staged4more.com Blog

I surprise-visited little raspberries recently (so the owner won’t clean up before I show up hee hee, I can find out how they really organize the store…) which is a infant & children’s resale boutique that I had a couple consultation sessions with back in January. The owners didn’t have much money but they had been acting on my suggestions from our consultation sessions and working toward making the store more organized and transforming into the space that they dreamed about when they first bought the store last December.

Formerly known as Darla’s Baby Boutique, when mr. & mrs. raspberry bought the store, the original owner was weary of the space. Her heart was no longer in it and the customers felt it. The store was disorganized and messy. The inventory wasn’t working. The sales had plummeted. I felt very inspired after listening to mrs. raspberry about her vision for the store and how she wanted the store to be a space for the community. That’s something that I model my business after, so I glad took on the challenge. The store carries both resale and new inventories, as well as very bulky items such as strollers, play structures, etc. which can be tricky when it comes to organization. Also, when I was at the store for the first time, the paint job was very outdated, pealing and faded. Moreover, the display were messy and dis-organized. The inventory looked drabby and outdated. We knew it was going to be quite a challenge when we first met.

We decided that the scope of the project would include:
*Shopping assistance
*Redesigning the space
*Redesigning the shopping experience for boutique’s clients
*Creating a community space
*Streamline the inventory flow process to increase profits
*Cosmetic changes such as color consultations, furnitures, etc.

We were only able to meet twice, however, they had made a lot of great changes following my suggestions:

Here are some photos when we first begun:

Here is some after photos (still work in progress but I am SO proud of what they had done and how far they had come!):

By organizing and designating areas for different merchandise, the store feels more open and easier to go through for customers who often have 1 or 2 kids in tow.

Adding the shelvings (from IKEA), makes the merchandise more clear to see and easier to access for the customers. It also elevates the storage space by pulling everything up vertically.

3-tier racks really helped to maximize the amount of inventory for consumers to buy.

The clothes are now sorted by age & color groups. Making it easier for the consumers to shop.

All the large items were displayed neatly which made the store & space felt bigger and more pleasant to shop.

De-cluttering the counter helps to give the consumers a more professional feel. Also it’s easier to purchase and highlight the so-called “impulse buy” items on the counter.

All the used video tapes and educational tapes are organized neatly for easy-browsing.

The large shelvings (again, IKEA) really helped organized the Story Corner, which can be hectic and chaotic after a few visits. They also help to maximize the space and storage available.

I am just SO proud of how far along the store has come! Now the store’s floor plan feels much easier to navigate as a shopper, and also the flow of energy just feels so much lighter and smoother. A little cosmetic change can actually go a long way. The store also had a mini-repainting job down. The customers can feel the difference in energy as well! I googled the store under its old name, and found a few reviews about the store: