Clothing Boutique Blog » Boutique Management

Managing Retail Stores During Holidays

admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:05:07 +0000

Managing your inventory can be a difficult task, especially during the holiday season. People want “instant gratification” when doing their holiday shopping, so it’s important to have all of the merchandise on hand that you will need. People aren’t very interested in ordering things. This is especially true if the holidays are near. It can be difficult to determine what you might need, so we’ve compiled some tips for making sure that you are as close as possible to determining how much of which items you will need.

1) Double check your sales from the prior year to see what items were trending high. If you don’t have record of last year, or if your boutique is new, then there are a few other things you can do. You can collaborate with other boutique owners online in forum groups. You can create a social networking site account to connect with other boutique owners to help you. Experience can give them an edge that you can benefit from if they are willing to chat with you and give you pointers. Plus, being active in your field online can help to boost your boutique’s popularity before the holiday season.

2) It can be difficult to determine how much of a new product to order. One way to find out if a new product is “hot” is to call the manufacturer. Ask them about trends that they’ve seen. Are they having to ramp up production to keep up with demand? Is there a wait when you order because they are selling everything as quickly as they can make it? Finding out if you’re carrying a “hot” item can be very valuable. Not only will you know to order more than normal, but you can make strategic decisions about which products to promote during the holidays.

3) Another way to find out if something is going to be popular this holiday season is to search online. You can see if people are using auction sites to get their hands on certain products. You can see if other sites selling that item are sold out. Connect with your suppliers or brands on social sites to see what their fans are talking about. Try to get a feel for which products are likely to move and then order accordingly.

4) Once you get everything ordered, you can use the information that you’ve gathered to your advantage. Now you know what to promote this holiday season. Make sure that your clothing racks are clearly labeled with brand names and special prices. A clothing rack that allows you to face your clothing outward instead of crammed together will be more effective. Advertise on your site, social network, storefront windows, e-mail list, and flyers that you are fully stocked with the popular item. Keep an eye online for price changes so that you stay competitive throughout the season.

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of clothing racks including garment racks. Find a high quality clothing rack or garment rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

What are Point of Purchase Displays?

admin — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:01:47 +0000

Point of purchase displays, or POP displays, are used in retail boutiques to increase awareness of a product and to increase the sale of a certain product. POP displays inform the customer about advantages of a product or point out details about the product or brand that may increase the customer’s desire to purchase it. POP displays are one of the most highly effective forms of merchandising that there are. Historically, their sales success is only trumped by mannequin displays. However, that could change as customers are becoming savvy shoppers and are use more scrutiny when making purchases. Here are some tips on creating POP displays and making sure that they are as effective as possible in your boutique.

1) POP displays were originally designed to get the customer to make extra purchases at the checkout. These types are highly effective. Position them around your register or where customers will have to look at them while they’re waiting in line. Countertop and impulse buy displays should display a product and also have some sort of logo, graphic, or information about the product. This is your chance to really convince the customer to increase their purchases because they actually have time to read the details about the product or brand. When a customer feels informed, they are more comfortable making the decision to buy.

2) You can use POP displays around your store, too. They are effective around mirrors, dressing rooms, outside of major departments, and at the ends of aisles. They are great for drawing attention to certain areas of the store. They draw the eye and can help you to control what the customer looks at next while shopping. Our inclination is to read something when we see words, so take that into consideration when you set up your display. You might want to keep it brief so that the amount of reading is not overwhelming. A simple name brand, logo, or tag line that gives a person the gist of what the product is about is sufficient. Once they’re drawn over, you can go into more detail about how the product is made in the USA, uses only organic materials, or donates a certain portion of their sales to charities.

3) People choose boutiques over giant department stores for specific reasons. Keep these reasons in mind so that you can tailor the display to your target market. Uniqueness is one reason that some people shop at boutiques. They enjoy the “off the beaten path” brands and designs, so make sure that they are aware of the brands that you carry by using POP displays. Sometimes companies will even provide you with a free display if you ask so that they can promote their brand as well.

4) Keep your boutique easy to shop in by leaving space between your garment racks or the garment rack and the wall. You don’t want to crowd your customers with numerous POP displays and clothing racks. You can use a POP display, even a small one, as the only display of that particular product. Just make sure that you keep it fully stocked so that people don’t think that they won’t be able to find what they need in other areas of the store.

About the Author: John Garvey is on the staff of Only Garment Racks, a leading online source of garment racks including clothing racks. Find a high quality garment rack or clothing rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

The Influence of Store Design

admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:58:23 +0000

When setting up a retail store or boutique, you need to think about a lot more than “where everything will fit”. The arrangement of your products, brands, and aisles can have a big influence on what your customers buy. If everyone entered your store, found exactly what they came in for, bought it, and left, you would not be very successful. It is up to you to entice people to shop longer and buy more than what they originally planned. There are a few ways to do this that we will discuss here.

1) Make sure that basics are not at the front of the store or at the ends of your aisles. If someone is coming in for jeans, a black t-shirt, or some other common wardrobe essential, you want to lure them deeper into the store. Try to ensure that they will pass a lot of other enticing items as they make their way back to the basics.

2) You should also arrange your brands with this concept in mind. If your boutique sells a lot of a certain name brand of shoes, then customers should have to weave around all of the other shoe displays to get to them. If you have aisles, put the most popular name brands in the center of the aisles. You don’t want people to be able to easily avoid your other products by being able to grab what they need from the end of the aisle.

3) Surround or pair items that you know to be basics with other items that you want to promote. If you know that people are coming in for that new style of jeans, then you should create interesting displays coordinating those jeans with other items. Mannequin displays are perfect for this cause. Dress the mannequin in a top that goes great with the jeans, and then also load it up with accessories, like purses, sunglasses, hats, shoes and jewelry. Use a sign or other form of communication to make sure that your shoppers are aware that you have the popular item, but don’t promote it out on its own.

4) If you use a lot of bright lighting, obtrusive music, or other “in your face” themes, you’re not really encouraging the customer to relax and shop. Make sure that your retail design incorporates things that make people want to spend time in your store. Displaying samples is a good way to make sure that people spend time on your cosmetics aisles. Putting your shoe inventory our where people can try on shoes without having to ask an employee is a good way to keep them there longer. You can even use scented air filters, incense, candles and air fresheners to induce relaxation.

5) Make sure that your shoppers are comfortable and that everything is easy to access. Don’t crowd your displays. Clothing racks, garment racks, shelves and other displays should not be placed close together. No one wants to be looking through a clothing rack for their size and be backed up to another customer. Narrow aisles discourage people from browsing and taking the time to find the items that they’re interested in.

Boutiques Use Decorations as Displays

admin — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:25:29 +0000

Boutiques have a certain appeal that attracts customers to them. They emit an ambiance that makes people feel comfortable while they shop. They make people feel like the items they are finding are unique and even exotic. The atmosphere is so important because people don’t shop at boutiques to find the best deals or to have loads of merchandise to choose from. They go there for the experience. They like how the boutique experience makes them feel. As a boutique owner, it is up to you to create the atmosphere that will keep your customers returning, time and time again.

1) The décor in a boutique is a large part of what makes it unique. People love to browse the merchandise and admire the furniture, rugs, and art. Even though these things may not be for sale, they still show the customers what type of style you have and how much you care about creating a boutique that caters to shoppers like them. The more you can feed this desire to be somewhere beautiful and unique, the more your shoppers will enjoy their experiences there.

2) Many boutiques take it a step further and use furniture around the shop to encourage customers to hang out, have coffee and cookies, or simply relax when they are tired of shopping. Not only does it encourage people to shop longer, but it gives you another way to make the customer feel like you care about their comfort. Vintage or upscale furniture pieces are like works of art that customers can appreciate and admire, adding to the mood experience of the boutique.

3) Another form of décor in your boutique is the lighting. Imagine the difference between a shop lit with fluorescent bulbs and one with soft spot lights, natural light, track lighting, and unique chandeliers. You want to encourage your shoppers to use all of their senses while they’re in your store. You want them to have a “whole body” experience and open their minds to new ideas, products and even price categories. Using creative lighting will help to put them into the mood to do just that.

4) Your displays should also all be interesting and easy to access. Don’t overfill your garment racks, making it difficult for shoppers to see what you have. A neatly organized garment rack is much more attractive. Use open pieces of furniture, like an armoire, to create displays. Hanging things facing out towards the center of the store also helps to entice customers to browse. Use mannequins or hanging forms to show customers how pieces look when worn because sometimes you can’t tell how appealing something is when it’s simply on a hanger.

Use these ideas and come up with more of your own to have your boutique décor represent you and give the customers what they’re there for, a unique shopping experience.

Boutique Management Help

admin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 02:26:44 +0000

Many boutique owners start out by hiring a management consultant. However, many do not have the money after start-up to even consider it. Sadly, many boutiques fail in the first year, partly because of management mistakes. Most boutique owners are self-starters, self-employed, and prefer to do and learn everything on their own. This is great and if it sounds like you, then you’re on the right track. Here we’ve assembled a few things to think about when it comes to hiring a professional or doing it yourself.

1) People that run their own businesses are very involved in every aspect of the business. Many people refer to their boutique as “their baby”, meaning that they’ve put a lot of heart and soul into growing it and they’re passionate about seeing it succeed. Your store can reflect your personality and your business decisions will as well. It’s hard to remain objective when making certain decisions, so this could be a reason to hire a professional. Professional retail management consultants may be able to give you the tools that you need to stay objective, organized, on task, and orderly. They could also help you to figure out how you actually can do something that you didn’t believe you’d be able to.

2) Sometimes you may just want to hire a professional for the business start-up. If you do, make sure that you choose one with a few boutique start-ups under their belt. This can be a good way to learn about the best practices of this part of the retail world. You can avoid a lot of problems that others have learned to fix through trial and error, saving you time and money. Doing things your own way is part of the attraction of owning a boutique, so don’t be afraid to trust your instincts when you need to.

3) Talk to other boutique owners. Whether it’s a call on the phone, a comment on their blog, or meeting them face to face, it’s important to network with other people who are doing what you’re doing. People like this can offer valuable advice about point of sale software, tax consultants, and other things that you may not know how to choose yet.

4) Lastly, make sure that your store’s appearance matches the vision that you had in mind. Avoid crowding garment racks together. You don’t want people squeezing through the clothing racks to get to the back where your sale display is. Make the boutique experience one that they’ll enjoy and remember. You want them to talk about you to their friends, so take care with everything that you do and you’ll be fine.

Boutiques Managing Economic Downturns

admin — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:59:50 +0000

Many boutiques have been affected by the recession. Some have gone under, but some are still thriving. Those that are doing well have actually been playing to the mindset of the customers. As your market’s values change, so should you. If you carefully and tediously plan and target the right customer at the right time, you could help to bring your boutique into the green.

Consumers have changed their behaviors. There is a more frugal mindset, meaning that people are not spending as much money, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t shop at boutiques. Shoppers are not just looking for low prices, but value. People are trending more towards buying in bulk. They are also buying just as much name brand and private label product as before the recession. This has come as a surprise to market analysts.

Usually during a recession, customers will trend towards buying more generic products or cutting down on spending any extra money at all. However, today’s consumers are much savvier, they have more resources, and they’re ultimately more educated than they have been in the past. Customers aren’t just looking to save a few bucks. They’re being selective about where their money goes. They are shopping online to find the best price for the highest quality product. They want to spend their money where it counts on things that will mean more to them or serve them for a longer period of time. Generics and lower quality items are, in the customer’s mind, moving from “a good deal” to “a waste of money”.

This is good for boutiques. If you can hit it at the right angle, then you can bring in customers that are looking for those higher quality products. They may not be in your store spending wildly, but they will appreciate the high end clothing and product lines that you carry. You need to make them comfortable with the quality and value of your product. You should also concentrate heavily on making the customer comfortable with you.

Coming across as a dependable, trustworthy, advocate of small or local businesses can go a long way with your customers. Be active in the community. Not just to get your name out there, but to portray your boutique as one that cares about the local economy and small businesses in your town. Instead of advertising trends, advertise quality.

You may need to change up the look of your store to get the right message across. From the moment people enter the store they should feel like you offer high quality goods that will add value to their lives. Your garment racks should be kept neat and stocked at all times. A messy or under-stocked garment rack gives the impression that you don’t care anymore or that you’re going out of business. Don’t give your customers something to worry or wonder about in these trying times. Treat everyone with the utmost respect and you’ll start to see your business emerge from the grips of the recession.

Managing Boutique Inventory

admin — Fri, 13 May 2011 04:02:36 +0000

Managing the inventory of an entire boutique can be a daunting task. It is a big responsibility and can be devastating if not done correctly. Inventory management is reported to be an area that most managers do not like to deal with, or have the most problems with. It can be time consuming and is a lot of work for one person. If you run a boutique, you probably do the inventory management yourself, along with all of the other responsibilities of the business.

Boutiques often have a harder time managing their inventory than big department stores, because bigger chains have money to hire outside inventory companies, or their inventory is closely tracked electronically. Boutique owners usually have to manually keep track of everything, which translates into a big job.

Delegating some of the work to your employees can help to take a lot of the grunt work out of the job. Divide the store into sections and have each employee work on the inventory counts in that section during down times. Assigning small sections to each employee keeps the job from becoming overwhelming for any one person. When everyone is done with their counts, have them go back and check each other’s numbers.

You can offer incentives and rewards for accurate counts if the employees seem unwilling to do the job. Holding a pizza party or something similar outside of business hours to get it done is a quick and effective way to do it. Letting everyone know that first they will count and then they will check another employee’s work will generally ensure that counts are accurate the first time around. You can also assign a team to each section so that they can take turns counting and double checking numbers.

Most companies make inventory counts outside of normal business hours a mandatory requirement. However, boutiques often have part-time employees with other obligations outside of their normal schedule. If you worry about making things mandatory and risking losing valued employees, offer extra discounts or bonus money to those who participate.

Avoid the problem of miscalculating how much time each section will take by having employees that finish early help out in other sections until everything is done. Have them take on an extra clothing rack or straighten out displays so that the store is ready to open on time. Clothing racks and displays can be marked with tags or notes so that everyone knows when a section is complete.

Boutique Ownership: Getting Started

admin — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:57:05 +0000

Owning and running a boutique is a dream that has been realized by many self-starters. Being self-employed has many advantages that people are after. Being your own boss, making your own schedule, doing things the way that you like them done, and being in ultimate control of your own future are all alluring parts of being a boutique owner.

If you’re considering starting up a boutique, there are a few things to consider. Think about how you will compete with big retailers. There is actually a lot that you can do to take advantage of the shortcomings of big retail stores. Customer interviews over the years have revealed that customers are a lot savvier than they used to be. They have the internet at their fingertips to do research and really know what they’re looking for.

Retail stores may be able to offer more products at lower prices, but think about what customers want that they can’t get in a big department store. They crave knowledgeable employees. Retail stores often hire employees for very little pay and give them very little training. Their job may consist of straightening or stocking shelves and little else.

Customers love to shop at boutiques because of the atmosphere. Not just the decorations and eclectic appeal, but the attitude and knowledge level of the employees there. Successful boutiques educate their employees about the details of the products that they sell. Boutique owners don’t have the luxury of carrying every brand of a particular item. They have to be picky and choose the ones that have a higher quality or more unique details than the mainstream clothing lines. Then, they make sure that their employees know how to communicate these special features to their customers, helping to make sales.

Customers love to feel like they are special, not just another face in the crowd. When they shop at a boutique, they can get personal service, honest advice, good information about the products, and the employees might even know their names when they come in. This personal type of experience is an important part of what you should offer your customers when you run a boutique.

Make sure that you respect each and every customer, whether or not they are buying anything. Make sure that they can see everything you have to offer in a unique and efficient manner. Don’t cram everything on to a shelf or one tiny rack. A garment rack should not be overstuffed. Spread items out so that they can be seen and admired. This also helps to promote the idea that the garments are unique, or maybe even one of a kind. Consider using specialty garment racks designed especially for boutiques. These may have varying levels of hanging bars, or mix bars and shelving, giving your store a more textured look.

When you start your boutique, remember these tips. Treat the customer like a valued individual. Be honest, give good advice, and offer information about your products that no one else can. Keep the store tidy and easy to shop through. With these things in mind, you’ll be able to take advantage of the things that make boutiques unique.

Boutique Advantages over Large Retail

admin — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:32:50 +0000

Have you ever thought about the fact that you, as a boutique owner, have a big advantage in many ways over big retail? Large chain stores and department stores are limited as to what they can do. They have to concentrate on preserving brand image over many markets and departments. You, on the other hand, have creative freedom in establishing the environment that you want to present.

You can get involved in your local community drawing positive attention to yourself and your business. You can make personal contacts and actually keep up with them easily on social networking sites. Big retail stores could never do these things. Your presence in your community will make people want to support you and your small business. It makes them feel like they are doing some good to preserve small businesses in their community. You can show people you care by attending benefits and other local events where you can get your name out there.

You can use your personal connections around town to figure out which promotions will be most effective. Have people tell you what they would like to see. Would they want a portion of their purchase price to be donated to a charity? Would they rather see some other brands that you haven’t thought about carrying? Would they be more inclined to stop in if they received regular coupons by e-mail? All of these things could be invaluable to know and could really help your business to take off.

People love the atmosphere that a boutique offers, as well as the unique products. Make sure that when they approach a clothing rack that it is not too crowded for them to see what they’re looking for. Keep things stocked so that people know that you’re likely to have the sizes that they need, but make sure that they can leisurely look through the clothing racks without much effort.

Make your displays interesting and enticing for customers to explore. Heighten their curiosity by having special visuals around every corner. If someone can look into the store and immediately start planning which sections they are going to want to visit, then you’ve done a good job. Making the atmosphere relaxed and personal, in a way, will help you to provide the experience that boutique shoppers are hoping to encounter when they come inside. Take advantage of the many advantages of being a small boutique and you’ll reap the benefits.

Business Tips for New Store Owners

admin — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 04:12:57 +0000

When you own a boutique, there are many unique struggles that you will face. Most boutique owners are heavily and personally invested in the success of their boutique. With economic downturns, heavy overhead costs, and stiff competition, boutiques really need to stay on their game. Here are some tips for you to keep your store on the cutting edge. Stay competitive, reduce costs, and promote yourself in a way that drives success.

1) Sometimes it’s hard to take an objective look at your own business, mainly because you have put so much of your personality and dreams into your work. Another reason is that small boutiques may gain a lot of their personality from areas that other, bigger, businesses would have cut due to overhead. Try to take a realistic look at your expenditures. You may even decide to hire a retail consultant or financial consultant to get unbiased opinions.

2) Reevaluate your business goals. Sometimes it’s hard to stay on track and be true to your initial vision. Make sure that you have a clear and concise business plan. Creating a motto can be helpful. As you make decisions, always ask yourself if the decision is consistent with the goal. If it’s not, ditch it and move on. Unnecessary changes or ones that are not conducive to a successful business can drain your wallet and reap little benefit.

3) Boutiques are in a position where they want to grow, but they don’t necessarily want to become a chain. Retaining your small business charm can be challenging as sales pick up. You can help your boutique business by marketing yourself as a small local business. You can win customers over by encouraging them to support their town’s small businesses as opposed to spending all of the town’s money in giant corporate stores that send their money elsewhere. Being active in the community is a great way to build a reputation without spending any money.

4) You can promote yourself for free by staying active on social networking sites. Offering special deals to your fans and followers will encourage them to spread the word about your business. Using the internet to gain customer loyalty is an easy way to market without spending a lot of money.

5) You can save money and make more money by rearranging your boutique. Coming up with a way to sell more merchandise without moving into a bigger space, is key. A shop fitter or interior designer may be able to help you come up with the best arrangement for your clothing racks. If you have only round clothing racks, they may be taking up more room than you have. Take a look at a garment rack that makes the best use of the space that you have. A clothing rack that allows you to display more garments in less space can make a world of difference.