The Specialty Insider Smart Guide: How to Sell Denim
Adams-Geller always starts presentations for her own brand team by providing notes on the inspiration for the collection and the mood and feel of the season. “I educate the team on the fabrics I use, the weight, the washes, the silhouettes, so the team is familiar with every style and what went into producing it,” she said. “We review key trends of the season as well as how our customers would wear the trends.”
Retailer Fraser Ross, who founded Southern California’s famed Kitson mini-empire, often holds contests and seminars for his sales staff.“The most powerful people in the store are the salespeople.”
5. How Can Meaningful Displays and Window Treatments Attract Shoppers?
“Displays and windows are really important. A good store, a conscientious one, will change them once a week,” according to Ron Gelfuso, denim consultant and founder of Mavi. The most frequent specialty store shopper will visit that often, so treatments should be planned accordingly. Pointed messaging that catches attention in a simple way is best. Gelfuso uses a retailer he works with as an example: The store put “red arrows around windows into the front door of the store, creating the idea to bring you in like Alice in Wonderland.”
In terms of displays within the store, a well-wardrobed presentation is crucial, per Gelfuso. Minimalism is in, but merchandise also has to be attention grabbing and worthy of stripping dollars from the wallet of a financially strapped consumer. While the early adopter “used to be an 18-year old college girl,” now she is closer to her mid-twenties, dealing with financial pressures and sometimes living at home with her parents. “It’s a muddier picture. It’s a little bit harder to make choices,” said Gelfuso. “It’s all about how special and different you can make yourself,” he said.
One idea for differentiating your displays comes from retail store design guru Connie Post. She suggests that if your budget doesn’t allow for traditional retail fixturing, you consider alternatives, such as buying furniture at retail
stores, resale outlets and even flea markets. You’ll save money and give your store a very specialized feeling, she says.
Sal Parasuco, the man behind his eponymous line of clothing and stores, changes his retail windows every two weeks, he told Specialty Insider last year. There’s a simple reason for that: “We’ve found that 70 percent of our customers come in every two weeks.
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