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Retail SMART |
The
Soul of Your Store is in Your Windows |
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By:
Dennis A. Conforto
Chairman & CEO of A-Z Media Group, Inc. |
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The most important information
about your retail store should be seen in its window displays.
You should be able to tell the quality of the products, the
product selection, the season, and the sales event. The heart
and soul of your company should be found in your store’s window
display. Here is a list of ten important elements to consider
when creating your store’s window displays:
1. The signage needs to be clearly seen from the road,
parking lot or mall depending upon the type of store you have.
To test this, stand in the furthest place from your storefront,
where most prospective clients would be. If you can’t see the
signage then you need to get it in a place were it can be seen.
2. The illustrations and words need to be over-sized for
readability. Close up illustrations tend to focus the quality
and rich detail of a product. Study after study shows that women
love close-up images that show the detail of the products being
offered.
3. The window signage and window displays need to be changed
monthly. Consumers are attracted to things that are new and
scrapbooking is a fashion industry. Looking at the same display
each month will make your store look stale, so be sure to change
your window displays frequently.
4. The signage needs to reflect the sales event. It
should clearly state when the sales event ends. Without an end
date there is no push to buy; in retail, it always takes a push
to go beyond your set goals.
5. More is less. The writing must be concise. A sentence
should contain no unnecessary words; an illustration or drawing
should have no unnecessary lines. This doesn’t require that the
writer make all their sentences short, or that they avoid all
detail; what it means is that they allow the consumer to fill in
the blanks.
6. Don’t be afraid to use the brand names of your key
manufacturers. Seek approval from them to use their company
logos. This helps to team sell their products in your window
displays.
7. Your illustrations should, when possible, use the human
element: close-up pictures showing people using the
products. Even if it’s only a close-up of a small child’s hand
holding a picture, it demonstrates that scrapbooking and paper
crafting are about people.
8. Simple colors and type fonts are easier to work with
in creating the look you need for your retail store.
9. Your signs need to reflect quality to give the
consumer confidence that you’re going to be in business for the
years to come.
10. Your signs need to be professional, so don’t hesitate
to outsource this project to companies like Kinko’s. Getting the
right look and feel will make your message more effective.
Window signage has its own set of rules. Life size illustrations
don’t work well in windows displays; instead, oversized signage
for the windows. Changing the signage monthly is important:
constantly feature what is new to keep shoppers shopping. Using
brand names strengthens your store’s brand name and creates a
cooperative relationship with key manufacturers.
The correct signage for your windows can add a full 10% to your
sales. It is worth the time and effort to do it right. Doing it
wrong is almost as bad as not doing it at all. Remember: your
store’s windows are the soul of your store through which the
consumers see the real you. And that it why doing it right is
always the SMART thing to do. |
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