It’s that time of the month again!  Our resident Merchandising Maverick, Carlo Casareo has some tips on working with flowers – faux flowers.  your immediate reaction may be “ick!  fake flowers!  gross!”.  naturally, we all adore fresh flowers – but for window displays – the poor things may wilt too quickly under all those hot lights.  so let’s see how we can whip up magic even if the flowers are not real.

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ARTIFICIAL BEAUTY
Special events, special holidays, and special celebrations – they all call for special displays to entice and excite the shopper. Artificial Flowers and such are like old, familiar friends; they announce and explain themselves.  Real or not, flowers have been a great display symbol that many visual display persons often use to make the shopper aware that some special “day” is on the calendar and that “day” is rapidly approaching. Unlike the real deal, many imitation flowers (plants and/or fruits) will make people do a double take and ask “are those real?” 

 Although faux flowers can be pricey, one thing for sure is that these true-to-life flowers will never dry up and shrivel and plants will stay green throughout the years.

What to look for: 
Petals and leaves should appear and feel waxy, velvety, or filmy – like their counterparts in nature. The best stems feature vinyl-coated wire and natural details (i.e. thorns). Opt for plants and branches with leaves or twigs of various lengths set at different angles. They should contain wire so you can easily bend and shape them. Avoid super-shiny versions – the best ones have a matte finish.  Inspect leaves for shading and don’t forget to check the weight and texture when buying fruit imposters, it should feel “real” (to the touch at least).

How to care:
Because these beautiful imitations can be used over and over again, the best way to clean them is simply by using feather duster or a hair dryer set on cold. Keep them covered and stored in a safe area if not in use. A “How to” guide book on floral arrangements can come in handy, if you’re up for a creative challenge.  

Where to get:
Please be advised that it is wise to wait for these flowers to go on sale before purchasing. Also, know what you want and need for particular events in your calendar – it’s best to shop around to get the flowers at the price you want. Be resourceful! Check for fallen branches or twigs in your backyard (pinecones are easy to find) or call some local flower shops for branches they may no longer need and can be donated. Below is a list of places to check:

        -          Silkflowers.com

-          Michael’s Store / Michaels.com

-          Pier 1 imports

-          Qualitysilks.com

-          Crate and Barrel

-          Bloomingdales (kitchen dept)

-          Pottery Barn

Say bye-bye to watering your plants. Give yourself a break and stick to the fakes.

yay!  it’s time for a monthly installment from my favorite merchandising master, Carlo!  This months topic is Relate to Educate – tips on how to group items to tell a particular story.

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RELATE TO EDUCATE:

 In presenting any display, one of the basic approaches you can take is to set the scene for the merchandise or the concept to be sold. The overall display must be balanced and easy to look at. There has to be a movement from grouping to grouping or item to item. Each group or item should be able to be viewed as a separate entity, somehow set apart from the others.

 “The main goal is not to complicate the already difficult life of the consumer”– Raymond Loewy, industrial designer

 Relate your merchandise to your customersby showing them how it is use, make it simple-to-see and easy-to-relate. This also includes the use of relatable props to make the display more realistic.

 A realistic setting requires careful blending of colors, textures, shapes and the proper lighting. It must still be attractive enough to catch your customer’s attention.

 Line-of-goods such as these glass vases are displayed by using a simple background and the use of flowers shows the function of items.

These bowl, tea stirrers, and whisks shows that items are meant to be used together.

Sometimes you may find yourself displaying an assortment of items that that may not be related – yet shows a story. Below is a book that is also a good companion for a kid’s toy.  

Today i’m happy to introduce Margo Kopman, owner of Insight Retail Solutions.  Margo works with retail businesses to help provide tools and strategies to grow your business by helping you tackle your inventory.   For those of us who opened a shop because we have a passion for what we sell – but don’t necessarily have retail training – this could be a huge help in creating greater profits.

 Without further ado – here is Margo’s story and “pitch”…..

 Most of us (I would say all, but that wouldn’t be fair) retailers sprint in to the business because of passion, creativity and desire to share our vision with the world around us.  The art of retailing isn’t hard work because it is what we love to do – buy and sell.  It’s not a “job” really, but a lifestyle.

 As I approached my 4th year in business, I hit a brick wall.  Taking the business to the next level was what I wanted to do, but just how in the world was I going to do that?  My “budget” was right on, my expenses in line.  I had an amazing mailing list and devout following, national and local press galore, what else did I need?  

 It is funny to look back and remember the times when I was so afraid to talk to other retailers in my area because I didn’t want them to know the good, bad and the ugly.  Once I opened up and started yapping, this bright light came in and my life has never been the same. 

 “Do you not use a consultant to help you with your open-to-buy?” she asked.  Um, no –  what in the heck is that and where would I find a retail consultant?  And, how in the world could I have been winging this for so long? 

 Quickly, I learned that there was not enough time in a day to do all of the things that I needed to do to analyze what was making the most profit in my business and how to move forward (meaning, buy more of what is selling at a maintained mark-up above my breakeven point) based on the demand from customers and overall trend information in the industry.  A little thing we like to call in the retail business – balance and flow.  Mine was out of whack.  What was my markdown strategy?  When I need cash – have a sale.  Wrong answer.  What were the profit centers inside my 900 square foot shop?  Well, jackets for the season were generating the most sales – so jackets.  Wrong, again.  Apparently, there is a science to this thing we call retail – who knew!?!?!

 Fast forward two years and voila – a well oiled, fine-tuned machine.  All I could think about was, why don’t people in the industry that know about these consultants and planners, share the good news with the independent retailers in this world? 

 That’s when I decided to share the wealth and go through training with the company that holds the key to more profits and cash – Management One®.  I was going to do both, be the shopkeeper and the voice of reason for other shopkeepers but, the passion I had for retail completely shifted – I started to LOVE the numbers – the science, if you will.  A big decision had to be made.  The shop went up for sale and 4 months later, I gave the key to the eager young buyer and said good-bye to my baby.

 In a time like today where business is tough for everyone, we hear the word consultant and think, if my business is doing ok and I can pay the bills and get new inventory, then I don’t need one.  I say, wouldn’t it be fabulous to GROW the business?  And for those who are having a tough time paying bills on time, and getting new inventory, they “can’t afford it.”  Let me assure you, you can’t afford NOT to know how to prioritize every single penny you spend on inventory and expenses. 

 The ability to take a boutique owners passion for the buying and the selling and turning that knowledge into profits and cash is undeniably the most rewarding part of what I do every day. 

 Ask yourself – as a retailer, do you have the ability to:

•  Predict the sales in each classification (most months with greater than 94% accuracy.)?
•  Establish the right inventory level in each classification?
• Create specialized reporting for multiple and chain store use?
• Create a dynamic cash flow management tool?
• Diagnose the data and predict suitable actions to take including markdowns, transfers etc?
• Create new marketing strategies and promotional ideas?
• Analyze expenses and make changes that will HELP cash flow, not hurt it?

 We can no longer fly by the seat of our pants.  The science of retail is a crucial part to the business, and one that often gets overlooked.  I do not replace a POS system or your accountant – but I work with both to get the information needed to generate an OTB budget and action plan each and every month. 

One of my clients has been in business for almost 7 years.  Her business (sales) is down 25% from her biggest year – but get this, her PROFITS are greater than ever.  Yup, that’s right, she’s making more money now than she ever has which is allowing her to open her second location in mid-October.

Margo Kopman works with independent retailers of all different sizes and types all over the country.  For a free business analysis consultation please contact her at margo@insightretailsolutions.com or 314.503.2607. 

For those of you who are new to my blog, i can’t say enough nice things about Carlo Casareo.  He was my brilliantly creative and resourceful window display artist at my former boutique, ooma.  He has agreed to impart his wisdom to my readers in the form of a monthly guest blogger.  So without further ado – introducing Carlo’s WOW!

DISPLAY IT WITH FUN

The least amount of display often makes the biggest statement, especially when you are challenged with everything but the available merchandise in stock.

 One way to let your customers know that you have new merchandise is to change your top shelf display presentations. I often find top shelf displays an important expression of your merchandise assortment, not only because it conveys a “show me” attitude but it is what your customers see from a distance.

 Props can be improvised from whatever is on hand – be creative and resourceful, and keep in mind: Display it with FUN!

 Below is a series of top shelf displays I created for an accessories department. Using some fresh fallen branches from the park and wooden blocks, I was able to effectively compose a display for hand-made silk scarves.

Think outside the box and give your merchandise some style, if it’s worth repeating – repeat it several times over and always provide some element of surprise. Below are some display samples I styled using scarves and neck ties.

Wow Carlo!  you’ve elevated the scarf to a form of art!  bravo and thanks again for the great tips and inspiration.

i love being me.  i have a great business acumen, i think i’m a pretty stylish and fun gal, and i’m thrilled that being a mom seems to come pretty naturally.  but oh how i wish i was a craftier person!  i get giddy when i see what other folks create and yet – i seemed to have missed the boat when those skills were passed out.  thank goodness for gals like Mallory aka MissMalaprop.  not only does she report on wonderful indie designers – but she has amazing creative skills to create DIY yumminess.  and did i mention she’s friend of the earth!  that makes me happy.  so without further ado – here’s MissMalaprop reporting on ideas for sustainable & eco-friendly displays.

I also love the idea of using vintage suitcasesfor displaying jewelry, small accessories, or even cards and stationery. Most vintage suitcases have some sort of fabric lining that’s great for hanging earrings on or attaching hooks and pins for hanging other jewelry pieces. If you’re going to be doing traveling shows or local events to help promote your business, suitcases do double duty as both display at the event and storage to and from. Both Etsy and eBay, as well as your local thrift stores and flea markets, can be great sources for affordable vintage suitcases. (note from Kate:  how cute are these for a kids store or area?)

Clothing racks are another fixture where the recycled possibilities are endless. I’ve seen great displays done with fallen tree branches strung up from the ceiling with sturdy chain. At home, my landlord used recycled metal piping for our closets, and it’s a subtle touch that I love. Most areas have hardware salvage stores where you can find unique fixtures taken from demolished older homes.

These salvage stores can also be a great location to find vintage chandeliers and lighting fixtures. The store I used to work for, Trashy Diva, used vintage chandeliers to bring a great retro ambiance to the shop, which specialized in clothing based on styles from the 1930s-1950s. I also found another ingenious tutorial on Instructables for building an  eye-catching lighting fixture using tumbleweeds or fallen branches and LED Christmas lights. Brilliant!

There really is no limit to what you can do with a little imagination. Vintage and recycled materials bring charm and can often be found for cheaper than new fixtures and displays. Keep an open mind while you browse your local thrift stores and flea markets, and you never know what you might find to transform your store!

thank you MissMalaprop for your great ideas!  i’d love to hear your ideas for recycled or DIY displays.