From the second you unlock your doors until you turn the key again -humming Closing Time by Semisonic- you work tirelessly on your business.

After your long days, it’s understandably hard to give full attention and creativity to mismatched, last-piece-left, discounted merchandise. Unfortunately, without clear guidelines, your sales section can turn chaotic.  And, if left alone for too long, will turn into a hot mess. We are talking a turning-your-back-on-a-toddler-with-crayons-next-to-a-white-wall hot mess.

Just like you would avoid leaving your crayon-bearing toddler next to a white wall, you need to avoid the things that lead to a sales rack disaster zone.  We’ve created a list of pro tips and guidelines to help you out!

#1 Keep it Small 

A “sale section” should be small. Don’t let it get away from you and take-over half of your sales floor. Your full price product is always your priority because this is where your profits are made. Keep sale sections focused, selective, and again, small!

#2 Make it Shoppable

Your full price product should be displayed by a collection, color story and season.  Your sales section, however, should have a simplified method of merchandising to avoid chaos. Organize merchandise by categories, colors, or even sizes if you need to. The goal is for your shoppers to be captivated by every inch of your store, including your sale section. Try not to cram the racks full or slap random merchandise on a table. You want to minimize the time you need to spend trying to sell items on sale. Displaying your sale section in a nice, shoppable manner will help you do that.

#3 Placement is Everything

The first thing your customers should see when walking into your store is your best-selling and dreamy, new products. Why should you keep your sale section away from your front door? Because you always put your best foot forward. Designate a small area towards the back of your store or near your fitting rooms for discounted product. Let customers walk through your store, causing them to stop and fall in love with the new, plush midnight blue couch before getting to your sale section (where they might find the perfect decorative pillow to compliment that couch). 

#4 Clear Signage

Don’t hesitate to get a little creative with your signage! Instead of “Sale” in big, bold, red letters, consider using “Best Sellers” or “Last Chance.” By changing your verbiage, you can create urgency and customer FOMO (fear of missing out). Emotions drive over 80% of purchases. Keep all signage in your store clear, professional and clean. 

#5 Do the Math

A study conducted by Pew Research Center in 2018 discovered that nearly half of adults said they do not enjoy math. Can we blame them? So, do the math for your customers! Do not make them pull out their phones or guesstimate the new price of an item marked 30% off. Write the discounted price on the tag, saving your customers time, allowing them to look at additional product, and hopefully, spending more money with you!

Now that your sales section is organized and ready for eager customers, check out these tips to increase foot traffic!

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