Monday, March 14, 2011

Merchandising Fair Trade

For many retailers, incorporating fair trade products into your store isn't the easiest transition. Giftware News spoke with Andrea Newman, manager of the Chicago-based fair trade retailer Greenheart Shop, to get a few ideas on creating a fair trade display in your store.

1. Group like things together. Your display can be grouped into a specific fair trade category, like jewelry, or grouped by a characteristic, such as eco-friendly products. "We move and re-merchandise every day so our displays stay fresh for regulars and look new to someone who has been here before," says Newman.

2. Use informational signage. You never know how much your customers know about fair trade, so including brief information (bullet points are helpful) will help them understand what makes these products so special. Newman suggests keeping it professional; use a clean-looking sign, and a plexiglass cover is always a good idea.

3. Purchase items for your store that support each other. "You don't want your display to have zero continuity or flow," says Newman. "For example, we're expanding our home decor selections from pottery to dinnerware and ceramics. We have to have other things that support that group of products. Giving people help visualizing what you can do with products is helpful."

Photo courtesy Greenheart Shop.

2 comments:

  1. Nice blog. Merchandisers are responsible for ensuring that products appear in the right store at the appropriate time and in the correct quantities and merchandisers also set prices to maximize profits and manage the performance of ranges, planning promotions and markdowns as necessary.

    merchandising products

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  2. Thanks, Samual! We're big proponents of fair trade here at Giftware News, and we think it's something all retailers should be familiar with.

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