By Stacy Coley

With dollar store merchandise costs jumping ever-upward, those running a dollar store must continually identify and implement tactics to make product costs decrease. Whether it is actual cost reduction, eliminating slow selling products, or improving merchandise inventory turns, there is no longer room to simply ignore this top priority.

It is almost a game of one-million questions as you begin to decide what products will go where, and how much room to allocate to each dollar store merchandise category. In this article I present 5 tips to help you begin to make decisions about the merchandise layout for your store. With the layout defined you can move on to determine exactly how much of each dollar store item to order in preparation for the start-up of your business.

1) Run aisles from the front-to-back of your store: The main aisles of gondola fixtures should run from front-to-back. This provides easy employee access and view from the front of the store where your cash registers will be located.

2) Run shorter aisles at the front from side-to-side: As you move to the front of the store you will find the right spot for cash registers. Left over space must be allocated for additional displays. Front of store displays closest to the walls will likely include more gondola fixtures. Install shorter fixtures and run them parallel with the front of the store. Once again this facilitates easy employee viewing from the cash register area.

3) Include space for lobby displays: If room allows be sure to include space in the lobby for larger, bulk dollar store merchandise displays. Shoppers just entering your store will be impressed and drawn to these giant displays.

4) Check out trade shows: Trade Shows are a wonderful provider of distributor names. Pick the right shows to gain access to the very best dollar/discount wholesale merchandise suppliers. Take advantage of trade show specials for even better one-time prices.

5) Emphasize best selling departments: If you are running a dollar store one of the areas of focus needs to be your top selling departments. While it is important to always work to improve your poorest performing departments, leverage the successful departments at all times. Never allow the best selling merchandise to run out. Promote these departments. Expand the breadth of the best selling items being offered.

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