1. Customers can not buy maps that you don’t have.
   It is critical for retailers to stock sufficient maps, as an out-of-stock item is a lost sale.
2. Customers can not buy maps they can not see.
   Displaying the map (even at a reduced size) is critical to inducing a buying decision.
3. Customers are not likely to buy a product that is poorly packaged.
   We all hate wasteful packaging. But a beautiful map in an ugly package will not sell easily.
4. Customers won’t buy a product that is dinged or damaged.
   Packaging must be protective enough so that handling by one customer does not damage the map for the next person who is going to buy it.
5. Customers are not likely to buy a product that they do not understand.
   Educate and inform your customers about WHY they should want a map product.
   We have explanations printed up for the maps we publish. These not only go inside every tubed map, but are available for display to customers in the store.

Here are tips to effectively display ODT maps:
Ten Thousand Villages markets fairly traded handicrafts and tells the stories of Third World artisans in North America. Quality handicrafts from 30 countries are found in its network of 200 stores. These stores use Equal Area maps (Peters and Hobo-Dyer) to represent the countries their crafts are from. Many stores prominently feature the map below the check-out counter (see pictures below), or behind the cash register. Many stores use push pins, flags, or colored stickers to help customers identify which goods come from what countries. Many fair trade stores have an educational mission, which includes increasing awareness of other peoples, countries and cultures.

Ten Thousand Villages store manager Chris Swedburg (Northampton MA) holding a tubed laminated Peters map (Retail, $29.95). Note the “extra sell” features on the display map beneath the register: (1) a laminated WEST WING plaque lets customers know the map is “AVAILABLE HERE!,” and (2) a detailed EXPLANATION of the Peters map (comes in every tubed map) is handing from a string on the right side of the map (just below Australia). If customers are waiting in line at the register, they’ll often pick up the EXPLANATION and read it. To the left of the Peters is a “What’s Up? South!” map, the world from a different point-of-view.

The Ten Thousand Villages store in Cambridge MA has a laminated Peters Map right by the front door as you walk in. The map has colored dots on the countries the craft goods come from. To the left is Karen Miller (store manager for Brookline MA), with Fiorella Triaca (the new store manager for Cambridge). Karen managed a PR campaign for the Peters Map at her store during the holiday season of 1999. This resulted in the map receiving the “Hit of the Week” Award from the Boston Globe newspaper. These laminated award plaques ( "Hit of the Week" Plaque and WEST WING plaque) are available at no charge from ODT.

The Ten Thousand Villages store in Brookline, MA has the map under the check-out counter. To the right, assistant manager Joanna Finn takes a long stretch over the counter to point out the features of the Peters Map.

The Jeffrey Amherst Travel Store in Amherst MA uses a “What’s Up? South!” map beneath the cash register counter, right next to the main store entrance. (photo at left) Note the Peters Map on display in the far background. Maps are also on display at other locations around the store, not just where the maps are sold. (photo at right)

Got blank wall somewhere? Add some color and interest with maps as wallpaper. This travel store has also built a lot of customer goodwill by giving out free Peters Map postcards with every sale. The postcards sell more maps, and make customers feel they’re appreciated for their business. Postcards are available from ODT at cost for these kinds of promotional give-aways ($10 per 100-pack).

But what about stores with limited floor space and wall space? What if you can’t display a 4 foot wide map? A perfect example of a terribly crowded store is Hastings Stationery Store in Amherst MA. Here’s what their map and travel section looks like. Wow, is that crowded! But look carefully: You can see that “Extra Sell” we talked about earlier… the WEST WING plaque and the EXPLANATION are hanging from the store’s wire display rack.

Hasting’s map buyer, Debbie Ward, has done a terrific job of stocking a variety of map products in an incredibly tight space. Customers are more likely to buy a map that they understand something about.

You don’t have to display the maps on a wall to give customers an idea of what they’re buying. At Ten Thousand Villages in Northampton they also use the Peters Map DUMP BASKET to display the maps. All the ODT laminated maps are stocked in a blow-molded plastic screw tube that is 40 inches tall. That means the top of every tube stands out visibly from the top of the colorful DUMP BASKET (which is 36” inches tall). The tube top labels can be seen here ( Peters Tube Top Label and WUS Tube Top Label). Each dump basket is only 10” x 10” square (we can custom make ones that are 12” x 12” for special high-volume stores). That means you can display 20+ maps with less than one square foot of floor space! This is a highly productive use of limited space. You can rotate the DUMP around and feature it in different parts of the store, depending upon the season and other special promotions you are offering. Notice the Peters Map refrigerator magnets to the left of the dump basket. They are only 4” x 6”. Even the magnet by itself can be an effective sales tool.

In a crowded store you can probably find some metal surface that a magnet will attach to. Put the magnet up, and it advertises the fact that the larger product formats are also available.

There are many other options for limited space displays. We have 11” x 17” (placemat sized) Peters maps with (or without) special grommets for hanging. Its even possible for us to magnetize one of these for you if that’s what you need. The grommeted maps come with a hanging key ring of map comparison panels that are very educational. These are the same ones that are printed at the bottom of the full-size Peters wall map.

ALL THESE point-of-purchase display are provided at NO CHARGE to our retailers. Whatever your circumstances, we can help you find the right tools to display your ODT maps products effectively. Call Bob Abramms at 800-736-1293 or email him at BAbramms@aol.com. Tell us about your store and how it is laid out and we’ll suggest the best ways to increase your map sales with these great sales aids. And don’t forget to ask about postcard promotions, special deals on damaged seconds, and other free give-aways we can help you provide to your customers.