Tip of the Week

Plan your store window changes out on a calendar according to season, holidays, key marketing and promotions, and new shipments.  Be sure to include a change every four to six weeks.

Image: Free People Blog: Summer Store Displays!

Pre-planning all of your window changes allows you to keep an eye out for interesting prop ideas, fixtures, etc.  It gives you time to plan out exciting window displays that entice customers and ensures that you're not changing windows on the fly or in a panic.  That's no fun for anyone!

Have you got questions for Melissa? Check us out on facebook, twitter, Pinterest, the flourish website, or send Melissa an email.

Happy Selling!

Fixtures Close Up Favorites

I first found Fixtures Close Up on Pinterest and now I look forward to my daily fixtures emails, so I asked Tony Kadysewski if I could share some of my favorites with you!  He generously agreed, so here they are in no particular order!

Also...  These are just the favorites I found, there are so many more gems all over the Fixtures Close Up blog.  You can find everything from big box retail solutions to high end boutique solutions, so set aside some time to go digging!

Industrial and Rural Chic Combine

Image Courtesy of Fixtures Close Up

This is a great DIY project for your store!  Be sure to merchandise any unique configurations neatly to really maximize impact.

Do-It-Yourself Store Fixtures

Photos Courtesy of Simplified Building Concepts and Fixtures Close Up

What a great industrial look for menswear!  If you're not handy, though, be sure to get help from someone who is.

Do-It-Yourself Wood Box Display

Image courtesy of Goncalo Pinho and Fixtures Close Up

What a fun fixture to put together yourself and it wouldn't even be overly expensive!

Haberdash Designer Peg'd Board

Image courtesy of Dezeen, Haberdash and Form Us With Love, as well as Fixtures Close Up

What a fun display!  This could be done anywhere in-store, just be sure it's a feature area!  It could also be a fun backdrop in a simple window with a mannequin.

Plaid on a Pegboard

Image courtesy of Fixtures Close Up

Okay, pegboard usually isn't the go-to material when we think of visual merchandising, but here it is looking good for menswear!  This is pegboard done right.

Lingerie in a Bell Jar

Image courtesy of Fixtures Close Up

Do you really want to make something feel special?  Put it in a bell jar!

Jack Daniel's Barrels as Decor

Image courtesy of Mark Steele Photography, Display and Design Ideas, and Fixtures Close Up

Ahhhh...  Doesn't it just make sense?

Wash Tub Bulk Bins

Image Courtesy of Fixtures Close Up

I've loved this fixture from the first time I saw it and it makes a great DIY project for items sold in bulk!

Store Self-Dispenses T-shirts

Image courtesy of Shop Design Gallery, Streetology, and Fixtures Close Up

Ahhhh...  A good colour flow just makes my heart happy...

Shoe and Sock Color Cross Sell

Image courtesy of Fixtures Close Up

Add on selling at its best!  They say visual merchandising is the silent sales person for a reason...

Have you got more favorites?  Link to them in the comments section below and don't forget to follow the links (headings) to the actual articles from Fixtures Close Up.  There, you'll find more info and additional photos!

Have you got questions for Melissa? Check us out on facebook, twitter,Pinterest, the flourish website, or send Melissa an email.

Happy Selling!

Tip of the Week

Father's day is June 16 this year in North America.  If you don't have a plan for Father's Day merchandise yet, now is the time to make one!

Nike men's and women's golf display at Pineridge Golf Resort by Flourish Design & Merchandising

Even if you aren't ordering specific merchandise for Father's Day or aren't typically a Father's Day destination, it doesn't hurt to pull together some quick and easy Father's Day gifts in an easy to spot location.  Wives, partners, and kids may not have been planning to make their Father's Day purchase that day, but a well placed display can easily change that!

This display could be on the front end of a fixture, on a table, or near the cash register. Any prominent place that fits will do!  If you're not bringing in anything special, gather together items from throughout the store that would make a great Father's Day gift!  If you have some manly cards and gift wrap, don't hesitate to pull those in as well.

Lastly, don't forget to top it off with a well placed sign.  Something as simple as "Father's Day is June 16th" or "Everything you need for Dad" is great.  

Happy selling!

Tip of the Week

Take the plastic off!  Customers like to see, feel, and touch and plastic packaging or film impedes their instincts.

Have you ever watched someone browse a store, with their hands on everything?  Have you ever listened to a mom constantly try to remind their kids to "look with your eyes, not with your hands" to no avail?  That's because, instinctively, we need to feel an item before we buy it and that's not just limited to textiles!

The biggest objection I hear to removing packaging is damage.  Removing the plastic from an item can result in a lightly soiled or damaged item, but you are likely to sell far more of it and the items around it.  Selling your display model at a discount is a small price to pay.

Happy selling!

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Have you got questions for Melissa? Check us out on facebook, twitter,Pinterest, the flourish website, or send Melissa an email.

Tip of the Week

Pay attention to how customers shop for certain items.  Do they request items by colour, end use, theme, or purpose?  Merchandise those items accordingly.

For example, most customers would search for a greeting card first based on purpose (such as birthday, anniversary, wedding, etc.) and all other types of merchandising would be secondary.  If you merchandise greeting cards by purpose, you may notice a lift in sales.

Candles, however, are often purchased by colour before anything else.  By merchandising your candles in colour groups, you may see an uplift in sales.

Observe how your customers request items; "Do you have any birthday cards?" or "What do you have in the way of red candles?"  Watch how they peruse and browse.  The idea is to make their shopping experience as easy and barrier free as possible; your help should be a bonus, not a requirement.

Are you left wanting more?  Sign up to have the tip of the week sent directly to your inbox and receive even more info about each tip!  Sign up here.

Have you got questions for Melissa? Check us out on facebook, twitter,Pinterest, the flourish website, or send Melissa an email.

Tip of the Week

Shopping is all about perceived value.  The way you display and merchandise your product can have a large impact on how valuable the customer perceives it to be.  Does your store make your merchandise look valuable?

I'm sure you've heard the term perceived value a few times; it refers to the value a customer assigns to a product or service in their head.  How much do they deem that product to be worth?  When their perceived value is compared to the actual asking price, it can make or break their buying decision.

When items are merchandised or displayed in a way that makes them appear valuable or expensive, the price on the sticker can be less scary to look at and possibly even a relief. If the customer perceives the item of their desire to be a great value, they'll most often buy!


Are you left wanting more?  Sign up to have the tip of the week sent directly to your inbox and receive even more info about each tip!  Sign up here.

Have you got questions for Melissa? Check us out on facebook, twitter,Pinterest, the flourish website, or send Melissa an email.