Handy Hints to Increase Your Sales this Christmas #4: Sales Tips

‘Cross-merchandising' is the practice of placing items from different categories within a store together in the one display. Clever use of cross-merchandising in window and store displays can really assist in increasing your sales, especially if you ‘think for your customers' by offering creative combinations. For instance, show them the jewellery with the dress, or the handbag with the shoes, or the tennis racket with the tennis outfit. By putting these combinations together, you can draw your customers' attention to items they may otherwise miss, thereby increasing impulse sales opportunities. If your mannequins are wearing a complete outfit, from top to bottom, customers are more inclined to buy the outfit as a whole, rather than try to piece an outfit together themselves.

Speaking of mannequins, remember to have fun with them! Create interesting scenes or humorous poses to attract your customers' attention, and make sure they are easily visible and well lit. SI Retail have a range of mannequins available to suit all stores, so give us a call to see what we have for you!

‘Triangle balance' refers to the art of constructing your displays in a triangular shape, with the featured product taking pride of place at the apex of the triangle. This technique naturally draws the shopper's eye to your prime product. If your products are all the same size, SI Retail's acrylic risers can be very beneficial in creating this triangular effect.

Use the ‘hot spots' in your store to promote new arrivals or products you have in large quantities. Monitor your hot spots and manage the product. If you notice that products in the hot spots aren't selling, then try other products instead and check that the hot spot is both signed and lit well.

Ensure that all products are clearly marked with a price. A lot of people will simply put a product down and walk out of the store rather than stop and ask the shop assistant for a price. This can be easily avoided, so don't let it happen to you.

One of the most important things you can do is to ensure that your sales staff are fully trained before Christmas. Staff need extensive knowledge of all the products in stock and should be able to answer any questions that customers may have. Great customer service skills are vital in securing sales and return business. It is also beneficial to train your staff in upselling techniques.

Needless to say, these ideas can benefit your store all year round - not just at Christmas-time.

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