Displays Offer Rooms for Improvement

Parents are willing to buy some items sight unseen, but most want to touch and examine the crib where their little one will rest its head. This can present a challenge for smaller storefronts that don’t have the space required for extensive display. While some boutiques can’t put together an entire nursery in their small spaces, they can set the scene by displaying a smart selection of eye-catching pieces that are sure to make the entire set a must-have.

By focusing on a showpiece, your store doesn’t need to stock accompanying accessories like changing tables, dressers, and linens; simply feature the ability to special order them as needed. Cutting down on inventory also means you can feature a variety of cribs and offer an array of options more similar to a big-box registry store, without the overhead and space needs. The Giggle Guide^® starts you thinking about new ways to display and use furnishings with picks from Martinek BéBé, Arte M, and tinitikes.

Spotlight on Luxury with Martinek BéBé

If you want the attention-grabbing “WOW factor” for your store, go to Pat Martinek, owner and operator of Martinek BéBé. Pat’s elegant and classic style generates the perfect atmosphere to create interest and boost sales. Pat’s business savvy and design inspirations led her to form her baby furniture and linens manufacturing company.

On top of current trends, Martinek BéBé offers wrought iron products in a variety of designs — including the award-winning round cribs. An oval cradle, so different in appearance from the standard, is also an eye-catching hot item. Other popular furnishings include Pat’s hand-forged cradles, armoires and other baby-oriented pieces.

After having been in the business for a while, Pat noticed that display fixtures lacked the style needed by her clientele. Along with Martinek BéBé, Pat now designs and produces a line of elegant store fixtures with eye-catching finishes. She created 1StoreFixtures.com to produce and market them for storeowners.

Products include clothing racks with bunny and crow tier finials, etageres, shelving, wall displays and display tables, including her award-winning 3-tier table. For more information about Pat Martinek’s store fixtures, please visit www.1StoreFixtures.com and for more information about Martinek BéBé’s cribs, cradles, armoires and baby furniture, visit www.martinekbebe.com

Arte M Makes Fantasy Bedrooms a Dream Come True

Some parents will eschew the antique for whimsy. Arte M was founded for the “Young Citizen” and focuses on modern room concepts tailored for a trendy, price-conscious clientele. While it is now offering everything to outfit an entire house, the young citizen will benefit the most from the artistic license.

Want to capitalize on the popularity of the “Pirates of the Caribbean”? Look no further than the Capt’n Sharky setup. Displaying just one piece of this amazing collection will have little pirates begging for a sleepover with their mateys. It features furniture in driftwood finish, ancient-looking metal handles, and real secret compartments.

If parents and children favor a tamer tale, Arte M also features Felix the Bunny with the travel case design borrowed from the book, and Princess Lillifee with tons of pink and glitter. The furniture is also designed to “grow along” by transforming: the play table transforms into a drawing table or desk, the stool offers three different seating heights, the bunk bed turns into a single, and the changing unit to a high board.

With more than 20 accompanying accessories, picking just one to display will surely peak the interest of your clientele enough to ask about the others. Start dreaming at www.arte-m.de/english/segments/kids

A Walk on the Wild Side: Personalized Shoe Chairs by tinitikes

When a child outgrows the cradle or Capt’n Sharky, look no further than tinitikes. With sturdy statement pieces, tinitikes is a leading manufacturer of unique personalized children’s furniture and accessories. Specializing in movable furniture, products are durable and used as bedroom and playroom enhancements. All those wonderful pirate toys won’t be visible to your older child’s friends during sleepovers when you have an exclusive sofa toy box to hide them away and provide a comfy landing place for the guests.

Talk about display opportunities! Having a bright pink high-heeled shoe chair is sure to grab the attention of anyone entering the door, especially knowing there’s a more masculine alternative in the hightop sneaker. Operating in a Western state? Why not opt for a display of a cowboy boot chair? Hey, if you sell the boots themselves, you’re using a chair as a display piece anyway.

Choose a display that highlights the customization options of these pieces, including the variety of fabrics and personalization available with embroidery. You can even see the swatches online, so you can offer your customers a look on the spot while still in your shop. Other products range from kids’ bean bags, sofas, sofa sleepers, and video rockers.

Imagine all the possibilities! Visit www.tinitikes.com for more details.