Fort Wayne, IN – This holiday season, households in Fort Wayne, Indiana, will hang over 250,000 Christmas stockings, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. For Brian Ellis, owner of Darlington Holiday Warehouse, these stockings represent not just holiday cheer, but a significant business opportunity. Ellis has successfully boosted foot traffic to his store by nearly 7% this year, thanks to a strategic investment in a digital sign from Watchfire Signs of Danville, Illinois.
Darlington Holiday Warehouse, a 30,000-square-foot Christmas emporium, offers thousands of holiday gifts, with 90% priced at just $1.59. Despite its appealing price points and an aggressive advertising strategy involving print, radio, and social media, the store faced a major challenge: its location on a high-traffic road, but outside of typical retail zones.
“Although we’re on a high-traffic road, we’re not in a typical retail area,” Ellis explained. “We had to find a way to let passing drivers know we are here.”
To address this challenge, Ellis reached out to Creative Sign Resources a year ago. Matt Schlau, the owner of Creative Sign Resources, understood the need for a solution that was both “big and bold.” Schlau recommended a Watchfire LED sign, known for its quality and customer service, as the perfect tool to enhance Darlington Holiday Warehouse’s visibility.
The LED sign allowed Darlington Holiday Warehouse to dynamically adjust its promotions to reflect the constantly changing inventory, which can include 50 to 100 new items each week. The ability to tailor advertising to daily stock levels has been a game-changer for Ellis. “In the morning we have a meeting and ask: What are we heavy on? What new deals can we offer? And that’s what we’ll promote on the sign,” Ellis said.
The sign’s impact extends beyond just sales. Using Watchfire’s Ignite® Graphics Software, Ellis and his marketing team have created humorous and off-beat messages that capture the fun and festive spirit of the holiday season. Even when the store is closed for most of the year, the sign keeps customers engaged with countdowns and messages that build anticipation for the store’s seasonal reopening.
The results speak for themselves. For a business that operates only 10 weeks out of the year, a 6-7% increase in traffic is significant. “When you sell millions of products, a bump of 6 to 7 percent is significant,” Ellis noted. “When we invested in something this significant, we wanted a clear return. We couldn’t be happier.”
About Watchfire Signs
Watchfire Signs has been a leader in manufacturing outdoor LED signs for over 15 years, with a legacy of producing outdoor electric signs spanning 80 years. The company’s signs are designed to enhance visibility and drive growth for businesses across North America, with over 45,000 signs currently in operation.
