Creating an effective visual display means convincing customers that you care enough to have quality products that are fully stocked and easy to shop through. People are put at ease when they can see that you have plenty of inventory and sizes, increasing their chances at finding something that they would like. Boutiques are in a unique position of having limitless creative licensing to make some really eye catching displays. The better you become at reading the needs and wants of your customers, the better you will be at creating these types of high impact displays.

Great displays are the easiest way to draw attention to your promotions. People want to feel like they’re getting a good deal on a high quality product. When they shop in boutiques, they are hoping to find products that are as unique as they are attractive. Pointing out the products that you have by promoting them effectively will help your customers to have the shopping experience that they crave.

Rotate products and retail displays regularly to keep customers interested. You can rotate around holidays, or on a regular calendar schedule. Make sure that you have a few places around your boutique where customers can easily see what your products look like when they are worn or used. Mannequins are most effective, but you can also use other things to display clothing in a three-dimensional way. You can hang things from the ceiling to draw attention to areas deeper into the store, or you can use hanging forms on the fronts of your garment racks or shelves to save space.

Think about color, balance and texture when you set up a promotional display. Try to combine items from around the store to draw attention to your other products while giving the display more depth. Accessorizing the hanging form on a garment rack will get the attention of customers that are more focused on one thing at a time and are not looking around the store. Rotating things around and regularly mixing things up will keep the attention and interest of your customers year round.

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) First you should determine the goal of the promotion. If it is to boost sales, then you can reduce prices. If you want to get new customers into your store, then you should use catchy signage outside of the store or in the storefront window. You might contact current customers via e-mail and send them a coupon for a discount if they bring in a friend. If you want to create loyal customers, then you should promote items that need to be replaced so that the customers you draw will have to come back again when they want more.

2) Make sure that the appearance of your store communicates your mission, your style, and your intention. Your window displays should be interesting and eye catching. Use multiple products in the windows to help boost the sales of accessories. People that see accessorized outfits on mannequins are more likely to buy multiple pieces of the outfit, not just the shirt or jeans that you have on sale.

3) Use appropriate signage and displays. If you are having a major clearance sale, then it is absolutely appropriate to bring a garment rack packed with clothes outside of the door. This is a great way to grab customers as they pass by and communicate to them that you’re selling deeply discounted clothing. Bright and bold signs are appropriate for this kind of sale as well. For more refined or conservative sales and promotions, you should use only small tasteful signs. The message should be understated. Garment racks should not be stuffed full and display tables shouldn’t be stacked high.

4) Train your staff on how you want the customers treated. If you’re promoting higher end clothing and accessories, your employees should dress the part. No one wants to buy a $1000 dress from a kid in a t-shirt and jeans who waves at them from the register and continues with their cell phone conversation. People shopping for more unique or sophisticated clothing want to be taken care of, or even pampered. Make sure that your employees are attentive and aware of the tone that you want them to use with your customers.

5) Keep it clean. As people come in and check out your promotional items, they will most likely be unfolding, feeling, and investigating your products. People don’t want to spend all day refolding the clothes that they were looking through. It is expected that an employee of the store will take care of it. Have your employees be proactive, folding clothing or straightening a garment rack as they patrol the floor. If they see someone trying to refold something, they should go take it and say, “Let me get that for you so you can relax while you shop.” Little gestures like these will help you to sell more, create good impressions, and keep customers coming back for more.

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.

Some promotions and displays should be rotated regularly into your schedule, rather it be seasonally or annually. Promotions that come around regularly are called cyclical promotions. When a season or holiday is approaching, you can prepare by figuring out the best way to promote your products. Get visual ideas or inspiration from other stores, art, or online displays. If you can make your store’s display unique, it is sure to attract attention and help people to remember you when the promotion is over.

You will need to adequately inform your customers of your promotions when they come around. Try to collect e-mail addresses or physical addresses throughout the year. Send out newsletters and special offers periodically so that your customers will be aware and look forward to your events. Use signs and your staff to communicate promotions to your in-store customers or people passing by.

There can be many opportunities year round to have a promotion. Local sporting events or other celebrations can be used to draw attention to supporting your local organization. You can donate money to different local causes and gain attention for yourself as a valuable local business. Offer discounts or early bird specials to local college students, or people that donate to your charity. Feature local artists’ work in your store and bring community awareness to your door. You can collaborate with other businesses in your district or area to offer block parties, sidewalk sales, and other promotions that get attention.

Lowering your prices isn’t always the best idea. Find ways to make people see the value in the items that you offer, rather than making them think that something must be wrong with the merchandise for it to be so cheap. You might make some money in the short term, but you’ll make people want to wait for your big sales to shop at your store. Or worse, you’ll make them think that you are normally overcharging, and lower their impression of your entire business.

Keep things changing by rearranging your clothing racks and displays on a regular basis. Choose an interesting garment rack that people don’t see in every store. Breaking up the monotony of shopping is the easiest way to start making your store unique. Most stores use garment racks with function in mind, but if you choose ones that are functional as well as unique, you will stand out from the competition.

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.