You need to consider what are common products on majority of your customers shopping list and then place these products at regular intervals around store. The aim is to bounce customer around store.

For example:-

Shopping List Items:

1.Milk4.Toilet Paper 2.Bread5.Detergent 3.Sugar6.Coffee

These shopping list items are often called “anchor” products.

6.Maximise Use of Your Sign Lines

Sight lines are important in all styles of layout, but are far more important in a boutique layout than in a grid layout. Positive, appealing sightlines will draw customers around your store. Sightlines should use colour, lighting and product effectively to draw customer through store.

7.Develop Destination Department

Develop destination departments in corners of your store and at furthest points from entrance and exit. Promote these departments and become famous for them.

Examples of these are:-

The Power Tool Department(hardware) The Seedling or Bedding Plant department(gardening) The Ski Department(sports cloths) The In-house Deli(supermarket)

Management Memo

Many retailers are opting for high gondolas – well above eye level. There are of course advantages and disadvantages with this concept and these are worth reviewing.

Advantages

Back up stock in ‘on floor’ and is always in sight allowing for better stock control and perhaps les labour intensive in terms of replenishment (avoids double handling to some extent).

Out of stock at lower selling levels can be replenished quicker by ‘pulling down’ back up stock. Lost sales are often averted when customer sees line on top shelf that has not been replenished below.

Visual impact and merchandise statements can be more effective.

The range appears to be greater even though in fact that may not be case.

Disadvantages

Lighting of lower shelves is more difficult and thus merchandise visibility may suffer.

Aisles need to be wider than eye level height fixtures to increase merchandise visibility – 7’ wide would be a suitable average width.

There is a tendency to an overwhelming ‘tunnel effect’ and classifications are not as easy to find due to inability to see throughout store.

Shoplifting is more likely for same reason.

Back up stock above 6’ can readily become untidy and lack cohesiveness with lines below.

Ref Peter Lalchford, Merchandising Hardware and Electrical

Firstly, real estate investing builds not only income for now (assuming you buy cash flow positive properties), but will also prepare you for a comfortable retirement. As a bonus, you also get capital increase (real estate is said to double in value every 7-10 years approximately), as well as tax advantages. And if this isn’t enough, then you can also use other people’s money to acquire it and pay it off.

Sounds like a winner all around, don’t you think?

Not convinced yet?

Well, how could we use our fluctuating income to our advantage? As farmers, on a good year we could put money in a ‘mortgage offset account’ or just pay extra off loan. This would reduce your interest payments. In a bad year, you can redraw extra equity you have in property, or properties. This investment vehicle can be used totally to your advantage (check with your accountant or tax advisor though).

I really could go on for ages about this brilliant opportunity because I am so passionate about it and it has been our saving grace over last couple of years as well as having comfort in knowing that we’re planning for a secure financial future.

I really hope you have got some benefit out of this article, at least be inspired to check it out further. Good luck in your enterprises, whatever you do, and I hope that this year is a great one for you!