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A Haunting Experience
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Ghosts, ghouls and goblins will soon be taking to the aisles of retail stores across the country to stock up on candy, costumes and thousands of other Halloween-related items retailers are making available this year. Retail stores often find themselves in competition with other nearby stores, doing whatever is necessary to capture the lion’s share in Halloween sales. But above and beyond products, it’s important to consider store decoration as a critical tool in Halloween sales success.

Decoration is a powerful tool because it speaks to two audiences very well. It acts as a beacon to people who have come to your store specifically to buy for Halloween. And it also reminds other shoppers that the holiday is approaching and they need to stock up on candy or get costumes for their kids.

Retailers sold an estimated $3.3 billion in Halloween merchandise in 2005, making it last year’s seventh biggest spending holiday. Retailers who want a share of that sum should get creative in their store layout and decoration process for success. We live in a world where consumers are bombarded by mundane marketing messages. That’s why it is so important to reach out to them in new ways each year to attract and maintain their attention.

The most important piece of advice is to be creative. Here are a few ideas to get your mind on the right path:

Say it with a Sign: Use signs throughout the store to lead customers to the Halloween department or just to get them in the mood for Halloween shopping. Signage reminds customers of the coming holiday and shows them that you’re prepared for it. Stand up and Stand Out: Do whatever you can to make your Halloween department more visible. Put it in the front of the store, and use large eye-catching displays throughout. If possible, decorate the outside of your store as well. Customers will notice the extra effort.

Deck the Halls: It’s a little early for Christmas carols, but this tip applies to Halloween as well. Use trim, decorations and other props to liven up the shelving units in the Halloween department. The more you can do to get customers excited about the holiday, the more likely they’ll be to buy from you.

By: Christopher Weis

About the Author:

Nu-Era and nu-era.com are services of The Nu-Era Group, LLC -the industry leader in store fixtures, supplies, and fulfillment. Nu-Era has been providing its customers with competitively priced quality products with customer-oriented service since 1949. Nu-Era has an entire section of nu-era.com dedicated to shoe store supplies. For more information, visit them online at http://www.nu-era.com

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