Decanting success in retail product sales

We all look for different ways to boost retail sales, and a local salon that my wife went into this weekend had a brilliant idea, which I'm not too proud to nick and share!

Her hairdresser always tries to sell her retail products, and she usually resists, except this time, she was given an offer combined with a great idea - she was sold a *huge* bottle of a liquid hairspray (in a pump bottle), but the hairdresser suggested that she decant some of it into a smaller spray bottle to keep in her handbag to make it more convenient for use on the go.

This is clever in a couple of ways - firstly, if it is in her handbag, she will use the product on primping trips to the loo, so she'll use far more spray than she would ordinarily (so will use up the big bottle quickly and return to buy more).  Secondly, the hairdresser has sold a big retail product with a hefty price tag (and hefty margin!) so she's on the way to hitting her sales target more easily.

For most salons, this approach can be used for a wide range of products - huge bottles of moisturiser which can double as hand cream for chapped hands in the winter months, shampoo to take to the gym, etc.  You could even stock some of the little bottles for people to buy alongside their products - your local Poundshop should have packs of customs-friendly travel bottles that will serve the purpose brilliantly.  If you assume that these will cost about 25p per bottle, you could even give them away free with the larger products - a slight dip in margin, but you'll sell more, bigger products.

For more ideas on boosting your retail sales, download the www.salon-docs.com retail training podcasts (like a 'teach yourself French" CD, but to help you sell more retail products!) http://www.salon-docs.com/Podcasts.htm, or indeed, plan ahead for the traditionally quiet January and February by planning extra marketing with our Marketing podcasts.

(Blog posted on www.salontweet.com)