Want to set up your gift basket business like a retailer but without a traditional store? Here are retail tips to make sales easy.
Can’t stop staring
If you walk into a retail store and see a section where gift baskets are made, you become curious. This happens whether you are just starting your business or growing it. You stop in front of the section to gaze at how the space is set up. Your eyes move side to side and up and down reviewing the organization.
You might even consider taking photos with your cellphone but change your mind because this is a private area where photos may not be appropriate. Still, you don’t move until you take in everything you want to remember.
This is also how I think when I see a retail gift basket counter where sales personnel are busily making custom gift baskets. I usually take out my pen and paper and begin making notes about what I want to recall.
Several years ago I made time to work as a custom gift basket maker at a local retail store. The takeaways I recall were plentiful.
Three lessons for internal support
Here are highlights from working for a retailer.
Document every pre-set theme
Create a master sheet showing a completed pre-themed gift basket photo on the front and a list of items that create the theme on the back. Laminate the document, or place the sheet in a plastic sleeve so it’s protected from soiled hands. This is helpful because you will not remember every item added to gift baskets you offer.
Place all supplies at arm’s length
Keep all frequently-used items near your design table. This includes shred, ribbon, and wrapping products. The less steps you take to walk and grab familiar supplies, the less time it takes for you to make orders.
Keep paper documents in a folder
Organization is important in your business, and that includes having phone order, shipping instructions, and other crucial documents in one place so you can quickly complete details to get orders from point A to point B.
Podcast episode 77, Three Takeaways from a Specialty Retailer, uncovers more to organize business for efficiency.
Review your setup
What do you see, within your studio space, that can be changed to benefit your internal organization? You don’t always need a complete overhaul. Start with these retail tips to make sales easy. A few updates can save time in just one week. Make changes and monitor the results.
