ahh – lighting.  one of the most important aspects for a retail environment.  you want to enhance the merchandise.  you need to make sure your clients look fabulous.  and you mustn’t ever (seriously  – NEVER!) use fluorescent.  it just doesn’t make anyone or anything look good.  but really – the light should be focused when need be (jewelry cabinets), warm and diffused in dressing rooms (to make the ladies look flawless) and naturally bright/ambient overall (don’t make people squint to see your goods).

and we haven’t even discussed the lamp shade!  Dawn Bassett, owner/designer of LiT (in Seattle) and lamp shade obsessor,  asks the question:  “when was the last time you saw a really great shade?”  my answer:  not in a long time.

Dawn has a fashion focused philosophy on lamp shades – “it’s your rooms chance to accessorize”.  and it’s your stores opportunity to put on the proverbial “Dolce and Gabbana cuff bracelet that transforms the look from casual to couture”.  sounds like a great way to step it up a notch.

typically, boutiques focus on case/overhead/dressing room lighting.  but how charming to provide a sweet lamp near your boyfriend chair (a must have)?  perhaps it’s an opportunity to not only provide additional lighting – but an extra dash of flair?   how about a custom letter press shade?  nice branding.

LIT is a darling shop that provides wonderful, original lighting – with loads of custom shades.  i love the create your own kit – a fun way to explore your creativity while ensuring a great match for your shop.

oh!  and check out this wonderful guide on lighting for small retail shops – a great resource for new and existing stores.  enjoy!

just got the CB2 catalog today.  of course, my mind is always thinking of how items could be used in a retail situation (can’t decorate the house- it’s just been done) as i fantasize about my next store.  until then – i shall share my ideas with you.  i’ve edited my selections to items under $20.  there are some really cool shelves and i LOVE the acrylic stuff - but they exceed my limit for the post.

1.  tree ring holder - cute, simple way to display a couple of rings and only $7.95.  more interesting than those little “fingers” you find in the jewelry display catalogs.

2.  whirly hanging candle holder:  um YES!  how cute would these be clustered in an area and holding small, precious things?  like bracelets or baby socks or a little card?  it would certainly draw attention.  or even a colorful scarf balled up – a different color in each ball.  super fun.  and only $3.95/each.

3.  ada hanging vase: i’m thinking hang a grouping of these on a wall and add some fun branches with lots of twigs.  then hang necklaces and bracelets and even earrings from them.  it would be very sweet.

4.  cuarto platters:  fill with dried lentilsl, peas, rice – whatever color works best with your decor – and then lay jewelry on top.  the look will be sleek and sophisticated.  and they’re very affordable at $1.95 – $14.95.

5.  dot wall hook:  nice punch of color for hanging the usual:  umbrellas, hats, scarves, handled bags, etc.  i like the modern sensibility with the whimsical color.  $19.95

 

e-news is the way to deliver news, in my opinion.  not only is it an environmentally friendly option to relay info to your clientele – but it’s very cost effective and easy too.

there are TONS of companies that offer e-news services  – so i’m planning to do a trial of a few of the most popular and report back on my findings.  first up – my alma mater of e-newsletters from the ooma days:  Vertical Response.

here are some things i like about Vertical Response:

• Super easy to use!  they offer several ways to use it depending on your HTML skills.  i chose the template version (but would always simple border with my logo)
• Color-match:  you can use a dropper to choose a color from your logo so your border will match perfectly.
• Pay as you go!  i prefer to pay for what i use instead of monthly fees (though they do offer a fee-based option if your email list is large enough).  The fees are affordable:  up to a 1000 emails is .15/email ($15 for a 1,000).  then the price goes down to .13/email for 1,001 – 2500, etc.  I’d buy in bulk and then you’ll get the lowest cost for several months worth of enews.
• Simple reports:  the reports are easy to read, graphic format that show quickly and easily how many people read your email (and exactly who!), who unsubsrcibed, who bounced, etc.

 

 

you may ask:  why not just send an email from my account?   well – i have a few reasons why i prefer using a service:

1. you don’t have to deal with unsubscribes and bounced emails (and when your list gets into the thousands – you really don’t want your email box junked up with this!)
2. the templates provide a professionally designed look – an opportunity to extend your brand
3. the reports can guage what links people click on, etc – so you can test various offers if you choose.

mainly – it just makes it easier and the cost is so little (as long as you don’t bombard people with emails – which i don’t think is a good idea anyway!).

i have a few more companies up my sleeve – would like to know if you have any recommendations!  THANKS

…here a Moo – there a Moo – everywhere a Moo Moo!

(sorry for geeking out  – i have a 15 mo old – so that song gets some serious play).

anyway – i’m talking about Moo cards - not an actual cow.  i adore these cards.  if you haven’t seem them in person – definitely check them out.  your first thought may be:  hey cool!  inexpensive and very nice business cards (i’m a fan of the mini’s - they’re just so darn cute).  and yes  – a grand idea.

but let’s imagine what other fun things you can do with the Moo!  how about getting 100 mini Moo’s printed with offers on particular items?  you may use a photo of a label and then add text for 10% off.  or maybe it’s 15% off anything RED (and blue, or pink, etc).  How about a day of the week?  draw people in on your slow days (Wednesdays were mine)  with an offer for that day only.    because you can upload up to a 100 different designs (wow!) – you can try various tricks.  then just slip one into your customers shopping bag (or hand over with the receipt) as a special treat.  Or you could have a little fishbowl where customer can “draw for an offer” as they walk in.  could be very fun.

(btw – i love adding a little ribbon – makes them feel extra special)

photo from Moo blog

does your gift wrap leave something to be desired?  i love the idea of a plain box adorned with a moo card with a fun print (and maybe your logo?).  not only will it add flair and personality – but your customer could use as a gift tag (leave the back blank or add a discreet message).

photo from Moo blog

if you sell jewelry, create custom hang tags for earrings!  perhaps you can make cards for various designers – but with a print that works with your stores decor.  this would help promote your designers without sacrificing a cohesive look.

i’m sure there are hundreds of fun uses to market your business with these cards.  does anyone want to share an idea?  please comment!

i recall fondly my days of heading off to market with the anticipation of a school girl on her first day.  what would i see?  what would be the hot colors?  what new designers might i discover?  what were my fave designers up to?  and of course, i’d fall madly in love with a gazillion items and only have a small budget for my tiny shop. 

during  my first trips to market – i mistakenly wrote orders on the spot.  i recall my first holiday deliveries arriving and realizing that i had ordered a fancy black lace dress from at least 3 designers.  ooops!  after that – i resolved to wait until i got home so i could review everything before placing any orders.

as markets passed, i noodled with my Merchandising Matrix until it became a pretty simple – yet powerful – tool.  i could quickly sort by price point (and eliminate if i had too many inexpensive or too pricey items).  i could ensure that i had no random outliers in my color schemes (easy edit).  i could make sure i had enough styles of dresses (not everyone wants to wear a strapless mini!) and tops, bottoms, etc.  basically, i created an easy tool to help edit my buys.

Once that was done – it became a checklist for placing my POs and for delivery.  it’s a great tool that i’m selling for only $5 on etsy.  one of my favorite shop owners bought it recently and said “I think you may have revolutionized buying for us!”

that would be cool!

check it out.  if you buy one – i’ll gladly customize it for your purposes (and you get a snazzy e-PO as well).