Line Sheets: What Is A Line Sheet And How Do I Make Them Work For My Brand?
Done right, line sheets can be a difference maker when dealing with retailers and wholesale buyers.
What is a line sheet?
A product line sheet is an essential sales tool that brands use to showcase their products to potential buyers, whether they are wholesale buyers or retailers.
Think of a line sheet as a quick and easy introduction to an entire product line that includes product images, descriptions, available colors, size options, and, of course, the wholesale price that is available to buyers.
In a nutshell, a line sheet is a simple information sheet that a brand can hand over to a wholesale buyer to give them an instant and detailed look at an entire line of jewelry, fashion clothing, or any other product.
What does a proper line sheet look like?
The answer to this question can be a bit counterintuitive depending on the products being sold. After all, jewelry brands and fashion leaders often insist their products and marketing boast rather elaborate design elements. But this doesn’t work when it comes to line sheets.
Line Sheet Tip #1 – A great line sheet is clean and simple.
A line sheet is an information piece designed to provide the wholesale company or retailer with everything they need to know about a line of products without a bunch of pomp and circumstance. The goal is for the buyer to immediately understand the line and what it has to offer, how to order products, as well as how much they will pay to carry the line.
In other words, forget about design frills and flowery product descriptions. Make your line sheet clear and concise. Rest assured, your buyers don’t want to spend a lot of time figuring things out. They want straight-to-the-point information and answers.
(NOTE: MAYBE SHOW AN EXAMPLE. THE KEY IS WHAT EXAMPLE AND DO WE NEED PERMISSION?)
How to use a line sheet and what information to include.
Line sheets are critical for any brand looking to get its line into department stores, boutiques, or major retailers. It’s very likely the first thing a potential buyer will ask you is for a line sheet, so having one that is prepared and contains the right information and product details is essential. A good line sheet should include the following:
- Your business logo and tagline
- Product images and names
- Short product description
- Available sizes and colors
- Available options or variations
- Sales rep or contact information
- General product ordering information and terms of sale details
- Wholesale prices
- Minimum orders or any other requirements
Fashion brand, jewelry company, designer label, tchotchke maker, or any other retail business, a great line sheet will get you in the door of more wholesale and retail buyers.
Line Sheet Tip # 2 – Consider a horizontal design for your line.
Most companies will file your line sheet away horizontally, so why not design it that way? More importantly, horizontal line sheets tend to do a better job of featuring products in a user-friendly way. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but a horizontal design is certainly worth consideration.
(NOTE: MAYBE SHOW AN EXAMPLE. THE KEY IS WHAT EXAMPLE AND DO WE NEED PERMISSION?)
How do I create a great line sheet?
There are a lot of different ways to go about creating a line sheet. If your company has deep enough pockets, you can contract a graphic designer to develop your line sheets. However, if there’s a caveat to this approach, it’s that great design isn’t always line-sheet friendly. Remember, a product line sheet is all about being clear and easy to follow. Sometimes, what very well may be fantastic design is just too complicated to make for an effective line sheet.
Line Sheet Templates
Templates are another way to go about creating powerful line sheets. A line sheet template provides a basic grid form or layout in which a brand can input product photos, descriptions, wholesale pricing and other important line sheet details.
Basic templates can be built in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Adobe Photoshop. In fact, these programs may already include pre-programmed templates that can be customized or edited to suit your line sheet requirements.
Line Sheet Tip # 3: Consider different sheets for different buyers
It’s true we’ve touted the need for simplicity when designing line sheets. However, diversity can also be an advantage. After all, not all buyers are the same, so not all buyers will look at your line in exactly the same way. For example, a fashion brand might tout a mostly conservative line to a department store buyer, while incorporating a few avant-garde pieces and a slightly different line sheet to entice more eclectic or boutique buyers. As a rule, keep your line sheets clear and concise, but don’t be afraid to change things up a bit to impress different types of buyers.
Line Sheet Tip #4: Make Your Products Shine
Whether you build your line sheets using a template or not, the one element that has to stand out is the product imagery. If your line isn’t featured in great photography or unique illustrations, it will most likely go unnoticed. Make sure your products stand out in striking fashion. Like the old adage says, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Since you don’t get very many words on a line sheet, it’s important to make those images count.
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Mobile Insight® is the only retail and merchandise management solution designed to meet the brick and mortar sales challenges of high-value brands and retailers. Unlike hardware and software providers that focus on fast-moving goods, the Mobile Insight® platform delivers assisted sales solutions for more complex, interactive, and customer-centric environments. Combining data from in-store systems, 3PLs, employee and partner activity, Mobile Insight® enables informed, smarter decisions that drive sales and operations excellence. For more information, visit www.mobileinsight.com.