There are easy changes and updates you can make to help create a store environment that is designed to move products from your store to customers’ homes. To top it off, there is little to no cost involved in implementing these changes… other than your time, of course!
From obvious tips to not so obvious ideas, consider the below points to help you give your store a merchandising face lift… while only taking a little bit of time.
- Use signage. Signage is a classic – and obvious – way to help capture customer attention. But the catch is how you create and use your signs. When preparing signage for your store, use consistency so that all your signage blends together. A great way to do this is to pick a signature color, such as Tiffany stores have with their baby blue boxes, and repeat that color through all your signs. Imagine the difference a lime green sign with bold, black lettering makes versus a white sign with Times New Roman letters. Using sign holders is a must, as well. Fun frames from a local home store are a great way to add character to your shop signage and overall environment. Simple plastic frames do the trick, as well. Tape holding your sign to a shelf? No. Please, no… no… no. This screams cheap and lazy to a customer, and unless your store can be defined as cheap and appealing to lazy folks, pass on the taped signage to your shelves, doors or walls. To sum it up, think clean, crisp and professional in appearance. The signs will individually stand out in their designated spots while cohesively blending in from an overall perspective.
- Use light. Overhead lighting can be so “blah”. Rarely does it do much for merchandise, not to mention your own appearance. Instead, consider other lighting options that can enhance your product and add a whole new ambiance to your store. Accent lighting can highlight high-ticket items or be used to showcase products on sale. Case and shelve lighting helps customers see often challenging spots in the store more clearly – therefore not missing any merchandise during their store visit. Adding a dimmer to bright lights is sometimes all you need. There is no single formula for lighting that you should follow, but instead incorporate what details you believe can help your unique store stand out. Just keep in mind that like products, even lights can clutter a store. Too bright is no good and too dim never works. Find a happy medium that will let your merchandise shine.
- Use space. No one wants to feel jammed between one display and another. Give your customers some breathing room by creating an easy-to-walk, easy-to-shop environment. Optimal spaces that customers will naturally be drawn to include the space immediately to the right of your front door, anything within 4 1/2 and 6 feet high from the floor and island style fixtures. Research tells us that these retail points are among the most shopped, making them the most favorable opportunities for merchandising inventory. Evaluate your existing floor plan and rearrange necessary fixtures to accommodate this strategy. Remember to allow breathing room for your customers to comfortably enjoy your store. Comfort translates to sales, so there’s no time to spare here – get started in your store re-vamp in an effort to increase your register dollars.
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