Tips for creating holiday retail vignettes

Regardless of whether you greet customers with a hearty “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” make sure your retail vignettes and merchandise put shoppers in the mood to leave a little green this holiday season.

www.midwestofcannonfalls.com

Oversized ornaments, tabletop decorations, and holiday dinnerware and textiles can be used to dress up even the most basic home furnishings––a white dining table, charcoal Windsor chairs and a burgundy rug––and create dazzling retail vignettes. Shown here are a few items from Seasons of Cannon Falls’ Christmas Glitz Collection: large, metal ornaments; Star topiaries in metal planters; and metal Christmas trees with whimsical polka dots, stripes, glitter and sequins. The collection's dominant colors are red, lime green and white.

www.annieglass.com

Decorative accessories, tabletop products and textiles with seasonal designs (think snowflakes), rather than holiday-specific designs (Santa Claus), may appeal to more consumers because these nondenominational items can be used well after Christmas. Annieglass’ limited-edition, 12-inch-round snowflake cookie platter, for instance, has fine gold detailing, and is signed, numbered and registered. It’s also available with 24 karat gold or platinum detailing.

Scented candles and diffusers that emit fragrances associated with Christmas—sugar cookies, pine trees, bayberry—are a great way to get customers into the holiday mood. Illume’s Balsam & Cedar Collection features pillars, votives, classic jar candles, reed diffusers and more in a variety of sizes and styles. www.illumecandles.com

www.extraweave.com

Extra Weave USA's Peppermint doormats come in six red-and-white designs, including a stripe that conjures up images of candy canes. Each measures 18 by 30 inches and is slip-resistant. Consider placing an assortment in your rug gallery or in one of your retail vignettes.

GIFT-SELLING TIPS

Design, lifestyle and gift expert Tara Riceberg, owner of Tweak in Beverly Hills, CA, has studied the art of gift buying, merchandising and giving from the inside out. Here are her top tips for furniture retailers looking to cash in on the lucrative gift business during the upcoming holiday season.

1. Shop for gifts that offer a big bang for the buck, especially this year. Consumers are exhausted by the rising cost of living.

2. Buy items that are fun and functional, such as decorative trays, vases, bowls and candles. Search for multifunctional gifts—a champagne bucket that could serve as a cachepot for an orchid or a waste basket in the powder room.

3. Remember that most people shop by price for Christmas gifts, so try to offer something for everyone by merchandising at a variety of price points. The most logical breakdowns are under $35, $35-$60, $60-$100, $100-$200 and more than $200.

4. Pre-wrap gifts using beautiful paper, ribbons and clever embellishments. While it’s more expensive and time-consuming to prep gift assortments this way, customers will be delighted when they see gift-wrapped gems.

5. Buy from vendors that ship items packed in gift boxes. It will make gift wrapping easier.

6. Limit your purchase of holiday items to avoid having to hold an after-Christmas sale.