Mannequins are one of the most effective ways to promote merchandise- they show merchandise such as clothing and jewellery in their true form. If you want to get the most out of your displays then follow these tips to make your mannequin a money-making machine.
Position
The position of your mannequin is one of the most important factors to consider, carve out a ‘walkway’ that will guide your customers through the store in a certain way – for example through the promotional hot spots, or your latest lines. By making customers walk past your hot spots you can convert browsing into purchasing. Also always try and place the clothing that you’re displaying on your mannequin as near to the display as possible, to ensure that your customers can find the clothing. If you don’t do this, you’re likely to reduce your chances of making a sale.
Clothing
In order to encourage your customers to make a purchase, the item of clothing needs to look amazing on the mannequin. Make sure the clothing fits properly by ensuring the size of the clothing relates to the size of your mannequin display. If the clothing looks good on the mannequin, customers are more likely to make a purchase because they’ll want that item of clothing to make them look good too.
Clean
Make sure the items you’re displaying are clean! No one wants to buy clothing that hasn’t been cared for and cleaned properly. Ensure that all clothing hangs off the mannequin appropriately without any kinks and creases and always double-check it’s sparkling clean! A dirty, un-kept display is a surefire way to put customers off making a purchase.
Rotation
As we mentioned in our first point, the position of your mannequin is crucial, therefore you should make sure you rotate your mannequin on a regular basis. Make sure your retail display is changed and updated regularly too to keep it looking fresh. Just make sure that every time you move or re-dress your mannequin that it is cleaned properly. Un-kept retail displays will give your customers the impression that you don’t care about your store or stock, so take the time to add the finishing touches and make sure everything is just right. If you invest time, your customers will invest their money.
Display
Let your shop window do the work for you. The purpose of your window is to promote your item, catch the eyes of passers-by and entice them into entering your shop. Your shop window needs to look clean, organised, and up-to-date. Don’t overcrowd it with items, it’s confusing to look at and your customers will assume your shop is set out in the same way, which will discourage them from entering. Also, and possibly most importantly, make sure anything that you’re displaying in the window can easily be located in the store. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing something you love in the window to later find out that it is out of stock. If an item becomes out of stock, remove it from the window!
There you have it, our top tips for getting the most out of your mannequins! Follow Valentino’s Displays on Twitter @vdisplays or like us on Facebook for more retail tips and advice.