Monthly Archives: October 2014

Exclusive visual merchandising workshop for local makers

Business Matters 17 Oct 2014

Retail School

Did you know that in Europe shoppers don’t like to talk to people? It’s true, 76% of us never actually speak to a sales assistant when we’re shopping. That means that what we see makes all the difference to what we buy. How you present your products and the stage you set them in, is critical to the success of your sales. That’s the art of visual merchandising.

In partnership with Makerhood and the Metamorphosis Group, this 3 hour workshop is packed full of useful tips, tricks and guidance that we hope will take your sales to the next level. It’s hands on and practical too. You’ll be surrounded by the fantastic tools, retail props, display units and fixtures and have a chance to practice your dressing and display skills and get to grips with how to make your space work harder for you.

When?
14:00pm – 17.00pm
Saturday 8th November 2014
WBC Retail Training Room – details below

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UK Small businesses welcome Royal Mail’s new Sunday service

Business Matters 16 Oct 2014

Royal Mail Group Ltd. Distribution Center Ahead Of Possible IPO

On the 7th September, Royal Mail launched a pilot program that saw around 100 of its busiest delivery depots across the country open on a Sunday.

The initiative is a direct bid to fend off stiff competition from a growing number of rival carriers and of course, the increasingly popular click and collect service operators. Whether your branch opens or not is based on highest parcel volume, but the trial will also see some 1600 post offices open on Sundays too, so you never know.  Word on the street is click and collect is set to kick off with unprecedented popularity this Christmas, the likes of John Lewis say it could even take over their home delivery service.

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R.I.P R-etail I-nspiring P-rops for Halloween

Retail Display 8 Oct 2014

IMG_6579

Way before the tinsel of Christmas goes up, retailers in the UK gear up for Hallow’s Eve or Halloween.  What was once a primarily American celebration reaching our shores via US television and other media, Halloween has now become a thriving commercial opportunity for retailers across the country; topping well over £300 million in annual UK sales.

So if retail statistics show that Halloween is spookily good for sales, then it’s well worth having a think about dedicating at least a corner of your shop floor or retail space to it, then merchandising accordingly. The WBC Popshop has an array of esoteric products which are sure to cast a spell over your customers, and most will double up for other seasonal displays. From ghoulish to creepy to downright frightening, these are just some of the props that will help you ‘sell a story’.

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