Let’s face it. If all consignment, resale, thrift shops looked like this:
Or this
or this:
.
no one would ever get their WANT button pushed.
So why not, instead, present merchandise in a way that makes them think
I WANT that, I MUST HAVE that!
.
.
Got some easy, quick ways to push your customers’ WANT buttons? Add it by commenting below.
Auntie Kate The Resale Expert 
So true so true Kate!!! After looking at your pictures….. I WANT that red leather sofa!!!!!!
Staging at high-end retail chains, i.e. Victoria’s Secret and Restoration Hardware reaps big $$$$. The payoff can also be big for consignment, resale, thrift shops! Way to go Kate!
I always recommend that home goods stores visit Home Goods the chain, if there’s one near them. They do an excellent job of merchandising the bits and pieces, and are a great place to watch for when to change seasons/ focus.
Even with furniture you can organize:
~ by color (color of wood, color of glass, color of fabric)
~ by function (all vases grouped together or by vignettes)
~ by size (small decor items on shelves, clearing surfaces and rounding up leftover items)
If you don’t have a good way to display it, don’t take it
instead, go visit all the shops you can until you find a solution you can adapt for your shop. If you can’t get away, take a virtual tour of web sites and look at all the pictures.
If you don’t want to clean it, don’t take it
A good consignor trained once to bring only clean items will reward you for years to come with great items that are show room ready and each person she refers will most likely have been prepped by her to do the same. Word of mouth means a lot, not just to buyers but also to consignors. They will respect you for keeping the quality high.
No febreeze here either ~ if we are watching the new arrivals for smells and dusting and polishing, the store always smells nice. I’m allergic to febreeze so it’s a real irritation to me anyway. But also, as a shopper, I don’t trust clothing stores that use it. I wonder what they are covering up?
As I said before, you must clean every item in one way or another, organize by size and then by color! Not only does it need to be eye candy, but it must smell & look good, and most of all be easy to see, and find. My motto… Iron, alcohol, and liquid gold is a shop keepers necessity! Many people say febreeze or fabric softner…. my clientelle says no…. Natural Smell is important so they don’t feel like anything has been covered up!