Do you remember the show Today's Special from Nickelodeon?

I know you do! This was from way back in the day! There was this mannequin (i forgot his name) and a black girl name Jodi and this retarded puppet who worked as a security guard at the store. Well I guess you would put this "magic" hat on the mannequin's head and he would come to life.

Weren't there some kids on there too? I'm old. Is there anyone else out there who remembers this show? No one else I know remembers it, except for my brothers. We used to watch Pinwheel too.

I remember it too, but I don't think there were any kids on it. Jeff was the name of the mannequin, and there was also Muffy the mouse.

I can't remember the old security guard's name to save my life.

New Retail Store Promotion

Once you open a retail store, you will need to establish a routine. Your routine will cover opening the store, greeting and taking care of customers, merchandising, stocking, taking inventory, counting the money, keeping the books, managing employees and closing the store. Let us not forget taxes and all of the other aspects of business management. This can be a lot to take on by yourself, so hopefully you have some good employees or a partner to help you out. Here we will focus on another aspect of running your business.

A lot of business owners and managers will be happy when they get into the routine of taking care of their retail store. This helps things run smoothly and checklists are helpful to make sure nothing is left undone. Do not get stuck in that routine. It is a mistake that many companies make and by the time they decide to do something about it, their business is lacking interest and traffic. Take matters into your own hands and help to establish your business as an exciting place to go.

Promotions are the way to go when branding your retail store. You want to set yourself apart from the competition. You need to draw eyes towards your store front. You need to peak interest with enticing displays and new products. You want to set the standard for excitement and an ever-changing mood in your store.

Think about the most successful stores. They change up their displays at least weekly. They display new products out in front of the store and in their store windows. The most dedicated shoppers shop on average once a week. How many times do they pass the same promotions and window displays in a month? If they do not see anything changing, then they do not have a reason to stop. Promoting items that you want to sell and keeping them rotating helps keep the interest of even the most dedicated shoppers.

Setting the standard for excitement and promotions can have a lot to do with your window displays. Mannequins are bar none the most effective way to get your point across. They not only display a product in an attractive way, but they give mood, feeling and personality to all of your products. They help to not only promote a single item, but an entire outfit. This can include purses, jewelry, hats, scarves, shoes, socks, backpacks, cameras and even umbrellas or toys.

The mannequin has historically drawn more customers than any other marketing item in retail clothing stores. Use mannequins around your store and in your window displays to keep it fresh and interesting for your customers. That attention that you get will have customers checking you out just to see what comes next!

About the Author

About the Author: Ron Maier is the Vice President of S & L Store Fixtures, a leading provider of retail store displays and store fixtures, including slatwall accessories, mannequins and more. For more information, please visit www.slstoredisplays.com.