Operation Refresh has begun!!

[lori042499]

I have decided that if I hate the way it looks, it will get remade, repurposed or refashioned....

This time when I took apart displays and remerchandised the store, I really took a long look at what I was looking at...I decided that anything here that either did not look modern would be revamped or taken apart, anything that was made of cheap silks would be taken apart, anything that does not fit the style of what I currently sell would be redone...When I really took around there were about 6-8 pieces in the store that really stuck out to me as being either made by the old owner and not in the new style of my store or something I made that just didn't work for some reason or another...some things were wire service samples that I made in silk, silks were nice but looked awful together or with some of the accents I used(I have no idea why I did this in the first place) , anywho many were just thrown together to make up a window or fill a space...

I redid them all and what a difference..They really do give the displays a whole new look, instead of jumping out at you and yelling, I don't belong here, now they give the shopper a better idea of some of my more creative tricks, I used some oasis wire, beads, feathers, sisal(I usually leave those for fresh arrangements)...but what better way to showcase those items than to use them in permanents and have shoppers see how cool they can look in arrangements while in the store...

Sometimes I can be very think and always thought I wasn't good at making permanents, but it isn't that I am not good at it, it is that I don't take the time to really think about them....they take extra work in manipulation and styling, but boy when you give them their time you really get a better product and you can put your talents on display as well as a product...

 

[shannonlovesflowers]

Good For you girlfriend. Revamping is always a good idea. Sometimes I think we get to busy OR not busy enough and just get sort of lazy. I know I do. I work and think better when it's busy. When it's slow my brain just sort of shuts down.

 

[lori042499]

Yeah, I definately run both of those games.. I also have never ever given a thought to taking something apart that was already made....not sure why, but I figure if I don't like it, and it is outdated or cheap looking to me, it's gotta be making the store look that way, so get rid of it, remake it, duh!!! Why I have never thought of this before I am not sure...Well couple of reasons, I have only worked in one store that actively sold permanents, so having a show room with silks is a whole new thing to me to merchandise and keep up...Many of the shops I have worked in were more like gift shops or european style bucket shops with lots of fresh flowers on the floor and plants...

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Lori, moving things has a tendency to get them sold.
The "refreshing" part is that 1) you actually DID it, and
2) you feel feel like you've accomplished some positive
Many of us get "trapped" in a rut, it's best IF we DON'T get "used" to it!!

 

[anytimeflowers]

Good For you girlfriend. Revamping is always a good idea. Sometimes I think we get to busy OR not busy enough and just get sort of lazy. I know I do. I work and think better when it's busy. When it's slow my brain just sort of shuts down.

Yup and yup ~ and a big fat AMEN! Sometimes it just takes the right push. Thanks Lori!

 

[Floral Pride]

I am doing the same sort of thing, a few designs have been there for months, not moving at all so they have been taken apart to remake. The first third of my main shop is purely permanents and single stem silks, and I replicate fresh designs in silks. I also have a large selection of funeral pieces in silks, not for sale, but to give customers ideas of what a tribute is like for size etc. as just saying a 3ft spray is £x was not selling (or upselling) the tributes. Now when the customer wants to know what they will get with a medium spray, they see the silks and very often go the next size.
This week I have had 2 of us in the stock room going through boxes and boxes of silks for grave decs and for gifts for christmas. Many boxes had stock from 5 years ago, with just a few stems from old lines that are in perfect condition, it was great finding all these and we cant wait to get the production line going.
Also got one of my girls going mad with silks, ribbons and bling making up fancy corsages on magnets for the christmas party trade,
Next week we are changing all the vases / pottery around to colour blocking, with displays amongst them as I feel that the shop hasnt changed looks in the last year even though the stock has changed.