The next few weeks are traditionally the slowest for retail jewellers. Many jewellers use this time to do a deep cleaning in the store; steam cleaning carpets, replacing polisher filters, cleaning off the workbenches should all be part of the summer cleaning program. In the showroom, all cases should be emptied and cleaned. You know the routine…just do it.
While you’re at it, consider your displays. You’ve probably been using the same display locations for a long time. It becomes a habit to set the store up the same way every time. After a while, you no longer see each item, you just see the wedding case or the silver case. You think of a 20 ring display instead of the beautiful designs it contains. Your regular customers will fall into that same blindness. If the case looks the same as last time they will assume that there is no need to browse it again and just walk past it.
Stir it up. Move things to different cases; bring price-point items close to the checkout counter for impulse sales. If you displayed coloured stone jewellery by colour or species, try featuring different countries of origin. Don’t be afraid to mix silver and gold jewellery in the same case. Set rubies or sapphires in engagement rings and show them in your bridal case. Move coloured diamonds to your gemstone areas.
At first it may cause chaos as the sales staff tries to remember where everything went but in that process they will rediscover interesting items and fascinating stones that were forgotten or lost in the background. Old inventory becomes new and exciting again. When a sales person is excited the item gets sold. What you thought was dead inventory may have only been sleeping.
Your regular customers will see the changes and browse your cases again; it will seem like your entire inventory is fresh and new. This will motivate them to buy something quickly before it gets snapped up by someone, else even though you may have had the item for years. It’s new to them.
Making changes in your store displays is one of the best ways to keep customers and sales staff excited and motivated. I know of a few jewellers that “stir” their store every month and their customers explore each case in detail looking for new treasures instead of by-passing the same display that’s always there.
Don’t be stuck in a rut…stir it up for more sales!