The new grocery store in my neighborhood is rather massive, with two floors and an incredible selection of products. So when I needed wrapping paper for the holidays, I figured I could stop by and find plenty of choices there. However, the only gift wrap I saw was a rather sad collection of wrapping paper near the checkout area.

Thinking that I must have walked right past the good stuff, I asked several staff members if they had anything besides the box up front. The employees said that was all they carried, and seemed puzzled that I was expecting them to have a bigger selection of wrapping supplies.

Here’s the thing: if you’re going to make an effort to carry seasonal items, it pays to do it right. For instance, instead of dedicating a modest amount of space to the same junky collection of gift wrap that people could find at any number of places, make the display a little bigger and include a better selection of wrapping supplies. In other words, if you’re known for offering a diverse selection of products in regular categories, then apply the same merchandising approach to the seasonal items. That way, you’ll give customers what they’re looking for, and generate more revenues in the process.