Shopping trends for 2017 that are already here!

In recent years, the impact of mobile culture has infiltrated the retail sector.  Shoppers want a premium customer experience, but they want more than that.

Shopping trends for 2017 that are already here will surprise you with their diversity and innovation.  They’re trends retailers should be taking note of to stay competitive in an ever-changing environment.

All about the experience.

Every sector of commerce, from travel to luxury brands and core retail shopping, has been impacted by the experience economy.  As the world around us changes, people are becoming increasingly aware of the value of experiences.

For retailers, this means thinking outside the box.  When shoppers come into retail store, they want to discover something they can’t anywhere else.  Whether that’s a harpist playing 90s pop tunes, or a stylist offering makeovers, or a discussion of fashion trends, your shoppers want an experience that’s unforgettable and singular.

Above all, adding elements of surprise and delight to your retail experience makes your store a destination.  Going beyond the idea of purchasing objects, experience-based retailing means going three-dimensional to offer your shoppers added value.

Longing for connection.

The big box store has lost its allure.  Today, shoppers want to feel they’re part of something.  Independent retailers are seeing a spike in sales due to this effect and its magic ingredient is creating a sense of connection.

Reaching out to your customers means knowing them.  Some of that involves building up online communities around your brand that offer shoppers a window into your products and services.  That can mean adding your customers to a select area of your website, where they’ll find out about promotions before others.

It can also mean creating events that revolve around your customer base – a fashion show that addresses them personally, a community event they can participate in, or a unique opportunity to connect with you and your business on a personal level.

Main Street, with its mom and pops may be long gone, but the longing for connection has re-surfaced.  Retailers are called upon to answer that longing with opportunities to bring your customers into a circle of mutual benefit.

Social shopping.

Until this year, shopping online has had one barrier – it failed to deliver on the modern imperative of instant gratification.  But that barrier is rapidly being overcome, as retailers find new ways to get their online offerings directly to shoppers, without delay.

In New York City, this has been pioneered.  Partnering with ground delivery services, online retailers can place purchases into consumer hands on the same day.  That’s good news for consumers, but brick and mortar retailers can benefit too, when their social media and website ducks are all in a tidy row, ready to go.

Experience, connection and social shopping are three major shopping trends in 2017 that are already here. The question is, how are you going to deploy them?

Contact Clip Strip Corp. to find out how we can professionalize your retail outlet by bringing it crisp clarity and consistency with leading edge POP display supports.

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Move it out! How to sell what is not selling.

The best laid plans of mice and retailers don’t always turn out the way they’re supposed to.  Inventory you may have believed would prove popular with customers languishes on your shelves.  It takes up space.  It represents money you could be deploying elsewhere.

It needs to move!

When your product is moving at the speed of “glacier”, your need to switch it up.  How to sell what is not selling is a matter of applying some retailer savvy to your stubbornly languishing stock to move it out.

Putting a bow on it.

Pricing slow-moving merchandise to make it more attractive to consumers is a balancing act.  You need to ask yourself how important it is to keep your stock looking fresh and up-to-date.  But that must be carefully balanced with your return on investment for the inventory.

To move it out, you need to put a bow on it, offering it at a price point that draws consumer interest.  You can just the slash the price, but there are more creative ways to make that inventory look its best to potential buyers.

One of them is offering your languishing product in a bundle with a hotter piece of merchandise.  Creating an offer for two or more items which includes the slow-moving merchandise can see it fly out the door.

Create a Point of Sale display, for the “feature of the week”.  Coach your sales staff to sell your slow-mover based on the urgency of the offer and the benefits of the product.  Impressing on the customer that the offer is limited may be all takes to move it out.

Positioning.

Sometimes products aren’t selling because they’re in the wrong place.  Re-positioning your slow-moving merchandise to another area of the store (eye level shelf, for example), can raise consumer awareness.

But your front window is your best friend when it comes to positioning items that aren’t selling.  Placing your slow-moving merchandise in an attractive window display can be highly effective, drawing the attention of your customers to the item that’s now front and center.

Remember to check in with customers who ultimately buy the product because of your re-positioning efforts.  You need to know that changing the location of the item has influenced the decision to buy.  This is a process which allows you to tweak your display marketing according to consumer responses.

Clip Strip Corp. – Power at the POP.

Clip Stip Corp.’s range of Point of Purchase supports take your retail outlet to a whole new level, enhancing the customer experience with professionalism.  We’re the leaders in POP.

When you’re ready to move it out, our POP retail display line brings you innovative signage and display accessories that provide power at the POP.  Our products are also an affordable way to professionalize your outlet and bring consistency to your in-store experience.

Adding Clip Strip Corp.’s extensive line of quality POP signage and display supports marries your marketing strategies to innovative solutions for your brick and mortar store.  Contact us to find out more.

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source http://clipstrip.com/pop-fuel/move-it-out-how-to-sell-what-is-not-selling/

How to Attract a Younger, Mobile-Savvy Audience to Your Shop or Site.

Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you will have a noticed that the relationship between people and phones has changed.  Everywhere you go, heads are bowed before the omnipresent mobile device, as people text, surf, communicate – and shop.

The rise of mobile devices is an opportunity for retailers.  Their immediacy and portability make them an advent which must be acknowledged by everyone hoping to thrive in the new reality.

The key thought to keep in mind when considering how to attract a younger, mobile-savvy audience to your shop or site, is that 60% of all online activity now comes from mobile devices.

That’s a vast pool of potential consumers you can’t afford not to reach out to and that pool is overwhelmingly young and looking for retail experiences that address their interests directly.

Mobilize your website.

If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you need to get it there sooner than later.  Mobile users encountering an online store that doesn’t conform to their needs will move on immediately – most likely never to return.

Responsiveness to mobile users can easily be tested.  Pick up your phone and go to your site.  Is it easy to read?  Does it look “right”?  If not, your website needs immediate reform to reach out to that 60% of the market you’re missing out on.

The KISS rule (keep it simple, stupid) applies.  Millennials want information that’s readily accessible.  They don’t want to dig for what they’re looking for.  Feature key content on your home page.  Tell your story succinctly.

Engage with social media.

Your social media presence should invite Millennials with fresh, value-added content that draws them into your brand experience.  That means good visual content, every day.  Stale feeds lose user interest.

You don’t need to spread yourself across the vastness of social media.  That can reduce your impact.  Instead, choose the platforms that make the most sense for your brand in terms of outreach to mobile users.  Instagram is a key platform for photo-sharing, but if you’re marketing to women, you should know that most daily Pinterest users are women.

Keep your content relatable, friendly and engaging.  Mobile-savvy users want to be appealed to by original, compelling content that invites them to experience something of value.  Stress openness and engage with your users whenever you have the opportunity.

Clip Strip Corp. – POP for a new generation.

Clip Strip Corp. is the leader in innovative Point of Purchase displays and supports.  We bring you consistency, professionalism and a premium retail experience for your customers.

When you’re thinking about how to attract a younger, mobile-savvy audience to your shop or site, you want your merchandise to POP for a new generation.

Meshing your in-store experience with a refined outreach to young, mobile-savvy users is seamless with the display pros at Clip Strip Corp.  You create the outreach, we create the on-site display know-how that engages with your shoppers.

Contact us to discover leading edge retail merchandising tools that bring a fresh approach to in-store marketing.

The post How to Attract a Younger, Mobile-Savvy Audience to Your Shop or Site. appeared first on POP FUEL.

source http://clipstrip.com/pop-fuel/how-to-attract-a-younger-mobile-savvy-audience-to-your-shop-or-site/

When did you last make a major floor move?

If you felt a little sheepish reading the title of this blog, then we’re going to guess it was quite awhile ago.  But here’s the thing – shoppers don’t just come into your store to buy.  They come in to enjoy the experience of being there.

A stale sales floor discourages repeat custom.  Blunt?  Perhaps, but it’s also true.  Your customers may love your products.  They may enjoy coming to your store.  But when they come in, they want to see something new; something they haven’t seen or maybe haven’t noticed before.

Keeping on your retailer toes means keeping your floor fresh and interesting.  Let’s review some of the ways you can achieve that.

Signage improves sales.

When men go shopping, they tend to be on a mission.  They want an efficient experience that gets them what they need and out of the store as quickly as possible.  For this reason, they depend on clear, directive signage to achieve their mission.

Women, on the other hand, read signs, but they’re much more interested in the overall experience and the potential it holds for discovery.  Offering them signage is a way to alert them to offers they may not know about, new products and promotions.

Clip Strip Corp. is a leader in POP signage that creates a consistent, professional look for your sales floor, while offering shoppers clarity and needed information.  Almost 3/4s of purchase decisions are made on the sales floor, so signage which is clear and consistent with your brand supports those on-floor decisions.

Planning and themes.

“When did you last make a major floor move?”, is a question intended to shake up your approach to your store’s sales floor.  Part of that shake up should be in the planning, itself.

Creating a calendar incorporating seasonal events, promotions and major merchandising themes is one way you can keep your displays fresh and engaging.  Seasonal themes are a given, but other thematic devices should also be used, according to what you’re selling.

If it’s women’s clothing, then create a theme based on a major fashion trend.  If it’s toys, create a theme based a type or manufacturer of toys, with the focal point being a product you know can move, when featured dramatically.

Make planning a habit when creating your in-store displays and unleash your creativity in ways that will not only make your store a fun place to visit, but a preferred place to purchase.

Clip Strip Corp. – POP goes your floor.

Clip Strip Corp. is a leader in innovative, quality Point of Purchase signage and display supports for retailers like you.  Your customer experience improves when you keep your sales floor teeming with interest.  But Clip Strip gives you what you need to refine that experience even further.

We bring your retail store consistency and professionalism with leading edge retail merchandising tools that create exceptional consumer experiences, helping you build your customer base and improve your sales figures.

Contact us to find out how we can make your sales floor POP.

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source http://clipstrip.com/pop-fuel/when-did-you-last-make-a-major-floor-move/

Do you look at your sales floor through the eyes of your customers?

Savvy retailers know that seeing their store through customer’s eyes is key to creating a vibrant sales floor.  But how is that done?

The most important advice any retailer can be given in this respect is to look at what their immediate competition is doing right – and wrong.  It’s also observing customer responses to displays and taking note of what compels purchases most effectively.  This is all valuable data.  Do you look at your sales floor through the eyes of your customers?

Hopefully, you do.  If you’re a little fuzzy on the concept, though, we’d like to offer you some helpful tips to help you observe your sales floor through the eyes of shoppers.

Quality, appeal, price point.

These are the three virtues every shopper wants to find on your sales floor.  Promotions should all consider these three virtues and every retailer must make them a kind of mantra when considering the sales floor.

A quality product may not move without the right appeal.  Appeal is a matter of taste, certainly, but when a quality item is displayed attractively and strategically, it’s sales potential is exponentially improved.

Price point is an important consideration and keeping it in mind and in balance with your sales objectives is a fine art.  Shoppers are looking for a price point that meets their economic needs.  But influencing purchases means creating further balance between the three elements of your sales floor mantra – quality, appeal and price point.

First impressions.

What your customer sees first is your storefront.  First impressions continue to be lasting impressions, because the concept is sound.

A tidy, well-maintained exterior, matched with a well-curated window display draws customers through the front door.  Once inside, your outlet’s thoughtfully displayed products should be matched by qualities of comfort and welcome.

Spend the time to see your store as though for the first time.  Walk by it and take note of what stands out.  Walk through the front door and ask yourself how you feel.

How your customers feel when walking through your front door is an important clue when it comes to seeing your store through their eyes.

Engaging the senses.

You may well look at your sales floor through the eyes of the customer, but what about the other senses?  Scent can play an important role in customer experience.  When keyed to your brand, it can add a layer of engagement that’s subtle, yet powerful.  Scents like vanilla have universal appeal, whether delivered via wall-mounted diffusers, candles or incense.

Similarly, sound adds another dimension to your customer experience.  The music you play is a highly personal choice.  Choosing something which is (again) universally appealing and evocative of your store’s offerings and philosophy supports your branding, while offering a pleasant retail environment.

Clip Strip Corp. is a leader in innovative POP displays and supports for retailers like you.  Our line of products brings consistency and professionalism to your store, creating clarity for your customers.

Contact us to find out more.

The post Do you look at your sales floor through the eyes of your customers? appeared first on POP FUEL.

source http://clipstrip.com/pop-fuel/do-you-look-at-your-sales-floor-through-the-eyes-of-your-customers/

You have great products, but can your customers see them?

As a retailer, you’ve spent the time to source great products, but can your customers see them?  Thoughtful displays that bring your product line’s stars to the attention of your customers are an art form.  But effective display techniques are also a science.

Creating an environment that’s friendly to your shoppers, intentionally sending them messages which drive purchasing decisions, is crucial to the consumer journey.  Let’s explore some ways to make sure your great products get seen – and purchased.

Target customers.

Visual marketing is what truly drives sales.  Many customers will ask for assistance from floor staff when they can’t find something, but there’s nothing most customers dislike more than “shadowing” by sales people.

People need to see what you’ve got.  That means creating displays which are both aesthetically pleasing and effective.  To be effective, one of the most important considerations is who your target customer is.  Who are you selling to and what do they want?

The information you can glean from your POS (point of sale) systems will reveal exactly who that is, so take the time to do it.

Organizing your sales floor to answer your target shopper’s needs is the first order of business to get it working for you like the superstar salesperson it is.

Research.

Part of the mission to get your products seen is about the research you’re willing to conduct.  Customer data is the first layer of that research, but it goes deeper.  Knowing what your competition is doing is another layer.

But with the internet at your fingertips, researching effective display techniques has never been easier.  Our favorite source of display inspiration is Pinterest.  This is where you’ll find a limitless wealth of ideas to support your own and refine them.

Once you’re aware of that target customer, you’ll understand the direction you want to go with your displays.  Supported by the work of your competitors and online inspiration, your displays will soon be getting your products seen.

Signage.

Clear, consistent signage is crucial.  Your products are great, but can your customers see them?   If they can’t, signage may be a key ingredient of your strategy to make sure they’re seen by the customers you most want to see them.

Signage and supports that guides consumers on their journey from POP to POS, engages customers, drawing them in a helpful way to what they’re looking for.  When keyed to your brand and its philosophy, effective retail signage creates an environment in which finding what you’re looking for is a pleasant, seamless experience.

With our range of POP display supports and accessories, Clip Strip Corp. is a leader in retail marketing.  Creating customer-friendly signage and sign holders and innovative display supports is our mission.

We support your retail outlet by making your great products visible to customers in a professional way that adds value to the customer journey, smoothing it toward the Point of Sale.

You have great products.  Make sure your customers see them with POP display supports from Clip Strip Corp.

The post You have great products, but can your customers see them? appeared first on POP FUEL.

source http://clipstrip.com/pop-fuel/you-have-great-products-but-can-your-customers-see-them/