How to prepare your retail store for spring [Video]

It may not seem so for some, but spring is fast approaching and that means retailers need to start thinking about clearing away winter inventory to make room for fresh merchandise. With the changing of the season, retailers welcome vibrant colors and energizing store designs. But what does it mean to create an atmosphere that promotes seasonal energy?

Here are four tips to get you started:

1. Advertise your winter clearance promotions
Before you can welcome shoppers with a spring sale, you’ll need to clear out winter merchandise. Assess how your late winter and early spring promotions succeeded last year and use that data to achieve greater success this year. That could mean examining your advertisements, making adjustments to your customer service policies or using new channels to reach shoppers. If you didn’t meet your customer engagement goals last year, what can you do differently? Use social media feeds to spread the word about your winter clearance sale.

2. Clean up your store
Just as you might feel the itch to throw open the windows at home and give your rooms a thorough cleaning, you can achieve the same fresh start in your retail store. Early spring is a good time to reach into those forgotten corners of your shop and clear out the dust. Grab your vacuum and mop and give your shop a top-to-bottom cleaning. Don’t neglect your storeroom, either. You never know what you might find hidden back there! While you might already clean your shop a few times each week, it helps to conduct a deep cleaning once or twice a year.

3. Freshen up your store design
Spring naturally evokes images of blooming flowers and vibrant greenery. But you can go beyond spring decorations such as hanging paper flowers to create a sense of freshness and nature. Consider using more eco-friendly store displays to show your customers that you truly care for the environment. Eco-friendly mannequins, hangers and gift packaging are all excellent ways to be mindful of the environment while designing a showroom that appeals to spring shoppers.

4. Create a lively window display
The warming weather and fresh air invigorates shoppers. You don’t have to convince them that they need new clothes and accessories for the changing season – you just want to convince them that your store is the best place to find the hottest merchandise. A lively, welcoming window display is a fun way to attract customers. The finance blog ToughNickel explained that window displays serve as a visual pitch for your store brand. Use mannequins, props and fresh merchandise to create imaginative scenes that call out to passersby.

Springtime is all about fresh starts. Use your design skills to create a clean, welcoming environment that shoppers won’t be able to stay away from!