Too Good to be Threw: Holiday ideas for all resale shop, consignment shop, and thrift store owners and operators

Holiday Helpers for your Shop
Don't despair: a decent holiday selling season is certainly possible in resale! You just need to put a little more effort into it, to draw your regulars, their relatives and houseguests, and even some new adventuresome folks away from the mall and to your shop.

The simplest of all decorations...and one you can get the whole family to help with is good old-fashioned paper-cut snowflakes. Tack them on the insides of your windows as a top border...with the prettiest of them "floating" down. The BEST part(s!) of this kind of window? No one else will have one like it...it's nostalgic... and you can keep it up all winter if you want! (Oh yes, the fact that it's almost free, almost effortless, and doesn't need storage space are BEST parts too.)

Another cheap, simple, no-artistry-required holiday motif is green poster board, cut into tall triangles, taped as a row (overlap or don't) on the bottoms of your windows (hint: use ZOTS, adhesive dots sold as scrap booking supplies, instead of tape. They hold strong, "disappear" unlike cellophane tape.) The actual size of these "trees" depends on your window size...but don't be timid! Add a yellow star on top of each (I use a cookie clutter as a template!) if you wish. Again, no 11-months-of-the-year storage problems with this decor idea! If simple triangles of green are TOO simple for you, make them more realistic, like this silhouette.

Or consider all white: "snow" blanket for the floor, cut-paper white icicles for a soffit, and all-white merchandise on white- or silver-wrapped boxes used as risers.

Or do one BIG thing...especially good if you have multiple windows where you can repeat the motif. A giant gold star? Big red bow? Huge rainbow-striped ball?

If you've been a wise retailer (wise= listened to and obeyed Kate ;-) ) and have your shop name in vinyl lettering on your windows, use it as the "center" of a painted or posterboard wreath. Keep the wreath simple so your name stands out. Will start those shoppers thinking Hmmm, maybe they DO have some unique and unusual gift ideas in there, let's go see...

Inspiration to make your holiday season more fun for you and your customers:

* Need decorating ideas? Four years of New York City holiday displays.

It's not there until it's holiday time but Elf Yourself is a cute way to get your staff dancing...electronically!
* Scent your shop with pomanders...and make enough to give them as spur-of-the-moment gifts to best clients.
* Would your clientele welcome a "Have a Merry RECYCLED Christmas" tip sheet? Wouldn't this idea get you some good media coverage? There's some ideas to get you thinking from the World Wildlife Fund/ New American Dream web site. They have more tips here as well. More tips for an eco-friendlier holiday from the Ecology Center in Berkeley CA.
* If you have a kidswear shop, how about gifting your clientele with some kid-friendly edible ornament recipes from The Food Network?

Last minute selling techniques
If it's coming down to the wire in your shop, pull out all the stops and sell, sell, sell!
* Gather new-with-tags items from around the shop. Showcase them in your swing shop or near the cash register. Add a stick-on bow and signage "Last Minute Gifts at End of Budget Prices!" Display some of these in nests of festive tissue, in propped-open gift boxes.
* If they’ve found something for one person on their list, ask about others... people tend to forget Aunt Maude in the excitement of finding something for Uncle Fred.
* "Nope, got all my shopping done"... If that’s what they say, steer them to your stocking stuffer display. No stockings in that family? Most of your little, fun items would make great tie-ons as they gift wrap..."and it’s a little extra gift for those you love, too!"
* If they truly are finished shopping, tell them you got a call from Santa, and since they have been so good this year, Santa says they can buy a little something for themselves.
* If you’re offering a premium dollars-off-in-January deal with the purchase of a gift certificate now, be sure to mention that. And yes, it’s certainly allowable to buy a gift certificate for themselves!
* So, what are they wearing/ using for all the seasonal parties? Need a dressy skirt? A turkey platter? A selection of toys for the neighbors’ kids who will be coming to their open house?

Decorate. Go all out.

Kate Buck's "luxury" holiday theme: Tiffany boxes (she purchased on eBay, but you could beg/ borrow from consignors) and color-coordinated luxury clothing and accessories. Notice her "pyramid" tabletop layout. Sugardaddy's, California, Christmas 2005.

But use just ONE theme, and think BIG. Not for you, those little dime-store decorations.
*For decor that can't offend, think about a non-secular theme. Like snowflakes and snowmen; fairies; Candyland; gingerbread houses. Need more suggestions? Elves, The Giving Tree (tie in with a charity that sponsors adopt-a-family), or, for my tropical readers, Let it Snow SOMEWHERE ELSE!) If you choose snow, you can leave the decor up past the holidays and do a ski/ sleigh/ skate theme.
*Stars are a wonderful theme that lends itself to terrific promotional ideas. Dozens of gold, silver, or a combination of stars make great window trim. Taping them to the glass, or using wired garland, gives you decoration without taking up merchandise display space. Hang more from your ceiling with fishing line. Put one on each dressing room door. Serve star-shaped cookies and a clear bubbly punch during a special event or on weekends. You could offer a free brochure on "How to be a Holiday Star": home-decorating tips, recipes, and lots of ideas about why it's more fun to shop at your place. You could run ads headlined Be a Star on a Standby's Budget. Or Let your holiday spirit shine. Or Lots of twinkle for a little tinkle (with piles of coins!)

Kate Buck's 2006 holiday window, a prize-winner. She writes: To make the icicle lights hang longer, I hung chandelier crystal drops for weight. I cut pieces of fishing line, and glued feathers at random lengths, then hung from the ceiling, it gives the appearance of snow falling. We also stuck feathers on the inside of the window for the same reason.
We covered a table with white cotton batting, scattered the feathers off a white feather boa over the batting. Under this we put twinkle lights that peek up through giving the effect of movement.
We used 3 glass nesting tables and set some of our 5 feather trees on top. Using wrapped silver boxes as risers we gave different heights to the others. Under the nesting tables, three frosted glass up lights. We selected from our merchandise gift suggestions in the silver and ice blue colors.
Right in the middle of the window we put a small fountain shaped like a block with water coming up through the center and bubbling over and into the glass rocks below. This was in the blue of our window, again movement was achieved.
We put a silver dress on one side and a White fox jacket on the other. Oh and a small sign with our name and hours in a silver frame in the window as well. We used batting and feathers among the shrubs of our window box with bows to continue the theme to the outside!