Retail Therapy

For years I've heard customers complain they can't find anything. Clothing moves around too often and some sweater that was folded on that table over there is not there anymore. Or my favorite is always "I saw this shirt over by that pillar like a week ago and now it's not there anymore, what happened to it?" Ummm...? I never understood why people think product will never move. Yet in the entire history of retail, clothes move all the time.

Now that I'm a visual merchandiser I truly understand why we move things around so often and I'm writing to hopefully ease your unnecessary frustration.

When shipment comes in you have to take into consideration your product levels, what is selling well, and what how to highlight new product. Of course, new stuff goes near the front which means something old has to... move! Oh, what?! Sorry, not sorry. So there's one reason why you can't find that skirt that has been sitting in the same spot for about a week. You had your chance.

If you have a large amount of a certain product and it doesn't seem to be selling then you move it  towards the back of the shop. Move two! Or on the opposite end, if something is selling well you should probably blend it in with similar product to make room for a bigger chunk of new product. Move 2.0!  People like to shop fuller looking racks, so weird.

Shopping should be fun and a slight adventure in finding that perfect piece you never knew you needed. The clothing should pull you into the shop and move you throughout the racks. Product needs to move around because otherwise the store will start to look boring, and you as a customer will notice that nothing looks new and exciting! Move three! Sometimes moving slightly older product around makes things look new and customers usually don't even notice.

Lastly, I would like to put out there that you should not hesitate to ask the nearest salesperson for help if you can't find something. Trust me, they would rather help you shop around for something than continue putting clothes away. I mean, folding sweaters is cool and all, but it can be surprisingly monotonous.

So quit your crying because it's not the end of the world if you can't find something right away. If you start having a meltdown then you need to get your priorities straight, maybe grab a Cinnabun at the food court and take a second. Otherwise, enjoy your free time perusing the racks and as always style on little warriors!