUALITY MERCHANDISE & NEW VIEWS EVERY WEEK! These stores buy brand-name closeout goods to constantly freshen their stock. You can shop these stores every week and see something different and never tire of the experience.

Many stores change their merchandise seasonally and, although that may be refreshing, it is not enough to keep customers coming back with increased regularity. Most of us would not be able to change our merchandise as frequently as T.J. Maxx, so how can we achieve some of the same results for our stores without breaking the bank? There are ways to keep your store interesting and fresh so your customers will NEED to come back on a regular basis to see “what’s new?”.

The Gap didn’t have to remerchandise their entire store. All they did was to add something new and exciting to the mix.

When I say, “the Gap”, what do you picture? Jeans, T-shirts? Well, most of us need jeans and tees but not every week. So the Gap decided they needed to freshen their inventory. In an article published in the New York Times on April 3, 2007, the Gap announced that it would introduce limited-edition shirts by designers who had won a fashion contest organized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and Vogue magazine. What a great idea. Unique designer shirts in a jeans store at affordable prices. Wow! The Gap didn’t have to remerchandise their entire store. All they did was to add something new and exciting to the mix.

Well, you’re probably no Gap, so how do you go about keeping your store(s) fresh and different? Several suggestions come to mind:

• LOOK FOR LOCAL TALENT – Like the Gap, have a contest soliciting up and coming designers, artists, craftsman, or instructors who have unique offerings that fit your product lines. To involve your customers, select a small handful of your most loyal customers to be judges. Predefine some criteria that the judges will use in selecting the best candidate. Loyal customers will find this to be an exciting exercise and will talk it up. Devote a small, but prominent part of your store to highlight the new product(s) and provide proper signage with pictures and a bio of the winning candidate. Let everyone know what you are doing. Send an email blast to customers and/or announce it in your newsletter in the “upcoming events” column. You can showcase a different winner every month. How much should this cost? Other than the floor space and the email blast, nothing. Do everything on consignment.
• TRY SPONSORING A FASHION OR GIFT SHOW – Even though the merchandise may be hanging on the racks or sitting on shelves, build some excitement around it by highlighting specific merchandise periodically throughout the year. This event may or may not be open to the public. It could be an “invitation only” event for your best customers. Serve light refreshments and make sure you have all of your employees present. Use customers and/or employees to model or demonstrate the products you wish to highlight. You can also donate a percentage of the sales for that day to a local charity. These are “feel good” events that can have long-term rewards for your store(s)
• REMERCHANDISE YOUR SALES FLOOR – Periodically move things around. When merchandise is not moving, our first inclination is to mark it down. First try moving that merchandise to a different location on the sales floor. Think about putting the slow-moving merchandise with a companion product to create a winning combination. You will often hear customers ask you when this ‘new’ merchandise came in. If this strategy proves unsuccessful, then mark the merchandise down and get rid of it and replace it with something new and exciting. Most retailers love their merchandise and hold onto it way too long.
• CHANGE YOUR WINDOW AND FLOOR DISPLAYS REGULARLY – You wouldn’t believe how changing displays can create a whole new and fresh look in your store. You might have the same merchandise but changing highlighted merchandise can give the impression that your store is changing all the time.

So the next time you’re having your morning cup of coffee looking out at a beautiful Spring day, try to think of how you can freshen your store without spending the big bucks. It’s like a breath of fresh air.