The start of a New Year: clean slate, new ideas, new promotions, new products and more sales. Those are a business persons goals. However cleaning out the old is necessary before working on the new. By that we mean products and displays that you need to clear out to run a successful business. Slow selling and out of season products need to be discounted or completely closed out. Truly slashing prices and advertising closeouts will move these products. Excessive inventory needs to be reduced as you free up cash when you do this. It's all about........ Read more

Proper displaying of your merchandise is a low cost way to increase your sales. The thing to remember is to catch the customers eye. Whether that customer is walking past your store or already inside the store it's key that you attract them to your products. For bulk items, it's stack, stack and stack higher. Note how the big box stores display their products. Popular, fast selling items and low priced items in the front of the store. Stacked high of course. They also use aisle corners for................ Read more

Flea market selling is very different from other kinds of selling. Most flea markets generate high volumes of customers and restrict you to a relatively small selling space. So the key in flea market selling is turnover. Without turning merchandise quickly you cannot survive. One of the ways to do this is to carry a loss leader. Sell an item that is well known but also related to the products you carry, advertise it as a super special with a large and bright sign. Make a small margin percentage on the item or break even on it. Customers will come over to your booth and buy that product, but while they.............. Read more

We hear all about Black Friday sales the big box stores advertise. What you don't hear is how much these very same stores are taking advantage of the general public. There was an article in Newsday on Nov 24th about how "expert" shoppers get great Black Friday deals. One quote was from an "expert" was, "If a store doesn't give you at least 30% to 40% off I don't even consider going to that store".................. Read more