Jill Warnock of The Travel House in Merimbula is looking forward to this week’s Retail Revamp sessions. Photo: Supplied.
A ‘visual merchandising guru’ is coming to Merimbula and Eden, as local retailers prepare for their peak trading season – due to start in a handful of weeks.
Bega Valley Shire Council is partnering with the Merimbula Chamber of Commerce to bring the magic of Carol Bagaric to town for training sessions with the retail communities of Merimbula and Eden this Wednesday and Thursday – October 23 and 24.
‘Retail Revamp’ is a structured program that helps retailers refresh their visual merchandising skills and challenges them to respond to the local and global challenges the retail sector faces.
Council’s Economic Development Officer, Alison Vandenbergh, says that Carol has worked with numerous councils and has been regularly engaged by the NSW Small Business Commissioner, Robyn Hobbs, to work with the retailers in severely drought impacted towns.
“This program receives incredibly positive feedback from regional retailers and their councils. Carol really understands the challenges of retail and how to engage with retailers to produce truly transformative change,” Ms Vandenbergh says.
“Carol will deliver a motivational and inspirational workshop session for independent retail store operators, who will learn the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of visual merchandising and how to get the ‘WOW’ back into their store.
“It will be a great opportunity to learn simple tips and tricks to improve the in-store shopping experience for customers, including what visual merchandising can do for a business; three easy steps to creating eye catching window and in-store displays; and why the simplest idea can create the greatest experience.
“The focus of this session looks at the theory of visual display and motivational ideas that will inspire and improve the way attendees can create and deliver professional presentations,” Ms Vandenbergh says.
Karyn Denaro, from Merimbula Chamber, has been working with Carol to plan a schedule of activities. She says the partnership between Council and the Chamber means that the workshops in Merimbula and Eden will be free.
“We have also made sure that the opportunity to attend the workshops is open to all – retailers do not need to be members of their local chamber and they do not have to be from the Merimbula or Eden area,” Ms Denaro says.
The ‘Retail Revamp’ workshop will be presented at Club Sapphire from 7.30 am to 9.30 am on Wednesday, October 23. Carol will then spend the day providing one on one in-store sessions in Merimbula, and a walk-around-town session commencing at 5.30 pm.
Carol will then move on to Eden on Thursday, October 24 to present the workshop at the Eden Log Cabin from 7.30 am to 9.30 am in partnership with the Eden Chamber of Commerce.
There’s more to come in the New Year, with Council engaging Carol’s services again in March 2020 for workshops in Bega and Bermagui.
To book your spot at the Merimbula workshop visit Humanitx and for the Eden workshop, register your interest by sending an email to [email protected] or speaking to Alison Vandenbergh, Economic Development Officer on 6499 2222.
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