For some businesses, especially smaller ones, the idea of using retail display fixtures as a way to get more sales and attract more revenue may not seem obvious at first. After all, products should take center stage instead of the display tables, shelf units and other merchandising items used to put them on display, right? The truth of the matter is that every component of a retail store, from the paint and color choices used to the lighting and location of products, affects a visitor's decision of whether or not and how much to buy to some extent. Displaying inventory in an exciting and unique way can mean positive returns for retailers of all shapes and sizes.
Promote consistency
Entrepreneur magazine highlighted the importance of having a consistent theme in a retail environment in an excerpt from its book Retail in Detail. The word "theme" is important here, as not all apparel fixtures, showcases and other retail display fixtures need to be exactly the same color or made of the same material. The important thing to focus on is an overall appearance that "fits together." The exact makeup of a unified theme will differ from store to store, but there are some basic ideas that can guide such an effort. The displays used should reflect the theme of the store itself, Entrepreneur recommended. Using colors that evoke the logo and palette choices used elsewhere – whether on a website or the signage outside of the store – is one basic, effective approach. Retail Resource has collections such as the Warehouse Vintage Line that can help set a theme of true American craftsmanship. Coordination of both the displays themselves and the items presented on them is also important. One example is to place featured or sale items at the front of the store, then organize the rest based on defining characteristics: size, shape or purpose, depending on the type of business.
Don't go overboard
Retail Minded provided this reminder for store owners who are trying to get the best results from their displays and fixtures: be simple but strong. Dedicating a display table or shelving unit to a single item, or variations on it, is a much cleaner and more effective approach than a crowded, busy and confusing display. Having designated areas to both highlight specific merchandise and provide an orderly display of other stock will encourage customers much more than a haphazard approach that doesn't take advantage of retail display fixtures to their fullest extent.
