Boutiques everywhere are gearing up for all of that Black Friday and Christmas shopping traffic. If you’re not ready, then your sales could suffer. Use these tips to make sure that you are ready for the busy season.
- You are going to need some extra help. If you can manage to keep a big crowd happy, then you will turn a lot of curious first time shoppers into long-term customers. You should probably hire some seasonal help.
- Stock enough inventory to get through the busy season. If you’re having trouble securing credit to get what you need, consider having online sales and pass out rain tickets to customers looking for something that you ran out of.
- Keep your clothing racks stocked. Don’t let things run too low without consolidating them. It gives the impression that you are not restocking for some reason, like you’re not going to carry that product anymore because you weren’t happy with it. Have employees restock the shelves and garment racks about every hour or as you notice them running low.
- Keep the store tidy. No one wants to dig through a pile of clothes or sift through giant stacks looking for their size. Keep stacks folded nice and stacked in order from the biggest size on the bottom to the largest size on the top.
- Clearly display what you have for sale. Using mannequins is a great idea. It shows customers what you have to offer and they can see it from far away. They can see what the garments look like when worn and also which accessories you recommend wearing with the garments. This is especially helpful in a boutique where the clothing is often custom made and people shopping may not realize what it would look like on. If they couldn’t figure it out, they would have to try it on. If the store is crowded or if they’re tired of shopping, they’re not going to bother. Mannequins also help to keep people from unfolding piles of clothes to check out certain garments.
- Avoid shoplifting problems this holiday season by positioning your clothing racks so that your employees can easily keep an eye on them. Don’t pack them so full that you can’t see through to the other side. Keep circular racks near the register and don’t put a garment rack too near a wall or other fixture. Use spotlighting and consistent customer service to keep shoplifters from getting comfortable.
- Get into the holiday spirit and keep a happy attitude. Customers will feed off of your mood, so be careful about showing how busy you are on the outside. Be patient, helpful and available to customers. Use these tips and your boutique Christmas could be your best yet.
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.