Selecting the appropriate merchandise is essential. This part of the job is usually considered the most fun by boutique owners. However, it can also be the most painstaking and time consuming part of the job, too. The right merchandise will jump out at you, scream, “I’m unique”, and excite you to put it in your store.

Before you decide to carry something, there are a few questions to ask yourself. Ask yourself the following questions.

1) Does this item fit in with the rest of the merchandise?
2) Does this item fit in with my vision and goals for the store?
3) Would my customer base be excited to see this item?
4) Would my customers actually want to purchase this item?
5) Would I make enough profit off of this item to warrant carrying it?

Once you’ve decided to invest in an item or brand, remember that displaying it is as important as carrying it. If you don’t show it in the right light and in an interesting way, then it will go unnoticed and you have probably just wasted a lot of time, energy, and money getting it into the store.

Promoting new brands or lines of clothing can be a very effective tool. If you have a mailing list or an e-mail notification list, a social networking page, or any other way of communicating directly with your current customers, then do it. Let them know that you are now carrying the brand, or use the item as a focal point of the e-mail or mailer. Customers that like your style will likely see what you see in the item and be inclined to come in and shop. This is especially true if you offer a coupon or other incentive for coming in. Many people won’t shop unless they have a coupon or there is a promotion going on.

Once you get them into the store, think about how you position the items that you want to focus on. Position your garment racks to draw attention to certain items. A boutique garment rack is more interesting than a standard rack. It is usually more ornate, holds fewer items, and utilizes shelves, bars, pegs, and hooks to keep the display looking rich and interesting. Using garment racks like this can help you to draw attention to the areas that you want to focus on.

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.

If you are not in a position to hire your own visual merchandiser or visual merchandising team, then you will want to do some research before you attempt to do it yourself. You don’t want to neglect certain areas of need.

The first step is to go over your business plan. What is your theme? Does your store look like you envisioned it? Does it communicate to the customer the types of messages that you wanted it to? This is the first step because the look and feel of your store can make a huge impact on a customer’s decision to buy, enter your store, or return for repeat business. Keeping the visual displays in your store congruent with your vision is important for branding your image.

Work on window displays and keep them up to date with promotions and the seasons. A window display that changes often is eye catching and keeps customers interested. Make sure that your signage also conveys the message that you want. Large signs with big fonts communicate discount deals while smaller signs give you a more subtle approach and prepare customers for spending more money. You don’t want to lure in people looking for cheap deals and then surprise them with your pricey merchandise. It’s ineffective and can hurt your store’s image.

Even the arrangement of your clothing racks can have an impact on the visual feeling that your store portrays. Garment racks that are close together give the store a busier feel. A garment rack that is packed with merchandise makes people think that the items are cheaper, like clearance items. Leaving space between one clothing rack and the next gives people room to leisurely shop. Having space between the clothing on the rack subliminally prepares customers for a higher price tag.

Keep all of your displays arranged in alignment with your prices and the message that you want to portray. Visual merchandising is all about making the customer feel how you want them to feel. Identify your target market, figure out how they want to feel when they make a purchase, and go from there. If they want to feel unique, make sure that you don’t put out too many of one item. Make them feel like they are one of the only people that will buy this item. Take all of these tips and work them into your displays and you will be building the brand image that you want in no time.

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 clothing rack or garment rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

Annual merchandising refers to promotions and merchandising displays that you present annually. These would be cyclical promotions, for instance, at the change of the seasons. When a season change is approaching, you must prepare by ordering interesting products, figuring out which products will be the focus of your displays, and how you are going to promote them.

Promotions need to span every area of distribution that you have in your boutique. You may need to send out mailers, have in-store promotion signage, give special deals through your web site or e-mail list, and publish promotions in your newsletter or catalog.

Opportunity merchandising refers to promotions and merchandising displays that you produce during times of opportunity. Holidays, back to school time, sporting events, or local celebrations can be opportunities to have a promotion. Capitalize on events like these by keeping up with current events, especially in your area. You may offer discounts to students who bring in their football ticket stubs, or customers who bring in museum receipts. Other businesses in your area may be willing to let you display business cards or flyers in their establishment if you offer these kinds of promotions.

Clearance merchandising is different. Having a clearance sale is great to do when there isn’t much else going on. Make sure that you promote your clearance sale the same as you would any other type of promotion.

Merchandising clearance items may be a little tricky, because you don’t necessarily want the items that aren’t selling or that you don’t have much of to be the main focus of your store. You want people to come in and help you get rid of excess merchandise, but you also want to take that opportunity to grab their interest about the more expensive and current items on display. This is why sidewalk sales are so effective. They help you to promote your clearance sale, but also lure people inside of the store that normally may not shop with you.

Keep things interesting and always changing by rearranging your clothing racks and displays regularly. Choose an interesting garment rack that has many levels of display to keep things from getting boring. Many garment racks are designed with boutiques in mind. They help to individually display unique items and tap into the market of people who like boutiques because of their uniquely scarce offerings.

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 garment rack or clothing rack at http://www.onlygarmentracks.com.

Remember that you are the one trying to entice the customer. They do not want to work to see what you have to offer. They don’t want to dig through piles, have to ask for sizes or read a lot of sales copy. They are only going to consistently buy what they see.

You must keep your displays full so that people do not get the impression that something is not going to be restocked. This makes them think that it won’t be restocked for a reason and they won’t even look. Additionally, people buying clothing like to feel like they are the ones to discover a new style. If the racks are getting empty, the customer will get the impression that everyone is already wearing this, and they will pass it by for something newer.

Front facing merchandise always out sells items that are hidden on clothing racks. You can choose garment racks that display clothes at the end where they can be seen. People will not dig for items in your store. They want to casually browse and discover things around every turn. If all the racks look the same, crowded and uninviting, they won’t bother to stop and look.

Group similar items together. Sportswear may be kept near tennis shoes. Sunglasses may be displayed by swim wear. Keeping things together that go together is not all that hard. Be careful not to group large numbers of items together. For instance, don’t go for the shirt department. It’s too much to take in at once and people will not look past the first few feet of displays. Small groups of merchandise don’t overwhelm, but entice the shopper to keep going.

Offer special deals and discounts. This is especially important for first time buyers. They will spread the word to more people. Never underestimate the power of word of mouth. Be polite and kind to every customer, no matter what. That doesn’t mean that you have to give in to every demand, just be matter of fact and do not lose control.

Choose garment racks that face outward to display your items properly. The right garment rack can be as important as a lot of expensive advertising. Remember to keep a large inventory of sizes and refill racks often. Be polite and appreciative to your customers. Group similar items together into small, easy to shop, sections. Using these tips will help you keep your sales moving.

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.