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Written by Staff
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Thursday, 10 September 2009 10:03 AM America/New_York |
- by David Whitford
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 We are all inundated with "free" merchandising kits sent to us by publishers. You may feel they clutter up your store or detract from your store's ministry, but it is possible to use them in effective and appropriate ways.
- First, decide if the item being promoted is something you personally believe in. Do you think it will help someone or change a life to be more like Christ? Is it something you will sell to customers with confidence? If the answer is yes, promote it with everything you have.
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- POINT OF SALE
- Use bag stuffers, shelftalkers and P.O.S. displays. A general rule of thumb is to use these for no more than three weeks for one particular product. If a book is still "hot" after three weeks, you can still keep it that way with a display in another area of the store.
- Keep the counter area fresh.
- Some stores choose not to have any "impulse" items displayed at the cash register. That is understandable if it's an aesthetic choice; however, if it is a matter of not wanting to seem too commercial, you may want to reconsider. If you believe that the products have a great message and good eye appeal, displaying them at the P.O.S. area is not commercial, it's helping the buyer.
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- ENDCAPS
- Endcaps that are just excuses to pile up inventory don't look good, so don't use them. A good endcap does at least two things: It calls attention to the featured product, and it educates the customer regarding that product. If it does those two things and allows you to pile up some inventory, it's a winner.
- You can leave an endcap up a little longer than a countertop display; a month is usually sufficient time. If the item is still selling well after a month, determine whether or not it will still sell without using an endcap and make changes accordingly.
- FLOOR DISPLAYS
- These free-standing cardboard displays that hold approximately 48 of the same or related books are usually unattractive, but they can easily create a temporary "stack out"-a pile of the same or similar titles.
- If you choose to use these, follow the assembly instructions when you put them together. They can be unstable and look awful if not put together well. Throw them out when they are worn-before they become an eyesore.
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- -David Whitford is the former manager of Cross Reference Bookstore at Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, Ark.
- To read the complete article, go to: http://www.thechurchbookstore.com/a.php?ArticleID=12703
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