Wholesale Store Fixtures

Characterless retail environments using bland economy retail cases declare functionality over and above aesthetics like a sullen sales assistant they exude the attitude – here-is-the-product, now-leave-me-alone.

In contrast, quality jewelry display cases declare their presence with enthusiasm insisting on further inspection and transmitting the message contained within are items of quality and interest.

Subastral Inc supplies quality jewelry display case units which are made in the USA to the highest standards. To view the full range of display cases available visit www.subastralinc.com

In today’s competitive retail world stores need to be ever more conscious of
creating an inviting and well projected character if they are to survive and
thrive where others fail.

Shopping in the US today is considered by many to be a leisure activity and as
such the store owner needs to consider how their store is to be experienced by
the recreational shopper. Is the customer going to be stimulated by and enjoy
your store or be bored, will they leave never to return or become familiar faces
who in turn beckon their friends to visit your store?

Display cases heighten the experience that the merchandise contained within is
valuable and rare where in reality the contents may be reasonably priced and
commonplace.

Presenting well selected, moderately priced merchandise in richly equipped
display cabinets will convey outstanding value for money that will appeal to
both affluent spenders and price conscious consumers alike.

The average expendable income has shrunk in the wash lately, not good news for the retail industry. It is now very much a buyer’s market and rules of the game are somewhat changed. Gaining the consumers business, though never straight forward, is now complicated by additional hesitations and diminished available credit which has all but killed impulse. Today the buyer is to be courted if you are to earn their loyalty and business. The issue now is bringing potential customers to your business when so many have adopted a recessionary siege mentality. Listed below are some ideas I first published elsewhere but I am reprinting here because they remain simple, easy to implement and above all (in today’s economy) cheap or no cost changes that can reap great rewards for your business.

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.

Whilst all the indicators are that sales of luxury items are taking a serious hit (and what’s more luxury than fine jewelry) the market for artisan handmade jewelry is as vigorous as ever. In fact, as a direct consequence of the current economy, there is a boom in this cottage industry as more people opt for or are driven to explore alternative sources of income.

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.

The most elemental form of marketing for fashion apparel is the point of sale display. Fashion thrives on its ability to invoke an emotional response within the prospective consumer. It promotes an image, a mental picture the individual identifies with and aspires to.

Glossy magazines may lay the ground-work but it is at the point of sale display where the most important encounter takes place. Here the potential customer comes face to face with fashion apparel in a form that either promotes and assists in the sale process or impedes the sale through sheer neutrality.

The most proactive item of retail display equipment are dress form mannequins. Think of it as an auxiliary member of staff or in house model it can add flare and credibility and answer questions such as, how does this look? and how do I wear this?. By comparison all other displays are asleep on the job only able to passively organize and store stock.

So choose your mannequin or body form display with care – it just may turn out to be your employee of the month month after month!

Hats are back! Now, many retailers will be surprised find that they had apparently been away but when the likes of Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Nicole Miller Alexander Wang, Joanna Mastroianni and Catherine Holstein include them in collections, they really are back!

Is it a response for the need to shield ourselves from the perils of climate change or perhaps the need to weather the economy and dress up an existing wardrobe for another season with accessories? One wag in our office theorized that a couture hat was still cheaper than a couple of visits to the hair stylist…. maybe.

Whatever the reasons, if hats are selling, it is time to sell hats.  How to display hats for retail needn’t be a challenge. At Subastral Inc you will find hat displays that are both space saving and very affordable. So if you want to start merchandising hats or you want to improve your retail hat displays then pay us a visit.

The most essential apparel store fixture is the display table.  Display tables are the day to day work-horses that allow for merchandising folded items such as shirts, sweaters and trousers, as well as various accessories and gift items in a arrangement that is both efficient and functional for seller and customer alike.  For the customer, merchandise presented on a display table is totally accessible.  For sheer simplicity nothing beats neatly stacked piles of color and size options surrounding a central display representing the style on offer.

At Subastral Inc. you’ll find options that offer more than mere functionality.  Our display tables are attractive furniture in their own right that will add charm to any retail space. Available individually or in nest sets.