Change makes sales happen. When things sit on a shelf or lounge in an arrangement for over two weeks, they loose energy. It just drips right out into the basement. You know that when you switch things around, they start looking interesting again. People start seeing old things that now appear fresh and new.
Some ideas for quick visual merchandising changes that won’t take up a ton of time:
Add a fabulous prop. If you’re selling more upscale decorative accessories the fabulous prop may be: flowers – faux or real for some fun oversized paper flowers), tree branches – painted or not, a chair – big, small or just right to hold up a small selection of gift items or, a sign. Some other prop ideas for any price point include: terra cotta flowerpots, an oversized glass vase filled with LED lights with clear cords (have a local lamp store drill a hole in the glass for the cord, if possible), a huge crystal such as an amethyst, rose quartz or clear crystal geode, a healthy plant or repetitive pots of living flowers, fabric hanging from the ceiling or a rod suspended from the ceiling spilling onto a table top, ribbon looped over a rod dripping down to the table or a lit lamp – always a great attention getter. Make sure it’s a warm LED or compact fluorescent bulb. Not bright white!
Change your tabletop color with a quick pad change or use paper. For a more upscale look cover homasote board (www.homasote.com) with a lovely fabric. It’s easy to staple into – just wrap the fabric around the board (which is already cut to fit your tabletop or a section of table) and staple it onto the back of the board. If you’re concerned about scratching your tabletop, cover the staples with blue painters’ tape. If you want a quick color change that you know will only be there for a short time, use colored wrapping paper. Cut it cleanly with a knife or long scissor and lay it down. It will eventually loose its curl, but you can help that along by very carefully curling it in reverse before you place it on the table.
Create a strong black, white and accent color focal story near the front of your store. This is a chic, sophisticated combination that enhances any area in which it’s placed. It always looks fresh and interesting. It works towards the back as well to enliven that part of the store. Light it up!
Angle some fixtures to lead people in different directions through your store. Play with a few fixtures and see if, by angling them, you can encourage people to take a different path. You can always move them back, but this is the quickest, most effective way to change your traffic flow and encourage new focal areas – plus it’s free!
Enliven your window displays and attract more attention by changing them as often as humanly possible. Make sure you have a grid suspended securely above your window so you can hang all sorts of fun things.
A quick reminder: add a prop, change your tabletop color, create a black/white and accent color merchandise display, angle a fixture or more to change your traffic flow and refresh or redo your windows easily by hanging different colors of props in the form of fabric, ribbon, or flowers - or anything you can think of. Whatever you choose to do, as Nike says, “just do it!”