How prepared are you for the January Sales
Successful store owners will already have plans for their new year sales well advanced in terms of the products, merchandising and discount values. However, the really smart retailers will also have fine tuned the way that they will communicate their offers to the public.
Barrow Signs partners with retail and service operations to help them maximise sales and grow their business, they do this by championing effective design and multi-sensory communications. They are sharing some ideas and tips with you to help you plan your sale cycle this January.
1. Put it in the window. - The very fact you are having a sale needs to be felt from street/ mall side right through your store. Effective use of your windows is a must. For example, fashion retailers often dress mannequins in -shirts, usually red, with SALE written on them. Smart retailers use the mannequin to display the product also promote the message. Have the mannequin hold a sign or wear a sign. This method generates more interest than a plan “SALE” poster in the window. Have a look at this quirky example, albeit from a hardware store from the UK, where the mannequin is encouraging people to pick up the “new catalogue”
2. KEEP IT CLEAR - Clear and easy to read signs are essential and we cannot stress the importance of this, likewise avoid clashing colour schemes or indeed colour schemes that are too similar, otherwise you risk the message being unreadable.
Equally as important is ensuring the message is clear. Take a look at the image below. Can you see what the offer is?
Confusing and conflicting messages will inevetabley lead to your customers frustration, probably an erosion of trust and potentially negative reviews.
3. Hand written signs… just don’t - The cost of professionally producing signs is very affordable, and even if you forget something or sometimes you need to amend your message at the 11th hour, then a word processor and printer can be found in almost every back office these days. I don’t want to dwell on the negatives of the hand written signs so I’ll leave you look at this image and decide for yourself what kind of business you think this is, and when you have reached that conclusion, ask yourself, ‘what would my customers think if this was in my store?’ Same goes for SALE signs!
This is Barrow Signs top 3 tips for SALE signs is, “Shout It Loud”, “Keep It Clear and Consistent” and “Keep it Professional”
Working with ambitious retailers and service orientated business owner managers is what makes us tick. We advise start-ups and mature businesses on all aspects of their operation both front-of-house and back-end. Our expertise extends from commercial planning, branding and store design, through to fit-out and maintenance. If you would like to know more about our services or to have an exploratory chat about how we can help you develop your business please call us at 053 9383494 or drop an email to talktous@barrowsigns.com
- DORIAN MARKS