Standing out amid the many small businesses that exist can be difficult for many retailers. In particular, the market for convenience stores and groceries are saturated to the extent that often several food stores exist in the same neighborhood or town. One way to stand apart is to utilize visual merchandising techniques that are different from other stores.
An example of using such a technique is to display sales items using props and decor. For example, produce could be sold in large baskets or bushels. During the summer, metal containers could be filled with ice and beverages placed inside near the entrance. People that want to have a cold drink will see the display and make an impulse purchase. Another way of using props is with a window display that changes seasonally. For example, a business could use natural props to display items in the store that are associated with different holidays, such as Thanksgiving or New Year's.
Different banners can be added to displays to help usher in certain feelings that people associate with different holidays. For the Fourth of July, banners with stars and stripes could be shown prominently.
Shelves and tables
Businesses can organize their shelves by food category, like most stores, but with extra attention paid to what people buy. For example, if one store in the area specializes in a certain range of foods, such as Hispanic or Eastern European products, then another store could either specialize in something else or offer a selection of foods from both categories. The trick is to find a niche that serves customers who live close to of the store.
Another option is to offer products using unconventional shelving methods, such as a combination of mesh fixtures and wine and beverage display units. A business can also sell flowers using floral fixtures.
Instead of using shelving, a company might differentiate its product by selling certain items via gridwalls, to which shelves and baskets would be attached. This can be done for items that are not foods, such as for paper plates and other products. Or else a company could diversify and sell simple housewares or cooking-wares in order to compete with local hardware stores.
There are also display tables such as are usually found in department stores. These wooden units are interesting enough to stand apart from ordinary shelves, which they could replace, and they are sturdy enough to store most goods, including heavy packages or rice or flour.
