Focus on Signs

Decorative Signs as Part of the Display Picture at Gift and Hallmark Stores

Decorative signs point the way to sales success at gift and Hallmark stores when shops successfully use a variety of display techniques.

At Jan’s Hallmark Shop in Allen Park, Mich., Manager Shell Starman groups signs by type and also in fitting sections within the store’s inventory. “If a sign has something to do with mom, for example, I will hang it on the wall in our sign section with its type of sign, but I will also place it in any section of the store that has other items that fit in with the ‘mom’ theme. We crossmerchandise with signs that relate to a specific holiday or theme, such as Christmas signs with holiday items or mom-related signs with mom-themed items, or friends together types of things,” she explained. “We are constantly rotating them; the only signs that stay up all year are Wonderful Words sign items. Others change with the season or just to keep things fresh.” Starman offers another display tip as well. “Our Wonderful Words signs are about 2.5-feet long, so we will place signs with that kind of dimension on a rack. Those dimensions fit best there. Other signs we keep on shelves, or are crossmerchandised.”

“It really helps to cross-merchandise by theme. People are usually looking for something specific with signs, whether it’s to commemorate a birth of a child, or to celebrate fathers and camping, or what have you. The way we do it, you can find the signs among other gift and card ideas for that person or event.” also have signs mixed into certain areas throughout the shop that are appropriate for placing them. For example, we have a baby section where we place baby signs; a spiritual area of the store where we will also place spiritual signs; an area for dad-related items, and we put dad signs there. In whatever category the signs fits, we have them mixed in those areas throughout the shop. Up front, we have a display wall with glass plates to hold the signs up, or we place signs on racks in that area.”

- Alora Taylor, Amy’s Hallmark Shop, Ridgeland, Miss.

She asserted that “It really helps to cross-merchandise by theme. People are usually looking for something specific with signs, whether it’s to commemorate a birth of a child, or to celebrate fathers and camping, or what have you. The way we do it, you can find the signs among other gift and card ideas for that person or event.” She said signs sell better with that type of placement.

In Ridgeland, Miss., Sales Leader Alora Taylor said that at Amy’s Hallmark Shop the store also uses a mix of cross-merchandising and separate areas to display signs. “All the signs are in the front of the store in one area. We

In the small but stylish beach town of Laguna Beach, Calif., Heidi Haneckow , manager of Aero gift shop groups decorative wall hangings such as starfish or artwork-type images within the collection or craftsmaker it comes from, and she also groups them by cross merchandising them throughout the store. “For example, I would place a framed star fish hanging with bath salts and books about the ocean,” she said. According to Haneckow, “Things are always changing but we do not presently have any text-based signs. We have wooden paddles, papier-mâché animal

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