Ah, January… A time when all the hustle and bustle from the busy holiday season settles and the tempting lure of a fresh new year beckons. It’s a clean slate met with energy and motivation to set new goals and a better precedent for yourself. But, for many retailers, January hits hard on sales, as customers focus instead on paying off holiday debts racked up since Black Friday and obliging to tough New Year’s resolutions.
That’s where the ‘January White Sales’ come in. This phenomenon was introduced in 1878 by John Wanamaker, who owned the first department store in Philadelphia, PA. While it was derived as an incentive for consumers to purchase new linens (which were for the most part only available in white back then) during a time of slow sales, it has gradually outgrown the origins of its name. In fact, ‘January White Sales’ don’t even need to be reserved for just the bed and bath industries. Any retailer can drum up their own January promotion to entice people to shop, and we have six tips that will help convert sales.
Play Into the White Theme
Regardless of the color of the merchandise you’re promoting, one way to set a cohesive undertone for your sale is to feature stock on white displays. While white can be associated with new beginnings, it also connotes balance and simplicity, which allows your products to speak for themselves without detracting from them. ShopPOPdisplays’ white laminate pedestal elevates your products to customers’ eye level and makes them look instantly more presentable and polished. You can also opt for a version with an acrylic cover for added security or to simply elicit a second look, or choose a few different sized white acrylic 5-sided boxes to create further dimension within your display. Plus, once the sale is over, you’ll be able to repurpose these continually throughout the year.
Light It Up
The warm glow of bright lights will instantly grab customers’ attention and highlight the best attributes of your merchandise all at once, making lighted displays exactly what you need to emphasize a ‘January White Sale.’ One option for incorporating lights is to underpin our clear acrylic boxes with twinkling string lights that shine through for an almost glittering effect – this combination can be used purely as decoration or to raise up sale items. Another way to add some luminosity is by utilizing our acrylic pedestals with white LED lights. They establish an unmissable focal point and are available in a range of assorted sizes to suit your needs during and after the sale.
Make Things Personal
Custom store signage that both clearly communicates your sale and garners excitement around it is going to go a long way in promoting your ‘January White Sale.’ shopPOPdisplays’ professionals offer custom digital UV printing services for flawless results every time, whether you’re personalizing an eye-catching sign or conceptualizing a completely customized POP display. Being presented with a good deal is enough for some shoppers to purchase more, so make it known how special this sale is with unique signage that directly calls out percentages off and the limited window to save.
Create an Experience
There are certain things – like makeup, pillows, and fragrances – that are nearly impossible to shop for without physically getting your hands on them. So, consider creating an experience that allows people to touch and feel your sale products to get the full picture of owning it before the point of purchase. In the case of a traditional ‘January White Sale’, you’d benefit from outfitting a bed that people can actually lounge in or organizing a tablescape down to the linens, so customers can more easily envision how everything would look and feel in their own homes.
Repurpose and Reorganize
Starting the new year with a sale is a wonderful catalyst for change when it comes to your store layout and displays, and the best part is, you can just repurpose and reorganize displays you already have. Consider easily adjustable merchandisers, like slatwalls, that are meant to be customized depending on your need. You can transform them with new shelves and hooks and continually rearrange them in fresh, enticing ways throughout the year. Flat-pack displays, like the ones in our Woodland Park Collection, are also perfect for creating temporary pop-up displays and don’t add clutter to the store or storage areas when they aren’t in use.
Get Them in The Door
While the above five tips are great for when customers are already in the store, our last piece of advice centers around getting them through the door in the first place. Of course, online marketing including email blasts, web banners, and social posts about your ‘January White Sale’ are sure to drum up some buzz, but beautiful window displays are also sure to capture the attention of passersby. The white and light-up merchandisers mentioned above will certainly help create a window scene that makes people pause and persuades them to enter.
Final Thoughts
Any merchandisers you use to create and promote your ‘January White Sales’ will continue to be useful throughout the new year, no matter what other events you have in store. To get started or for more information, contact us. We’ll gladly assist you with stock and cost-effective customized display merchandiser options.