13/08/2026
Some say, "It's too early to display Fall!" When I hear this, I think, "You're thinking like a homeowner; not as a Retailer". As Retailers, we must always be ahead of the curve in conveying who we are and what we offer. Our Customers may not be ready to buy today, but they better think of us as the source when they are ready. And when we display Fall (even in Mid July), they buy. And they will buy enough to make those gains that much larger and easier to obtain. I never had a flat or down Fall when I started displaying early. But the later I start, the more I know others have beaten me to it.
The product mix will change from pre-season on. Early, I like to concentrate on everyday decorative items that share Fall colors. There's very little risk in doing this. I already have the product on hand. All I need to add is a few definite "Fall" things to pull it together, like silk fall leaves, some leftover pumpkin pots from last year, some plants that have fall colors like Crotons, or appeal to kids like Venus Flytraps. Then as true Fall merchandise arrives, I blend it in or move onto even larger displays.
But the one thing I never do? I never hold that Fall merchandise back for "later". "Later" is now. -Erik
