Starting a Baby Boutique & Clothing Line

Don’t forget to plan merchandising and display options

December 20th, 2006

I think we might have a prayer of meeting our two big deadlines. Celebrity event (watch us scramble like blind mice) and KIDShow. Won’t we all be interested to see how KIDShow goes? Will it be worth the money we’re about to spend? Huge blessing is that my dad just retired and he’s going to come to our house and stay with our kids for the week. Bless his heart. I’m sure my mom will join him and they can have a jolly olly good time.

We’re in the buckle-down phase now. I’m going to fess up and be completely honest that I haven’t gotten one scratch of a sketch to my pattern maker yet. I definitely got de-railed by planning for this celebrity event, but have faith in our ability to roll with the punches. So, we’ll slim down our offerings even more. Even if we just go with our blankets, which are completely developed and ready-to-go, at least we’re going and we’re going with something to be proud of. But we’ll get beyond that.

For all of these things, merchandising and display comes into play. I can’t believe how many aspects there are to this business. We need to sit down and figure out display options that we love for:

• In-store displays
• Celebrity event (marketing event) displays
• Trade Show Displays

In-store displays: We need our blankets to be well-displayed, and sprawled out enough that customers can see immediately that there is a name appliqued onto the blanket. We need solutions for wall hangings, shelf displays, and floor displays, and we need to keep it simple. They MUST stand out.

Celebrity Event: Signs and wall displays will double for marketing events and trade shows. Capitalize on dual-usage as much as possible. Marketing event table display for gift-ines; marketing materials and coupons will be different than trade show materials.

Trade Show Display: More space than the marketing event for display options, different size and shape of table, and garment racks provided. Different set up, but definitely can keep it along the same lines as the marketing events. It should be a marketing event anyways.

We need to study merchandising now. Or more, just work up some mock displays and get it right. At least it’s something new and exciting. Need to take some time to brainstorm with my eyes closed, but don’t see that happening until after the holidays. My husband is with me all the way, and he does just as much as I do to plan and prep for this, I don’t know how any of it would be possible otherwise. Eternally greatful for his belief in this business.

Entry Filed under: Apparel & Accessory Merchandising, Trade Shows & Market