Look at what’s in store

We’re approaching that make-or-break time of the year. There’s a week or two left to prepare for the hoped-for cavalcade of pre-Christmas customers – but is everything ship-shape in your store? Peter Budd, marketing consultant for Photo Direct, contributes a few timely thought-starters…

Daring displays

As the category of Display Products continues to grow in size and value, it’s important to maintain your position as the go-to-place for consumers in your local market.

By using a simple ‘before and after’ demonstration, it’s easy to up-sell a customer from an unframed print to one that fits neatly inside a floating frame that as a result, looks 10 times better on the wall.

Mums, Dads, selfie addicts and small business owners have very little idea of the variety and affordability of all the types and styles of display products now available so make sure you take advantage of this marketing gap by informing, educating and helping your customers to get the best display results possible from their favourite images.

Having a prominent and eye-catching display of the various styles of display products at the front of your photo store reinforces your reputation and helps add valuable dollars to your sales of unframed prints or canvases.

For example, cafe-owners who place an emphasis on their interior design represent a huge opportunity in their own special way. Often they’re looking to fill a wall or two of their cafe with colourful and different images. The largest number of prints we saw in a recent cafe survey was 60 – and every single print was framed. Wherever there’s one cafe there’s bound to be two or three more – now that’s an opportunity not to be missed!

Time for a change? 

With consumer behaviour becoming increasingly difficult to predict there’s a lot to be said for making change the name of the game across your marketing mix. Most retailers regularly make adjustments to their pricing or promotional tactics but often neglect the opportunity to leverage the remaining 5 Ps of the marketing mix.

Consumers are always looking for inspiration so changes to your range of products or services have to be your easiest starting point. A simple review of your competitions’ offering or a concentrated effort of over-the-counter questions aimed at your best customers will always reveal gaps in your mix. While not every change will stick the key point is your business won’t be perceived as ‘same old, same old’.

Another element of your marketing mix that consumers positively respond to is the physical environment. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the location and style of your product displays, kiosk configuration, traffic flow and areas that showcase your capabilities to offer greater creativity or educational classes.
– Purloined from Peter’s Photo Direct newsblog.