Do You Have What It Takes To Succeed In Retail?

Starting any kind of entrepreneurial endeavor is a risky business and it is not guaranteed to succeed. It is absolutely critical that you make the right decision on what kind of business you want to be in. If you follow your passion you may not love every minute of it, but at least you will be working with something you enjoy will be more likely to succeed. Starting a retail clothing store poses some unique challenges. Here are some questions you should be able to answer.


Do you love people? In retail it is all about building relationships and networking. You need to understand how to communicate with people in a positive way to build these bridges. If customers feel you care about them they are more likely to return to your store when they need something or even just to visit. It is just as important when working with suppliers. You will relate differently with customers than the guy who supplies your clothes hangers. You also need to be able to attract, train, motivate, and lead a top notch sales force.


Do you have what it takes to deal with the long work hours? Most retail businesses are open 12 or more hours each day. With other duties such as inventory and accounting retail business can keep you on your feet morning to night. Especially in the beginning or during a crunch time you may find you are working 14 or even 16 hours each day just to stay on top of it. You also need to be willing to do whatever is necessary at the moment even if it is something simple like putting clothes back on the hangers. This takes enormous amounts of energy and the ability to push through fatigue when it is required.


Can you stay organized? You will be responsible for day to day operations, pay roll, hiring and firing, training, accounting, inventory, and a plethora of other aspects. This mostly comes down to time management. With so many pressures on your time you need to be spending your time on those things that matter the most. Just being busy is not enough. If you find you are spending all your time putting clothes back on hangers than you are likely to fall behind on those duties that will really affect your success. A general rule is the bigger your business gets the less involved you become in the details. If you are disorganized you store is likely to mirror that fact. No one is going to shop at a messy store with wrinkled garments and clothes hangers scatted every where.


If at all possible find a mentor. This should be someone who has a proven track record in related industry that you can trust. Drawing on this person’s experience you can learn things about retail not found in textbooks or school classrooms.
About the Author: Ron Maier is the President of the Closet Hanger Factory, a leading online provider of clothes hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.closethangerfactory.com.

The Basics Of Merchandising

The goal of merchandising is to make things as easy as possible for people to shop. It may seem like common sense, but there is a science to merchandising. A poor or confusing layout will frustrate customers and drive away sales even if they like what is in your store. This article covers some of the basic rules of merchandising.


What is displayed at front 15 ft semi-circle visible from the entrance of your store is the most important. This is how shoppers will determine if they are even interested in entering your store. Here is where you want to place your newest and top selling products. Great store or window displays will grab shopper’s attention and draw in customers. Keep these fresh and change out displays every couple of weeks; more frequently during peak holiday shopping periods. Generally items displayed on tables and walls sell the quickest. Display hangers on walls are the best way to show off new products because they are most visible. Build interior walls to increase prime display space and create sections of similar products or styles.


Space racks so people can move about your store without feeling crowded. Give people enough room to sort through racks comfortably. Usually 4-6ft is adequate. Racks themselves should be less than 5ft tall. Use all the same type of clothes hangers and have them hanging in the same direction. Invest in nice clothes hangers suitable to yours stores environment. Colorful plastic hangers for casual clothes, fashionable wooden hangers for men’s suits, or satin hangers with ladies evening wear or lingerie are just a few examples clothes hanger pairings. Do not clutter store racks with many different items.


Put sales tags in the same place as much as possible. This allows people to easily identify an items pricing and size. Needle tag clothes through seams to avoid damaging them. Cycle your inventory around the store every couple of weeks. This keeps your store looking fresh and helps you identify hot and a stale products. Hold sales to blow out those items that are not moving as well as seasonal inventory. Do not make the mistake of trying to hold on to inventory for next season.


If you have an especially large store and the budget for it you may want to higher a professional merchandiser get you on track, but following these rules is the easiest way to increase sales. Once you have a basic layout you will be able to adapt it to your changing needs.


About the Author: Ron Maier is the President of the Closet Hanger Factory, a leading online provider of clothes hangers and wooden hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.closethangerfactory.com.

Feng Shui Your Store

Running a retail business poses unending challenges. Retail is one of the most competitive business avenues. Setting up appealing store displays can make the difference between a ghost town and a busy sales floor. Like the cover of a book it is the visual presentation of your store display that is the first interaction your customers will have with your business, however it does not guarantee sales. If you have a great store front or window display, but still find that customers wander through your store and leave without picking up a single product then perhaps the layout of your store needs to be retooled. Once a customer enters your store the goal then becomes to create interaction with your products. Sub consciously everyone is aware of what looks good and feels good. Consider applying these feng shui principles to your sales floor.

You may think it is best to display as many different products as possible, but that can lead to a disorganized cluttered store. Space items out so that you are not overloading customer senses. Creating focal points with key items is best. Even small details like cheap or ugly plastic clothes hangers can turn someone off from making a purchase.

Make it a journey through the store. You want aisles to be clear and connect in multiple pathways. Place racks at different angles or in circular fashion. Maintaining clear visibility throughout the store will help people to wander through to whatever interests them the most.

Pay attention to the lighting. Utilize different levels and intensities of light to create different moods for customers. Overhead fluorescent lights provide excellent visibility, but have a cold clinical feel. Table lamps or hanging pendant lights are much warmer and inviting. Experiment with products that create their own light. Sound can play apart as well, for example the gurgling of a fish tank can add a soothing element of water. Do not be afraid to make changes as you go. Talking to customers regularly about their shopping experience can provide the valuable data to make the right ones.

With every decision or product placement you should be striving to create a comfortable environment where people will feel good spending their money. Remember that the emotional experience is a large part of shopping. Use these principles to develop an interesting varied experience for customers, so that they will be more likely to make a purchase. If a client feels good about spending time in your store they will certainly return.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the President of the Closet Hanger Factory, a leading online provider of clothes hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.closethangerfactory.com