bright ideas

while the risk of skin cancer is much greater today than it was 20 years ago, due to the thinning of the earth's ozone layer, people are spending more time enjoying the outdoors—often without adequate sun protection.



Melanoma is one of the fastest-growing forms of cancer in the United States and, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), new melanoma cases have more than doubled over the past two decades, with an estimated 6,900 American deaths from the disease in 1994. One out of every seven people born today risks developing skin cancer during his or her lifetime.

The EPA suggests that when people go outdoors, they wear sunglasses that block 99 percent to 100 percent of UV-radiation, wear tightly woven clothing, always use sunscreen, avoid the midday sun, stay away from sunlamps and tanning parlors, and wear a hat.

Because our business is selling the outdoor lifestyle, we need to educate our customers about what they can do to make the outdoor experience safe as well as fun. People seem to understand the benefits of using sunscreen, wearing good sunglasses, wearing clothing that covers the arms and legs, and avoiding afternoon sun. But, when it comes to wearing hats, they may not know what to select. Retailers have an opportunity to provide valuable information about sun-protective hats, while adding interest to the product mix and ringing up additional sales.

Many manufacturers in the outdoor market offer hats that provide adequate protection from the sun. General guidelines when choosing hats for sun protection include hats with brims that are at least 3 inches wide to protect the eyes, ears, face and back of neck. Legionnaire-style hats with a back neck drape and a front bill are also recommended, as are tightly woven straw, fabric and felt hats with wide brims.

To ensure that the weave in the hat is tight enough, hold it up to the sun. If you can see light through it, it will not offer the needed protection. Baseball caps usually don't shield the back of the neck, the ears or the cheeks—areas where skin cancers often appear. So, in general, they're not very good for true sun protection.

But even if you bring in an assortment of sun protection hats, it doesn't necessarily mean that you'll automatically sell them. You'll need to employ creative merchandising and display techniques to capture your customers' attention.

1. Start by taking stock of your sun-protection products. What are you presently carrying? Sunscreen, UV-blocking sunglasses, long-sleeved tightly woven shirts and pants are probably in your current stock. If you carry these items, you're on your way to creating an effective and interesting free-standing floor display just in time for the start of the summer season.

2. Choose a spot near your check-out counter. Use a T-stand for hanging protective shirts and pants. Make it the axis of your display. Sunscreen products can be shown grouped on wood, metal or plastic crates placed to one side of the T-stand. The same crates can be used to show hats, although, a traditional hat tree (with a mirror) placed on the opposite side of the T-stand would be more convenient for customers.

3. Tie the display together with signage. You can construct a large paper sun and hang it from the ceiling over the display. It could be a simple piece of fome-core cut in the shape of a sun and painted. Signage placed on top of the T-stand and hat rack should explain why sun protection is important.

4. Information about sun protection is available from a number of sources, but one of the best is the Internet. The EPA provides an attractive Web page (www.epa.gov/spdpublc/uvindes/uvactioh.html) that walks people through the steps they need to be protected from sun exposure. It's visually interesting and can be downloaded and mounted to use as signage in a display.

5. The National Weather Service calculates the UV Index on a next-day basis for dozens of cities across the United States. It is an indication of the degree of caution one should use when working, playing or exercising outdoors. You can access this information on a daily or weekly basis and post it on a white board adjacent to a display of sun-protection products. To learn more about the UV Index, call the EPA's Stratospheric Ozone Hotline at 800/296-1996.

6. Keep your sun-protection creams, glasses, clothing and hats in a visible, high-traffic area so that you establish your store as the source for UV information and products. It's a good way to remind your customers about the importance of sun protection, and they'll appreciate the service you're providing.