Glass Display Cases: Rushing For The Holidays

The Holiday Season is in full effect and if your retail store isn't’t ready for Black Friday, you’re probably in a deep panic! There’s no worries however when it comes to your Glass Showcase needs. You still have time! Discountshowcases.com offers an amazingly quick turnaround time with our Quick Ship Display Cases. With 4 different locations throughout the U.S., a fast delivery is a sure thing! Visit our Ready-to-Ship category on our website to view all the options available. We offer Tower and Trophy Cases not only fast but also Cheap! Our Economy Showcases are great for displaying jewelry, collectibles and any valuable merchandise that needs to be locked away from the customers with the Holiday sticky fingers. Just because Santa knows who’s naughty and who’s nice doesn't mean your employees will!

Aside from the obvious reason to keep your valuable merchandise locked and secured, our cases also provide a completed look for your clothing boutique, jewelry store, pawn shop, and even home décor. Christmas is just a month away and our Glass Display Cabinets are the perfect gift for your loved ones who are looking to display their prized possessions, trophies and awards.

Don’t miss out on this year’s Holiday Rush, visit www.discountshowcases.com today and rush into savings!    

What Are The Job Responsibilities of a 'Key Holder?'

The 'key holder' is a job position that's frequently misunderstood in the world of retail business. Some people assume that it's nothing more than a personal with a key to the premises -- simply because of it's name. However, there's much more to this position than physically holding a key. To learn more about the job responsibilities of the key holder and whether or not they're a necessity for your business, keep reading.

Open and Close The Store

The most important responsibility of being a key holder is to open and close the store. They'll show up early to unlock the doors and prepare the store for its first wave of customers. Regular clerks, stockers and other employees typically lack the authority to open the store; therefore, the owner/manager designates someone as the 'key holder.' While there are several other responsibilities tied to being a key holder, the most significant is opening and closing the store.

There's more to opening and closing a store than most people realize. Along with the action of turning the key, this person must also deal with the alarm system. Nearly all retail businesses today have some form of alarm system to discourage theft and vandalism. When the key holder arrives in the morning to open the store, he or she must turn off the alarm using the code given by their employer. And when they get ready to lock up and leave at night, they must set the alarm.

General Duties of a Key Holder

• Unlock and lock the doors
• Make sure the lights are turned off before leaving
• Turn off the alarm when opening
• Set the alarm when closing
• Sweep and clean in the evening
• Moving and setting up product displays
• Offer assistance to other employees

Choosing a Key Holder For Your Store

So, how do you choose an employee to take on the responsibilities of being a key holder? It's important for retail store owners and managers to carefully choose the right candidate for this position. After all, you are essentially trusting them with your entire business, and this may be too much for some employees. Consider how long the employee has been with your store, their general attitude, punctuality, and enthusiasm about this new position. Offering some type of incentive like a bonus check, gift card, etc. will also encourage the key holder to perform his or her responsibilities correctly.

The Hidden Costs of Operating a Retail Jewelry Store

Operating a retail jewelry store is no easy task. In addition to knowing and identifying the different types of metals and gemstones, along with their purity, you'll also need to build strong customer relationships to keep people coming back. You can offer top-of-the-line jewelry at rock-bottom prices, but it's not going to benefit your business much unless you develop lasting professional relationships with customers. Of course, you'll also need the resources and capital necessary to keep your jewelry store business open. In this post, we're going to take a look at some of the 'hidden' costs of operating a jewelry store.

Security / Theft Prevention

One expense that many first-time jewelry store owners seem to overlook is security and theft prevention. Installing a video surveillance system, security systems, ceiling mirrors, and glass display cases in your store are all excellent techniques for reducing the chance of theft. It's not something jewelry store owners like to think about, but theft is a real possibility that can force your business into the red zone if you don't take the necessary precautions. Jewelry store owners should think of security and theft prevention as an investment that will pay off in the long run.

Insurance

Of course, insurance is another major expense in operating a retail jewelry stores. While all retail businesses need insurance to operate, it's typically more expensive in retail jewelry stores. This is due in part to the fact that a jewelry store's inventory is more valuable than a clothing or grocery store. If a fire, flood or theft were to wipe out your business, the insurance provider would compensate you for your loss.

It's recommended that jewelry store owners shop around for insurance from multiple providers. Never choose the first policy you come across, as you can likely find a better one for cheaper. Purchasing insurance for your retail jewelry store is a big decision, so take your time to find the policy that's right for you.

Inventory

Most retail jewelry store owners realize that inventory is a necessary expense with this business; however, what they may not realize is the true cost of inventory. Depending on the size of your store, and its particular niche, you may end up spending several hundred thousand or even $1 million+ on inventory alone.

If you're struggling to pay for all of the necessary expenses associated with running a retail jewelry store, don't be afraid to reach out to some banks and financial institutions in your area. There are many different types of business loans available for retail stores and entrepreneurs.

Tips To Maximize Your Retail Store's Sales This Holiday Season

With the holiday season right around the corner, retail store and business owners everywhere are left scrambling to make the necessary preparations to maximize their sales before the year ends. It's no secret that the months of November and December offer the biggest sales for retail stores. Even when the economy is in a decline, you can rest assured that shoppers will be out in full force during these pivotal months, eager to purchase holiday gifts for their friends and family members. So, how can you can maximize your retail store's sales this holiday season? Keep reading for some important tips and tricks.

Black Friday: The Busiest Shopping Day of The Year

The day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, remains the country's busiest shopping day of the year. If you've ever participated in this shopping event, you're probably well aware of just how many people wake up before dawn to purchase early holiday gifts. Some stores open as early as 4 or 5 am, while others remain open 24 hours throughout Black Friday. Retail stores and businesses should take advantage of this massive shopping event by rolling out special sales and promotions. When shoppers see a deal that looks too good to pass up, they'll gladly wait in the freezing cold at 4 in the morning until your store opens.

Black Friday Tips For Retail Businesses:

• Spend additional resources on marketing your store's Black Friday sales.
• Open early and stay open late to maximize your sales on this massive shopping day.
• Hire additional employees to better manage your store.
• If applicable, push holiday gift cards on shoppers.
• Offer incentives for shoppers to open a store credit card.
• Stock up on additional product that you expect will sell well.

Know What Customers Want

Of course, the single most important tip to maximize sales this holiday season is to know what your customers want. If you run an electronics store, then perhaps you want to stock up on products like the next-gen Sony PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iPhone 5S and iPad Air. These are all 'hot' electronics that are customers are bound to scoop up. If you run a toy store, then you'll probably want to stock up on things like Nerf blaster guns, action figures, etc. The bottom line is that store owners should fully research and educate themselves on products that are expected to sell well this holiday season.

5 Reasons Why Small Businesses Should Use Social Media

The use of social media networking has exploded in popularity within the past few years. Facebook alone has an estimated 1.3 billion users, spanning across all parts of the globe. Even with this massive expansion and reach, some small business owners fail to realize the importance of social media; thus, leaving untapped customers for their competitors to nab. If you're still on the fence about using social media for your business, keep reading to learn 5 of the top benefits it has for small businesses.

Reason #1) Makes Your Business Easier For Customers To Find

One of the lesser-known benefits of social media networking for small businesses is that it helps customers find the business more easily. The old days of using a phone book are long gone. Instead, shoppers use the internet to find a store's physical address and/or phone number. Maintaining active accounts on all of the top social media networking accounts will prove an outlet for shoppers to locate this information about your business.

Reason #2) Reach New Customers

Of course, the single most notable benefit of using social media networking sites for small businesses is that it allows owners to reach out to new customers. Whether it's Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest or a combination of all the above, you're bound to attract new customers through social media.

Reason #3) Direct Contact With Customers

A third reason why small businesses should use social media networking is because it offers a medium for direct communication with their customers. If a customer has a question regarding a product or service, they can make a post on your social media account. And once you've responded to this question, other customers can refer back to this Q&A as well.

Reason #4) Shows Professionalism

Social media networking also shows a level of professionalism for small businesses. Customers are more comfortable making purchasing from small businesses that are actively engaged in social media over businesses that aren't engaged in social media. It's just one of the many techniques business owners can use to create a high level of professionalism.

Reason #5) Testimonials

Assuming your small business offers a quality product or service, you're bound to receive some positive customer testimonials by using social media. Customers will likely visit your social media accounts to make comments praising your business. This, of course, instills confidence among others potential shoppers and clients.