Price tags come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and configurations. Some simply display an item's price, while others have a variety of additional information for sales tracking, inventory and even loss prevention purposes. Some companies print them on fancy materials with eye-catching graphics—especially high-end clothing price tags. Other companies choose to handwrite the price on white labels. With advances in technology, many grocery and retail chains now display prices on shelves rather than putting pricing tags on individual items.

With all of the different variables surrounding price tags for retail, there are several areas to consider when setting out to get price tags education and training:

1. Education includes knowing how to use price tags effectively and how to use pricing guns to apply them.

2. Emerging retail price tags technology promises more efficient and effective price tag use.

3. Partitioned price tags might not have the desired effect, while custom price tags can be a safe bet.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Understand that using price tags and price tag guns entails both smarts and safety

A look at the price tag often determines whether a consumer is willing to buy the item. In addition, you may want to use a price tag gun to apply clothes price tags. A pricing gun uses rapid motion to attach the price tag with a thin plastic fastener inserted with a sharp prong or needle. It's important to know the safety measures associated with using such pricing guns.

I recommend: Take a look at the comprehensive educational article on how to use price tags effectively at Scrapbooking.com. The State Compensation Insurance Fund offers some must-know information about pricing gun safety.

Stay abreast of the latest price tag trends and technology

Adding new inventory, depleting old inventory and marking items down (and sometimes back up) for sales and clearance events can be labor and resource intensive for retailers. Few businesses feel the effects of price changes like supermarkets, where prices seemingly change and fluctuate with the tides. New technology alleviates much of the labor associated with retail pricing.

I recommend: Learn about the emerging technology of digital price tags for supermarkets at Vator. For insight into another new technology, which uses electronic screens for markdowns, inventory and theft control in the retail industry, check out the informative article at RFID Journal.

Learn why partitioned price tags might hurt sales and how to make your own price tags to help sales

Partitioned price tags, where an item's price is broken down into categories, are popular in instances where you combine a handful of components to create the final item. Some experts believe that such price tags create more confusion than clarification. Custom price tags, on the other hand, are a simple and easy way to add your own personal touch and may impress your customers.

I recommend: Read the "Fixing Price Tag Confusion" article published by Harvard Business School to gain an understanding of the controversy surrounding partitioned price tags. There's an informative article about creating and using custom retail price tags at Consumer Help Web.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  There are a number of sites where you can buy retail pricing tags on the Internet. Most offer a variety of price tag options and accessories, and many have customer service representatives to answer your specific questions.

When buying price tags for your business, it's important to consider what's practical. You want something that's not too expensive, will easily adhere to items and will include all the information you need.

Price tags come in a variety of colors, sizes and paper finishes. Some price tags are printed simply with the retail price. Others may display the price, a bar code, and other information that's important to you.

Price tag guns vary in size and some offer multiple lines, in order to accomodate more information. Price tag guns allow their users to quickly price merchandise with a smooth label. Price tag attachers are usually used with clothing and attach a paper label to clothing.

As you purchase pricing tags and use them around your business, consider the following:

1. Are your retail price tags promoting your store?
2. Do you need a price tag gun or a price tag attacher?
3. Would you benefit from buying price tags and price tag guns from wholesale price tags distributors and vendors?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose price tags which reflect the atmosphere of your business

Most pricing tags on the market are paper tags printed with the retail price and sometimes a bar code. Color and size can vary. So, whether your price tags are printed with your logo or whether they are simple stick on tags applied with a price gun, price tags subtly convey your store's approach to merchandising.

I recommend: Consider adding your logo onto your price tags with Retail Tag Mfg. Corp. Another company, XpressTags.com, has been in the business for thirty years and offers a large assortment of tags in a variety of colors and styles. If you are unsure what type of tag best suits your needs, The Linton Company prides themselves on customer service and answering questions over the phone.

Choose price tags which are easily attachable to merchandise

Most small businesses use price tag guns and price tag attachers. Price tag guns are a popular and efficient way of labeling merchandise. Simply set the price tag gun to the price and fire away. For some retail price tags, you may want a multi-line pricing gun, which simply includes more lines of information. Price tag attachers are especially good for labeling clothes. The price tag attacher forces an opening through the price tag and piece of clothing and ejects a plastic fastener.

I recommend: StoreSupplies sells five types of pricing guns. Uline Shipping Supplies also sells a variety of price tag guns and other related necessities, such as shelving. Staples, Inc. sells a tag attacher with an ergonomic design, especially suited for clothes price tags. Sams West, Inc., also known as Sam's Club, also sells tag attachers perfect for clothes price tags and Nu-Era Group also sells size markers for clothing. Nu-Era Group also sells vinyl price tags, which can hold price tags, instruction booklets or warranties for a variety of products.

Consider purchasing wholesale price tags and wholesale price tag guns

If you move a lot of inventory, it may make sense to plan ahead and buy your retail price tags from wholesale vendors.

I recommend: Kencoe Label & Tag Co. has two catalogues. One is a label catalogue, for all of your marking and tagging supply needs. Their other catalogue focuses on store supplies, which includes price tag guns and promotional signs. Unique Marketing Distributors Inc. advertises that they "will beat anyone's advertised price." They sell pricing guns and labels as well as tagging guns and supplies.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Indoor promotional signs and outdoor signage can work in tandem with your price tags, by drawing customers' attention to key merchandise. As you buy price tags, consider buying retail sign kits as well, which can promote sales, events, and the products you want to showcase.

For any business that holds a lot of inventory for sale to customers, price tags are essential. The options for retailers and others vary, from simple, small price tags to high-design tracking tags, barcode tags and other custom tag models. Price tags are a tool that managers use for security, customer education and for keeping inventories straight. Knowing about some of the basic types and terms for price tags can help a business make good, informed decisions about what to purchase for a new business or a product expansion.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Multiple line price tags

Retailers often want a pricing gun for creating price tags with multiple lines to store more than just the price of goods, including special deals and date info.

I recommend: Find out about multiple line pricing guns for multiple line price tags at Store Supplies.

Electronic price tags for clothing

Another popular type of price tag is the kind that generally prices apparel in clothing stores. This kind of price tag usually includes not only graphical data and text for size and cost, but also security features and identifying marks.

I recommend: Find out more about electronic price tags for clothing at IP.com.

Barcode price tags

Barcode tag technology allows a much more robust system of merchandise, inventory or other business assets. Scanners pick up barcode data on a price tag or other tag and transmit it directly to a computer for efficient monitoring and data handling within any sized business.

I recommend: Get details on barcode tags at My Asset Tag.

Loss prevention

One aspect that price tags help out with is loss prevention. Good tags with security features can stop shoplifters in their tracks and deter haul-offs by shady employees.

I recommend: Get the scoop on loss prevention, including how shoplifters steal by altering price tags at Summit Loss Prevention.

Sales tracking

Price tags can also help with sales tracking: Getting an in-store capture of a price tag and comparing it with inventory over time can give businesses the kind of monitoring solutions they need. Sales tracking in retail is basically keeping track of what's sold versus what stays.

I recommend: Get more on sales tracking with consulting partners from Leadtrack.

Custom tags

Custom price tags can get a business name or idea into the mind of the shopper. With customized price tag solutions, every piece of merchandise carries another company label.

I recommend: Check out details on custom tags from IdeaMarketers.

Depending on the type of merchandise you sell, and how much it costs, you may — or may not — want to have eye-catching pricing tags. However, you will want to use them if you are in the retail business. Otherwise, customers will either constantly ask employees what things cost or become frustrated and walk out without buying anything.

There are several price tags types and styles. The kind you need will depend largely on what you're selling. However, there are some other considerations, such as your budget and if you have any promotions going on. Three to look at are:

1. Traditional hang tags, like you usually see on clothing and textiles.

2. Price stickers that you apply directly to your merchandise with a price tag gun.

3. Shelf tags that you don't attach to the product, but rather to the display beneath it.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Consider retail price tags that hang from the merchandise

Look at hang tags if they're needed for clothes price tags or you sell rugs or furniture. Customers will expect them and they won't mar delicate fabrics. To apply these tags you can either feed a string through the hole in the top and tie them to the hangers or buttons of the merchandise or attach them with small strips of plastic via a tagging gun. The string option is best if you don't want a hole in the fabric, but sometimes it is not feasible.

I recommend: Check out Retail Tag Manufacturing's selection of simple white tags. There are several shapes available. Some styles even have lines where you can write the style number and size. If you want your tags to really stand out, such as when items are severely marked down, go with something like XpressTags' sale and discount tags. They are bright red and are sure to be noticed. They also read "special sale" or something similar.

Look at stick-on retail pricing tags

If you sell crafts, dishes or other types of goods that do not lend themselves to hang tags, your best option may be sticker price tags. These tags are simple to apply. You just feed a roll of them into the pricing gun, type in your price and swipe the gun's head across the item. It will dispense the tag and even stick it for you.

I recommend: MaverickLabel has sticker price tags in five colors, ranging from white to fluorescent pink. POSpaper also has several varieties, including a pale blue and a light green. This vendor also sells price tag guns, so you can pick up everything you need in one place.

Check out custom retail price tags for the shelf

If you sell a lot of the same items and don't want to tag them over and over, you may want to buy price tags for the shelves. Then you only have to change them if the price of an item changes.

I recommend: Take a look at AAA Price Tag & Specialty. It sells plastic shelf tags with interchangeable embossed numbers. You can get different colors and there is even a fish-shaped tag which is perfect if you sell seafood. If you want something a little less expensive, buy shelf label holders from Southern Imperial. Then you can print paper price tags on your computer and simply slide them into holders on the shelves.