For effective fashion merchandising a retail store for promotion, you really have to have a creative mind.  But, it does take more than “knowing what looks good” to create display designs that are pleasing to the eye, focused on a goal, and that entice shoppers to buy.  You can make a career out of fashion merchandising.

But, for the retail store manager or boutique owner looking to give their promotions a professional fashion merchandising makeover, use these guidelines to get you started. Effective fashion merchandising begins with researching your company’s history.  Hopefully you have company records that show which promotions, fashion merchandising, display arrangements and merchandise were most effective at particular times of the year.

If you don’t have this information, then you will need to watch and carefully document your customers’ reactions to certain promotional and fashion merchandising attempts. For example, if you put a large display right inside the door of your store with big sale signs, then you probably drew in a lot of customers.  But, were the customers buying?  Large signs and “in your face” displays signal a really good deal to consumers.

Fashion merchandising should convey the promotion clearly

If they get in and realize that your clothing is not extremely cheap, then they aren’t really getting the deal that they thought – bad fashion merchandising.  They’ll probably turn and leave the store.  Over emphasizing a sale and fashion merchandising that doesn’t deliver is a good way to attract the wrong customers and inflate the expectations of your customers.

If you use smaller signs, or something as simple as a sticker price tag over the regular price, then you are not screaming that you carry cheap merchandise, but you are communicating that the items are marked-down.  When customers feel that you are giving them an honest idea of what quality and price will be before they even pick up the tag, they are more likely to buy, regardless of the price.

Another good way to make a personal impact and gently communicate a promotion through fashion merchandising is to have your sales staff direct customers towards sale areas, then let your fashion merchandising do the rest. It is up to you to determine when your heaviest shopping times are.

Fashion merchandising needs proper planning and inventory management

If you are having a big sale, if it is tax-free weekend, or you are approaching the holiday season, part of your fashion merchandising plan will include ordering enough inventory to keep your displays stocked.  Make sure that sales associates keep your store displays full, neat and clean at all times.

Fully stocked displays give shoppers the feeling that they will be able to find their size and that you are not planning on discontinuing an item anytime soon.  If it seems that you are not restocking, then customers may think that it is due to a lack of quality, or that it is the end of the season and what you have left is what no one else wanted, so why bother?

To keep the loyalty of customers, you need to always send an honest message with your promotions and fashion merchandising.  If you are promoting clearance items, you might hang them on plastic or acrylic hangers.  For pricier merchandise, you can prepare your customer by using nicer wood hangers so that they don’t get that dreaded sticker shock.

Effective fashion merchandising and promotion are all about the promise that you make to your customers.  Through your signage and displays, you can adequately prepare the customer for your prices without saying a word.

Fashion Merchandising

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The decisions you make should reflect the style and brand image that you wish to portray. Keep your customers in mind and be a little creative while you consider the research that you’ve done.

Your store displays will give the general feel of your store to your customers. Budget wisely and consider the impression that you want to make. This is also where you can make the most of the space that you have available. Slat wall systems make the most of the space. You can display floor to ceiling with a free-standing or installed slat wall system.

A slat wall system is a shelving system that consists of shelves, hanging bars and display panels. Many different styles and finishes are available. Choose one with your stores theme and feel in mind. Chain link and brushed metal give an urban feel, while glass and dark woods give a more elegant impression.

You can display more than just clothing on a slat wall system. Jewelry, belts, sporting goods and shoes are all displayable. Slat wall accessories can help you make the most of your space. Hooks, hanging rails, bars and shelves provide places for just about any kind of merchandise to be displayed.

Whether you choose a system that fades into the background and floats your merchandise, or you choose one that makes a statement, you’re sure to find a merchandising solution that works for you.

Your next consideration is lighting. Lighting can draw attention to your most prominent products or help promote a sale. It can also light up areas that may not always be visible to your employees and help reduce shoplifting and theft. Lighting considerations should extend into your dressing rooms for this purpose as well.

Thieves are less likely to steal in a well lit environment. It sends a signal to them that they may be being watched and makes them more uncomfortable when they’re considering shoplifting. Your window displays should have great lighting to attract people to your store.

The Complete Manager's Guide to Promotional Merchandise: Promoting Your Organization With Premiums, Freebies, and Other Strange but Powerful Objects

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Use signage and lighting together to promote a sale. Signage should be used in your dressing rooms to let people know that shoplifting will not be tolerated. Let people know that cameras may be in use in the store. Signage placed in your window displays or outside of the store can alert potential customers that you are having a sale or that new products have arrived.

Promotional merchandising doesn’t need to be expensive to work, but keep in mind that the benefits of utilizing every aspect of these materials can not only make your store more appealing, but cut down on losses and gain new customers as well.

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