Beat the February Blahs

February is that charming time of year when the snow is losing it's allure and the romanticism of the holidays is long gone. For some, Valentine's Day shines bright for a few moments, but President's Day isn't going to ring anyone's bell — except for those who get a day off. So, what do people need to do to enliven a boring time of year? I say light up those candles and have a party!

Generally, February is the month for retailers to renovate, repaint, or refresh their stores; to clear out the old and welcome in new merchandise for spring. But other than V-day, a birthday, or a dinner party, there really isn't any traditional incentive to buy gifts at this time of year. To sell in February, you have to start out on a different track. Show customers a new, fresh way to display decorative items in their homes when entertaining.

Start out by pulling together all your candles and candleholders — sale, clearance, new, old, it doesn't matter — to create a "boutique" display of mix-and-match pieces. For years I did this in my home on a weird table made from the wing of a Porsche 930 Turbo. An energetic painting was hung low over the table, and all my candles were grouped close together. The table always got lots of compliments.

You can create the same kind of display in your store, either against a wall, in your window, or freestanding on the floor. For a wall display, pull a table up to the wall and hang an interesting print, painting, or wall hanging no more than 8" above the tabletop. Then arrange a bunch of candles and holders of different colors, heights, shapes, and sizes on the table. If you have candles that have been discolored or chipped, take off the plastic wrap and toss them into a wide mouth vase so they spread out nicely. And jam a few into the center, to add height.

To set up this display in a window, suspend your artwork or fabric panel from the ceiling so it hangs just behind and 6" to 8" above the table. Make sure the back of the picture is covered by a similar piece facing into the store. Create a similar candle display on top of the table. Make sure to train a minimum of two spotlights on the display to make it glow.

The same display will also work beautifully in the middle of the selling floor. Position the table so it will receive some overhead spot lighting. Hang two big pictures or fabric hangings back-to-back over the center of the table.

You can also use a piece of sheer fabric as a backdrop inside the store. Staple the fabric to a 1"x2" strip of wood or sew a pocket on one end and slide a wooden dowel through the pocket to create a rigid top. Attach the dowel to the ceiling with eye-screws and ceiling clips if you have a recessed ceiling. If you have a plaster ceiling, use toggle bolts to secure the dowel. Usually the biggest problem with the drilling is that plaster dust falls into your eyes. To avoid that, poke a hole in the center of a box top and drill into the ceiling through it. The box top will catch the falling dust.

If you create a party theme for February, you'll want a catchy sign announcing that you are a party oriented gift shop. After consulting my handy Thesaurus, I found some words that will really grab customers' attention: celebration, festivity, fete, affair, soiree, and bash.

"Great Gift Ideas for Your Winter Soiree" may tell the story — but I'm sure you can come up with something more clever. Have a window display geared to items you can use for a party, including a pyramid of fabulous gourmet foods. These can be presented as either gifts or food to serve guests. If you want to show them as gifts, create a tabletop display with five gourmet gift items plus wrapping paper, curly unfurled ribbon, and a pair of scissors ready to cut and wrap. Have one gift already wrapped to show the end result.

A "Sense of Spring" window sign will tell people you're putting out garden decor items early. To go along with the window display, paint a corner of your store a bright color that shouts "Spring!" A few good shades from Benjamin Moore are limelight 2025-30, fresh cut grass 2026-50, or hibiscus 2027-50. If you have wooden shelves, paint them in a pink semigloss. But be sure to look at each paint swatch under your own store's lighting before you brush it on. A pink-based color can end up looking like Pepto-Bismol under the wrong light.

(Resource: The Web site www.thesignshopinc.com is an excellent source for signing for your interiors or windows. If you have an idea, ask Jeannie at The Sign Shop to design something based on your concepts.)

Sparking up February is more than throwing a few hearts around the store. Think about the party concept and push Spring decor items. Making an effort at this time of year will help create excitement among your customers, and maybe even enliven you and your staff.