You need to have a hook. Your program needs to be enticing enough to make your customers want to sign up. Additionally, the program needs to be easy to understand. It is preferable if your associates can explain the program in one, short statement. For example, “Put your e-mail address here if you would like to receive a 40% off coupon to use on your next visit.” The sentence tells the customer everything that they need to know. All you need is their e-mail address and they will receive a coupon for 40% off. Simple and to the point is key.

The process of signing up has to be fast and easy. If customers have to fill out more than two bits of information, they are not likely to do it. In fact, if they only think that it may be more involved, they’ll shy away from hearing any more information. A statement like, “Do you want to sign up for our rewards program?” can make almost every customer immediately say, “No thanks”. It gives the impression that they will have to fill out a lot of information and read a lot about how this program works. Avoid statements that give the customer an immediate out before they know what your program is about.

Remember that it can cost less to keep old customers than to invest in the advertising that it could take to find new ones. Treat your customers with respect. Respect their time and don’t expect them to go out of their way to participate in a program. Make it simple. Keep a database of their purchases so that returns and earning rewards are easy. Hand out frequent shopper cards and let them quickly know that they can use it to earn rewards, like discounts or free products.

Advertise your rewards programs outside of your front window. People sometimes look for deals and visit stores that have them. You can put discreet signs in your fitting rooms, display them on your clothing racks, and put reminders by your registers. They could be looking for a price atop your clothing rack and quickly learn about your rewards program.

However you do it, make it easy and attractive to your customers. You could find that it’s easy to keep your customers coming back and spending more than you ever thought possible before.

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.

1) Use a gridwall or slatwall system for your displays. These systems are sturdy, inexpensive, and last a long time. They could be one of your greatest investments. Display systems such as these allow you to hang your merchandise on the wall as far up as the ceiling. With just a few inexpensive accessories, you can display your merchandise, jewelry, handbags, and other products without using any floor space. Additional benefits include being able to keep an eye on shoppers, controlling what goes into the fitting rooms, and customers can see what all you have to offer without having to dig around.

2) Utilize sneaky ways to store your inventory. If you use furniture to decorate, choose chairs, couches and chests that open up to reveal storage. You can use tall tables with a table cloth to cover the stored items underneath. Use your imagination and create storage in places that you may not have originally considered.

3) Don’t forget about the ceiling. If you have a storage room or office, you may be able to install a ceiling rack. These normally come as a wire grate that hangs from the ceiling. This is a really good way to create storage for your mannequins, hangers, bags, inventory, or anything else that you don’t need right away.

4) Shelving systems are great for storing items up to the ceiling in your office or storage room. Using adjustable shelves will let you maximize the little bit of space that you have. You may even consider using shelves on casters so that you can roll them. If you have a few in a back room, you can push them together for storage, then simply slide them apart when you need to get to something.

5) Use rolling garment racks or clothing racks for inventory that needs to be hung. A rolling garment rack is great for storage. It keeps your clothing from getting wrinkled and damaged. You can steam out wrinkles from garments directly on the clothing rack right out of the box. Then, when you’re ready to put them out, simply roll the rack out to the sales floor.

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.

It may be surprising to find out that smaller retail stores and boutiques actually have a tougher time doing inventory than big department stores. This is generally because boutiques try to inventory everything at once with only one or two employees working on it. Department stores categorize everything, creating smaller and smaller categories, and then put one person in charge of a tiny section of the store. The employees are not overwhelmed and generally give an accurate count of the section that they are responsible for.

Boutiques and smaller retail stores should take the big department stores’ advice to heart. Delegate the responsibility by dividing your store into different categories and subcategories. Hire an inventory specialist team if you don’t have the employees or the time to do it right.

If you are having your employees take responsibility for each section, offer a reward for accuracy. If you have managers and supervisors, you may want to have them go in behind the lower level employee and double check. If you warn the first person that their count will be checked, they are less likely to make mistakes.

Consider doing your inventory counts outside of your regular business hours so that there aren’t customers there to distract the counters. This will also keep your boutique or retail store looking nice and neat when you’re making that all-important first impression on your customers. You may need to motivate the employees to show up when it is normally their time off. Many companies make inventory count participation mandatory.

You can make it mandatory, but you may risk losing employees that have other obligations, other jobs, college classes, or trips that were planned in advance. Instead, consider offering rewards, like bonus money for participating. Play music, order pizza, and make it fun. You could give people with accurate counts longer breaks or lunches during business hours, or even a deeper discount on their next purchase.

Make sure that everyone has equal responsibilities. People that finish first should help you get the store back in order. Have them straighten the clothing racks so that the store is ready for opening time. A messy clothing rack or window display can make a bad impression and negatively impact the effort that was put forth to accomplish this task outside of your business hours.

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.

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.

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.

1) Boutique owners can experience exactly what their customers are experiencing. You live in the same town, experience the same events, and really have a feel for what day to day life might be like for your clients. Big corporations can’t do that. Make sure that you are talking with your customers and making them feel like you are on their side.

2) Boutiques generally have to narrow their focus to operate. You can’t necessarily afford to offer everything. You need to hone in on certain products and brands. This naturally narrows your target audience. By becoming a very specific type of retailer, you target a very specific group of people. This type of focus allows you to become an expert. People love to find the “expert in the field” when shopping for certain things. This gives you the advantage over bigger businesses whose focus is lacking.

3) As a boutique owner, you have the flexibility to offer what larger corporations may not even be aware of. If you know, for example, that all the kids are going crazy over one specific brand of pants, jewelry, or accessories, you have the flexibility to get it in there this season and make your customer base aware that you are the one to come to for this item. Bigger companies may have no idea that the fad has launched until it’s over. They end up ordering late and having to clearance out yesterday’s news.

4) Boutique owners should focus on providing personal level service. People crave to be educated about certain products. They want to know the pros and cons of an item before they buy it. Boutiques are where they come for honest advice. If a customer asks about a certain brand of shoe, you may be able to give them some very specific information. For example you could say, “When I wore mine in the water, I liked it because the rocks didn’t get inside of my shoes.” This type of personal touch is what will keep customers coming back.

5) Respect! Respect! Respect! Who wants to shop somewhere where they are not respected? Customers of boutiques expect to be respected because they know they’re not just another customer. Each customer feels that they are important to the success of your business, and they’re right. Be respectful, helpful, and keep everything where customers can easily touch, feel, and experience your products. Keeping organized clothing racks is one way to make this happen. An orderly clothing rack tells the customer that you respect their time and don’t want them to have to rummage through crowded racks.

Keep all of these things in mind as you run your day to day business and you’ll be taking advantage of the many benefits of running a boutique!

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.

As a business owner, you should be aware that online shoppers are savvier than ever. You can’t just set up a cute site with pictures and prices expecting people to be “wooed” by graphics. Customers want to see that you are divulging as much information as possible. Having clear and concise product descriptions will help you to gain the confidence of your shoppers.

Turning browsers into customers is your main focus when setting up your online shop. Consider everything that a customer may want to ask about a product and provide that information up front. Furthermore, determine what the customer might notice if they were physically touching the product and divulge that information as well. Sizing guides, fabric content, product care information, measurements, weight and feel are all important aspects.

However, you should be careful not to make descriptions too wordy. Be clear and concise. Links or balloons that pop-up additional information can be helpful. Customer reviews and product ratings are weighed heavily by consumers. Commonly asked questions are good to include on your product page. Anything that increases the customer’s confidence will help you turn a browser into a customer. Things like advertising your “no hassle return policy”, live chat customer service, or special deals for customers that leave reviews will help you to get the customers involved and comfortable with your business.

Try to give the shopper an in-store experience through your web site. Use decorations in your store to inspire your web designs to keep the same look and feel that they get while shopping in-store. Use pictures that actually communicate the uniqueness of the garment to the customer. 360 degree views, extreme zooms, and virtual store shopping experiences are a plus. A really great idea would be if a shopper could virtually look around the store, click on the clothing racks they were interested in and shop that clothing rack. In boutiques, surprises should lurk around every corner, clothing racks should be filled with interesting items and displays, and shoppers should experience a feeling that they don’t get in any department store. Capture this with your web shop and you’ll be golden.

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.

Retail design plans are generally rigid and set in stone, so to speak. However, you can come up with a solid display arrangement that is flexible enough to accommodate promotions, inventory fluctuations, and seasonal changes if you do your planning. Figure out a way to achieve your goals by creating a basic list of key points to adhere to.

Let’s say that your retail store constantly has new designs coming in. Of course, you will want to promote them and feature them. You can work a staging area into your store design, where new items will always go before they get thrown in the mix. A good way to grab attention when something is new is to use it on your mannequins.

Mannequins allow you to display something as it will look after purchase. People love to see this cut and dry display because it takes a lot of the guesswork out of whether or not they’ll like it. If something catches their eye, you want to make sure that you have it displayed on a table or special clothing rack as soon as they come in the door. You don’t want to distract them with something else, immediately, because if they don’t like the other item as much, then they won’t look long before they just leave.

Use clothing racks that face the clothes outward if possible. Rolling clothing racks are great for rearranging things as needed to accommodate your inventory. If you’re low on inventory, you can easily roll a clothing rack into storage so that your store still looks fully stocked. Racks that turn the clothes outward make shopping a breeze. But, there is actually more to it than that.

People are willing to pay more for clothes that face outward. The reason is simple. They have been conditioned to believe that round racks are for deeply discounted and clearance items. If things are neatly arranged so that it’s not a lot of work to look through them, then they are automatically going to assume that they should have to pay more for that item.

Lights, signage, the amount of space between your clothing racks, and attention grabbing items should all be considered every time you change something in your store. After deciding which way to go to achieve the look you’re going for, always ask yourself if you are following the rule. Even if your store makes drastic changes, your customers will still identify your store with the things that they like about you if your design stays the same.

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.

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.

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.

Boutique owners are under great pressure to offer these exclusive customers a unique product. They have to constantly update their offerings to keep the interest of these whimsical shoppers. Finding new and exciting products to offer can be a lot of fun, but it certainly isn’t the only aspect of the business. Boutique owners often find themselves becoming their own shop fitters, creating interesting and effective displays, one right after another.

The displays inside of a boutique need to work with the theme. You can use lighting to spotlight areas of interest in your boutique. Think outside the box. Use things that aren’t normally used for displays while you arrange your inventory. Your garment racks can help you here.

There are clothing racks designed specifically for boutiques. They don’t hold as many items at once, helping you keep that exclusive feel in your store. You don’t want it to look like there are many items available like the one you’re promoting, even if you have boxes full of inventory in storage. People are willing to pay more for items that they think will not always be available. They want to feel like they made a rare find. They want to be the one that discovered this unique item.

Arranging your boutique to encourage people to feel this way is essential. There is a difference in an exclusive offer and something looking sold out. No one wants to get excited about an item only to find that you don’t have their size. Make sure that the garment racks that you do have are fully stocked. This is why boutique racks are so effective. They don’t have a lot on them, but they do look full.

Customers will want to know more details about boutique offerings than they will about run-of-the-mill retail store brands. Make sure that you and your staff are well trained on product knowledge. This is the number one complaint when it comes to customer service. People want to know about the product they are investing in. Boutique shoppers are especially keen on details.

Keep your unique customers happy. Invest in a boutique garment rack. Your clothing racks can be a great asset when it comes to controlling how customers feel. Work on presentation, inventory, and customer service skills to make your boutique a success.

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.

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.