Women Prefer to Purchase In-Store
As Do Millennials
Showrooming: the art of having customers check out a product in a brick and mortar store, only to purchase it--usually at a lower price--on line.
The idea has gained a lot of traction in recent months, and retailers are trying to combat the concept. Some stores/brands are starting to amp up the technology interface so customers get an interactive experience while shopping the store, ie: scanning displays with their mobile phones, or bypassing payment at the checkout and paying via a mobile device. Other stores have initiated a charge for customers to "look," refunding that amount if the customer makes a purchase. (Hmm...don't think that is the solution!)
A newly released study, though, provides data that perhaps showrooming may not be as big of a threat to brick and mortar as initially suspected.
Collecting responses from 2152 women in the past two months, SheSpeaks/Lippe Taylor Women's Buying Behavior Index, reveals that although 89% of women research products online, only half
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Who Knew?
When Nature Calls
Whether you want to offer your restroom to your customers or not, you may not have a choice. If you serve food or beverages, it's obviously a must, but some jurisdictions require restroom access even if you're just selling shoes.
And really it's only courteous to offer the room to those in need as one never knows when nature will call, and it's more likely to call if the average length of time a person spends in your store is 15 minutes or more. Lingering is good, right?
Since almost all of our clients provide their customers with access to their restrooms, we make sure to address the "look" of this little room. Don't underestimate the value of a clean, up-to-date restroom! Women especially, can rate their entire shopping experience on how well the retailer's restroom looks and functions.
We like to make our client's restrooms a conversation piece. We "pretty" them up, and add fun artwork or graphics. We also recommend you post your business's name in the restroom - just to remind them again where they are.
If you ever find yourself in Sheboygan, WI, be sure to visit the
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Product Profile: Visual Magnetics
Our product profile this month is a large-scale graphic system, created by Visual Magnetics , that lets retailers to change out displays effortlessly. This allows them to easily keep spaces new and fresh for their customers with minimal effort.
First discovered at GlobalShop 2013, the butterflies caught Holley's eye, but we all got excited once we watched the video. A space can change from a daytime cupcake kiosk to a nighttime lounge utilizing three people in less than three minutes! Click here to see!
We envision this product making it easy for a coffee shop, spa, clothing boutique, or really any retail category to quickly and easily install a backdrop for a fabulous display. Contact us for more information on this cool, innovative product!
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CFLs:
Harmful To Your Health?
Recently, one of our vendors, sent out information on the harmful effects of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Logical Green Solutions LLC (LGS), provides energy saving, high quality, and eco-friendly LED retrofit lighting upgrades for businesses and property owners. They cited a study where researchers discovered skin damage, similar to that caused by UV rays, when exposed to CFL bulbs.
Popular in recent years because of their energy-saving benefits, researchers caution consumers to avoid CFLs at close distances. It is recommended to have the bulbs placed behind a UV protective filter. This also helps reduce color fading. Retailworks' designers always recommend more than one light source in a retail setting to avoid monotonous light levels. Spending extended periods of time under fluorescent lights has been shown to be unhealthy. Additionally, people and products always look better under multiple light sources. See April's e-newsletter for more design tips on lighting.
Click here to read the entire article on CFLs.
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Win a Free Display Window Plan! 
Do you have a window display that is old and stale? Are you running out of ideas to attract attention? Your store window is one of the first things your customers' see - so keeping it fresh is key!
Enter our window display makeover contest for a chance to
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"Never underestimate the power of a well-designed environment." ~Lyn Falk
Want more? Click here to read archived e-newsletters.
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Design Tip
Paint Falling Flat?
Flat may be a wise choice if you are painting a surface with a lot of imperfections. Painting a high traffic area? Then a glossy finish may be your best bet.
Choosing the correct sheen of paint isn't too difficult. You just need to ask yourself a few questions:
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Action!
Stay tuned for Retail Rocks!, a short, fun and informative series of video clips featuring local "indies" (independent retailers), soon to be posted on our very own YouTube channel. We're hitting the streets profiling shop owners to celebrate local retailing. You will meet the hard working owners, gain behind-the-scenes insight, and maybe even learn a few tricks of the trade.
First edition is in the works as we speak. Why are we doing this? Because "Indies Rock!"
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Reallygoods contracted with Retailworks to design a mobile display for them. We created a trade booth complete with a printed tent top, oversized image banner, custom display units, lighting, recycled rubber floor tiles, signage, and a master checklist to ensure no props get left behind. Reallygoods makes a "REALLY good" fruit and nut organic treat that's just the right amount of crunchiness and chewiness. Delicious and good for you...a perfect combination. Keep an eye out for their fun, eye-catching tent as they share their goodness! And if you missed our Facebook post with the "really good" video on how they make their healthy snack, click here to see it.
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Main Street
Vote & Win!
Benjamin Moore is running a contest to aid in the revitalization of America's downtown communities. You can vote once a day. Why not make your town the winner?
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