Visual merchandising creates an impact and makes an impression on every guest who visits your business. Anything the customer can see from the outside of the store and throughout the interior can work to optimize the retail space. From storefront displays to signage and overall floor plan, effective visual merchandising techniques work cohesively to reflect the brand, engage the customer, and increase sales.
What are the best ways to employ effective visual merchandising? Consider a combination of techniques that can increase the customer’s product awareness and desire to purchase.
1. Create Displays for Target Customers
On time, in full, at every site
The customer’s journey begins with discovery, then moves into option comparison before the final conversion and sale. Setting the tone for your target customers using visual merchandising is a key element in taking them from discovery to sale. Who are your target customers? That’s an important question when designing displays. Aim to appeal to their lifestyle or the lifestyle they desire. Use this merchandising checklist to create or update your visual merchandising program across your locations.
2. Less Can Be More
A visual assault on the senses overwhelms the customer. Too many items and clashing colors results in a display that looks like a toddler tossed all the toys on the floor; the result is chaos. When overwhelmed, customers tend to walk away.
Avoid clutter and chaos in displays. Instead, focus on spotlighting a single item or a few related items to create a coherent theme/story.
3. Tell a Story
A story for your visual merchandising display helps both during the design process and makes it easier for the customer to connect with the product(s). The story can be specific to a single display or be made to flow through the entire retail space by using a singular cohesive theme from display to display. Begin the latter at the storefront with the main window or space near the entrance.
The narrative doesn’t have to be complicated and can be something as tried and true as “back to school” or “summertime fun.” Rely on color and signage to keep the story/theme cohesive. This may be as simple as using the same color backdrop or keywords in the signage.
4. Be Specific With Signage
The display may showcase the items perfectly, but if the signage fails, it all fails. Avoid wordy signs — too much information gets ignored.
Try the five-second rule: You should be able to easily read the sign in five seconds or less, absorbing its meaning without any confusion. If your message needs to be longer, consider a series of signs incorporated aesthetically into the overall visual merchandising theme.
Remember the old saying, “hope is not a management strategy”. So, don’t just hope that your stores have put up appropriate signage and displays, inspect them regularly and assign corrective actions when issues are found.
5. Window Displays Attract Foot Traffic
Display the new and more valuable products in the window or nearest the entrance to attract foot traffic. First impressions do make a difference. A passer-by won’t be interested in a storefront that appears dark, dirty or neglected.
The front windows need to be kept clean and the display well-lit or lit to create an emotional impact. Sometimes, however, minimal lighting works best for specific designs. Again, signage should be clear, concise and connected to the theme/story of the window.
6. Audit stores for merchandising Execution
Countless promotional displays are not executed properly! A study found that compliance rate of displays was expected to be upwards of 70% but in reality, compliance was only 40%. Don’t let those months you’ve spent perfecting your merchandising displays, and following the tips above go to waste!
Create a merchandising checklist and audit your stores for merchandising compliance to ensure proper execution to increase your sales. Every merchandising promotion execution should be followed by an established merchandising audit process and workflow.
Photos and videos go a long way, especially when you’re executing a merchandising program. Having visuals to communicate what to do and what not to do make it easier for you and your team to execute perfectly.
For example, when it comes to adhering to product displays, including photos to show how your store/shelves should look, along with images of what not to do will go a long way toward achieving your vision.
7. Analyze Weekly Sales and Change Displays
Your visual merchandising is another touchpoint in the customer’s decision journey. To be effective, it’s important to analyze weekly sales and determine if and how displays are affecting sales. Old displays become invisible to regular customers and look worn to new ones. Keep it fresh to increase potential for conversions.
To increase sales, visual merchandising must engage the customer, while reflecting the brand. It should tell a story, appeal to the senses, and act as a reminder for secondary purchases — such as painter’s tape to go with a gallon of paint. Effective visual merchandising has the power to increase sales — playing a key role in final conversion.
Bonus Tip #8. Sales Team Knowledge
Every member of the sales team needs to be knowledgeable about the items curated in the visual merchandising displays. This is especially important for interactive displays. If a team member can’t answer a customer’s question, confidence falls and the potential to lose the sale increases.
More ways to improve your visual merchandising techniques and boost sales:
- 5 Retail Merchandising Trends to Watch Out for
- How to build a store merchandising checklist
- 6 Ways to use Visual Merchandising to Drive Social Shares
- 5 Lighting Techniques For Visual Merchandising to Increase Sales
- The purpose, scope and methods of merchandising audits
- Conduct a merchandising audit in 10 step
- Merchandising Checklist
- CPG Merchandising Checklist
OTHER MERCHANDISING RESOURCES
Refer to the Merchandising category for checklists, how-tos and best practices for merchandising.
About the author:
Yana Voldman is Strategy and Business Development Manager at UDIZINE, established in 1995 with the vision of creating a range of display fixtures that match functionality to retailers’ needs to produce display and signage products that not only perform but have a strong aesthetic appeal.
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I know I always appreciate coming into a store and finding it has new stock. You make a great point about how old displays become invisible to shoppers. Seeing new items and displays up always makes me want to check out what’s new.
I like these insights, and I especially like the tip about specific signage. One of the things I think is most underrated about planograms for visual merchandising is the ability to allocate the available shelf space to signage vs product display.
Smart piece here, Nicole. I agree with Sue’s comment about the call to action, but as someone who works with planograms, I was most drawn to the first photo and tip about strengthening curb appeal. With many glass storefronts like this, the planogram directly impacts the curb appeal. It’s also important to render and consider different lighting effects that occur throughout the day with natural light.
Great article! I love all the points you made, especially the less is more one. I feel customers can at times get tired of all the advertisements and color in a retail store. A bit of white can be soothing, giving s place to rest the eyes.
Great article! I totally agree with all you that anything the customer can see from the outside of the store and throughout the interior can work to optimize the retail space.
Good insights on VMD . Cant agree more . I have been in FMCG business for 27 years and it is much more challenging with price wars ! Havin the right value perception is crucial to win the customers trust and we have to be always be cautious with right item , right price at the right time !