During the holiday shopping season, many equine stores focus their attention on building sufficient inventory and marketing, but often overlook optimizing their store for the rush.

The following are tips and best practices to be as successful as possible during the holiday season and beyond.

Review past holiday seasons

Meet as a team to discuss last year’s rush. Discussing successes and failures is a great way to set the tone for your staff. Include everyone, from senior level positions to the sales team on the floor.

Examples of questions to discuss include:
• How well did your business do last year?
• What products were big sellers?
• What are your targets and goals for this year?
• Did traffic flow well during rushes?
• Were there bottlenecks or other problems that can be avoided this year?

Clean your space

A well-organized space can help keep your team organized as business picks up. Take time to arrange your backroom with frequently used items near the front.

Also, clean the space behind the checkout counter by removing unnecessary items. A fast checkout is one of the best ways to reduce crowded retail space. It’s important to keep the front of your store clean as well.

Make sure you have enough space to display all of your merchandise. Custom built fixtures can help maximize a unique store’s layout while freestanding fixtures and tables can give you greater flexibility.

Be prepared

A little preparation can help you avoid a lot of headaches. Review policies such as returns and shipping with your staff to avoid spreading misinformation to customers. Also, identify extra personnel that are able to fill in for unexpected absences or during a rush.

Misty Wilfing is the marketing director for Gabriel Logan, which has been designing, building and installing custom fixtures since 2002. Located in Logan, OH, the company has worked with companies across the country to deliver high quality, durable products. Using only the highest quality materials, strict quality control methods and a systematic approach, they have the technology and expertise to turn their customers’ ideas into finished displays. For more information, visit their website at www.gabriellogan.com.