Merchandising: Don’t Be Boring

“These changes increased sales,” she says, “because the eye-catching pictures grabbed customers’ attention, and the new layout made ordering easier.”

2. Fill the gaps; recognize the power of micromarkets. Consider the long tail theory of merchandising, which says the collective power of niche products allows them to hold their own against the 80/20 rule of blockbusters. John Vitek, president of Saint Mary’s Press, a Catholic educational publisher and online marketer, continually creates products that speak to this theory.