When the Human Rights Campaign, a non-profit gay rights advocacy group, went to look for a design firm to plan their new retail space, they didn’t have to go very far. Their San Francisco retail location owed a part of its success to TRIO Display’s space-economical layout and design, and continuity in look and feel between the stores was a priority, so once again TRIO was retained to design a new HRC location.

The new location is the second story of a Washington, D.C., brownstone. As before, area is at premium, what with only a spare 800 square feet to display HRC’s jewelry, hoodies, totes, etc.

“There’s an inherent challenge to designing a retail store into what was once a residential space. This proved no different,” said Bill Mondigo, TRIO Display Store Designer. “The ceilings are low and the HVAC unit is in a closet. In fact, we didn’t want to give up the retail space on the door to the HVAC, so we added shelving to the front of it. We even found a way to optimize the panel leading to the circuit breakers with custom shelving.”

That wasn’t the end of the custom fitting. The design team created special custom soffits with special lighting intended to accentuate without overpowering. Shoehorning a fully realized clothing display into a small area is usually impossible without short-changing the overall design but a solution was found in a specially engineered raised dais incorporating a side-hang bar fixture and a mannequin platform.

The HRC assignment is all the much more amazing when you consider it is a mere three months between the time the design contract was signed with TRIO and the anticipated opening in mid-June. If you’re in the D.C. area, be sure to drop in.

Contact: Jeff Grant
800-454-4844
858-539-7550

SAN DIEGO, April 25, 2007 – Defeating shoplifters can be as easy as turning hangers around or as sophisticated as installing security-tag systems. With U.S. shoplifting losses reaching $14 billion to $18 billion last year, every retailer can take immediate steps to lower their chances of becoming victims.

“Storeowners can help prevent losses through some commonsense measures that are virtually free,” said Jeff Grant, president of retail design and production firm TRIO Display. The San Diego-based firm also offers affordable security devices that show would-be shoplifters that a store is proactive when it comes to curbing shoplifting. The security devices are available online at www.triodisplay.com/security.

To help thwart thieves, Grant suggests the following tips:

* Greet all customers as they enter the store. This lets them know that you know they’re there and they’re being watched.

*Alternate the way the hangers face in your clothing racks. This makes it harder for a shoplifter to grab an armful of clothing and run out the door.

* If your merchandising allows, use low aisles so your employees can monitor several rows at once. Keep sightlines open from the cash register to all corners of the shop. Place the dressing rooms in plain sight of the cash register.

* Keep high-end items away from the door. Lock small high-end items in a showcase.

* Issue a receipt for every purchase, and mark the receipt when it has been used for a return. A common ploy is to purchase an item, dump in it in the car, return to the shop and pick up the same item, and show the old receipt as proof of purchase.

* Install surveillance mirrors.

* Put up a sign that says “Security Camera Surveillance” or something similar. It doesn’t matter if you have security cameras or not. Install several smoked glass domes on the ceiling and the deception is complete. One of the benefits of all the liquor store robbery videos floating around the ‘Net: A healthy paranoia about security cameras.

Grant said retailers who want to take thing a step further can install security tag systems, also known as electronic article surveillance systems (EAS). “Plug in the transceiver and place the tags on your merchandise and you’re ready to go,” he said.

“For extra protection, put two tags on an item — one in an obvious place, and the other hidden. If you want to go a less expensive route but to somewhat the same effect, buy the inexpensive labels but not the transceiver. The shoplifter will assume you have the transceiver hidden. Also, look for customers using ‘booster bags.’ These are bags that have been lined with foil to stymie EAS systems.”

From door chimes to dummy security cameras to ceiling domes, TRIO Displays offers a complete line of retail store security products. They can be ordered online at www.triodisplay.com/security or by calling 800-454-4844.

About TRIO Display

TRIO Display is a retail design and production company based in San Diego. TRIO specializes in planning and outfitting retail spaces that “look good and sell goods.” TRIO delivers effective, intelligent design that builds a relationship between brand and customer. Trio clients include many professional sports-team stores, the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library and Museum Bookstore, and the RMS Titanic exhibit store. To order from the TRIO catalog, visit www.triodisplay.com/catalog or call 800-454-4844.

About Jeff Grant

With more than 20 years’ experience designing and outfitting successful retail spaces, TRIO Display president and chief designer Jeff Grant works with 1,000-plus merchants annually designing stores, supplying retail fixtures and displays, and dispensing advice, ideas and suggestions. He can be contacted at jeff@triodisplay.com

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Trio Display ATTN: PR 955 Turquoise Street San Diego, CA 92109

If you have an e-commerce website for your retail business, you probably face the same quandary this article discusses: You get lots of clicks but not lots of sales. And you’re spending more on marketing than you earn back in sales.

The reason, two studies conclude, is that you don’t know what your customers really want. Do they crave unlimited free shipping? Volume discounts? Payments via PayPal?

The article suggests that free shipping is usually the biggest draw. And it suggests that you survey your customers to find out what really motivates them. But that can get expensive. Focus groups, email campaigns and talking with customer service reps can be expensive and time-consuming.

We’ve faced the same issues with our online catalog. To help boost our conversion rate, we send out regular email newsletters every time we add a new product line, such as security products and indoor neon signs. We also provide timely articles about these products, so our customers know they can rely on us as a retail store resource.

There’s no reason you can’t do the same. After all, you’re an expert in your field. You should be able to write an occasional article for your customers, discussing hot new products, trends and industry news.

If you really want to find out what your customers want, consider an online survey like SurveyMonkey. It’s very affordable, returns results quickly and lets you offer incentives for completing the survey, such as a discount coupon with no expiration date.

I see a very simple solution to finding out what your customers want: Ask them. The tools to do so are certainly available. It might sound clichéd, but if you don’t ask them, your competition surely will.

Minnesota: Home of the world’s largest shopping mall. You’d think, after reading all the stories about how Mall of America and Wal-Mart are pushing out all the mom-and-pops, that small retailers are on the endangered-species list.

Not so, according this article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It points out that a Purdue University study revealed “having a large retailer nearby encourages small business development.” And it gives several examples of how several small retailers in Minnesota have come to think of themselves as extensions of their big-box neighbors.

Makes sense to me. Like pilot fish trailing a whale shark (thanks, Discovery Channel), small retailers can pick up sales the big stores can’t navigate. Take educational supplies, for example. I know the big-box stores carry some of them. But I visited an educational-supply store in Long Beach, California, that puts any Wal-Mart or Costco to shame. The owner told me that many of his clients buy the basics–like backpacks and pencils–at a nearby Staples. But they swing by his store for the harder-to-find items like reading drills, math games and educational toys.

Customers might like the overwhelming selection a Wal-Mart provides. But have you ever heard one say how much she liked the service? Your small store should have two advantages that keep customers coming back: specialized selection and great service. Make those among your top priorities, and you’ll have little to fear when the big-box stores try to muscle in on your ‘hood.

Store Security by Jeff Grant
Retailers lost between $14 billion and $18 billion to shoplifters last year. (And more to internal employee theft, but that’s another article.) To put a finer point on it: Assuming a typical bottom line margin of four percent and a forty percent mark-up on your merchandise, you’d have to sell fifteen $100 MP3 players to just pay the wholesale price on one stolen MP3 player. Clearly shoplifting can take a heavy toll on your bottom line. With margins already as tight as they are, the small retailer who doesn’t take steps to control shrinkage will suffer in relation to his competitors who do.

Defeating shoplifters is a tall order. Complicating your efforts is the numbing variety of shoplifters. You face everything from teens grabbing cosmetics on a dare to professional shoplifting rings working on assignment with fences. Your merchandise will determine which sub-species of shoplifter will target your retail store, though you’ll always want to go after the lowest common denominator. There are some simple, inexpensive steps you can take that will return immediate dividends.

You face everything from teens grabbing cosmetics on a dare to professional shoplifting rings working on assignment with fences.

Tips to Prevent Shoplifting
• Greet every customer as they enter the store. This lets them know that you know they’re there and they’re being watched.

• Concentrate your resources on deterrence as your first line of defense and apprehension second. It’s easier to prevent shoplifting than it is to catch a shoplifter.

• Smart store design, especially for the small specialty retailer, is very effective theft deterrent. If your merchandising allows, use low aisles so your employees can monitor several rows at once. Keep sightlines open from the cash register to all corners of the shop. Keep your high-end items away from the door. Place the dressing rooms in plain sight of the cash register. Count items that go into the dressing room.

• Train your employees to keep an eye on customers and to watch for suspicious activity. Instruct them on the basic tactics of shoplifters.

• Issue a receipt for every purchase, and mark the receipt when it has been used for a return. A common ploy is to purchase an item, dump in it in the car, return to the shop and pick up the same item, and show the old receipt as proof of purchase.

• Alternate the way the hangers face in your clothing racks. This will make it harder for a shoplifter to grab an armful of clothing and dash out the door.

• Put up a sign that says “Security Camera Surveillance” or something along these lines. It doesn’t matter if you have security cameras or not. Throw a couple of security tag systems (“electronic article surveillance” systems) are very effective. Plug in the transceiver and place the tags on your merchandise and you’re ready to go. For extra protection, put two tags on an item—one in an obvious place, and the other hidden. Again, if you want to go a less expensive route but to somewhat the same effect, buy the inexpensive labels but not the transceiver. The shoplifter will assume you have the transceiver hidden. Check for customers for “booster bags.” These are bags that have been lined with foil to stymie EAS systems.

• Lock your small high-end items in a showcase.

• Install surveillance mirrors.

• Check all items before they go into the dressing room. Watch for multiple articles hidden on the same hanger.

Further, keep up to date on the newest shoplifting tactics and check the TRIO Display website for the latest inventory loss prevention tips and security prevention systems.

Contact: Jeff Grant
800-454-4844
858-539-7550

SAN DIEGO, April 18, 2007 – One of the Web’s largest selections of wireless remote-controlled moving-message signs for stores, restaurants and offices is now available from TRIO Display at www.triodisplay.comcatalog under Signs and Graphics, then Moving Message Signs.

“Wireless remotes make it easier than ever to program these LED signs anytime to feature in-store specials, news, sports scores, stock quotes or any custom announcement,” said Jeff Grant, president of retail design and store-fixture firm TRIO Display. “Some signs are also programmable via PC through direct connection, LAN or e-mail.”

With prices ranging from $114 to just over $4,000, TRIO offers LED signs with dimensions ranging from 11 inches high by 55 inches wide to 3 inches high by 36 inches wide. Character height ranges from 3 inches to 9.64 inches.

“Moving-message signs are a great way to advertise, invite and distribute information to customers in any commercial environment,” Grant said. “Our signs are visible from 150 to over 450 feet away. The bright colors and effects ensure that onlookers and passersby get your message.”

All signs are maintenance-free and include either a handheld or keyboard wireless remote, mounting hardware and user’s manual. For complete descriptions, visit http://www.triodisplay.com/catalog, then click Signs and Graphics, then Moving Message Signs.

About TRIO Display

TRIO Display is a retail design and production company based in San Diego. TRIO specializes in planning and outfitting retail spaces that “look good and sell goods.” TRIO delivers effective, intelligent design that builds a relationship between brand and customer. Trio clients include many professional sports-team stores, the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library and Museum Bookstore, and the RMS Titanic exhibit store. To order from the TRIO catalog, visit www.triodisplay.com/catalog or call 800-454-4844.

About Jeff Grant

With more than 20 years’ experience designing and outfitting successful retail spaces, TRIO Display president and chief designer Jeff Grant works with 1,000-plus merchants annually designing stores, supplying retail fixtures and displays, and dispensing advice, ideas and suggestions. He can be contacted at jeff@triodisplay.com

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If you do not want to receive any more email messages from TRIO Display, click here or send a request to the address below:

Trio Display ATTN: PR 955 Turquoise Street San Diego, CA 92109

Interesting to learn from this article that more than 8,000 McDonald’s offers customers free Wi-Fi with their meals. And that digital signage is coming way down on price (more on that below).

I’m a big fan of Wi-Fi. I use it every day at home, the office and in stores I visit. Like a lot of you, I’m more likely to buy coffee and a snack from a shop that provides Wi-Fi — or a clothing store, or a gift shop. I suspect many of your customers feel the same way, since so many of them access the web on their laptop PCs and cell phones.

If you have an Internet connection in your store, why not use it to attract customers? Wi-Fi routers cost less than $100 these days. Set one up and let everyone know you offer Wi-Fi via email, your website, ads, flyers, etc. Put in a few chairs so users can get comfortable and linger awhile. You might get some malingerers, but you can set time limits to cut down on abuse.

I say the more reasons you can give customers to stay in your retail environment, the better. The Wi-Fi users will tell their friends about you and you’ll benefit from the word-of-mouth. Just don’t forget to turn off the router when your store is closed, lest you want “access point surfers” camping outside, using your signal.

As for digital signage, I think they’re great for food menus and any retail space. They can be as subtle or as loud as you want. Most of them now come with programmable handheld remotes or wireless keyboards, so you can change messages in a flash.

We at TRIO just started carrying wireless LED moving-message signs. I’m sold on them as merchandising tools. Early sales show that our customers are as well. Check out our selection for yourself.

Wi-Fi and digital signs: Two bright ideas you can put to use today and see results by tomorrow.

If you sell clothing, you need to read this article. It talks about a change that’s long overdue in the apparel section: turning fitting rooms into sales tools.

Who hasn’t dreaded walking into that cramped space — usually about the size of a small closet — to try on clothes while your significant other waits outside to critique each outfit?

It looks like retailers have finally realized that fitting areas are a great place to make customers feel good about themselves and, in turn, the store itself. Better lighting, more mirrors, extra clothing hooks, room for another person — these are a few of the nice touches that smart retailers are incorporating into their store design. Some even have lounge areas with big-screen TVs for those who wait.

If clothing is part of your merchandise mix, this might be a good time to think about making over your fitting area. And I’ll bet the customers peeking over the top of its half-door, with their feet showing below, would agree.

Give them some privacy. Give them some space. Keep the room clean and uncluttered. Make a play area for their kids. In return, they’ll reward you with repeat visits and great word-of-mouth.

Why didn’t anyone think of this sooner? I can’t really say. The high-end retailers have had more personalized service for years. But I don’t recall any of them having a really inviting fitting area on my visits.

This is one bandwagon you can jump on right away. Swap that curtain for a real door, add some hooks, put up some shelves and, like the article says, give your customers some space. It’s time for fitting rooms to come out of the closet!

It’s easy to forget that when it comes to retailing, the United States is a relative newcomer. Yes, we probably have the most up-to-date technology and resources of any nation. But as for putting customers in a shopping mood, we can learn a lot from the bazaars and marketplaces that continue to thrive in ancient cultures.

That’s why I was fascinated by this article in the Hindu Business Line–a site not on my usual daily reading list. The writer, a retail designer, notes that Western design elements like sleek fixtures and flashy graphics don’t hit the mark with the average Indian customer.

Instead, that average customer prefers the hustle and bustle of the bazaar, where shelves overflow with merchandise, the aisles are crowded with shoppers and yet, “the customer…is the centrepiece of the show.”

The bazaar shopkeeper has learned over the centuries what we sometimes forget today: to make the costumer feel at home. I’ve met far too many storeowners who are so impressed with their fixtures and signage, they don’t realize they’re putting the customer second. Their stores might look great, but if they don’t feel great, they won’t keep the customers coming back for more.

I like what the Hindu writer says: “…familiar elements of celebration, warmth and family… are sure to touch a chord with the Indian consumer. In mood and in spirit, the scene evokes the feel of homecoming.”

It doesn’t take much; some tea and other refreshments, pleasant aromas, attentive salespeople. That’s how they’ve been drawing ‘em into the bazaars for hundreds of years. Maybe they’re on to something.

Make sure your customers feel at home. If you don’t, someone else in the great retail bazaar will.

I’ve always been leery of successful people who try to convince others they can strike it rich by following their example. You know, the “My 10 Steps to Instant Wealth” kind of guys. I figure if they’re so successful in their field, why would they want to teach anyone else how to compete with them?

But I’ve come around, and now I’m sharing my story with everyone.

I’ve been fortunate to have watched my company’s sales double annually each of the past five years. I did it not by relying on of the “10-step” methods but by taking advantage of a technology that’s available to anyone with an Internet connection: keywords. You might have even found this blog by using keywords in Google, Yahoo! or another search portal.

So I have no problem telling you and the world how using keywords helped my business grow. In fact, I’m probably one of the most unlikely proselytizers you’ll find since I’m not a tech guy. I leave the tech side of things to the qualified people I hire. They know that when the business does well, they’ll share through my incentive programs.

I’m convinced that keywords are the key to making it in any business venture. Reading my story will hopefully inspire you to chart your own keyword strategy. No matter where you or your business is located, the assets for success are available to you. You just need to get online and get started.

I know that jumping into Internet technology can look scary and expensive to a traditional brick-and-mortar retailer. So my team and I have decided to pass our knowledge on to you to shorten your learning curve. TRIO Display will soon kick off a slate of affordable services including website reviews, keyword planning and pay-per-click implementation. Watch this blog and our main website for details.

I like to see others succeed, no matter what business they’re in. Success didn’t come overnight for me, but as you’ll read in my article, a light bulb went off in my head when I realized just how powerful keywords can be. If I can help you see the light–and possibly use our services to make it even brighter–we’ll both be the richer for it.