Auntie Kate The Resale Expert

Welcome to the in-between season in your consignment or resale shop:

not much summer left since you clearanced it, and not enough fall in yet to make the shop look wonderful.

It’s enough to make your shop seem empty and your merchandise a bit lost and forlorn. But we have some simple solutions you can accomplish in a morning or so:

Suggestions on making your shop look fuller in slow seasons:

* Remove some racks from the selling floor. If you have folding racks, they will be easier to store out-of-sight. Take racks home if necessary. Don’t spread your merchandise out on too many racks.

Replacing the long brackets with short ones turns this double-hung wall into a single until the shop starts filling up with the new season’s merchandise.

* If you have a wall-hung system, single-hang categories that you usually double-hang. Reset that single rail at an attractive height, or leave the top rail in place and use it as a display by inserting a blouse or pants parallel to the wall. Be sure to accessorize your display well to make it look tantalizing!

* If there’s a bare wall where you eliminated a rack, add a two-way, a clothes tree, or even a nail from which to hang a display.

Usually they need 6 hanging racks here… look how good it looks with just one, some face-outs, and some allied merchandise!

* Remember, too, that a section doesn’t have to have a rod in it at all! Fill an empty bin with a display.

* If you simply cannot remove extra racks, fill them up with items normally on shelving. Take all your scarves from their basket or pegboard hooks and put them on clip hangers for a rack full of bright saleable items. Do you normally stack household linens on shelves? They can be hung on racks, too.

A temporary solution for a bare space. And awfully pretty, too!

* A little imagination will fill up empty areas nicely. Borrow a wingback chair from home and drape it with a pretty dress. Park your bike in the center and hang shorts from it. Split up your plastic Parsons shelving to make several low rectangular units for a few folded sweaters, a bust form with the prettiest sweater on it, and a basket of beads.

* Slow times are a good time, also, for getting organized. Check your supplies. Do you have enough for the busy season coming up? Get them now, and organize them so they are ready when you are. Investigate, too, to be sure you are getting the best value from your supply expenses. Call around or shop for them now.

How do you make your shop look fuller when you need to? Tell us below, in the comments!