This full face display of Mother’s Day cards in the front window is attracting passers-by into the newsagency on the busy Glenferrie Road in Malvern. That was the plan, our hope. It looks like paying off.
In December 2021, this space was taken by a drinks fridge, and ice-cream fridge and a stand of AWW cookbooks. Slowly we have change what’s here, culminating in the installation of this card wall a few weeks prior to Easter.
I think there is nothing better than awesome good margin products attracting shopper traffic from off the street. It’s a bonus if they are habit related products, products from a category for shoppers could return to you.
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This shop is in a highly competitive location for cards with two newsagencies nearby, several supermarkets, more than 15 card and gift shops and an Australia Post outlet also with a good range of cards. We have the biggest range in the area, but it’s located in the card department inside the shop. I knew we had to bring a card pitch to the footpath.
While our card suppliers have been supportive, we funded this new fixtures ourselves, so that we control the use of the space. This will be especially critical with how we use the space outside of seasons, especially in the retail valley between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
On the space itself, we have the capacity to extend it to the left, to almost double the space. This will be needed for Christmas.
A bonus of this new card wall is that we no longer need seasonal card floor units. This frees up floorspace and assists traffic flow. Also, on the new wall, cards are better presented and more easily shopped than in a floor display unit.
While the pitch in the front window of the newsagency right now is Mother’s Day cards, it will change from may 15 to a different card offer.
We used a handyman to install the slat wall, this was a fraction of the cost of a shoplifter. We are frugal in managing our capital investment in this business, and in each of our shops. Our approach tends to be: make a change, measure the result, if good – move forward, if bad – re-group.
Too often over the years I have seen retailers access funding for a new or partial fit out and too much of that money be spent on changes that will not pay for themselves in 3 years. Funding it out of your own pocket makes you more cautious about the spend.
Be frugal. Follow your data. Take small steps. Back yourself over tradition.
Yes, a shoplifter may have created for us something more grand. I doubt it would have delivered a better financial return though.
While our shops are a reflection of us, they should not be a shrine or a showpiece, unless that makes money, turns a profit in the investment, in 3 years or less.
Footnote: some suppliers will be keen to engage with you on changes in your business. For sure, listen to them, but, it’s your business, not theirs.
I like that you can see the mother’s day cards from outside the shop. It makes sense to use them as a lure to get people in rather than only promoting them to people who come in. I covered my front window 2 years ago with a vinyl sign is I could put shelves on the other side to get more product in my small shop. It might be time I took that down because we do have good foot traffic out the front.