Seasonal Display There is a lot of patriotism among consumers lately. Merchandising master Denis Caldora explains why forming a special area in your showroom is important.
Many Americans are concerned about the unemployment rate and are distressed that so many jobs have gone overseas. I say, let’s keep our money in America and make an effort to buy American-made goods when we can. Chances are, you already have an assortment of domestically manufactured products throughout your showroom and may have never thought of putting them all together to create a focal point that will really resonate with today’s customers.
- Identify an area of your showroom where sales aren’t where they should be or is in need of a redo. You can turn this area into a money-making machine by putting together a selection of American-made products.
- Dedicate 6 grids to your presentation. On each of those grids, you can hang 6-9 fixtures with matching or complementary wall sconces and add in some portables, too. In all, you’ll end up with around 30 items to showcase.
- Do not break up your bath & outdoor lighting sections. These are the two categories that people specifically come in to find. If you have fixtures in either (or both) sections that are made in America, don’t remove them because customers seeking bath and outdoor products will not think to check another part of the store. Instead, make a Made in America section within those categories – using a panel board, for example – that indicates all of the products on the panel are domestically made.
- Draw attention to the area. In addition to signage – you can use red, white, and blue as backdrop colors or you can go to Kinkos and create a double-sided “Proudly Made in America” sign in vinyl or paper – have your sales staff verbally draw the customers’ attention to the selection. They can say something like, “Oh by the way, we are trying to give our support to American companies and the economy with a new section featuring products that are made in America. Let me show you where that section is…” Or I might add that the section was created due to popular demand. I’d say something like, “We’re doing our part to keep our money in this country and help give jobs back to Americans.”
