Displays - Gems on Display

March 21, 2013May 2, 2023

Display Booth Tips for Jewelry Shows

Getting ready for a show can be a lot of work! There are so many things to remember as youÔÇÖre preparing for a long day (or weekend!) in your booth selling your products. In order to make things a little easier for you, we’ve put together a basic list of display booth tips to help make your preparation easier. Please feel free to add to this list (or detract from it) based on what you’ve found works best to streamline your display booth process.

-Carrying case and trays with appropriate liners (with your jewelry, beads or gemstones in them, of course!). Not only will this help with transportation, but by already having your products in trays, you’ll be able to save on precious set up time and get right to selling. DonÔÇÖt forget that ring foam liners placed on top of your jewelry will keep it from rolling around in the tray while traveling. This will really cut down on your set-up time when you arrive to the show! Have you seen our video on how to do this handy trick? Find it here!

-Mobile-friendly displays really help make packing and transporting easier. Look for displays that are lightweight, easy to transport, or that will pack flat. Folding necklace displays or┬ápop-up displays are great options.

-Tables that are lightweight enough to transport easily but sturdy enough to hold your products.

-Table covers that are a color or pattern that will add to the look of your displays and make your products stand out.

-Consider setting up small lamps on your tables to accent your products. Well-placed lighting can really draw attention to your products! You can find attractive, inexpensive, battery-operated lamps on Amazon, or at Target and Wal-Mart.

-Use risers or small objects placed underneath your trays to add height to your displays. This will give your displays dimension and make it easier for people to view your products.

-Backdrop. HereÔÇÖs an easy-to-make backdrop tutorial. This can be extremely helpful in keeping out any ÔÇ£background noiseÔÇØ from other booths or people walking around behind your booth.

-Large plastic containers can be extremely useful for storing mobile displays, table covers, risers, and lamps. It is helpful to streamline your display booth as much as possible by keeping everything organized and accessible.

-Booth emergency bag containing lots of water, healthy snacks, first aid kit, sunglasses (or an umbrella, depending on the weather!). We think chocolate is a good idea to have on hand. 😉

-If possible, try not to do a show alone. Not only is it helpful to have another person there, but it’ll make the day more enjoyable.

-Finally, bring a good attitude, even when you’re having a rough day. Your customers will really appreciate being met with eye contact and a smile. When they know you care about them being there, they are more likely to purchase something from you.

What’s on your essentials list for jewelry shows?

March 5, 2013May 2, 2023

7 Tips for Effective Selling

Without sales, it’s impossible to have a successful business. We’ve compiled a list of 7 tips for effective selling that will make the shopping experience better for your customers while making your life easier! What are your tips for great sales and happy customers?

1. Greet your customers when they walk into your store or up to your booth. A friendly smile and eye contact let them know you truly care about them. Even when itÔÇÖs been a frustrating day, stay positive!

2. Have a well-organized booth or store. Believe it or not, when customers arenÔÇÖt overwhelmed by too many products or extraneous things and are able to easily find what they want, theyÔÇÖre more likely to buy them.

3. Make certain products are clearly labeled with the price. Selling is a yes or no question, and if a customer canÔÇÖt find the price tag, their answer is far more likely to be “no”. Avoid an instant ÔÇ£noÔÇØ by performing the simple task of putting price tags on your products.

4. Not only is pricing important, but so are signs! Make things easy for your customers by using signs to direct them to key areas of your store or specific parts of your booth. Use signs as sales aids to show customers where to find things such as new products and special deals.

5. Attention to detail in your displays. Create displays that draw people in, paying attention to color choices, backgrounds, orientation, and other visual merchandising aspects. Product presentation matters! Arrange your items in an attractive, logical manner so that customers don’t have any trouble finding what they’re looking for.

Gems Tip: Try using jewelry trays and liners to keep items organized. And donÔÇÖt forget that trays arenÔÇÖt just for jewelry! They can be used to organize a whole range of items from ties to sunglasses (and much more).

6. Show them how to use your product. People like the experience of buying, and you can involve them in the process in a variety of ways. For example, do you sell beads? Have a display with a bead necklace on it so that customers can visualize how the beads will look around their neck. Are you going to an art show? Bring your jewelry making tools with you and work on something in your booth!

effective selling tips — Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

7. Listen to your customers. YouÔÇÖll learn a lot about what they want if you listen to what they say. After all, it’s important to remember that selling is all about giving people what they want. The easier it is for them to find what they want, the more you’re going to sell.

February 21, 2013May 2, 2023

Visual Merchandising: An Eye for Color

You donÔÇÖt ┬áneed to have an eye for color to be able to put together an eye-catching display!

There are a few simple guidelines to follow when dealing with the colors in your displays. Keep reading for a few quick color basics to keep in mind when youÔÇÖre putting together your booth, window display, jewelry displays, or even your packaging colors! The colors you use in your displays will help dictate your customersÔÇÖ moods, and influence them to buy (or not to buy), so itÔÇÖs worth spending some time learning about how to effectively use color in your displays.

1. Have a knowledgeable use of color. ItÔÇÖs important to remember that specific colors are associated with certain industries or holidays. Even if itÔÇÖs springtime and sunny, a combination of green and red is probably going to make your customers think about Christmas, so if thatÔÇÖs not your intention, itÔÇÖs probably not a good idea. An example of an industry that has a color associated with it would be the environmental industry. It is often paired with the color green, which (depending on the shade) can make customers think of things in terms of fresh, natural, and organic. Be aware┬áof choosing colors that match your intent, or at the very least, that do not cause an impression you never intended to create.

green — Image courtesy of zirconicusso at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

2. ┬áBright and warm colors are attention-grabbers, while cool colors are more soothing and calm. This certainly does not mean you should never use cool colors in your displays; can you imagine only brightly colored displays? It would overwhelm the eye and confuse the customer. Carefully placed splashes of color, however, draw the eye to key areas and products. Displays should also have a good balance of neutral tones to avoid overwhelming customers. ┬áAlso, if youÔÇÖre not looking to excite your customers (you might be going for elegance, subtlety, or calm), cool colors might be what you want to use.

3. Colors affect peopleÔÇÖs emotions. When choosing colors for your displays, think about what emotions you want to bring out in your customers. How do you want your customers to feel so that they are more likely to buy your products?

My Visual Merchandising has an excellent color chart that explains the emotions colors evoke, as well as how and when to use them. This article also explains various color schemes and how they work.

4. How about background colors?┬áThese are just as important as colors utilized in the front of a display! The background color is oftenÔÇöbut not alwaysÔÇöa neutral color (white, black, and beige are very popular, especially for jewelry displays), and should be an unequal blend of both warm and cool colors for the best effect. Although backgrounds should have a dominant color, when creating a booth or window display it can be good idea to have more than one color to avoid a dull background. Your background should push your products forward and not detract attention from them. For example, if you have red jewelry and a red background, your jewelry is likely to get lost in the background instead of standing out.

necklace display — Notice the difference of effect between the black and white display background?

For a jewelry displays, if you have brightly colored jewelry, and you really want it to pop, a black or white display will help the jewelry to stand out.

Notice the picture to the right and how different a white pearl necklace looks on the black and white backgrounds. It creates a different feel on each display!

If we were to place the pearl necklace on a beige display, the look would be different, too! The beige and white would give it a feeling of beauty and elegance since they are colors similar to the pearl necklace, while the black really makes the white pearl stand out and catch your eye since it is a darker color.

For some great examples of color in displays visit us on Pinterest!┬á

January 22, 2013March 4, 2013

Visual Merchandising: 4 Ways to Attract Customers

How is visual merchandising used to attract customers? Or, before we answer that question, what IS visual merchandising? Visual merchandising means creating an atmosphere in your store through displays, sensory messages, colors and lighting, product placement, floorplan, etc., that will attract customers and keep them interested. ItÔÇÖs about creating an environment that logically flows and is aesthetically pleasing at the same time; itÔÇÖs setting your store up in such a way that it generates more sales. Put differently, visual merchandising is the silent salesperson in your store that shows your customers where products are, how to use them, what to pair with them, and how theyÔÇÖll feel when they use them. It can be as simple and basic as the cleanliness of your store showing customers how much you care about having their business, or dig deeply into how they think and will respond to where product is placed on the shelf.

ID-10051975 — (Image courtesy of digitalart at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

ItÔÇÖs important to give time to visual merchandising because not only has it been proven to increase sales, but also helps you build a customer interest and engagement. The easier it is for people to navigate your store and find what they want (or find things that are interesting), the more likely they are to buy something.

Since visual merchandising is a vast topic, weÔÇÖre going to break it down into a few posts to be able to go more in depth on these topics that are so vital to the retail world. To begin, here are a few key areas to focus on for effective visual merchandising:

1. Sensory messages. How does your store smell? What music do you have playing? WhatÔÇÖs the overall ÔÇ£feelÔÇØ of your store? Most importantly, are all of these things in line with what youÔÇÖre selling? For example, if youÔÇÖre selling elegant, high-end jewelry, chances are youÔÇÖre not going to have Hello Kitty posters on the wall, boisterous pop music playing in the background, or the scent of bubblegum in your store. However, if your product is jewelry for young teenage girls, it might be the sensory feel you need. Be careful to send your customers the right sensory messages!

ID-10079321 — Color is also a sensory input and can influence moods just like smells and sounds can. (Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

2. Show them how your products will look at home. Especially for jewelry or fashion stores, itÔÇÖs important for your customers to be able to see how theyÔÇÖll look in your products or how they will use them at home. Otherwise, why buy them? Use displays that accurately depict how a product is used or worn, keep mirrors handy for seeing items they try on, and make sure lighting is conducive to good viewing.

Have a jewelry store? Display jewelry sets with a combo display so that customers will get a feel for how items will look paired together.

3. Change displays often. At a minimum, changing display themes every other month (6 main themes per year) is recommended. ┬áIf you can manage it, itÔÇÖs a good idea to switch displays around weekly (or monthly, if weekly is too daunting) so that customers will always be seeing something new when they enter your store. Seeing new products when they enter your store will keep them coming back to see what else you have to offer.

4. Clear focal points. DonÔÇÖt overwhelm or confuse your customers by having a display that doesnÔÇÖt have a clear focal point or any visual balance (especially in window displays!). If they are having to look all over to find the point of a display, they wonÔÇÖt stick around. WeÔÇÖve read that the average customer only views a display for 2-5 seconds. While this may not be true, it does give us an idea of how little time people spend looking at a display. If they canÔÇÖt figure it out what youÔÇÖre trying to convey very quickly, theyÔÇÖll move on to a display that does.

risers — Remember the rule of three. People tend to view things in sets, so if you have a tall display, have a "tall, "taller", and "tallest" element. Risers are perfect for helping to achieve this effect.┬á

November 21, 2012March 18, 2013

Travel Show Tip | Keeping Jewelry Secure

Traveling with jewelry can be a tricky thing. You probably spend enough time getting your jewelry ready to travel by carefully packing your pieces in jewelry trays and placing them in your carrying case, and you don’t want to spend more time re-arranging everything when you arrive. Guess what? You don’t need to! Rick shares an excellent travel show tip for how to keep your jewelry in place while you travel, so that when you arrive you’re able to pull it out (just as you left it) and start selling!

November 16, 2012May 1, 2023

Holiday Wish List

There are a few items that we have on our wish list this holiday season, and we just couldn’t wait to share them with you. We’ve picked our top 5, but we’d love to hear what is on your wish list!

5. Jewelry Attache Case III. This is perfect for the person in your life who travels with jewelry or does shows! Holds rings,┬ánecklaces, two half-sized velvet pads and has a key lock for safe-keeping.

4. Jewelry Attache Case II. A larger version of #5, this jewelry case also has a combination lock and two full-sized velvet pads for displaying!

3. Rotating Metal Earring Stand. This rotating earring stand doesn’t just work as a great store display! It’s the perfect gift for the woman in your life who loves her earrings and wants to keep them organized. It holds up to 96 pairs of earrings, and has some beautiful metal detailing at the top.

2. Combination Stand. This beautiful stand is a great gift for someone who loves to be organized with their jewelry. Holds up to 20 pairs of earrings and 20 necklaces.

1. Wooden Bead Display Organizer. Do you know someone who loves beads? This is the perfect gift! This bead organizer allows them to organize, store, and display their beads in a simple and elegant way.

September 20, 2012March 18, 2013

Ideas for a Great Display Case

CREATE a showcase display that will capture the interest of your customers while highlighting the unique qualities of your products with these three simple ideas for a great display case. It doesn’t have to be difficult to create a display that you (and your customers) will love.

1. Stick with basic colors, such as white or black. White tends to be the most popular choice for showcase displays because of it’s elegance and simplicity, but black can be a great option for lighter colored jewelry that you want to stand out.

white earring display — White displays are a popular choice for showcases.

2. Choose the appropriate height for displays. Since display cases dictate the height of your displays, you’ll want to choose display items that aren’t too tall. There are many displays that are created especially for display cases, such as showcase trays, or items like this mini necklace bust that still allow you to display necklaces without the height of a typical necklace bust.

This mini necklace bust is perfect for display cases!

3. Keep away from clutter! If you try to put too many things into a display case, your customers won’t know where to look or what to buy. An easy way to direct their attention to particular items is to utilize signs as┬ásales aids. A well-placed sign will catch the eye of your customer and pull it to the product you’d like them to focus on.

September 14, 2012September 14, 2012

September Lookbook

It’s September! Being outside in the cooler weather (before it gets too cold!) has inspired our September product shoot. We feel that fall is full of lovely inspiration for displays with all of the colors, smells, and scenery. Since art show season is in full swing, we’ve focused on some fun ideas for showcase displays, and these products are all easily transportable and can be used in a showcase. Be inspired!

ring display — Texture is important in a great display. Set off your jewelry with the right textures!

creative ring display — Use creative displays to center attention on your pieces.

bracelet display — We love the use of this antique wooden crate with this bracelet ramp! Adds texture, color, and style.

showcase display — Don't forget sales aids! These work great inside display cases.

See the full┬áSeptember Lookbook.

August 24, 2012May 1, 2023

3 Fall Picks

Fall Picks

Can you believe that fall is right around the corner? It seems like we should still be picking cucumbers from the garden, swimming in the lake, and packing for vacation!

Of course, fall is exciting, too! Pumpkin cookies, changing leaves, cooler weather, and brand new fall displays. We have a few of our favorites for fall that we’d like to share with you! The following three products are among our favorites, but we have a feeling we’ll have a few more for you before the fall season is over. These linen displays in particular draw our interest because of their ability to match with honey gold tones or deep chocolate browns, which are appearing in many fall color schemes this year!

1. We just love this bracelet display! Can’t you see it stacked with sparkly bracelets all the way up to the wrist? Use your creativity when building a display with this piece in the center. It’s a fantastic way to display several bracelets at once, and to grab your customer’s attention with a unique display that won’t take away from your product.

2. How about rings? It can be a challenge to keep rings organized and easy-to-be-seen, so we’ve searched far and wide for a product that is beautiful and functional. Here’s the ring display we love, and you can choose from three color options depending on your style!

3. We haven’t forgotten about earrings! Our fall pick for earrings are these earring t-bars. We think they’d be perfect in a boutique, or any type of creative, unique display. You’ll love how they make your earrings stand out.

August 16, 2012May 1, 2023

Go Away with a Mobile Display

Doing a lot of traveling to shows this year? Keep everything organized with a collection of mobile display items from Gems! This month we are featuring the 91-4B Premium Carrying Case with Wheels,┬á which holds 12 of the black stackable trays (TY-0011-BK), and a variety of you-pick-what-fits-you tray inserts. We have inserts of all types, from compartments to rings to velvet liners.

Traveling can be stressful, especially when your mind is focused on your show. You can keep part of that hassle to a minimum by keeping your jewelry, gems, or beads organized and ready for display. Take away the stress of wondering how you are going to get your products to the show safely ┬áwith a carrying case! Our featured carrying case has a pull-out handle and wheels for easy transportation, as well as a dual zipper side-loading design that makes pulling the trays out easy. It measures 16″ x 9″x 13 1/2″. Need something bigger or with different features? We have a wide variety of other carrying cases┬áthat are sure to meet your needs!

The featured carrying case holds our stackable black trays to keep them from sliding around in the case, but you are able to choose the type of tray liner that best suits your needs.

Carrying beads or gems? Give the gemstone tray liners a try!

Carrying bracelets, earring, or necklaces? Find a┬ácompartment liner┬áwith the right number of compartments for your products!

Wait, we’re forgetting rings, you say? Not for a second! We have an entire category dedicated to ring tray liners just for you!

Don’t forget to browse our┬ávelvet tray liners for displaying, too. Simply place jewelry on the liner for an instant elegant display. Any of our full-sized tray liners will fit into a regular-sized tray because we know how important it is for you to be able to customize your tray inserts.

Here’s to stress-free and organized traveling!

If you have any questions about the best carrying case or inserts for your products, give us a call at 419-830-3104! We know our products and would be more than happy to help you find the perfect option. For display inspiration, check us out on Pinterest.┬á