A good visual merchandising approach helps businesses maximize the use of their floor space and offer unique displays to catch the attention of shoppers. In the case of visual merchandising, having some products on display is better than none at all, but optimized arrangements will typically offer better results. For this reason, it's important that retailers put some time and effort into the showcases they create inside the windows and walkable areas of their stores. To make visual merchandising efforts particularly effective, here are three pieces of advice:
- Focus on the first seconds inside your store: The displays in your windows or near the entrance were enough to catch the eye of customers walking by and draw them in. Now that they've crossed the threshold, they're going to be looking for a reason to stick around. The Retail Adventures blog suggested putting extra effort into the first impression a shopper has as he or she enters the sales floor. Having some secondary displays, perhaps using mannequins or setting up on retail display fixtures to compliment the primary showcase on a display table, provides a visually interesting tableau that draws visitors further into a store.
- Incorporate text and images: Not just for print and online advertising, some tasteful signage can help draw attention to the displays set up around a store. Take care to not focus too heavily on signs and pictures, even though they can add a dimension to displays. Depending on the market and the specific items for sale, signs can spell out the offer at hand, highlight the value or the luxury of products or show them in action in a way that may be unfeasible otherwise.
- Get creative: It's a good idea to have the majority of displays focus on the regular merchandise your store sells, but a flight of fancy or more conceptual approach to a few can be a unique and eye-catching way to attract customers and differentiate your business. This is a great chance to let your creative side flourish or to use the talents of an employee who has an eye for design. Incorporating accessories or other items from your store into a display focusing on a particular product can help to boost sales all around as well. The Retail Doctor suggested adding a theme to a display as a way to add character and make it more than just an array of items.
