# Need some display feedback.



## Guest (May 4, 2009)

I'm soaping like a nutcase trying to get a good inventory of CP soaps for the salon I assume ownership of on Friday. Once the minor renovations are done, I plan on adding CP soaps and other bath products to the retail area. 

My question is this - what is the best way to display the soap bars. I want to do something more creative than just shoving onto a shelf or in a case. I was thinking about having the actual soap logs there and slicing them on request and putting them in paper pouches or boxes upon sale. 

I want them to be displayed as something really, really special - like fine chocolates - but want my display to show the variety of scents and colors in the line. 

Any suggestions for creative displays?


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## Lindy (May 4, 2009)

One of the things you could do is buy some really nice soap dishes and disply one of each soap on it's own dish - then have a placard in front of it with the name, ingredients and price per bar.  You could still cut from your logs if you wanted just have them soaps themselves display real pretty, and it would also allow people to handle the soap and smell it.


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## topcat (May 5, 2009)

I agree Lindy - people love handling an unwrapped bar of soap!

Soapmommie - why not have a look through the threads in the Craft Fairs & Shows section?  I know a market stall is not the same for you, however you may get ideas from seeing those pics and be inspired as a starting point?

Tanya


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## jeffp2007 (May 5, 2009)

Lindy said:
			
		

> One of the things you could do is buy some really nice soap dishes and disply one of each soap on it's own dish - then have a placard in front of it with the name, ingredients and price per bar.  You could still cut from your logs if you wanted just have them soaps themselves display real pretty, and it would also allow people to handle the soap and smell it.



I agree. A sample bar is a must.  
Cutting the logs on spot seems like a great idea. I would feel as if I were purchasing "fresh" soap. I think that would help draw in the naturalists. Fresh food, fresh ingredients, fresh fresh fresh. Of course, thats considering you dont use any chemicals in the soaps as well.

When I was cutting my soap from my batches I got a some varying sizes. I was told that different sizes can be different prices. Some people like big bars, some like small.  If you had a scale there you could charge per oz. of soap. That would be pretty neat. Catering to the customer.


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## Tabitha (May 5, 2009)

Since your salon has that retro 50's feel to it I would stick w/ that. I do think customers enjoy watching you slice from the loaf. That way they can also controle the size, 1 inch, 1 1/2 or 2.. You could go 1 of 2 ways. You could get an item like an old pink ringer washer, lay a large cutting board across it, pile the loaves on top  & slice logs as needed or the oposite end of the 50's sectrum, get some old serving trays, maybe silver, maybe not & have your loaves on that & slice away. You could incooperate a silver cream bowl to hold your biz cards, maybe a sugar dish for a sign holder...


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## Guest (May 5, 2009)

I wouldn't recommend cutting the soap on the spot for a few reasons, the main one being a log of soap will take a lot longer to cure than cut bars.  Water will take a lot longer to evaporate out of the log, shortening the soap's lasting power.

Another reason is that cutting is time consuming, and on a busy day you probably won't want people waiting in line to have their soap cut, while you go back and forth removing and replacing different soap logs, when they could just take the bars they want from the shelves and buy them that way.  Not to mention cutting soap makes a mess with the crumbs and the need to wash your cutting tools.

Why not just wrap each bar of soap nicely, tie it with some raffia and display it in a special way?  I think your customers will respond better to nicely packaged and displayed soap than they would to having it cut fresh from a loaf.


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## Tabitha (May 5, 2009)

Daniel, when and where have you sold soap off the loaf to come to that conclusion? I have not experienced any of those issues/problems in my ventures.

It has been my experience cutting soap on the spot will at a minimum double sales in salon or high end settings. Those customer bases are looking to be pampered and are paying for hands on custom experience/entertainment. People who don't even want soap will buy it just to watch the show :wink: .

I do not find it to be messy & if the worst thing that happens is there is  a line of people out the door waiting to buy soap than you know you are a success! I doubt there will be a line though, appointments/customers are scheduled and staggered and really, how long does it take to slice, bag & label a bar of soap?  20 seconds? It's way worth it! Go with your gut.


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## Guest (May 5, 2009)

Eh, just my 2 cents.  I don't know about "appointments" but I once worked in a busy silver boutique in an uppity old town part of the city.... those people didn't like to wait when they had lots of money to spend.

Aside from cutting, bagging and labelling the soap, I think about moving loaves from the shelf to the counter to cut, and back again, and keeping everything neat and tidy in the process, especially if someone decides they want one of everything.  These are just my thoughts... she asked for feedback so I gave her mine 

Really my main concern would be the cure time for a loaf vs. cut bars.  It would definitely take longer for the soap to dehydrate as one big loaf rather than cut bars.  

I do agree that people would enjoy the "show" of it all, could definitely be a unique and memorable experience that people take home with them.

Like you said -- go with your gut!


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## Dixie (May 5, 2009)

OH I would LOVE to cut mine on the spot!! But I was afraid the loaves would get too hard to cut?


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## Tabitha (May 5, 2009)

Daniel, I don't think I meant that the way it sounded. It sounded like you were telling an account of 1st hand experienced & I did not recall you having sold any soap yet so I was wondering where you had set up. I get it now that it was an assumption. You are right about not wanting to move loves back & forth off counters, that is a pain. You would want a stationary soap station. That is why I suggested a ringer washer, or what about a big butcher block table?


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## Guest (May 5, 2009)

If your shop is 50's style , how about using old restaurant ware , or milk glass , the low stainless  or glass sundae dishes , melmac dishes , they had some way cool designs  for bowls and small plates and shapes back then.If you had room for an old chrome table , that could be your cutting area.
Just throwing some ideas out there for ya.

Kitn


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## Guest (May 5, 2009)

Tabitha said:
			
		

> Daniel, I don't think I meant that the way it sounded. It sounded like you were telling an account of 1st hand experienced & I did not recall you having sold any soap yet so I was wondering where you had set up.



No worries... cutting from a loaf does sound cool, I just think about the mess I make cutting soap into bars here at home.  Soap crumbs everywhere.

I still say a soap loaf will take a lot longer to cure, though.


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## Dixie (May 5, 2009)

You guys forgot about me   How long before you think a loaf gets too hard to cut?


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## Guest (May 6, 2009)

Dixie said:
			
		

> You guys forgot about me   How long before you think a loaf gets too hard to cut?



If it is castille ,3 days , ask me how I know.


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## Guest (May 7, 2009)

You guys all rock...you've given a lot to think about and ponder.

I love the thought of having the ringer washer in the shop and cutting the loaves there. 

These are fab ideas.....I'm so excited.....

We will be the ONLY salon in the area that makes and sells its own handmade soap....and we plan on marketing it hard.


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## KSL (May 7, 2009)

Hoping you'll be too busy to handcut soap, but I love the idea of having a giant butcher block and getting your soap hand cut.  That would be such a nice nostalgic touch to your salon!

On the other hand, there is a point about it being messy and busy - but you know what they say.. along with tabitha's thought.. people are drawn to crowds, so if you get a line up of people buying soap, there's sure to be the nosy types that will wonder what all the comotion is about & line up and buy some too!  

I would totally buy from a salon like that! 
You could also mix it up and have your "regular" soaps that you sell, you know, people always know that you have say, a certain soap in stock.  

And on those creative days, you could sell limited edition soaps and hand cut them, charge by the gram or what - have - you.  You could even get one of those old fashioned scales, and then wrap them in butchers, wax, or kraft paper just like at a grocer.... =)

Maybe too much work, but that's my 2cents =)


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## Deda (May 7, 2009)

Just a thought, but Primal Elements soaps are cut by the inch.

I considered doing uncut logs at the market, so I left a very ugly log of Lilac soap to dry for a couple months. Sibi can tell you how UGLY that log of dead fish grey soap is.  I wanted to see how hard it would be to cut.  Well, I just cut it.  It wasn't so awful hard that it couldn't be done, no crumbling or breaking.  It was harder to cut than fresh soap, but that was expected.  It was a consistent color throughout the bar.  I soap with a 40% solution so I may have less evap to worry about than someone who soaps at 27% or even 33%.

Anyway, worked great.

Good luck on the shop!  I can't wait to see it!  I know it will be awesome!


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## Guest (May 7, 2009)

Deda said:
			
		

> I soap with a 40% solution so I may have less evap to worry about than someone who soaps at 27% or even 33%.



I forget how to do the math on this.  What's your water percentage (of your total oils)?


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## Lindy (May 7, 2009)

Actually there is a spa here that cuts soap right off the log.... they have great success with this technique.


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## IanT (May 10, 2009)

love the idea of cutting on the spot, you could turn it into a whole theatrical thing...people love theatrics (especially when they want to spend money)....you need to do something that A. sets you apart from others and B. people will want to tell/talk to their friends about.


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## studioalamode (May 21, 2009)

One of our local flower shops was selling handmade soap by the slice.  They had it on a butcher block near the counter.  Several different loaves were available, and the customers hand-cut their own bars then the staff weiged them and wrapped them at the check-out.  Seemed to be a neat system, and customers liked cutting it themselves.  

But all ideas here seem to have merit in one way or another!  In any event, good luck!  I think selling soaps in the salon is a fab idea!


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## heartsong (May 21, 2009)

Danielito said:
			
		

> Deda said:
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lye x 1.5 = water (40%)
lye x 2 = water (33%)
lye x 2.5 = water (28%)


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## Guest (May 21, 2009)

Danielito said:
			
		

> I wouldn't recommend cutting the soap on the spot for a few reasons, the main one being a log of soap will take a lot longer to cure than cut bars.  Water will take a lot longer to evaporate out of the log, shortening the soap's lasting power.
> 
> Another reason is that cutting is time consuming, and on a busy day you probably won't want people waiting in line to have their soap cut, while you go back and forth removing and replacing different soap logs, when they could just take the bars they want from the shelves and buy them that way.  Not to mention cutting soap makes a mess with the crumbs and the need to wash your cutting tools.
> 
> Why not just wrap each bar of soap nicely, tie it with some raffia and display it in a special way?  I think your customers will respond better to nicely packaged and displayed soap than they would to having it cut fresh from a loaf.



I agree with Daniel, I've brought loaves from Naturalsoapwholesaler and I cut the log at my daycare to give a worker a peice to take home and it was smushy, It was much better when I cut the peices at home and let them dry out and firm up


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## Guest (May 21, 2009)

studioalamode said:
			
		

> One of our local flower shops was selling handmade soap by the slice.  They had it on a butcher block near the counter.  Several different loaves were available, and the customers hand-cut their own bars then the staff weiged them and wrapped them at the check-out.  Seemed to be a neat system, and customers liked cutting it themselves.
> 
> But all ideas here seem to have merit in one way or another!  In any event, good luck!  I think selling soaps in the salon is a fab idea!



Now I like the "cut your own" ideal, if it doesn't result in alot of waste


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## Tabitha (May 21, 2009)

> I cut the log at my daycare to give a worker a peice to take home and it was smushy


Soap from a reputable source, allowed proper cure time, would not be smushy. I hope you made contact with them to see why it was like that.


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## heartsong (May 21, 2009)

*x*

may i suggest maybe some old fashioned footed glass cake stands? the ones with the glass covers.

 maybe have some presliced and ready to go, and then display the soap loaves too, if someone would like a "custom cut"?

kind of like at a deli-they have whole hams and ham slices, too.


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## Tabitha (May 21, 2009)

Heartsong,

That is how I do mine. I have loaves on display w/ a few slices cut off each laying in front of it's perspective loaf. The customer can grab a pre-cut slice or ask for a larger/smaller piece.


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## Tabitha (May 21, 2009)

alamode,

Whole Foods Markets  allow customers to cut their own as well. The soap is on the edge of the produce dept so you can cut/bag/weigh your soap as if were fresh produce. People do seem to enjoy the interactive experienece.


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## heartsong (May 21, 2009)

*x*



			
				Tabitha said:
			
		

> alamode,
> 
> Whole Foods Markets  allow customers to cut their own as well. The soap is on the edge of the produce dept so you can cut/bag/weigh your soap as if were fresh produce. People do seem to enjoy the interactive experienece.



my only fear would be someoe cutting themselves and wanting to sue.

trust me from experience i've made several trips to the ER! once trying to open a box with the box cutter reversed, chopping turnips at the sink, and then trying to pry meat out of a coconut shell!

i don't do well with sharp objects and i no longer run with scissors! LOL!


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## Tabitha (May 21, 2009)

I would have that fear too! 

Customers at Whole Foods use a crinkle cut cheese cutter to slice their soaps, I am sure they have plenty of insurance & lawyers on staff to handle that issue that might arise also.


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## Guest (May 21, 2009)

Tabitha said:
			
		

> > I cut the log at my daycare to give a worker a peice to take home and it was smushy
> 
> 
> Soap from a reputable source, allowed proper cure time, would not be smushy. I hope you made contact with them to see why it was like that.



they send instructions when you buy it that you must slice it and let it dry out at least three days.  I've washed with it and it's fine, no complaints.


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## Deda (May 21, 2009)

phillysoaps said:
			
		

> Tabitha said:
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Phillysoaps, given your limited soapmaking experience, please grant me the opportunity to give you a little advice.  

Soap should never be mushy in the middle once the soap has cured.  If you purchased this soap from a reputable source it would have been properly cured for at least a month and shouldn't be mushy, smushy or soft in the middle. If it was it wasn't properly made, discard immediately and seek medical attention. :wink:


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## Guest (May 21, 2009)

Deda said:
			
		

> phillysoaps said:
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www.naturalsoapwholesale.com  I like his stuff :wink:


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