Shopping should be fun. We should not feel as though we are hacking our way through a jungle, but neither should we feel like lab-rats following a pre-determined pattern. Merchandise should preferably be displayed logically to present options and possibilities, but spare us from the overtly systematized.

In an increasingly samey world it is a tonic to encounter an environment imbued with personality and the unconventional. Corporate retail design committees today spend too much time looking over the shoulders of one another resulting in the same bland template appearing again and again.  It takes genuine character to ignore these conventions and to realize that they do not represent an empirical retail design principle.

Creating an appealing retail environment that will capture attention doesn’t mean sinking huge amounts of capital into retail design and custom-made fixtures. In fact some of the most interesting independent stores and boutiques have eschewed conventional store fixtures in favor of ad hoc improvised displays and in the process create truly memorable environments.

Featuring fashion industry specialist Mary Portas, a fixture in the London retail fashion scene for over 20 years who is touted by the program promoters as being the Gordon Ramsey of the retail. In the series, Mary focuses on independent boutiques that are operating in the red, not turning a profit or at least very close to the line and demonstrates various branding, merchandising and retail concepts to turn their business fortunes around.

Check out Mary Queen of Shops on BBC America’s Fall schedule Wednesdays

Celebrities photographed wearing the latest and most obscure luxury brands send consumers clamoring to get their hands on the same.  From low rise to high rise, from studded to uniquely decorated, jeans have become a major part of today’s fashion culture.  To reflect its enhanced status, denim should be merchandised with a little more consideration than the factory outlet pile-em-high approach. With expanded options from so many designers, displaying denim can become a challenge.  Stacking, rolling or hanging jeans in combination with an attractive fixture and appealing setting should aim to present this essentially mundane item as an elevated object of desire.

As the market for this item continues to evolve be sure to take advantage of its potential.  If your store only carries a limited amount of jeans experiment with creative ways to merchandise them, create vignettes using vintage props and clothing displays, be quirky and make yourself memorable if you are to compete with major retailers successfully.

Clothing Displays $130 – $375 at subastralinc.com

Stage regular themed events and always seek out opportunities – perhaps in today’s economic climate a rescessionista display and sale would be very apropos. Perhaps it could feature affordable trends and celebrity looks supplemented with clippings from magazines that feature the celebrity fashions and the affordable ways to create the same and similar looks.  Events like this can breathe fresh commercial life into a boutique during these non seasonal sales months.

Look for ways to promote products based on current events and if you can raise a wry smile in the process your business will become memorable. A local (and rather eccentric) boutique here in Los Angeles staged an After-Shock Earthquake Sale within 24 hours after a very minor tremor now that’s grasping an opportunity!

Small business owners of every description are anxiously looking for a revival in the economy and facing the same problem – how to deal with the serious decline in business?  The dilemma the business person faces is how to market a business when cash-flow is uncertain and resources already strained.  Spending scarce dollars on ineffective advertising can make a bad situation worse for a business.

One simple and low cost tool that may provide a solution is the internet.  You’re looking at it, this has become a part of our daily lives.  Today there are many ways for the small boutique owner to promote their store with virtually no advertising revenue using this powerful medium.  Until the internet, access to the masses was the reserve of the big corporations.  The most successful retailers had the largest AD budgets and local word of mouth following was an avenue of limited value.

With the popularity of social networking sites like FaceBook, MySpace and Twitter and blogging platforms such as BlogSpot and Wordpress etc., a click of the button can turn a little boutique in a small town, into the online hot-spot to find the latest trends. Setting up one or more social networking accounts for your business can be done with little effort and for no cost and this will allow you to connect with current and potential customers for your business.

OK, this is the fuzzy bit everyone says Twitter, Facebook and blogging can work wonders for your business but how you turn these avenues to your advantage. With millions online trying to grab the limelight, how do you compete and set yourself apart?   Of course it will require effort and a bit of creative thinking, but if no one is walking through your shop door right now you should afford the time.

Firstly, promoting your bricks and mortar business online is, in reality, good old fashion PR but with you in control of the information release. It will require online and offline approach that you can use to generate interest and loyalty.  To throw out a few examples of how some boutiques have built a following, include; promoting give-aways, trunk shows, social/cultural events, flash-sales and fund raisers for worthy causes.  Any of these can be leveraged into some good press coverage which in-turn can promote the retail boutique on and off-line.  A perfect example of this is Kogi Taco Wagon here in Los Angeles.  I had seen it a few times in the neighborhood and was always amazed at the crowds it attracted.  It specializes in Korean/Mexican/American fusion (imagine Korean barbeque Short rib tacos and Kimchi topped Hot-Dogs for example) It is just about quirky enough to attract anyone’s attention and sure enough it has.  It has been featured on local TV and had its food praised in Food and Wine magazine.  It now uses Twitter to announce to its devoted following where it will be parked and when.

Simple ideas can produce substantial pay offs for your business with little or no cost. In today’s uncertain marketplace it is important for your business not to appear to be stagnating – nothing deters a customer from a store more than the air of dereliction. The appearance of vitality is essential if you are to thrive in these difficult economic times.

As a retailer, your income will always be a function of traffic. More people attracted to your store to look at your merchandise means more sales and more revenue. Even if prospective customers don’t buy on their initial visit, if they encounter an inviting and stimulating environment the odds are they will return and your business will benefit from word of mouth promotion which again means additional future traffic and a continuation of the cycle.

So how do you capture attention and build loyalty when your potential customers are in recessionary state of mind? The answer is micro-marketing. Unfortunately when budgets are tight and getting tighter marketing dollars are frequently cut-back, accelerating the decline. But your business should never be allowed to wither especially when there are a variety of inexpensive, effective and FREE promotional possibilities worth exploring.

• Events that will attract local press interest and put your name out there, include sponsoring fund raisers for worthy causes, hosting & exhibiting local artistic talent and providing a venue for local fashion and jewelry designers to showcase their work.
  
• A visual revamp of your retail space will announce to the world that your store continues to evolve and will create interest. Bear in mind that visual merchandising starts on the street. A creative window display is the introduction to your business, it will get you noticed and draw customers when skillfully preformed, but tread carefully, if you don’t feel proficient in this area find someone who is or employ a designer. Shoddy window displays will work against you. At this time it is also a good idea to examine your in-store displays and fixtures. Upgrading scruffy retail displays is a must and needn’t break the bank. Check online for various options and price points and keep an eye open for local auctions and store liquidation sales which are (sadly) abundant right now.
  
• Finally take a hard look at your product lines and pricing strategy. Weight your inventory to reflect your target demographic and their ever-evolving circumstances. Faster moving items will be the lower price points, so perhaps grow your accessories merchandise. It is important to be flexible. Don’t go down with the ship because of a confined attitude limiting the kind of merchandise you deign to provide.
  

These are uncertain times for all businesses but the fashion boutique retailer has always been about change, change represents an opportunity for growth, further evolvement and efficiency but only if responded to wisely.

If you have any inexpensive or free promotional ideas that have worked well for your business and you want to share them with other independent retailers please feel free to post your comments.

To the independent retailer this represents a potential supply bonanza. Beautifully crafted jewelry made with natural stones can now be sourced from local designers for a fraction of the cost involved in sourcing from the big trade shows and often for a price that is little more than the cost of mass produced and imported jewelry.

It is worth exploring this avenue of supply. In the process you will be supporting local industry, fostering local talent and benefiting the local economy – that’s something to feel good about.

If you are unsure about committing your finances in this way; why not set aside some of your retail space for consignment? Consignment is a win-win option in these uncertain times.

The designer supplies the stock and you supply the retail outlet. The important caveat however is to fill out consignment forms so all parties are clear regarding responsibilities and profit division etc. (You’ll find plenty of sample consignment forms online that can be adapted for your needs.)

The best place to connect with local home based jewelry designers are craft fairs and gem and jewelry shows.

I know more than a few independent retailers, who have found consignment of locally designed jewelry an absolute goldmine and many successful jewelry designers who started out by consigning their unique designs for sale in local boutiques.

Dressmaker Dress Forms

$355 at subastralinc.com

It’s impossible to overstate the value of the dressmaker form. It is the unsung hero of fashion industry and deserves a moment’s consideration for being, as it is, a serious participator in the evolution of fashion and style.

Figuratively speaking, it is to fashion design what a mixing bowl is to baking a cake. It is as indispensable to the lowly fashion student as it is to the most exalted ateliers of Milan and New York.

The dressmaker dress form is a classic. Its endearingly fusty design, exuding a prim Victorian charm, remains an icon of the fashion world, enduring because of its unsurpassable utility.

No model does more for couture; it is the caryatid of fashion world. Best of all the dressmaker form gets out of bed and goes to work for a mere $355.00 and, with its consistently amenable attitude has never pistol-whipped anyone with its Blackberry.

The dressmaker forms available at Subastral Inc are an industry standard featuring a pinnable linen covered flocked form, collapsible shoulders, adjustable height and a sturdy base set on casters.

The professional dressmaker dress form is in stock and available for immediate shipping.

Jewelry makers who regularly display their designs at craft shows know that space limitations can present a real challenge when you are trying to display the broadest array possible. Boutique owners with limited retail space to devote to jewelry display, face a same issue. How to display jewelry in a space efficient way without creating visual clutter?

At Subastral Inc we provide various jewelry organizers and jewelry displays that effectively provide the solution for this. Our jewelry displays are built for solid functionally and balance stability with practicality and artful visual presentation. These compact designs available allow for the maximum amount of jewelry merchandising in the most condensed space whilst articulating and enhancing the merchandise with a distinctness and clarity.