http://www.snewsnet.com/ If it happens in the outdoor and fitness markets, SNEWS® is there so you can listen in. Always insightful, sometimes humorous, absolutely invaluable. No one covers the outdoor and fitness markets better than we do, period. In print since 1983, on the web since 2000, and now in audio for your listening pleasure. Interviews, special reports, event coverage, and more. en Copyright SNEWS® LLC, all rights reserved Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:45:02 -0600 60 http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/The_Lizard_Lounge_Way_Spring_merchandising_031710.html If you want your customers to feel good about spring and buying new products, you have to inspire them with creative merchandising in fresh, bright colors. The Lizard Lounge team has four great tips with superb visuals to help SNEWS readers navigate their way. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/The_Lizard_Lounge_Way_Spring_merchandising_031710.html Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MDT http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_Natural_display_Winter_Market_031010.html It was interesting to see how much barn wood, rough-finished wood and pallets were used in booths at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. It may be a reaction to the present state of the economy but, regardless of the reason, it worked. In this first of six articles from the Merchandising Tours at Winter Market, we have visual examples you can incorporate now in your store. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_Natural_display_Winter_Market_031010.html Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/The_Lizard_Lounge_Way_Holiday_clean-up_011510.html A bit of imagination and even a sense of humor can turn that post-holiday look into something special. Think of a sale as a celebration that serves as a promotion to bring in shoppers who might not have been thinking of buying...and we have five top tips to use. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/The_Lizard_Lounge_Way_Holiday_clean-up_011510.html Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 MST http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/SNEWS_Retail_College_Outdoor_Retailer_Merchandising_Tours_011510.html A trade show is a gold mine of visual display ideas. Exhibitors spend numerous hours and many dollars planning how to display the products they sell. So why not take their hours of preparation and display ideas back to your store? http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/SNEWS_Retail_College_Outdoor_Retailer_Merchandising_Tours_011510.html Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 MST http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_Making_fixtures_010410.html It is not always easy to find the right fixture for a particular product, at the right price and in the right size. Cost is another consideration – fixtures can be expensive especially if they are custom made. Take a hint from Crumpler... http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_Making_fixtures_010410.html Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 MST http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/The_Lizard_Lounge_Way_Holiday_displays_121609.html Let’s face it, Santa has it pretty good as he gets to hear firsthand what your customers want. Merchandising cues from the Lizard Lounge Way, though, will give you an upper hand. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/The_Lizard_Lounge_Way_Holiday_displays_121609.html Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 MST http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_Use_mannequins_cross-merchandising-120909.html The use of mannequins is always a good way to show how clothing will actually look on a real person. To make the display more interesting, and to help tell a visual story, Cloudveil cross-merchandised the clothing with equipment items. SNEWS Merchandising Tour leader Sharon Leicham offers tips taken straight from the floor of Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_Use_mannequins_cross-merchandising-120909.html Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:00:00 MST http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_Get_creative_grab_consumer_attention-1209.html Wouldn’t it be great if everything in the store sold like hotcakes? There are always those items with less hanger appeal, less display appeal and less excitement. So how do you turn those products into winners? Get ideas and tips from our Merchandising Tour expert, Sharon Leicham. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_Get_creative_grab_consumer_attention-1209.html Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 MST http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_stocking_accessories-102809.html Who among us hasn’t suffered the frustration of restocking or setting up an accessory wall or fixture? There are so many different items and SKU's to deal with that the question always becomes, “Where in the heck am I going to put these?” Read what Sharon Leicham suggests to pump up sales and make this job less about guesswork. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_stocking_accessories-102809.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 MDT http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/The_Lizard_Lounge_Way_Inspiring_customers_go_steady_Oct2009.html Every season calls for a fresh change -- a reason to draw customers into your store by setting a tone and highlighting trends with new styles. It's like a first date where you want to make your best impression so you get a second date…minus the whole awkward goodnight kiss thing. Ensure a lasting relationship with these tips from the merchandising mavens at the Lizard Lounge to get the season off to the right start. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/The_Lizard_Lounge_Way_Inspiring_customers_go_steady_Oct2009.html Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 MDT http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_create_displays_with_found_materials.html Dumpster diving is just one way to discover sometimes fabulous display materials for your next creative merchandising effort. Read tips and suggestions that will help you discover your next perfect merchandising theme as well as ways to work with small and difficult spaces that can challenge even the best merchandiser. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_create_displays_with_found_materials.html Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MDT http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_showcase_customers_community-2009.html This year's Outdoor Retailer Summer Market featured a series of visual merchandising tours of exhibitor booths, sponsored by Outdoor Retailer, pointing out the product displays that could easily be translated in the retail store. In the next few months, we'll discuss the best ideas found during the tours, why they captured our attention, and how to adapt them to the retail environment. The ideas apply to a broad range of products, companies, brands and segments, too. There's also something in this for you, our readers. We want to know how you applied tips and suggestions from our Merchandising Tour article series in your own store. Send SNEWS® your images and a paragraph or two explaining what you did, and you'll be entered in a contest to win free lodging at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2010. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Tour_showcase_customers_community-2009.html Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 MDT http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Rethinking_Retail_Cole_Hardware_July2009.html Who ever thought toilet plungers, garbage cans and weed whackers could be sexy? A hardware store in San Francisco makes it so with colorful, creative, eye-catching window displays that bring passersby to a grinding halt. "The concept is to get people to stop and look," said Noelle Nicks, Cole Hardware's visual merchandiser. The goal, she says, is "to get people to come in even if they had no intent of buying something," noting hardware stores are shopping destinations. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Rethinking_Retail_Cole_Hardware_July2009.html Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 MDT http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Psychology_of_Shopping_understand_that_customer.html “It isn’t so much a traffic issue as it is a sales issue. You need to do a better job with the people already in your store.” —Ron Hornbaker, vice president of Retail Minds, citing ShopperTrak data showing that 70 to 80 percent of people walk out of stores without spending money. Specialty retailers trying to wheedle sales from consumers who are afraid of losing their jobs or life savings are coming to terms with a harsh reality: The marketing tactics that worked in previous downturns aren’t as effective in this current storm, which is proving to be wider, deeper and more intractable than many economists anticipated... http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Psychology_of_Shopping_understand_that_customer.html Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 MDT http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Know-How_Enhancing_your_store_appearance09.html The key to creating a visually compelling store appearance is appropriate fixture and product placement. Even with limited fixture budget, improved results are easily achievable through better product placement. Making product more visible and providing easy accessibility to that product immediately impacts sales and improves the overall customer experience. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/Merchandising_Know-How_Enhancing_your_store_appearance09.html Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 MST http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/SNEWS_Merchandising_Know-How_Article_Finder.html It's frustrating to scrounge around a disorderly toolbox. You can waste valuable time and energy fumbling for that one critical item. We at SNEWS want to make life easier for you, so we've developed this handy chart for our Merchandising articles. With a quick glance, you can scan the chart to find the subject matter that fits your immediate need. Also, you can read a summary to make sure that the article provides the info you need for the job at hand. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/SNEWS_Merchandising_Know-How_Article_Finder.html Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:00:00 MST http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/11181.html The SnowSports Industries America (SIA) trade show in Las Vegas is always full of energy and edgy boarders. This year was no different except that SIA took a giant "green" step forward and included the EcoSource booth designed by Seattle companies, Utility and Dept. of Energy (DOE). The booth showcased green products from SIA exhibitors. It was packed with clothing, skis, boards, gloves, hats, waxes, creams and lotions, and more -- all eco-friendly. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/11181.html Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 MST http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/10823.html In the current political landscape, the word "change" is used incessantly. It seems everyone is looking for change or, at least, mentioning it. Not to be outdone, here's a change for you. There's a new retail movement afoot to arrange and position displays that appeal to certain demographics at certain times of the day. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/10823.html Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 MST http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/10601.html This is the time of year not to forget to tap into a wealth of selling information in the SNEWS® Training Center, especially into our two and a half years of concise informational guides for retail staff covering the in’s and out’s of various product categories in our “how to sell” articles. Of course there are more topics coming. We’ll be adding categories again starting in the New Year. Meanwhile, take the time to peruse our list of current how-to-sell guides. They could help you make that next sale this holiday season. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/10601.html Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 MST http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/10433.html A trend is defined as "the popular taste at a given time." It may not be readily apparent, but there are definite trends in the visual merchandising field. A closer look reveals innovations in color, graphics, lighting and technology all designed to enhance store environments. http://www.snewsnet.com/cgi-bin/snews/10433.html Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:00:00 MST