Tempered Glass vs. Regular Glass

 Tempered glass is one of two kinds of safety glass regularly used when regular glass could pose a potential danger. Tempered glass is manufactured through a process of extreme heating and rapid cooling, making it tougher than normal glass.

 The brittle nature of tempered glass causes it to shatter into small oval-shaped pebbles when broken. This eliminates the danger of sharp edges. Due to this property, along with its strength, tempered glass is often referred to as safety glass. The thermal process that cures tempered glass also makes it heat resistant.

 Tempered glass is 4-5 times tougher than regular glass and does not break into sharp shards when it fails. It is ideal for public buildings and private companies that have lots of visitors and could be held liable for damages if a glass pane breaks in their building and someone is injured. That is also true for industrial companies where workers depend on safety glass to protect them from heat and flying objects on the job. It is used in hockey rinks to protect fans from flying pucks, and it can withstand a direct hit from a 100 mph slap shot. It won't crack and injure fans or players that are checked into the boards, even when it breaks.

Wholesale Display Cases, Trophy Case Cabinets, and Glass Jewelry Showcases

At Discount Showcases, we take pride in bringing you high quality display cases and other retail display products for sale at wholesale prices. Our selection includes a variety of glass display cabinets, trophy cases, counter top showcases, and retail jewelry display cases that are perfect for a wide array of merchandise such as accessories, gems, jewels, valuables, collectibles, and sports memorabilia. In addition to extending wholesale prices to our customers, we also provide fast shipping and exceptional service which is unmatched in our industry.

Our display case accessories are for every budget w/ Fast Flat Rate Shipping Nationwide! All glass showcases can be pre-made and shipped or a shipment of quick and efficient diy (do-it-yourself) assembly kit. We would like to begin a partnership with your business by supplying you with a powerful selection of wholesale glass wall display cases, including wood display cabinets, trophy cases, and jewelry showcases available at wholesale discounts that are much superior to used display cases on the market.

Not all jewelry showcases are created equally. Our retail store display cases offer both style and durability which are second to none. Constructed with attractive designs and made with the best materials available, glass display cases from Discount Showcases can make a big impact on your retail efforts. Whether you need a glass display cabinet for a jewelry store, a trophy case to boast your collectibles, or a wood showcase to display your merchandise, we are sure to carry a display case to match your goal and aspiration.

Presentation plays an important role in selling your retail merchandise. Whether you are placing jewelry for sale or other goods,unique display cases can make a measurable difference in the way you do business. Our display cabinets create a wonderful shopping aura and add character to your product lines, making them more desirable to customers and inevitably irresistible. Discount Showcases takes gratification in providing our clients with the very best in wood and glass display cases, trophy case cabinets, display accessories, and retail showcases. Call or place your order online with us today and enhance the way you sell today!

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Negotiating With Product Suppliers: What You Should Know

One of the hurdles that comes with operating a retail store or business is negotiating with product suppliers. Unless you plan on manufacturing the product yourself (which typically doesn't happen), you'll need a supplier or distributor to sell your store product. Unfortunately, many new retail store owners fail to realize the importance of negotiation, resulting in high markups with minimal profit margins.

Why Negotiations Are Important

Negotiating with product suppliers is important because it keeps your prices down. When you're able to buy product for a lower price, you'll reap the benefits of a higher profit margin once a customer buys it. Here's a scenario to consider: let's say a pair of jeans costs you $10 wholesale from a distributor. Selling these jeans in your store for $25 would yield a $15 profit margin, which is an excellent return on your investment. If you paid $20 for those jeans, though, you would only see a $5 profit margin.

Communication Is Key

When it comes to negotiating with product suppliers, communication is key. Just because a supplier or distributor has a “buy” button on their website with a certain price listed doesn't necessarily mean you have to pay that amount. Contacting them – whether it's over the phone, in person or through email – could result in a lower price.

Open the lines of communication by introducing yourself to product suppliers as a prospective buyer. Let them know a little bit about you and your business, along with your interest in their product. Don't make any offers to buy their product just yet, as price negotiations should come later.

More Product = Lower Price

Typically, the price of a particular product varies depending on the quantity purchased. The more units a client purchases, the lower price-per-unit they'll receive. Product suppliers and distributors do this to encourage clients such as yourself to purchase in bulk.

Talk with product suppliers to see what kind of discounts they offer for bulk units. Assuming it's a safe product that's easy to move in your store, opting for wholesale units could significantly improve your profit margins.

Simple Ways To Boost Sales In Retail Jewelry Stores

Retail jewelry is an exciting and rewarding industry that allows business owners to develop lasting relationships with their customers. If you have a natural eye for precious jewelry and enjoy meeting new people on a regular basis, then you'll fall right into place here. But like all businesses, starting a new retail jewelry store doesn't necessarily guarantee your success. If you fail to produce enough sales, your business will drop into the red zone, making it increasingly more difficult as time progresses. The good news is that jewelry store owners can boost their sales by following some simple steps.

Offer Holiday Sales

If you aren't offering special sales and promotions on your store's jewelry for the holidays, you're missing out on one of the easiest ways to generate more sales. Whether it's Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas, etc., people love to buy jewelry on holidays; it's just that simple. You can maximize your holiday sales by offering steep discounts and promotions around this time.

Don't just mark your prices down, but also consider releasing exclusive, limited-time products designed especially for a particular holiday. For instance, you could release a special white gold heart-shaped pendant necklace for Valentine's Day. As long as you have a strong marketing campaign focusing on this item, you can expect to see some serious sales before the holiday is over.

Create an Online Presence

I know what you're probably thinking: why do I need a web presence if my jewelry store relies strictly on local sales? Well, there are several benefits to having an online web presence, one of which is the transparency it creates. The old days where consumers used a phone book to locate a store's physical address or phone number are long gone. Now, most people use the internet to find this information. Operating a retail jewelry store without an online presence could result in potential customers not being able to find your address, phone number or other contact information.

Even if you don't intend to sell your jewelry online, you should still invest some of your resources into creating an official website for your brand. The time, money and energy it takes to launch a website is a small price to pay for the benefits it provides.

Offer Services

In addition to products, jewelry stores can also earn revenue through services such as ring sizing, cleaning and engraving. If you own a retail jewelry store, make sure you encourage customers to try out your services. This is great way to earn additional revenue on your product sales.

Note: you can encourage customers to purchase your store's products by offering free sizing and engraving services.

What Is a Mystery Shopper?

If you’ve worked in the retail industry long enough, you’ll eventually hear about mystery shoppers. Hundreds of the nation’s leading retailers use them to conduct quality assurance (QA) tests. However, even some of the smaller retailers are now taking advantage of mystery shoppers. Unfortunately, there’s still a lot of misinformation floating around out there regarding mystery shoppers are how they work. This bad information has led to confusion among certain retailers. In an effort to separate the facts from the fiction, we’re going to talk about mystery shoppers and their purpose in the retail industry.

Mystery Shoppers: The Basics

A mystery shopper is exactly what the name suggests: a person working on behalf of a market research company or internal division of the company whom pretends to shop as a normal customer with the purpose of gaining information about the store’s products and/or services. Employees working at the store are typically unaware of the mystery shopper’s presence. They assume the shopper is just another ordinary customer browsing through the store.

Benefits of Using Mystery Shoppers In The Retail Industry:

• Identify problem areas related to customer service
• Identify employees whom perform poorly at work
• Ensure the store is clean, organized and follows all of the proper safety guidelines
• See how employees interact with customers. Are they greeting customers who enter the store?

The entire purpose of a mystery shopper is to be a fly on the wall while the business performs their normal operations. When the owner or executive of a national retailer shows up the store, employees will instantly know who they are, and as such they will be on their best behavior. But when a mystery shopper shows up to the store, they will continue to operate normally without knowing that someone in the store is watching their every move.

History of Mystery Shoppers

Some people assume that mystery shoppers are a relatively new phenomenon which has appeared in the past few years; however, this isn’t the case. According to reports, retailers began to use mystery shoppers to gauge the performance of their employees dating all the way back to the 1940s. Over the years, mystery shoppers became commonplace in retail stores, health clubs, motels, movie theaters, restaurants, hospitals and more.

Hopefully, this will give you a better understanding of mystery shoppers and their purpose in the retail industry.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Niche Retailing

Thinking about owning a retail store? While you can always go broad by offering a wide range of products, a smarter solution is to target a particular niche. This process, known as niche retailing, allows business owners to laser-target a specific demographic based on their product. However, there are some important do’s and don’ts niche retailers should follow to ensure their business is a success.

Do: Choose a Niche With High Margins

Let’s face it, you aren’t going to experience any serious level of success selling products with low profit margins. When you’re choosing a niche for your retail store, pay close attention to its profit margins. The electronics niche, for instance, typically has a low profit margin, which is why big-name retailers dominate it. Jewelry, apparel and fashion accessories, however, tend to experience higher profit margins.

Do: Focus on Your Niche

If you’re going to take the route of niche retailing with your business, you should stick with your niche until you’ve completely dominated the market. One of the biggest mistakes niche retailers make is trying to expand prematurely. Let’s say you own a bathing suit store; wait until you’ve built up a sizable following of loyal customers and clients before you venture into things like apparel and beach accessories.  There’s certainly nothing wrong with selling these items, but it should only be done once you’ve established yourself as THE leading bathing suit store.

Don’t: Attempt To Enter a Competitive Niche

Research and planning is critical to the success of a niche retail store. Before you even think of signing a lease and opening a store, check to see what the competition is like. If there are half a dozen similar retailers selling products in the same niche nearby, you’ll either want to move to a different location or choose a new niche. This doesn’t necessarily mean your business will fail in a crowded niche, but it will certainly make things harder.

Don’t: Overlook Customer Service

Regardless of your store’s particular niche, you shouldn’t overlook the importance of offering exceptional customer service. As a niche retailer, you want to encourage customers to keep coming back for future purchases. If they make a single purchase and are never seen or heard of again, they’ll likely take their business to one of your competitors. Maintaining a friendly attitude and helping customers find what they need encourages them to return for future purchases.

Benefits of Going Green In The Retail Industry

"Going green" is a term that's becoming more and more common in the retail industry. With the impact of civilization being seen and felt throughout the world, both consumers and companies are looking for ways to reduce their footprint. Going green refers to the process of taking a conscious approach to your actions and how the affect the environment. For a list of some of the top benefits of going green in the retail industry, keep reading.

Benefit #1) Reduces Overhead

One of the most notable benefits of going green in the retail industry is the reduced overhead costs it provides. If your store currently uses incandescent bulbs as its primary source of lighting, perhaps you could switch them out for compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) or light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs. Both of these alternatives are more energy efficient and will ultimately reduce your monthly electric bill.

Benefit #2) Attract New Customers

Of course, going green with your retail business will also attract new customers. The fact is that many consumers today are taking a proactive approach towards their shopping. If a store doesn't follow and practice environmentally friendly operations, the consumer may avoid them. Don't let your retail business suffer from this problem; use environmentally friendly practices to attract this demographic.

Benefit #3) Tax Breaks

You might be surprised to learn that going green with a retail business can yield some lucrative tax benefits. With the federal government making strides to encourage environmentally friendly practices, business owners can earn some valuable tax credits for making environmentally friendly changes to their operations.

Check out the official energy.gov for more information on green tax credits for businesses. It outlines exactly which modifications and changes provide tax credits and which ones don't.

How To Go Green With Your Retail Business

• Install energy-efficient lighting (LED or CFL bulbs)
• Install weatherstripping around doors and windows
• Use recycled materials
• Reduce water usage
• Change air filter at least once a month
• Install high R-value insulation
• Use natural light whenever possible
• Hire an HVAC technician to inspect your store for thermal leaks

The Bottom Line...

Going green with a retail business is a smart decision that offers several different benefits. While many business owners do it for the sole purpose of saving money, it ultimately brings in more customers. Follow the tips listed above to create a more green, energy-efficient environment at your business.