THRIFTY CHIC

Linda Cahan

Gift items under $50 are sure bets for quick sales. Often, these less expensive items don’t get the presentation they deserve, as they’re perceived as less valuable. But, these pieces can fly out your doors with the right care and displays.

A fun and innovative merchandise display does not need to be costly. I taught Visual Merchandising at Parsons School of Design and The Art Institute of Portland once a week to smart, creative and talented people.  They consistently inspired me and kept me excited about display. As students are usually on exceptionally tight budgets, I was often delighted with their creative solutions for props and presentation. A few of their display and merchandising inspirations are: Anthropologie, Rejuvenation, Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel as well as local, independent stores.

The theory that more space equals more expensive merchandise makes sense to customers. They (customers) have been trained by upscale retailers to see space around an item as the $$$$ mote around the castle. Saks Fifth Avenue has a standard measurement between handbags displayed on their shelves. The more expensive the bags, the more inches between each one.

When you are selling gifts under $50, you don’t need to space things out. Clustering is a good way to unconsciously give the message that these pieces are more affordable. Another benefit of clustering is that when pieces are shown next to one another, they often enhance each other. Colors, shapes, textures can play off one another beautifully and encourage multiple sales.

Depending on the product, two styles of merchandising work equally well: clustering or geometric/repetitive placement. When you are grouping gifts under $50, price is not the only parameter to choosing what goes together. Consider vendor groupings, color stories and “by use” displays – such as everything for tea –under $50. The merchandise has to work together visually as well as logically.

Once you find the pieces that fly out of the store, give them a prime focal area in your store so customers can find them quickly. If you have winners, make sure you restock frequently so the few winners you have left –after selling down, don’t look like losers.