{"id":140,"date":"2008-11-13T12:09:19","date_gmt":"2008-11-13T17:09:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/?p=140"},"modified":"2022-09-26T12:34:36","modified_gmt":"2022-09-26T18:34:36","slug":"retail-image-building-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/2008\/11\/13\/retail-image-building-101","title":{"rendered":"Retail Image Building 101"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WindowImage\u00a0begins\u00a0with the customer’s first impression…<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You can’t buy it, bottle it, sell it\u00a0or\u00a0acquire it. But you can build it and maintain it.\u00a0Read on as we examine\u00a0and re-think a few\u00a0assumptions\u00a0about building the image of a business.\u00a0This is second in our series by Bill Sheldon on “Business 101” and\u00a0is highly revelant\u00a0to all businesses\u00a0whether they rely on clicks or on bricks.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

ASSUMPTION 1:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

“If it’s not in the shop window or on the home page, the\u00a0customer won’t know you have it.” FALSE<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’ve heard this phrase all too often\u00a0over\u00a0my 40 years of retail and design experience.\u00a0Shoppers driving by will not see any one thing\u00a0in a chaotic window; there’s no focus, no theme.\u00a0No one has time to decipher a disorganized web site either. Time is at a premium,\u00a0and walkers and browsers\u00a0are\u00a0not going to spend time\u00a0studying your cluttered\u00a0presentation\u00a0in order to zero in on something specific. But\u00a0walkers, riders and browsers alike can be enticed by windows that tell a changing story. So the solution is\u00a0twofold: continual\u00a0change and a unified theme.<\/p>\n

Tell a story<\/strong> if you\u00a0want to attract attention.\u00a0Major retailers typically only have one item or one story per window or website!\u00a0You\u00a0live on repeat\u00a0customers,\u00a0so\u00a0keep them engaged. Tell the ongoing story of your store with windows (or other media) that are continually transforming.<\/p>\n

Make a\u00a0seasonal plan.\u00a0Set the dates for\u00a0content\u00a0to change;\u00a0select\u00a0the themes; plan\u00a0for\u00a0necessary staffing\u00a0 &\u00a0display materials.\u00a0This holiday,\u00a0start with a\u00a0snowman theme, then Santa,\u00a0then villages or\u00a0gift-wrapping. Basic foundation and background pieces will give your\u00a0presentations visual impact.<\/p>\n

ASSUMPTION 2<\/strong>\u00a0:<\/h2>\n

“Customers must see into\u00a0my store from the windows.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0False.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Have you ever heard anyone say, “I was driving\/walking by and just happened to notice the exact color of gloves I am looking for 3 rows from the back of the store?” Again,\u00a0the purpose of the window is to entice, to invite\u00a0people\u00a0to come in.\u00a0Same concept for your digital media.<\/p>\n

The background\u00a0is important because it\u00a0will make\u00a0the window “pop” and\u00a0will complete your story. Good lighting is\u00a0part of a good\u00a0window\u00a0back-drop,\u00a0so check\u00a0the lights\u00a0and leave\u00a0them on\u00a0late.\u00a0You can’t even attract moths in the dark!<\/p>\n

If lighting is a concern, choose\u00a0a sheer,\u00a0light\u00a0backdrop that will\u00a0allow light in. Another\u00a0important point: Clean off those windows! Do not\u00a0post signs, decals, or stickers;\u00a0they go unread\u00a0and add\u00a0to visual clutter.\u00a0And visual clutter takes the customers’ attention away from where you want it.\u00a0The same concept applies to your website.<\/p>\n

ASSUMPTION\u00a03:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

“Don’t underestimate the power your staff has in adding to or\u00a0subtracting from your image.”\u00a0TRUE.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The way they greet or\u00a0don’t greet your customers (and of course their appearance) is crucial.\u00a0 Everyone\u00a0entering your store should be greeted by a pleasant and professional salesperson.\u00a0It’s a fact that greeting\u00a0customers cuts\u00a0down on shoplifting, because the customer knows you are aware of them. You\u00a0want to\u00a0create\u00a0a pleasant\u00a0experience, so staff your store with pleasant, appropriately attired salespeople.\u00a0Invest\u00a0in tees, aprons, or smocks – it may be\u00a0just the thing to cement\u00a0your image.<\/p>\n

ASSUMPTION\u00a04:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

“Our\u00a0transaction space\u00a0(register desk) and back counter can double as\u00a0our office.” NO, NO, NO.<\/strong> The transaction desk\u00a0is your\u00a0welcome center, your impulse sales area, not your\u00a0office.<\/p>\n

A back counter full of catalogs, mail, broken items and returns is\u00a0a turn off!\u00a0These areas are valuable retail real estate, so use them accordingly.\u00a0The wall behind the counter is not for stock,\u00a0it’s your showcase, so\u00a0make it a part of\u00a0the fabulous\u00a0image\u00a0you’re building.<\/p>\n

ASSUMPTION 5:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

“Our restroom is not really part of the store.”\u00a0Hear the Buzzer sounding loudly, WRONG<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In most states, it’s the law that you\u00a0provide a restroom for your customers.\u00a0No more excuses;\u00a0not\u00a0the\u00a0insurance excuse, or\u00a0the employees-only\u00a0excuse, or\u00a0the out-of-order excuse.\u00a0Half\u00a0of the population,\u00a0and likely half of your customers\u00a0are over 45,\u00a0so provide\u00a0the facilities!\u00a0It’s not a storeroom –\u00a0make it\u00a0beautiful and keep it clean. People will notice, believe me.\u00a0And if\u00a0it is not available or clean, they’ll notice that too. Create the\u00a0image you want by\u00a0creating\u00a0the\u00a0retail environment and experience\u00a0you want to give your customers.<\/p>\n

Turn your customers on – not off – to you and your wonderful store this season!\u00a0 Visit my website for more helpful hints. My consulting and design experience can help you get the image your store needs for a successful holiday season.<\/p>\n

Best Wishes,<\/p>\n

Bill Sheldon, President
\nCreating Lasting Memories
\nBill Sheldon Designs Corporation
\n908-581-2721
\nbjsheldon9@aol.com<\/a>
\nwww.christmasbybillsheldon.com<\/p>\n

Bill’s Series “Business 101” is brought to you as a service by Nashville Wraps<\/a>. Our philosopy is that if we can help you have stronger business, we all succeed together.\u00a0Visit Bill’s website and drop him a note or leave a comment on this blog.
\n– R Meadows, Nashville Wraps<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Image begins with the customer\u2019s first impression\u2026You can\u2019t buy it, bottle it, sell it or acquire it. But you can build it and maintain it.<\/p>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":388,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,162],"tags":[89,169,159,28,170],"class_list":{"0":"post-140","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-gift-gourmet-business","7":"category-business-101","8":"tag-branding","9":"tag-business-building","10":"tag-business-help","11":"tag-business-tips","12":"tag-image","13":"entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/388"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29335,"href":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140\/revisions\/29335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nashvillewraps.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}