Whether you’re searching for a specific item or just window-shopping, chances are promotional items in a retail setting have pulled you in. They attract potential customers, show off a new program or sale, and expose shoppers to new items. For distributors, selling promotional items to retail end-buyers can mean a long relationship full of repeat business and chances to build the brand’s identity. We spoke to Michael Stoeck, director of sales and marketing for Stouse Inc., New Century, Kan., and Coleen Wright, vice president of global sales for Lizal Inc., Cupertino, Calif., to learn more about how distributors can increase their sales in the retail industry.
Know What Works
The point of promotional items in storefront retail is to attract business and to bring customers back again. Paying attention to what items work and supplying your client with these items can secure your spot as a trusted distributor. Stoeck explained how distributors can evaluate their clients’ needs. “If a store has extended holidays hours, that should be promoted with window decals, counter mats, floor decals, banners in front of the store and lapel labels for workers,” he said. “Look at measurements like cost per impression. In-store advertising is inexpensive and effective.”
Knowing the client’s brand can allow you to suggest items that relate to the client’s identity. Wright suggested customizable items that users can take home, as opposed to advertisements that stay in the store. “Small home décor items, [such as] trinket trays, notebooks, votives, photo frames, paperweights and fashion accessories, all with customization,” she said. “Items that lend themselves well to the brand.”
Stoeck added items that draw attention to the store itself are a big hit with retail buyers. Floor decals can introduce customers to new products, shelf danglers can advertise promotions, and window decals and static clings can advertise the store’s hours of operation. He noted that hand tag decals can advertise the business from anywhere. “Hopefully, the [end-user] will use the decal on the tag somewhere to advertise the brand on their car, toolbox, locker, etc., depending on the brand,” he said. “These are particularly popular for designer T-shirt apparel art. I’ve also seen it for aftermarket auto accessories. The tag isn’t necessarily attached only to apparel.”
Time Is Money
Distributors should know when products are most effective or how to maximize exposure for the end-buyer. Using a promotion depicting a beach scene won’t do much good in January. Conversely, other promotions can be used year-round and provide great opportunities for distributors. Stoeck described some seasonal options. “Our P.O.P. [point-of-purchase] products are ordered year-round,” Stoeck said. “Some examples include ‘sand imprints’ of feet with a beer logo on them, leading to a beer display for summer, and ‘snow imprint’ feet leading to a cell phone display for Christmas.”
Stoeck added that certain types of P.O.P. products work all year long, but because each promotion has a limited time frame, it results in repeat orders. Rather than cashing in on one larger promotion, distributors can provide low-cost items on a more regular basis. “Think about the signs above the gas pumps at a gas station, or the different promotions at a mattress store,” he said. “Gas stations promote different specials every couple of weeks, as do the mattress stores. The coffee mug promotion may be once a year, but the P.O.P. signage is every two weeks.”
Wright said that providing variations on similar items, such as different colors or styles of an item, allows the distributor to continue a successful promotion, while keeping it fresh. However, she added that distributors shouldn’t only rely on large quantity orders, such as a bulk shipment of pens or T-shirts. “In today’s market it often is quite the opposite,” she said. “We live in such a fast-paced world anymore that retailers tend to buy in smaller quantity, but with many collections and items within [orders]. If an item does well, they want to be able to quickly replenish. The ability to provide quick turns for reorders is important.”
Find Opportunities Everywhere
Wright said that the key to finding new business in the retail industry is networking. She mentioned that going to large retail buying shows (like Magic, an industry trade show focusing on apparel, accessories and footwear) can expose distributors to potential new clients. She also advised talking to existing contacts. “Reach out to people [you] are already doing business with—networking,” she said. “Ask any storefront that [you] might be interested in supplying to who their buyers are.”
Stoeck said that with so many different types of specialty stores and retail outlets, there are plenty of opportunities for business. “A retail store is not just a department store,” he said. “Don’t forget about pet stores, nurseries, auto repair outlets, furniture stores, etc. All of these examples need P.O.P. signage and displays, they all need promotions and direct mail, and they all will offer a great deal of business opportunities. If you limit your audience, you could be limiting your income potential.”
Take a Step Back
Once that foot is in the door, Wright said that distributors should avoid making the mistake of trying to control the promotion too much. “Be prepared to work under their structure, versus guiding them along,” she added. “Different personalities make for different types of salespeople. [Retail] is a different market and sales cycle than the promotional side.”
