No sooner are the throes of your ultra-busy holiday season behind you than it’s time to toss another ball into the air. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. No rest from juggling frazzled shoppers and weary sales associates – it’s time to prepare your store fixtures and displays for the season of hearts and flowers.

You can do it! Valentine’s Day is the “sweet” holiday, so have some fun with decorations and displays as you prep your store fixtures. You’ve got it made if you sell Valentine’s Day “necessities” such as candy, roses, and jewelry. But many shoppers will be on the lookout for something a bit more original. So whatever you sell, from groceries to diamonds, let your fixtures show off the “gift power” of your merchandise.

1. Remember that windows are your first-impression store fixtures. Your display must convince shoppers that you have just what they want inside.
   
   
2. Decorate your store fixtures. You can stick with the traditional thematic colors – red, white, silver, and gold. Or go contemporary with shiny metal. Or choose an offbeat look with multi-colored polycarbonate fixtures and decorative hearts. Cover tables, shelves, or part of your cash wrap counter with red and white fabric or pretty paper lace. Offer chocolate kisses or tiny heart candies at your cash register.
   
   
3. Arrange store fixtures to highlight Valentine’s gift displays toward the front of the store where they will be quickly discovered.
   
   
4. Nothing says “be mine” quite like jewelry, so take special care with these displays, especially the lighting. Clean, well-positioned lighting is critical for maximum sparkle.
   
   
5. Customers, especially the ladies, may also be searching for that Perfect Little Something to wear when they go out to Valentine’s dinner. So use your store fixtures to create a special “room” just for dress-up apparel, shoes, accessories or jewelry. Or create a poster display (or video screen with digital photos) of fancy manicures and hairstyles you can create for them.
   
   
6. Think impulse-buys. Because so many customers enter your store with nothing specific in mind, it’s up to you to present them with a variety of great options. Display impulse goodies in strategic locations, and definitely promote gift cards at your cash register. They may not be considered the most thoughtful gift, but you can bet they’ll be oh-so-in-demand with last-minute shoppers.
   
   
7. Think efficiency. Valentine’s Day is famous among retailers for the volume of last-minute shoppers. Mostly men. They know they should have planned ahead, but they didn’t. Nonetheless, they want a gift that’s terrific, not some leftover. Make sure you have plenty of back-up inventory, and keep your fixtures well-stocked. Even better, pre-wrap items or offer on-the-spot custom wrapping. You’ll be their new Valentine. And the next time they’re in a shopping bind, they’ll come straight to you.
   
   
8. And while you’d never think of your sales team as “store fixtures,” their job is suggestive selling, too. The more helpful they are with creative Valentine’s ideas and pulling it all together for shoppers, the more memorable each customer’s experience will be. They’ll buy more, and they’ll be back.

Palmer Retail Solutions strives to offer our clients the absolute best combination of innovation, quality, service, and value for our diversified custom store fixtures and merchandising displays. For more information about our designs, retail fixtures, cash wraps, kiosks, or point of purchase displays, visit our website at: http://www.palmerretailsolutions.com.