Merchandising Know-How: Trading spaces

Like the television show of the same name, every outdoor store needs to rearrange it’s clothing periodically and no time of year is more important than the period between January sales and the arrival of new spring merchandise. During this time you probably have clothing that has been picked over and size runs that are incomplete. You’re left with one color of this style and another color in another style each from a different vendor. What do you do?

It takes some creative thinking but the key is to combine what’s left of your full-price merchandise into coordinated “outfits” on your 4-ways and T-stands and back those up with round racks or wall rods of the remaining merchandise. If you’ve ordered with “leftovers” in mind you have colors and styles from different vendors that will work together even as they become depleted. Combine them on your racks with the same attention you paid to them when they first arrived. Don’t be afraid to pull outerwear pieces into the mix. In some parts of country, particularly this year, winter is just ramping up.

As your spring styles begin to arrive, move winter clothing off the 4-ways and T-stands and onto round racks or wall rods to make way for the new merchandise. As merchandise “ages” move it from the aisle, to the middle of the store, to the wall and eventually to the sale rack in the rear of the store. Keep in mind that when trading spaces, the newest merchandise always gets placed in front of the older or aging pieces. For more information on product positioning, go to www.merchandisingHUB.com

Sharon Leicham’s merchandising column appears twice a month in SNEWS. Leicham is the author of Merchandising Your Way to Success and How to Sell to Women and is a frequent contributor to trade magazines writing on merchandising and marketing topics. She recently launched a website, www.merchandisingHUB.com, with information targeted at the independent specialty retailer.