A retailer asks: “We always love hearing from you. You are full of great ideas for marketing. However, one thing has us stumped. We continue to have sales and specials, but still have many "old or unwanted products" to unload. Can you give us some creative ideas on how to do that?”
Sure can! Every store needs a well-signed area near the back of the store that’s the official home for clearance merchandise. It’s located at the back of the store because you want shoppers to walk through regular-priced merchandised to get to it. When clearance product does not move, it usually means your mark downs are not deep enough (note: your first markdown should always be the deepest) or customers just aren’t aware it’s there. It’s also a good idea to move this product to the front of the store from time to time. Throw it in a dump bin or on a table on a busy weekend or during another in-store event.
Here are a few retailer-tested ideas to help move old product:
“Got Game?”: If a product or product line is not selling try an in-store demonstration. Add in a sales game for your store associates; post a tally sheet at the checkout (away from customers’ eyes) so associates can keep track of how many items they sell. Each product demonstrated and sold is worth a point. Whoever has the most points at the end of the contest wins a prize. You’ll start a friendly competition, get rid of old merchandise, and have fun all at the same time!
Ugly Dog Contest: Go through your store and pick out all the “ugly stuff” that you just can’t seem to sell. Put an assortment of these items in brown paper bags and sell these “Ugly Dog” kits to customers for $5. The deal is they have to make something out of what’s in the bag, plus whatever else they want to add. They don’t have to actually make an ugly dog – that moniker refers to the stuff in the bag.
The retailer who ran this event had 42 entries in her “Ugly Dog” contest – amazing creations the retailer hung throughout her store. Other customers voted for their favorite and the winner won a $50 store gift certificate. The contest even made the papers because the retailer donated a portion of sales to the local animal shelter.
Here’s another idea: Partner with your local animal shelter. Kick off the contest with a pet adoption day at your store. You’ll attract more people, sell more Ugly Dog kits and some four-legged friends will find new homes.
A retailer ran a Clearance Bag Sale, offering shopping bags in three different sizes. Customers could choose a $15 bag, $25 bag or $35 bag to fill with sale items. Some shoppers started out with a $15 bag, but quickly traded up to the $35 bag when they saw the selection of sale items. It was a happy pandemonium as shoppers’ filled bag after bag. The retailer cleaned house, her customers got a good deal, and her store launched another great annual event. This is a good event to run on the day after Christmas.
“Monthly Challenge”: Create your own kits from a collection of slow-moving product. Participants pay $3 for the kit and must create a project using some of everything in the kit. Display the projects throughout the store for a two week period, with the winner selected by popular vote. The winner receives a prize along with the honor that comes from designing a cool new project. Make this a quarterly event.
Hold a Yard Sale where participating customers can “sell” the product they had to have, but never used, plus gently used supplies. Set up tables throughout your store or in the parking lot. Sales are translated into store credit. Build a buzz about town with e-mail blasts, in-store signage and Bag Stuffers. Encourage each participant to advertise their participation in church bulletins, neighborhood newsletters, and community publications. And make sure that your store is open for business during the entire event!
Just remember that no matter how much you love it, merchandise, unlike fine wine; does not get better with time. You should know when each product in your store was received because this will help you identify slow-sellers or those items that are dead on the shelves. If you can, then you are ahead of the game. If you can’t here’s an easy fix:
Add a code to the product labels and/or bin tickets that tell you how old the merchandise is. Here's a trick: Write the date of receipt on the bin ticket in reverse - 09/30/09, for example, would be 900390.
Search this blog -- the search box is located in the upper left hand corner -- for even more sales-building ideas!
Sure can! Every store needs a well-signed area near the back of the store that’s the official home for clearance merchandise. It’s located at the back of the store because you want shoppers to walk through regular-priced merchandised to get to it. When clearance product does not move, it usually means your mark downs are not deep enough (note: your first markdown should always be the deepest) or customers just aren’t aware it’s there. It’s also a good idea to move this product to the front of the store from time to time. Throw it in a dump bin or on a table on a busy weekend or during another in-store event.
Here are a few retailer-tested ideas to help move old product:
“Got Game?”: If a product or product line is not selling try an in-store demonstration. Add in a sales game for your store associates; post a tally sheet at the checkout (away from customers’ eyes) so associates can keep track of how many items they sell. Each product demonstrated and sold is worth a point. Whoever has the most points at the end of the contest wins a prize. You’ll start a friendly competition, get rid of old merchandise, and have fun all at the same time!
Ugly Dog Contest: Go through your store and pick out all the “ugly stuff” that you just can’t seem to sell. Put an assortment of these items in brown paper bags and sell these “Ugly Dog” kits to customers for $5. The deal is they have to make something out of what’s in the bag, plus whatever else they want to add. They don’t have to actually make an ugly dog – that moniker refers to the stuff in the bag.
The retailer who ran this event had 42 entries in her “Ugly Dog” contest – amazing creations the retailer hung throughout her store. Other customers voted for their favorite and the winner won a $50 store gift certificate. The contest even made the papers because the retailer donated a portion of sales to the local animal shelter.
Here’s another idea: Partner with your local animal shelter. Kick off the contest with a pet adoption day at your store. You’ll attract more people, sell more Ugly Dog kits and some four-legged friends will find new homes.
A retailer ran a Clearance Bag Sale, offering shopping bags in three different sizes. Customers could choose a $15 bag, $25 bag or $35 bag to fill with sale items. Some shoppers started out with a $15 bag, but quickly traded up to the $35 bag when they saw the selection of sale items. It was a happy pandemonium as shoppers’ filled bag after bag. The retailer cleaned house, her customers got a good deal, and her store launched another great annual event. This is a good event to run on the day after Christmas.
“Monthly Challenge”: Create your own kits from a collection of slow-moving product. Participants pay $3 for the kit and must create a project using some of everything in the kit. Display the projects throughout the store for a two week period, with the winner selected by popular vote. The winner receives a prize along with the honor that comes from designing a cool new project. Make this a quarterly event.
Hold a Yard Sale where participating customers can “sell” the product they had to have, but never used, plus gently used supplies. Set up tables throughout your store or in the parking lot. Sales are translated into store credit. Build a buzz about town with e-mail blasts, in-store signage and Bag Stuffers. Encourage each participant to advertise their participation in church bulletins, neighborhood newsletters, and community publications. And make sure that your store is open for business during the entire event!
Just remember that no matter how much you love it, merchandise, unlike fine wine; does not get better with time. You should know when each product in your store was received because this will help you identify slow-sellers or those items that are dead on the shelves. If you can, then you are ahead of the game. If you can’t here’s an easy fix:
Add a code to the product labels and/or bin tickets that tell you how old the merchandise is. Here's a trick: Write the date of receipt on the bin ticket in reverse - 09/30/09, for example, would be 900390.
Search this blog -- the search box is located in the upper left hand corner -- for even more sales-building ideas!
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