Consumer Electronics – the art of interacting with your customers
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Let's get started >Standout retail merchandising will completely overturn your store for the better. It’s one of those things that when implemented correctly, it can have incredible effects on your foot traffic and even sales. Retail merchandising leads customers to the right products by making the purchasing process easier. While excellent retail merchandising can create a fantastic in-store experience for customers, it can actually deter people away if done incorrectly. If you need retail merchandising tips for your store, then you’ve come to the right place.
Converting people in your store into paying customers requires lots of experience and knowledge in order to be effective. For this reason, we’ve put together some tips and insights from our experts on retail merchandising. Try applying some of these merchandising tips to your retail store and reap the benefits.
Success in retail always starts by gaining insider information on your customers. When it comes to quality information that will help your sales, it’s best to go right to the source – your customers themselves. Talk to your customers as or after they’ve entered your store. Think of a hypothesis, and create a survey that verifies your assumption.
Shop windows are usually the first thing a customer sees as they approach your store, so it’s important that you capture their attention from the get-go. Shop windows also need to be welcoming and inviting, and this can be accomplished by simply sticking to a cohesive theme and steering clear of clutter. Above all, it’s important to remember that “eye level is buy level”, meaning that showcasing your key products at an elevated position will go a long way when it comes to driving sales.
Your window displays should go beyond simply displaying your products; they need to incorporate unique design to pique shoppers’ interest. Choose a solid theme, find products that match up with your idea, and display them in a fun, creative way.
And finally, the same tired display that has been used for months on end will eventually lose its effectiveness. For this reason, it’s vital that you change your window displays at least once a month, and even 2 times a month if you can. Plan your displays in advance to help fuel your creative process.
Retail is a dynamic sector, and it’s important that your business is able to keep up with the times. Keeping things fresh in your store by regularly changing products and highlighting seasonal products is an easy way to improve your merchandising strategy. Ensure that you are always putting your best foot forward with help from a merchandising calendar to help plan out each month. Got a new and upcoming product lined up? Ensure that you’re ready to change the front of your store to showcase your interesting product as soon as you can. Experts typically recommend changing your product displays once a week, and maybe even more in a busy season.
There are plenty of small changes you can make to keep your store looking fresh and up-to-date. One of our favourite merchandising tips is to create a “feature wall” that contains your newest products and a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Stick to a specific colour story and watch your store come to life. Artwork is always welcome in a retail setting, and innovation with the help of sculptures and plants may be just what you need to give your tired store a new lease of life.
Anything you can do to encourage user interaction in your store will give a huge boost to your sales. In-store technology is one of our favourite merchandising techniques to utilise, as it is a severely underused concept in many physical stores. Take innovation to the next level by personalising the shopping experience – interactive kiosks strategically positioned in key areas of the store can offer product information and guides to help the customer select the right item to buy.
Physical space in a retail shop is incredibly valuable, so it’s important that you’re using every square inch effectively. You don’t even need to use big bulky kiosks in some instances. Tablets are easy to install and can be used for any number of purposes. They can be used to effectively communicate your story in a more engaging way, upsell by showing products unavailable in store and even POS installation. However, don’t use technology for the sake of using technology; it’s important that you are clear on your objectives and use them in a way that helps your customers.
This final point may seem like retail 101, however the importance of detailed and accurate signs throughout your store is often overlooked. When looking to drive sales, making it as easy as possible for customers to find what they need will have extraordinary results. It doesn’t need to be fancy; simply point the customer to where each of your products are to minimise frustrations when shopping.
In terms of designing your signs, they should be big, bold and clear. Promotional signs should be punchy and have a clear message. Directional signs should be ADA compliant and easy to read. There’s a lot to think about when it comes to signs in your retail store, and as long as you think carefully about the messaging and the colours of the sign, you should be able to create something that is effective in guiding customers in the right direction.
Foot traffic in retail stores is on the rise again, and it’s easy to get stuck in your own echo chamber when it comes to the layout of your store. Take a step back and look at the bigger picture before committing to anything. Satisfying your customers is the main goal here, so get into their minds and decide what will make the buying process easier for them.
The above retail merchandising tips will get you started on your journey to increasing sales in your store, however if you need further guidance, get in touch with us for a retail audit. We are the industry leading provider of retail compliance audits with brands and retailers. Our aim is to provide clear insight into your retail stores and pinpoint the steps you need to take to improve your merchandising.
