You know how to display your merchandise so it looks stupendous in your store and your customers see that it will look just as fabulous when they purchase it and place it in their own home. But, it may not be enough anymore for an object of home decor just to look pretty. For your customers to want to buy something nowadays and take it home with them… that something needs to earn its place in their home… it needs to do something.

That product needs to: tell the time of day; make a sound; hold books in place on the shelf; store wine bottles up and out of the way on the wall; signify their hobby; represent their interest; remind them of places they’ve been; allow them to imagine places they’d rather be; and capture their heart.

• Colorful tropical canvas pictures on round wooden backing with battery operated clocks on top of the graphic designs
• A whimsical fat chef to grace the kitchen counter that also holds a wine bottle in his arms
• A wall-hanging metal bicycle shape that has hooks for inside the front door of a cycling enthusiast’s home to place keys when he enters
• A brass porthole or boat silhouette for the wall that is also a mirror to bring in light and make a nautical-themed room look bigger
• A ship’s bell that’s classic nautical décor to place above the bar in a man cave to ring when the home team scores
• Replicas of turn-of-the century candlestick telephones that hold pillar candles in vintage style
• A storage chest with a nautical design for a beach bungalow that can be used to tuck away unsightly clutter before guests arrive
• An antique reproduction lock to serve as a desk paperweight that doesn’t just sit there, it also locks and opens with a working key
• A practical wooden cabinet with drawers that also has a painted seashore picture on the front for a decorative and functional coastal furniture piece

The same applies to gift merchandise. For the giftware item on your shelf to sell, it truly needs to be that something special for someone special. Stock those products that have that special and specific appeal.

• A figurine of a frog doing yoga to add a unique piece to a frog collector’s menagerie or give a yoga practitioner on her birthday
• A keepsake of that cute dolphin they saw on vacation to take back to the folks at home that also fits in hand and is a bottle opener
• A turtle with a magnifying glass in his back, because everyone needs a handy magnifying glass now and then
• A fine pocket compass that could be engraved and shows direction the old-fashioned way–without a wi-fi connection
• A gift packaged shamrock bookmark or fleur-de-lis wine bottle stopper for an Irish friend or French neighbor

We wanted to share with you this current trend we are seeing from serving our many customers all over the country, that is: decorative accents and gifts that serve double duty sell quicker than objects d’art or knick-knacks. Hopefully this tip will help you steer your business towards making the right profit and in the direction of faster sales.