Merchandising 101: How to Improve your Store Display

It’s time to start thinking about how you can stand out from your competitors! One of the best things to do to increase your sales is to strengthen your store merchandising strategy. Visual merchandising is all about how you present your products, and each retailer has its own unique practices when it comes to showcasing their products. From sleek and minimalist approaches to filling shelves with endless possibilities, your merchandising strategy should align with the preferences of your target customer. Changing up your store layout and presenting products in a more appealing way will help attract more customers into your store.

If you want your store to be on top of its game, here are our 3 top tips on how you can improve your store’s merchandising.

#1 Understand your customer's needs

Always put your customer first when making a crucial decision. Put yourself in their shoes and take a walk around your store. Take note of what you see, where your eyes are drawn and if there are any distractions. This is a great way to see your store through different eyes and will help you determine whether your displays are too chaotic or too empty. Anticipate your customers’ needs and bring them to life, along with infusing your brand’s story with it.

Customers want to see, smell, touch and absorb all that is around them, and the main advantage of a physical store over online stores is their ability to spark emotion and tap into shoppers’ senses. For example, at Christmas many shoppers don’t know what they are looking for and can hope to be inspired by what they see. Having your top seasonal gift placed on a riser, block or plinth can help encourage a purchase and makes it stand out amongst the sea of other products.

#2 Create a focal point

It’s very important to develop a focal point as customers are enticed to enter your store. It’s all about experimentation and seeing what works for your product lines. A focal point allows the customer to comfortably navigate your store and helps to point out your key promotional products.

A great way to successfully create a focal point is to use risers or display cubes for varying levels of dimensions. The product needs to be centre and closest to the front in order to create a focal point. Utilise your lighting and don’t be afraid to combine various levels of risers to make a stunning visual effect.

Colours also spark emotions, when aesthetically combined they make people feel inspired, happy and they can bring comfort and can lead customers to a certain part of your store. Look around your store and note which colours grab your attention. Ensure the colours you have in your store are appropriate for your desired scene and are on brand.

#3 Tell a story

Simply displaying an array of gifts isn’t going to inspire your customers. Whether its lighting, layouts, window dressing or POS, merchandisers need to master the art of storytelling. Think about your mission as a business and what messages you want to convey. Is there something unique about your product range? Do you have an interesting heritage? Speak to your customers’ imagination; what can your products do for your customers? How can they enhance your customers' life? Use these answers to make your customers part of your story.

Why is visual storytelling important?

• 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual
• 80% of people remember what they see
• 65% of the world's population are visual learners
• People can make sense of a visual scene in less that a second

We hope these tips become useful to you! You can also explore our wide choice of retail display stands including spinners, crate displays, a-frames and countertop displays for easy and effective merchandising. Our displays simplify the merchandising process by offering fun and cohesive options for selling your favourite lines.

Click here to shop our displays