Getting Creative With Clothes Hangers

They hang up your clothing and they do a fine job, but clothes hangers are burdened by necessity. It’s very rare for a shop to really use them to their full creative potential. There are ways of sprucing them up and inventing new purposes for them – from displaying much more than only clothing, to creating eye-catching and artistic focal displays.

In the competitive world of the retail industry, it’s time for you and your products to truly stand out. Particularly in a world where more people are turning to the web to purchase items, you need your shop to provide an atmosphere and experience that deters them from converting to the keyboard.

Here are some of the ways you can use these merchandise accessory staples to do just that.

Make Them Colorful

Most standard hangers will come in a limited selection of colors, however with wooden ones, there’s no excuse to not get painting. Choose bright colors and patterns to really stand out, or those that match your branding, but avoid employing too many different colors and patterns so that they are not clashing.

Spray paint can be acquired cheaply, and is quick to use and dry. Alternatively, tinned paint will do the job too. When spray painting, only spray in a well-ventilated area. Craft patterns by using masking tape to cover any areas you do not want painted or use a steady hand and fine bristled paint brush for intricate designs.

If you want a more vintage look you can cover your hangers with fabrics. If you are handy with a needle and thread why not add a luxurious kitsch feel by adding wadding as padding?  Additionally, you could apply patterned sticky back plastic or wrapping paper for bold and quirky patterns. All of these materials can be bought cheaply from craft stores.

Find New Ways To Display Items

The norm is boring. When out shopping (or scouting the competition) how often do you come across shops that are benefiting from hangers for any more than its traditional use? Think outside the box to create intrigue among your customers and encourage sales. After all, the more inventive methods of showing off your products are going to be more appealing.

Instead of utilizing wall hooks for pictures or portraits, use a hanger with some of your merchandise hung from it.  This works well for little gifts on strings or ribbons or jewelry attached to small hooks that have been drilled into a wooden hanger. You can also easily hang scarves in this way too. Bend it to construct a shelf structure for books or similar items. If you have clip hangers, why not attach handmade cards or prints that you sell? The possibilities are vast; it all just depends on the things that you sell.

If you have a catalog or brochure, this can also be displayed by supporting it over the hanger from the centerfold. This will draw eye-level attention to the cover in particular and may encourage customers to take one home to browse your full range.

Create a Piece Of Art

As hangers are synonymous with shops, another way you can be a bit different is to generate pieces of art instead of purely for product merchandising. These artworks don’t need to be complex; they simply should to be interesting to gauge customer interest.

By utilizing wire hangers, a pair of pliers and wire cutters, you can bend and cut them into all sorts of shapes and structures. Form interesting wall art or combine an artistic piece like a mobile with your main displays. On top of this, with clip hangers you can attach photos to them to produce a gallery around your store.

Hopefully these ideas have inspired you to think about the options available when it comes to using your hangers creatively. By investing a small amount of time and money, you can transform the look of your store – from the clothes rails to the merchandise displays.

This post was written by Andrew Moore from Shopfitting Warehouse, UK suppliers of Retail Equipment, Display Solutions & Storage Solutions with over 130 years of expertise in shop display.

Photo provided by Amy Meadows, who led a team of students through a “retail facelift”. Discover more about their story here.