Some clothing stores give them away. Other clothing stores reuse them. But every clothing store depends on them to show off the latest fashions. What are they? Clothes hangers. The clothes hanger was invented in Connecticut by a man named O. A. North in 1903, and the world of clothing storage would never be the same.

Now, more than 100 years later, there are literally hundreds of different styles of clothes hangers, but still never one around when you need it. There are clothes hangers designed specifically for every type of clothing from bikinis and lingerie to shirts, skirts, suits and slacks. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be made from a number of materials including plastic, wood, wire and satin.

We all use clothes hangers daiily, without much thought to their value. But in the world of retail sales, the clothes hanger is one of the most important sales tools in the store. Think about it. You are out for an afternoon shopping trip with friends. You spot a dress that seems to scream your name from across the store. You walk closer, take it off the rack, turn it around a few times, and decide to try it on. But why? Maybe you liked the cut, the pattern and the color. But chances are you were initially drawn to that dress because of the way it was hung. Would have it caught your eye if it had been folded up on a table or placed on a regular plastic clothes hanger with one strap hanging off? Probably not. This example illustrates the power that the clothes hanger has in a retail environment as a sales tool.