Display and Visual Merchandising Section

Selling Practical Gifts (From page 99)

ages customers to explore additional scents they may like.”

To make soap and candle displays even more interesting, Ho said, “We do thematic displays for the holidays, or for Day of the Dead with little skulls on sticks, things like that. We try to use different shapes and décor touches that go with the season for a little bit of flair.”

In Santa Monica, Calif., Anna Kovalyt , store manager at Stone Candles, also displays her soaps and candles separately. “With soaps, we have bars, crystals, and liquids, and we group those together both by type of soap product and by color. This works well for us because people can easily find what they want, and the displays are attractive.”

Kovalyt’s top display tip for candles is to use alphabetical order. “We have so many different scents, alphabetical grouping makes it easier to find them. We do also try to group candle vase type together, such as the taller ones and smallest ones together, because we use reclaimed bottles of all different types that works best. We also have displays that reveal what the scents are through decorations like fall leaves or dried flowers, and we are intuitively creative with our signages that describe them.”

She said that using the natural elements that make up each candle scent helps to make displays more interesting.

At Knorr Candles in Del Mar, Calif., Owner Nancy Knorr offers candles made by her company as well as those made by outside manufacturers. Soaps are not made in-house. “We group soaps with candles if they fit into a theme for us, such as vanilla scented soaps and candles. But many of our candles are unscented beeswax.” For candle display, “We go by style and by color, and in regard to the candles we purchase from outside makers, we group sometimes by the manufacturing lines, or we just group them all thematically. Right now, we have an Easter theme where we group candles that fit with that theme in terms of color and other items such as a lovely picture frame. We often group items together, such as frames or soaps, combined with the candles that we manufacture and those that we purchase from other makers.” Other tips that she shares for display in her 3,500-squarefoot-store includes using decorative floral arrangements and textured displays that are seasonal or themed. “We really try to create a look that suggests something like ‘here is a beautiful candle that you’d want to see in your home grouped with these other items.’”

Carina Manz , buyer for Lucca Great Finds in Seattle, Wash., offers a variety of candles, many locally made. “We are currently getting in a lot of soy-based candles from multiple companies. We group by company, and size, because we often get multiple sizes in the same scent or line. But color plays a part, too.” For soaps, which are kept primarily in the Bath and Body Collection section of the shop, Manz groups in the same way, by size and color. “With both candles and soaps, I do pull a few pieces out to tell a story and cross merchandise with other store items around a specific theme or holiday.” The store primarily keeps items within their own sections in the 1,000-square-foot space. “Our seasonal or themed displays will be at the front of the store. Recently we had a Valentine’s themed display in which I was crossmerchandising candles and soap with other gift items. We also do displays by season, such as summer and fall. With seasonal items in mind, we have a popular line of Sidney Hill candles that offer seasonal scents.”

From color to scent type to the elements they contain, shops use a wide variety of display techniques for their soaps and candles to enhance appeal and lift sales. ❖