Retail Display: Put some Method in the Madness

Do you think that putting together an effective retail displays is a matter of common sense? If so, then you’d be right. But it’s also much more than that. In fact to create a truly great visual merchandising display requires the application of a little scientific method – It’s not rocket science… it is retail science.

An ineffective or unclear display will confuse and frustrate customers. Regardless of how interested, or even intrigued, they may be with the product on display, this confusion and frustration always ends up impacting negatively on sales. You need to put some method in that madness!

In the following paragraphs I’ll outline some basic principals of merchandising that’ll have your customers clear headed, in control and, most importantly, reaching into their pockets to take home what’s on offer. So read on…

Clearly, products displayed at front of your shop will receive the most interest. More specifically, you can think of the critical zone as a 3 – 4 metre semi-circle around the entrance of your shop. This is the red zone! It’s the only display area that will determine in a shoppers mind whether or not they even want to enter your shop. It’s on this valuable piece of real estate that dreams are made… and broken. So it’s here that you need to display your top sellers and any of those wonderful little products, that may not be the cash cows, but tend to evoke fascination and interest amongst your customers.

Well considered shop window displays grab the attention of passers by and act to draw them into your shop. Poorly considered window displays have the opposite effect. Ensure that your window display is kept fresh by redesigning the display every couple of weeks - even more frequently during peak shopping periods – and make use of some bright colour or something that contrasts with the surrounds. If you have the budget, some movement is a great ploy. Whether this be in the form of an old fashioned mechanical- style display, or an LCD screen loaded with fresh content should be dictated by the appropriateness of the technology to your product or service range.

A general rule of thumb is that products displayed on tables and walls will move! Of course the product must be appropriate for your clientele, but display hangers on walls are an effective way to highlight new products as they fall directly in the customers’ line of view. If you are planning interior renovations, think about building more wall space. If this isn’t in the budget, the next best move is to use display shelving to increase prime display space and group products into product or style categories.

People need to be able to move freely through your shop. It’s important that they have space to stand a little back from your shelves, take in the entire display and then move in closer to handle the products on show without having to be constantly thinking whether somebody else is trying to squeeze past.

About 1500mm to 2000mm is a good spacing while the display racking itself should be no higher than 1500mm. An investment in good quality shelving or racking can save you a lot of frustration in the long run. A quality product will be designed to facilitate day to day maintenance and add some flexibility to your display.

The pricing and ticketing of your products must be as uniform as possible. How often have you been in a shop, found an item that is of interest only to be unable to find a price? If there is not a staff member in the immediate vicinity you are likely to just walk away. This is an area where it is imperative to make it as easy as possible for your customers. Remember: If it’s easy to shop, then it’s easy to buy!

At the end of the day, great displays equate to great sales. So don’t just throw product on the shelves and hope for the best – that’s madness. We are all creatures of habit, so play on that desire for order and understanding with a little sharply focused Retail Science. Then all there is to do is to sit back and listen to the register ring!