Guest Author: Deanna Thompson, Head of Strategic Operations at Marque Luxury

Selling luxury goods is unlike any other category of items you sell. When you apply industry best practices for displaying luxury items you not only create an excellent customer experience but you’re also enabled to loan more for items and sell at a higher price.  

Our team at Marque Luxury has decades of combined experience in the luxury goods space and the resale market.  

We’ve put together a list of easy to execute best practices that will help your luxury items stand out so that you sell your items quickly at the best price possible.  You can also watch our webinar that goes into further detail on how to buy, sell, and loan handbags with confidence.

5 DO’S & DON’T FOR LUXURY ITEM IN-STORE DISPLAYS

1. DON’T mix luxury items with everyday items. DO create a dedicated space.

This is one of the most common mistakes we see when we observe in-store displays.  

Mixing luxury goods with other categories of items presents two key problems for pawnbrokers. First, the item isn’t noticeable and can be easily missed by consumers in your store. Second, the luxury item loses its high value, exclusive feel.

Consumers want to feel the same way about their investment whether they are purchasing a pre-owned luxury item from a pawnshop or a new item directly from the brand.  

Creating a clean, attractive dedicated space for luxury items reinforces the value of the item and helps the customer feel more confident in their purchasing decision.  

Click here if you are interested in learning more about common mistakes that pawnbrokers make when valuing Louis Vitton Products.

2. DON’T lump all items together. DO organize the display by brand or style.  

This is an easy way to improve the shopping experience for consumers in your store.  

Simply display the bags in an intuitive way – grouping the items according to how most consumers shop: by brand or by style.

This simple change to your display makes the purchasing decision less overwhelming. Your customers can easily find and compare the items they are interested in.

Another way to simplify the customer buying experience is to advertise your luxury handbags online! Click here to read another article by Deanna Thompson to find out how to increase in-store and online traffic.

3. DON’T lay items on top of each other. DO stuff bags and display on bag stands.

This tip is so simple but has a significant impact on the effectiveness of your display and the attractiveness of your items.

When the bags are stuffed or displayed on stands, consumers can “window-shop” the items quickly and with ease and are better able to visualize what the item will look like when they are using/wearing it.

You’ve invested thousands of dollars into the luxury items themselves. Don’t take away from the value of the item simply because it’s displayed in an unappealing way.

Standing and stuffing the bags is a simple way to get the bag to sell itself.  

4. DON’T display with a "busy" or colored background. DO display items on a lightly colored, neutral background.  

The luxury item should be the focal point of the display. Colored, patterned or busy backgrounds distract the eye and reduce the effectiveness of the display.

Think about your display like staging a house. Real estate agents advise clients to paint the inside of their home in warm, light, neutral colors for a reason. It’s inviting, it looks clean, and it reduces the chance for distraction.  

5. DON’T reinvent the wheel. DO mimic the look of leading luxury brand displays.

Leading luxury brands spend millions of dollars researching the best way to display products in order to attract consumers. Leverage the research from these companies by mimicking the way they display items in their stores.

Visit luxury brand stores or other pawn shops in your area that lead the way in selling luxury goods. Take note of store layout, how items are displayed, lighting and store colors. Every one of these factors impacts how a consumer feels when they enter your store and influences their willingness to purchase, as well as the amount they are willing to pay for an item.

EXAMPLES OF GREAT & NOT-SO-GREAT IN-STORE DISPLAYS

Check out the examples below to see how different pawnshops are executing the dos and don’ts of displaying luxury goods in their stores.

Example 1

Problems:

• Cluttered space.  
• So many fantastic items in this store, but none are noticeable.
• Different categories of items are mixed together.  

Solutions:

• Take some items off the floor.  
• Be more selective in what’s displayed.  
• Create dedicated spaces for different categories of items or create one space for luxury items.  

Example 2

Why this display works:

• Luxury bags have a dedicated space.
• The display case is well lit and is against a light-colored neutral background.  
• Items are standing upright, stuffed appropriately.

• Logos are forward-facing.
• The display case features a decal of the 3rd party authentication company.

What could be improved:

• Group the bags by the designer or by the style of bag.
• Remove the luxury brand boxes. These can be used as fillers if a display case is sparse. However, this display case doesn’t need them given the number of bags.

• Organize with large bags on bottom rows and smaller bags near the top.

Example 3

Why this display works:

• Luxury bags have a dedicated space.
• Glass display case holds highest value items.
• Items are standing upright and easy to see.

What could be improved:

• Better lighting on top shelf of display.

• Group the bags by the designer or by the style of bag.
• Some bags are overstuffed.

Example 4

Problems:

• Bags are difficult to notice.  
• Bags are slumped over.
• Cleaning supplies are left on bag display.  

Solutions:

• Draw attention to the bags with a small ad stand or flyer on the display cases.

• Stuff bags or display with bag stands.  
• Remove cleaning items from view.

Example 5

Why this display works:

• Luxury items have a dedicated space.
• Clean, attractive display of items.
• Cases showcase brand logos and create height.

About the author

Deanna Thompson is the author of The Beginners Guide to Luxury Handbags and the creator of Closet Full of Cash, the first and only blog dedicated to the luxury resale industry. Deanna speaks nationally at conferences on authentication and how to get into this industry.

Deanna previously owned two successful luxury resale businesses and got her start as a trading assistant on eBay years ago. Her passion for education within the resale industry is what drives her and is currently the Head of Strategic Operations at Marque Luxury.

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