store design and implementation(long post)

[lori042499]

I am currently trying to reconfigure the storage, design and office sections of my store. Currently I use the front cash register computer terminal as my office and design area. this is also to the far right corner of the sales floor in a 250 square ft space. Needless to say it gets very messy and cluttered, I know, big no, no. This is the reason for reconfiguring.

When I took over this place, there was far too much overstock and I had to be very clever with the space. I cleaned up the front and decluttered the area and filled up the back as storage and design. Problem with that is my design bench is against the back wall of the design area and my back faces the customers when i need to make something(I hate this). I feel it is rude and it is impossible for me to talk with them and get friendly while they are waitinf for something. So came to be that I use the front counter as my design bench. Plus the bench is tall enough for me unlike the real design bench in back...

I do have a computer terminal in the design area but have never used it because there was too much storage stuff to be a functional office desk area...now that I have worked off alot of the overstock, I can begin to reconfigure spaces that make sense.

How do you all store ribbon to make it organized, able to be seen and used without becoming a chore to replace and keep tidy??

I have heard gutters can be used but the gutters today do not work like the nice old aluminum gutters of yester year...

 

[Kristine]

we have black plastic bins we got free from a local grower (tulip bulb bins) Each size ribbon has its own bin and the bins are shelved. The ribbon stands on end so it is really easy to find the color. We keep holiday ribbon separate and what ever is left over, it gets a garbage bag over the whole bin and then stored on a bottom shelf. Oh, they also stack so you wouldn't have to shelf them

as far as the design bench in the back. Can you pull it out from the wall, turn it around so you face front? Our design tables are open to the sales area, so we can see people coming and going as we work and they can see us. Luckily they can't see the mess on the floor! Our sales counter and design counter are parallel - one behind the other, with just an isle for the sales counter, giving more space for design area.

Our sales counter is 12' long and 32" wide old milliners counter made from Oak, heavier than heavy, but a beautiful piece. every so often someone asks how much to buy, but I wouldn't sell. great way to block off the view of the messy floor in the design room.

 

[JCT]

lori, we use a modified book case that we picked up at a mill store. painted it the same color as the walls, so it blends in. it stands against our walk-in so when a customer comes in, they just see the side of it, not the ribbon. It faces our wrap bench, so ribbon is very handy. It's 8's deep, 6 feet tall. There are 9 shelves to it with the top shelves being a little smaller to hold #40 ribbons and corsage ribbon. Larger shelves hold larger rolls, and holiday ribbon when we rotate that stock in. Clutter drives me nuts, so this works great for us.

 

[lori042499]

lori, we use a modified book case that we picked up at a mill store. painted it the same color as the walls, so it blends in. it stands against our walk-in so when a customer comes in, they just see the side of it, not the ribbon. It faces our wrap bench, so ribbon is very handy. It's 8's deep, 6 feet tall. There are 9 shelves to it with the top shelves being a little smaller to hold #40 ribbons and corsage ribbon. Larger shelves hold larger rolls, and holiday ribbon when we rotate that stock in. Clutter drives me nuts, so this works great for us.

Do you have them spinning on dowels or just set onto the shelves loose??

 

[JCT]

loose. nothing rolls out if that's what your thinking.

 

[Tracy D'Amico]

Do you have them spinning on dowels or just set onto the shelves loose??

You can also attach a piece of ribbon or rope as a "curb" to hold the ribbons in. In the back we do this with bungees on a modified wire spice rack, but we've donte this with ribbon up front once before. The rolls don't really roll unless they're bumped, so the ribbon/rope is enough to keep them in place.

I also saw a shop with window boxes holding their ribbons - we do this with tin oblong containers at the holiday, portable and all that.

tracy

 

[NCPat48]

We also use a shelf which was, but the shelves slant slightly forward. to keep the ribbons from rolling off I took small small wooden molding to secure the rolls, and each shelf will, hold 2 rows. I believe our shelves are about 4 feet wide, and maybe 8-9 inches deep.

Tried the dowel peg method for a little while, but that was a real nightmare. When a roll ran out in the middle of the peg, everything on one end had to be removed to replace it.

 

[bloomery]

Gutters

Even though the gutters of today are plastic, we used them and love them -- we just made sure they are anchored to the wall with the regular supports that came with the gutters, and made a few more of our own with some heavy duty wire (think agricultural fence wire -not barbed, but heavy - coat hanger wire would work well also). Our design counters are along two walls, so we have the gutters run the length of the counter area about a foot or so from the counter height - easy to reach, yet out of the way when designing. Some areas have two rows of gutters for a double-decker type of deal. Best part - they are cheap, and easy to clean!

 

[FlowerGirl1972]

Do you have them spinning on dowels or just set onto the shelves loose??

I use the dowels for my ribbon, I have figured out over the years if you pop the little cardboard and plastic center out, then it works alot better on the dowels also. This works better for me because I don't have alot of storage/design area either, I also have some plastic snap boxes that I use to store things in, that way the carboard boxes are out of the way and they stack alot better. My shop is 1,000 sq feet that is design area and display area

 

[lori042499]

loose. nothing rolls out if that's what your thinking.

Nope just thinking messy and unorganized for the way I do things...I hate having rolls of ribbon all piled up...

 

[lori042499]

We also use a shelf which was, but the shelves slant slightly forward. to keep the ribbons from rolling off I took small small wooden molding to secure the rolls, and each shelf will, hold 2 rows. I believe our shelves are about 4 feet wide, and maybe 8-9 inches deep.

Tried the dowel peg method for a little while, but that was a real nightmare. When a roll ran out in the middle of the peg, everything on one end had to be removed to replace it.

Yeah that is what I have now and have had in the past...I hate it...

 

[lori042499]

Even though the gutters of today are plastic, we used them and love them -- we just made sure they are anchored to the wall with the regular supports that came with the gutters, and made a few more of our own with some heavy duty wire (think agricultural fence wire -not barbed, but heavy - coat hanger wire would work well also). Our design counters are along two walls, so we have the gutters run the length of the counter area about a foot or so from the counter height - easy to reach, yet out of the way when designing. Some areas have two rows of gutters for a double-decker type of deal. Best part - they are cheap, and easy to clean!

The plastic gutters seemed very wide to me and kind of flimsy. I am glad you say they work. That makes me wicked excited...