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Let\u2019s WINDOWS THAT WOW<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n 1. Choose a theme for your monthly window 2. Keep it simple.<\/b> People need to be able 3. Chose a backdrop that makes the merchandise 4. Add your telephone number and web address 5. Light your window displays at night.<\/b> 6. Create an instant display with window ON THE SALES FLOOR<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n 7. Work your Decompression Zone.<\/b> It\u2019s job 8.<\/span> Pay 9. Check 10. Provide every customer with a cart or 11. Place<\/b> Speed Bump displays just beyond the decompression zone. <\/b>These 12. Cross merchandise everywhere.<\/b> Always 13. Implement the Pyramid Principle<\/b> in 14. Look for props in unusual places <\/b>like 15. Sign your displays. <\/b>It\u2019s<\/span> <\/b>a fact that displays that are signed outperform displays that are 16. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires 17. Do our 360 Degree Pass-By every morning 18. At 19. Set a daily sales goal and post it at the 20. Hold a ten minute JOG (Jog Your Memory) 21. Take time to visit other retail stores for AT THE CASHWRAP<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n 22. Policy signing should be printed, framed 23. Place a variety of impulse items at the 24. Sell<\/b> gift cards year round at the cashwrap. <\/b>A small display is all you 25. Use the wall directly behind your cashwrap 26. Keep a stash of frequently forgotten items STORE OPERATIONS<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n 27. Be open when customers expect you to be 28. Answer the telephone within three rings. <\/b>Choose 29. Manage your customer response times. <\/b>Best 30. Control your back stock. <\/b>Before you If you 31. Take physical cycle counts.<\/b> Even if you 32. Create and maintain a Never Out Item List.<\/b> 33. Don\u2019t wait too long to take a markdown. <\/b>Merchandise 34. Control your delivery dates.<\/b> Yes, you MARKETING<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n 35. Create a weekly bag stuffer and hand one to 36. Build a Brag Sheet<\/b> that\u2019s loaded with 37. Send an email blast at least twice a month.<\/b> 38. Collect customer email addresses 39. Every email blast should have a clear 40. Pepper your emails with large photos and 41. 64 percent of people say they open an email 42. Measure your results<\/b>. <\/b>Every <\/b>email marketing company provides you with detailed reports on how 43. Host one major in-store event and one to two minor in-store events each A minor 44. Create a marketing and promotions calendar 45. Toot your own horn.<\/b> Contact local SOCIAL MEDIA<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n 46. R<\/b>amp up<\/b> your social media presence.<\/b> Unless you have <\/span>a dedicated social media person, choose two or 47. Continue to boost your business online.<\/b> 48. Make 49. Use hashtags to expand your reach.<\/b> 50. Take Retailers <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\nstart 2026 with 50 non-stop
\ntraffic-building, profit-producing, attention-grabbing, sales-generating,
\ncompetition-miffing, customer-winning strategies every retailer should know!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\ndisplays.<\/b> There are plenty of national and fun holidays to choose from each
\nmonth or make up your own. Carry that theme throughout the store.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nto take in the message of your windows in eight seconds or less.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\npop.<\/b> A vertical backdrop \u2013 a photo poster, hanging lights, or unfurled bolt
\nof fabric \u2013 will draw the eye up and down as well as forward, causing shoppers
\nwill see more of your window display.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nin 10-14\u201d white reflective vinyl letters at the center bottom of your main
\nwindow.<\/b> Now, potential customers can easily get in touch or check your
\nwebsite even when your store isn\u2019t open for business.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nThis is especially important if your store is located in an area where people
\ntend to walk, especially areas that are populated with restaurants and bars.
\nYou can\u2019t buy what you can\u2019t see; lighting entices people to come back when
\nyour store is open.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\ngraphics. <\/b>Use photos you own (or have permission to use) that are blown up
\nto fit your window space. We like perforated window graphics that show vibrant
\nphotos on the outside while allowing you to see clearly out of the windows from
\nthe inside. You can find vendors locally or give Joe at Lake Powell Graphics a call.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nis to transition customers from whatever they were doing outside of your store
\nand refocus them on shopping. People don\u2019t start thinking about merchandise
\nuntil they are at least 5-15\u2019 inside the door, depending on the size of your
\nsales floor. This means that the baskets, signs, and samples that fall within
\nthe decompression zone will be missed. Place these items just beyond the
\nDecompression Zone where shoppers are more likely to see them.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nattention to your first 10 second impression. <\/span><\/b>Stand
\njust inside the front door and look around. In the first 10 seconds inside your
\ndoor shoppers are making value judgements about what they see, thinking \u201cShould
\nI grab what I need here or head to another store?\u201d View your sales floor from
\njust inside the door each day, checking to ensure you are giving shoppers the first
\nimpression that you intended.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nyour sight line. <\/b>While you are still at the front of your store check its
\nsight line: you want shoppers to be able to see into and through the sales
\nfloor. Get rid of tall fixtures near or at the front of the store that block
\nproduct housed behind them. Make each display more visible by placing shorter
\nfixtures near the front, and taller fixtures towards the rear of the store.
\nRemember, the more a shopper sees, the more they are likely to buy.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nbasket to increase sales. <\/b>Customers stop shopping once their hands are full
\nso offer shoppers a cart or basket, at the very minimum, ask to hold items they
\nare carrying at the cashwrap until they are ready to check out.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nimportant displays are the customers\u2019 first impression of the store upon
\nentering. Use small fixtures or stacking tables to group irresistible products and
\nproduct stories together.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthink about additional products you could add to a display that will save
\ncustomers time and increase your average sale. Look for places around the sales
\nfloor to add J-hooks, clip strips, power panels, and other inexpensive fixtures
\ndesigned to help you sell more. Azar
\nDisplays has every kind of fixture and accessory you can imagine to help
\nyou get started.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\ndisplays by placing a tall item (or fixture or prop) in the center of two
\nsmaller items. This causes the eye to unconsciously seek the tallest item
\nbefore scanning the smaller items and the rest of the display. Again, the more
\nthey see, the more they buy.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthrift shops, garage sales and on trash days in tony neighborhoods. We have a
\nfriend who does very well collecting unwanted furniture she restores and sells
\nto retailers for props, and to customers for home decor. Have fun with your fixtures
\nbut make sure that they are sturdy enough to hold merchandise and safe to use.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nnot by 20 percent, yet most indie retail stores are undersigned. The message
\nshould be simple, indicating important features and price. Use both upper and
\nlower case letters and don\u2019t use a font smaller than 30 points. Customers who
\nwear reading glasses should be able to easily read your signs without them.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nstore aisles to be a minimum of 3\u20196\u201d.<\/b> On your sales floor can shoppers
\neasily navigate the aisles without bumping into product? Is it easy for two
\ncustomers to shop the same aisle\/area with and without carts? Can strollers
\nnavigate the aisles with ease? And can customers who use wheelchairs or
\nscooters have enough room to shop comfortably?<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nbefore you open for business.<\/b> Start at the front door and walk every aisle
\nin the store, finish with a look at the cashwrap, service counter, cutting
\ntables and rest rooms. Note areas that need attention before the store opens
\nfor the day. Require all associates to do a 360 Degree Pass-By before each
\nshift.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe close of business each day prepare a Store
\nOpening Checklist<\/b> that lists the tasks to be completed the next day. Drop
\nus an email for a customizable copy of this form.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\ncashwrap. <\/b>Your associates will perform better when they know what\u2019s
\nexpected of them each day.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nmeeting each morning or at the start of each shift.<\/b> Discuss products,
\npolicies, promotions, big news \u2013 anything store associates need to know that
\nday.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nideas. <\/b>Not just store like yours, all types of stores. Visit popular chain
\nand indie retail websites and social medias. With your creative mind we
\nguarantee you will produce dozens of ideas you can tweak to use in your own
\nstore.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nand displayed in a prominent place at the cashwrap. <\/b>Your return\/exchange
\npolicy should be comparable to other retailers in your area. Try to eliminate
\nthe word NO, writing your policies in a friendly voice. \u201cNo refunds or
\nexchanges without receipt!\u201d becomes customer-friendly when changed to \u201cWe
\ngladly accept returns and exchanges within _________ days. Your receipt
\nguarantees it.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\ncashwrap. <\/b>High margin, inexpensive items work best. Choose things shoppers typically
\nneed, but don\u2019t forget enjoyable items like candles and body lotions. Women are
\nhuge impulse buyers so give them a selection they can\u2019t resist.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nneed. Remember that the majority of gift card shoppers spend more than the face
\nvalue of the card and require more than one trip to your store to spend it.
\nThat\u2019s great news for you.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nto display product.<\/b> You never want customers to stop thinking about
\nproduct, even when they are checking out. Instead of notes taped to the wall
\nand piles of merchandise, use that space to display featured items, new
\narrivals and impulse product. If you don\u2019t have a wall then set free standing
\nfixtures near each cashwrap.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nat the cashwrap.<\/b> Now, when a customer says, \u201cI forgot to get __________,
\nI\u2019ll get it next time.\u201d you can reach under the counter, grab that item, and
\nsave the sale.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nopen. <\/b>There is no perfect answer to when you should be open because the
\nanswer depends on time of year, your community, competition and what shoppers
\nexpect. It\u2019s important to note that a big percentage of retail sales happen
\nafter 7:00 pm, which explains why malls and chain stores stay open until 9:00
\npm. You should be open some evening hours and on Sundays as well.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe way you want your phone to be answered and share it with all associates. A
\nsimple answer might be, \u201cThank you for calling ______________! This is
\n______________, how may I help you today?\u201d Requiring the associate to tell the
\ncaller about a sale or hours or whatever is happening in the store that day
\nbefore asking how they can help drives customers crazy. So does \u201cPress 1 for
\n_____, press 2 for _____.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\npractices say you should return phone calls and respond to email requests
\nwithin 24 hours and reply to text messages within an hour. Don\u2019t hide behind an
\nautomatic reply unless it\u2019s absolutely necessary. Not being responsive gives a
\nbad impression of your business.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nreorder check to ensure there are no additional quantities of that product
\nalready in your stock room.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nneed a physical reminder, place a green dot sticker on the shelf or bin ticket
\nindicating that there is more of this merchandise in the stock room. When there
\nis no more of the item in the stock room replace the green dot with a red dot,
\nindicating that this item needs to be reordered. Add a black dot if the item is
\nnot to be reordered or mark it down and move it to the clearance aisle.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nhave a POS system it\u2019s still important to take periotic physical counts at
\nshelf level to compare actual inventory versus what\u2019s on the POS report. If
\nthey don’t match you need to find out why.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nThese are the items that can never be out of stock. Physically check this
\nproduct against the list daily and re-order as necessary. Bags, gift cards, register
\ntape, paper towels, and toilet paper belong on this list, too.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthat isn\u2019t selling doesn\u2019t do you any good collecting dust on a shelf. It needs
\nto go to free up cash to buy fresh, saleable product. Add a \u201csell by\u201d date to
\nprice tags and bin tickets, and mark down items as soon as sales start to slow
\ndown. Packing away product for next year is rarely a good idea.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\ncan tell vendors when you want to receive your orders. Accepting a late-season
\ndelivery doesn\u2019t make sense if it arrives too late in the season to sell, as
\ndoes receiving and paying for goods far in advance of actual sell time.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nevery shopper.<\/b> Getting them into the customers\u2019 hand is important, so have
\nthe associate ringing up the sale hand the bag stuffer to the customer,
\nexplaining what it\u2019s about \u2013 think of this as a 30 second commercial! If you
\npre-stuff them into bags they will not get read and will probably be tossed out
\nwith the bag. Use your bag stuffers to advertise specific product, events or
\nwhatever is important that particular week.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe services your store provides, awards, conveniences, merchandise categories,
\nbrands, social media handles, return policy, hours \u2013 everything that\u2019s
\nimportant to your customers. Make a sign and hang it at the front of your
\nstore. Print it on the back of your weekly bag stuffer, add it to your website,
\nsocial medias and email blasts.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nChoose a professional email marketing company to create your campaigns. Constant Contact, SnapRetail and MailChimp are just a few retailer
\nfavorites that offer a free 30-45 day trial. Try them all and then go with the
\none you like best.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\norganically.<\/b> Place a sign-up sheet at the register and on your website.
\nHost contests where the winner is notified via email and make asking for the
\nshoppers email part of the regular checkout process.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nmessage <\/b>that <\/b>encourages the
\nreader to act by visiting your website or coming to your store.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nless copy.<\/b> People don\u2019t like to read long blocks of copy so keep the
\nmessage short. Make every photo clickable, taking the reader to your website
\nfor more information or to purchase. It should take a reader no more than 20
\nseconds to fully understand the message you are trying to convey.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nbecause of the subject line alone<\/b>. Make sure your subject lines are
\ncompelling.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\ncustomers responded. Keep the techniques that work and tweak those that don\u2019t
\nbefore sending your next email blast.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nmonth.<\/b> <\/span>A major event is one that
\nbuilds traffic and packs your store with customers. Don\u2019t confuse a major
\nevent with something that takes a long time to plan. A trunk show or fashion
\nshow can be a large undertaking, but it\u2019s not a major event unless it attracts big
\nnumbers of potential customers who buy something while they\u2019re there.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nevent might be a class or a Saturday full of makit it & takits and demonstrations.
\n<\/b>Minor events draw customers to your store but should not take a lot of time
\nto plan or implement. If the concept of events and promotions is new to you,
\nthen begin by running one major event and one minor event for each month of the
\nyear. If you\u2019re already running events on a regular basis, you can add as many
\nas you are comfortable adding.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nfor each month of 2026. <\/b>List dates and deadlines for each part of your
\nmarketing efforts, including in-store events, promotions, social media live
\nbroadcasts, classes, email blasts, and social media posts.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nmedias and pitch stories about your store. The majority of the stories
\npresented by local media come from a press release, so send one for each
\nnewsworthy thing you do including the trade shows you attend, awards you\u2019ve won,
\nbig events, famous visitors to your store, contest winners, charitable works,
\nnewsworthy associates, etc.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthree social media platforms and commit to keeping them up to date. Think Facebook,
\nInstagram, and TikTok. Posting daily is the optimal goal; three times a week is
\nthe very minimum you can do to keep followers interested.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nOnline selling is here to stay. Keep your website up to date and choose a
\nselling platform like Comment Sold, Shopify, Big Commerce, or Woo to help you automate. Choose the platform
\nthat works best for you.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nl<\/b>ive broadcasts a major of your
\nmarketing.<\/b> We know so many retailers who connect with customers via live
\nbroadcasts on social media. If you haven\u2019t tried it yet (and why haven\u2019t you?) it\u2019s
\ntime to get on board. Choose a daily or weekly time slot and stick to it. The
\nsame selling platforms listed in number 46 will also help you easily sell via
\nsocial media.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nPosts with hashtags have more engagement than those that don\u2019t. Without a
\nhashtag your posts only go to the people who follow you, but posts that include
\nhashtags can reach anyone who follows that particular hashtag. Google \u201cbest
\nhashtags for ______\u201d to get you started. Be sure to include a hashtag for your
\nstore as in #nameofyourstore.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\ncare of yourself.<\/b> Take a day off when you can. Start your day with friends
\nor fellow business owners at your local coffee shop. If there\u2019s no time for
\nthat, then spend a few minutes catching up with friends on social media. Attend
\ntrade shows that help your business and make you happy. Make dinner plans with
\nfriends while you are there or better yet, go a day early and visit local
\nstores with your pals.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n
\nare some of the most resilient people in the world. There is no limit to what
\nyou can do once you put your mind to it!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n