You remember when life was good and all you had to do was hang a sign in the window “open for business”. Retail has been a barometer of the economy and recent results show that keeping even to last year is a challenge.
Jerry Birnbach Associates have spent most of this year on remodels, renovations and display design with a focus of increasing sales.
Today’s economy has made it necessary for all retailers to take a step back and with an honest eye evaluate if they are doing all they can to increase sales. There is no one factor to fix in order to insure a positive increase and the days of expansion are behind us for the time being. Product will always rule in terms of improving sales, but unique product has been driven by branded items. In the retail venues where the brands are all on a level playing field, price becomes the next factor that has to be right in order to succeed. With e-commerce past early development, this has become a worthy opponent for the brick and mortar retailer.
So what is left to correct or improve in order to get a leg up on the competition? Retail Design, Retail Display, Store layout, lighting, and bringing back a personality that meets your shoppers taste are all factors requiring a revamp to make your numbers. Our experience tells us that those retailers who cannot invent their point of difference and clearly express this to the consumer will fall by the wayside. The small retailer is fighting the well financed retailers that understand the need to be different and are willing to spend the money to obtain that difference. Through well thought out design, decor, merchandising assortments and consistent attention to detail, our retail clients are actually meeting their goals for increase sales in 2011.