Learn from the Best: Thoughts from Famous Retailers

During busy weeks, it’s helpful to take a few minutes to stop, think, and improve. There’s always something to learn, from improving customer service to building a stronger company culture. Here’s some inspiration from some of the top leaders in retail to start your week off well:

“In the end, the customer doesn’t know, or care, if you are small or large as an organization…she or he only focuses on the garment hanging on the rail in the store.” –Giorgio Armani, Founder of Giorgio Armani 

“Our mission statement about treating people with respect and dignity is not just words but a creed we live by every day. You can’t expect your employees to exceed the expectations of your customers if you don’t exceed the employees’ expectations of management.”–Howard Schultz. CEO of Starbucks

“If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.” –Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon

“If you’re a big-picture guy, you’re not in the picture. Retail is detail.”  –James Sinegal, CEO of Costco

“The secret of successful retailing is to give your customers what they want. And really, if you think about it from the point of view of the customer, you want everything: a wide assortment of good quality merchandise; the lowest possible prices; guaranteed satisfaction with what you buy; friendly, knowledgeable service; convenient hours; free parking; a pleasant shopping experience.” –Sam Walton, Founder of Walmart

“We believe that customer service shouldn’t be just a department; it should be the entire company.” –Tony Hsieh, CRO of Zappos.com

“Your vision is very important. You should know whom you’re selling to, what your marketing and advertising says about you, and whom it’s speaking to. Me personally, I don’t try to please everyone. I understand who I am selling to and I work towards that vision all the time.” –Ralph Lauren, Founder of Ralph Lauren

 

“The friendly smile, the word of greeting, are certainly something fleeting and seemingly insubstantial. You can’t take them with you. But they work for good beyond your power to measure their influence. It is the service we are not obliged to give that people value most.” –James Cash Penney, Founder of JCPenney

“What is good for our customers is also, in the long run, good for us. “ –Ingovar Kamprad, CEO of IKEA

“Those department stores that have survived the decades did so by keeping pace with customer needs and preferences.” –Terry Lundgren, CEO of Macy’s

Visit our website today or call us at 1-800-999-0771 to find out how Specialty Store Services can help with your store fixture and display needs. Maybe in a couple of year we will be quoting you too. 

Smart Retail Choices: 4 Considerations When Building a Store Fixture Budget

The decision to buy retail store fixtures is a fairly easy one—you’re going to need to buy fixtures at some time or another to keep your store going. The hard part is deciding how much to spend and what to buy. Fixtures are the backbone of your business, and you definitely want to get the highest ROI from them as possible.

As you build your fixture budget for the holiday season and upcoming new year, there are some important factors to consider:

1.      Current Store Sales

What do store sales look like right now? If sales are flat, it’s probably time to look into a store makeover. Adding some more polish and excitement with custom fixtures may be just what your store needs to attract more customers. You definitely don’t want to break the bank buying new retail fixtures, but it’s important to have good-quality fixtures that reflect your store’s branding and accentuate your merchandise.

If you have multiple stores that are suffering from low sales, try testing new fixtures in one of them. Do a complete transformation of your store’s look, and keep a close eye on how sales perform and customers react. After the test period, your findings should help you decide how much to invest in store fixtures for your entire chain of stores.

2.      Design Options

Having a small budget doesn’t mean you can’t invest in high-quality retail store fixtures. It just means you have to be smart about what design you choose. Find or create a versatile fixture design that can be easily adapted to your floor space and work for multiple products. This approach gives you a double-win—you end up with fixtures that create a cohesive look throughout your store, and look great when it comes time to roll out new merchandise.

A large budget is easier to work with, but you still need to be smart. Versatile displays and fixtures are good choices, but also consider developing a custom-made display for a special piece of merchandise. A display or fixture made specifically for one product can really help that product stand out and appeal to customers. 

3.      Type of Material

Different materials come with different price tags. If you like the look of a certain material, like wood, and are working with a small budget, ask your fixture supplier if they have less expensive options that have a similar look as wood. Metal is always a good choice—it adapts well to other fixtures, is durable, and is less expensive than many other materials. With a larger budget, choosing a material like wood may be a special touch that your store needs to stand out. Choose a material that supports your store’s brand and creates a store atmosphere that appeals to your customer base.

4.      Level of Maintenance

How much work do you want to put in to keep your store fixtures looking clean and presentable? Probably not very much since the store employees are already busy helping customers and putting out merchandise. When you start planning out your fixture budget, make sure you’re looking at store fixtures and displays that are easy to maintain. A fixture that requires daily polishing, cleaning, and dusting might not be the best choice for a busy staff—especially during the holidays. Talk to your fixture supplier and get their thoughts on what materials and designs tend to be the easiest to take care of.  

Find out how Specialty Store Services can help answer your store fixture budget questions. Call us today at 1-800-999-0771 or visit our website for more information and a FREE store fixture consultation.