How to Devise a Merchandise Concept

Focus, Focus, Focus

What’s a focused merchandise concept, and how do you devise one? First, develop a tag line that’s concise. An effective tag line conveys at a glance what kinds of products prospects can expect to find in your catalog or what kind of experience they can expect to have.

Tag lines such as “expect the unexpected” or “making life more convenient” are too broad for someone who’s going to spend only a few seconds deciding whether to keep or discard your catalog. But tag lines such as “the nation’s leading discount healthcare catalog,” “inspired design for the home” or “office supplies fast and cheap” give a clear sense of what’s inside, and help provide a label for the “mental hanging file.”