Visual merchandising can be a powerful tool for communicating a message about the products we’re selling and also about our values. This is a good example of a visual campaign Anthropologie created that draws attention to simple steps consumers can take to help the survival of honeybees and sustainable agriculture.

The specialty retailer highlighted “Bee Tees” in two styles to generate awareness about the disappearance of honeybees and the organizations dedicated to saving them. The 100% organic cotton t-shirts were available at select locations for a limited amount of time. The retailer also raised awareness with window installations that reflected on the role bees play in our world. Iconography like hives and honeycombs were created with unexpected materials and a whole lot of creativity.

Stores also hosted events during the month of April covering such topics as sustainable agriculture, organic living, gardening and how to give new life to your favorite old t-shirt.

Enjoy the sweet inspiration!

The projected total spending for this year’s Mother’s Day is expected to reach $14.6 billion!* (Holy cow!) The amount people are spending this year is on the rise, with an average purchase at $126.90, compared to last year’s $123.89. Mother’s Day is an occasion where specialty retailers can take the opportunity to promote something special. It’s common for customers to walk around retail stores trying to choose just the right thing. Make it easy for them to spend money in your store by offering many gift options for them to choose from!

Keep in mind that hitting a home run for mother’s day is great, but it’s no substitute for including moms in your merchandising plans the other 364 days a year.

Here’s some visual inspiration in honor of Moms everywhere.

* National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2010 Mother’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch

Visual merchandising is the art of presenting product in a retail setting with the purpose of increasing store traffic and sales. Communicating what is unique and different about the product and telling a story about it will increase your sales.  A super simple way to tell a story or give your consumer a specific message is to go old school – use a chalkboard. Buy a chalkboard or, better yet use chalkboard paint to create a large blackboard wall.

You can use a chalkboard to do the following:

1. Give your consumers a message.

2. Create a story or theme.

3. Give them tips on how or where to use the product.

4. Tell them about upcoming events or promotions. Create a calendar and populate it with timely tips for consumers to consider, such as”family camping trip must-have list” or “Whose birthday do I need to buy for this month?”What better way to promote products listed on your In-Store Events calendar?

Get your story or message out there and make sure to have some fun with it!

Mother Nature is a good muse for visual merchandising is – especially in an outdoor store. Over the past few months we’ve been collecting inspiring images that draw from Mother Nature we thought were worth sharing. Since most of the products sold by specialty outdoor retailers are made thoughtfully with sustainable materials and are meant to be used outdoors, we thought Mother Nature (and Earth Day) is a great theme to build displays and messages around at any time of year.  Many of these ideas use simple, accessible items that will hopefully inspire your consumers to be mindful of their outdoor playgrounds.

Visual Merchandising Inspired by Mother Nature.

Remember, you can use the visuals to help convey and reinforce a message. For instance, take a stand and create messaging around protecting our oceans, rivers or forests. There are plenty of causes to stand behind, and you can thread the appropriate messaging through promotions, products and your visual merchandising. For example, maybe one of your kayak brands would like to promote boats and clean rivers in May.  Build your store visuals around that promotion so that your consumer “gets it” when they‘re there. Visual merchandising allows you to push a message without actually pushing.  The soft sell is effective.

Do you have nature-inspired merchandising you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you!

Happy Earth Day!

Wouldn’t it be great to have your employees say, “Work is awesome!”?
Even if they don’t use those exact words, you do want happy employees who enjoy what they do. The “above and beyond” customer service a retail store needs to deliver in order to be successful should begin with happy employees. Retailers that develop long-term incentives, perks and rewards and recognition for its staff often see benefits like less employee turn-over and better customer service, a combination that can lead to an increase in sales.
Motivational speakers, extra staff development and monetary incentives like paid health coverage are typical for big companies, but what about independent retailers? What perks can a brick and mortar retailer offer employees?
Ideas for Low-Cost Perks.
The cost of instituting most perks is a relatively small outlay compared to what may be received by creating a happy workforce. Here are some low-cost ideas for any retailer, large or small:
1. Discounts on Merchandise:  The obvious… offer workers a percentage off on any product you sell. Make sure it’s easy to access manufacture pro deals for the brands you carry. You want your employees to have a personal relationship with these products. It will make it much easier and more fun to sell more of them.
2. Celebrations: Holidays, inventory, or exceeding sales goals are all good times to throw a party. Plan the party away from the store at the local watering hole or host a small gathering in the break room or maybe have a potluck BBQ at someone’s house.
3. Personal Time: Show your generosity by allowing parents off work when school is out for teacher in-service or other holidays. Personal days off shouldn’t be confused with vacation time. This family flexibility and support goes a long way. It doesn’t have to be costly but it can be team building.
4. Tickets and Gift Cards: Businesses often receive promotions or discounts on shows, sporting events, movie tickets, resorts. Give these tickets to your staff as rewards or incentives for meeting sales goals. Maybe even consider small gift cards for the local gas station or bookstore.
5. Free Food: Who doesn’t like to eat? This favorite low-cost perk can be as simple as bringing in donuts or bagels a few times each month. Some retailers even buy lunch every Friday for scheduled staff.
6. Time Off for Charity: Providing time off for staff to participate in charity events not only shows goodwill towards workers, but it also helps build community involvement.
7. Break-room Entertainment: If you don’t have the room (or the budget) to put a pool or ping pong table in the break-room, consider smaller active games like Nerf basketball or Foosball.
8. Random Acts of Kindness: Not all perks need to be planned. A simple verbal and written recognition of a job well done can go far in improving employee morale.
Give Them What They Really Want.
As you create benefits and perks for your staff, be sure they’re relevant and appropriate. You may feel you’re being generous when you buy pizza for employees staying late the night before inventory, but they may not see it that way. An extra day off or allowing your worker to come in late another day may be a better offering of goodwill instead.
The best way to know what your staff would prefer is to simply ask them. Make a point during the next staff meeting to take ideas and suggestions for perks they would like to receive. You may be surprised to learn it is something simple that you can easily implement in your retail shop. Bring employees into the process. It will make them happy.
We’d love to hear about the Employee Perks you have used that make happy employees.

O.K. maybe we’re not working every weekend for the fun of it, but there’s no doubt that retail and weekends go hand in hand. For many store owners and retail associates a work schedule that falls on the weekends is the norm.

Besides the obvious – that you are working in a store that sells great product and has fabulous customers and a superior team – there are some fun ways to help lift the moods of employees who are working weekends in retail stores. Consider implementing some fun treats ideas that will create a more exciting work environment.

Saturdays and Sundays are busy for retailers, so employees can expect shorter lunch breaks, tired feet, long days and little down time. This may be good for your cash register, but it can leave employees – and yourself – tired and not as smiley as you’d like to be.

Implementing a tradition of fun and simple employee perks can be a good way to help the day go by. Consider having pizza delivered for lunch, or introduce a potluck-style lunch where everyone brings something. You can get creative – one week it can be Mexican food, another week sandwiches and chips. Food doesn’t need to be the perk (although most of us love it!).  Consider other options that can lift moods. Have a contest to jumpstart sales, increase employee motivation and generate a little fun. Surprise employees with a a quick coffee run to your favorite local coffee shop (on the store, of course), or give them a pair of movie tickets for a job well done. Even writing a simple thank you note to an employee that acknowledges their efforts is a great thing to do. The ideas can be simple – employee appreciation goes a long way. Make sure to take it up a notch every now and again to keep spirits high and the job fun!

What kinds of things do you do in your store to add a little extra smile?