Visual merchandising is a somewhat confusing term, so in order to make things simpler, let’s first understand what it is exactly. At its core, it is a way to advertise certain items in your store by displaying and highlighting them with the help of shelves, lights, colors, words, etc. Most stores have some sort of a visual merchandising concept or the other going on, but here are five ideas that will allow you to increase sales by redirecting your efforts and resources in the right direction.
Color Coordination
A lot of people will say that they don’t like vibrant colors, but even those people won’t be able to stop themselves from stealing a glance when someone in brightly colored attire walks by. They still may not approve the choice of wardrobe, but the colors did get their attention and that’s exactly what you are looking to achieve with your merchandising displays; catching the attention of the onlookers. Contrast is the key though, so black and white or dull and bright work great for capturing the attention of your customers with colors.
Words Matter
Whenever someone enters a new place, they are subconsciously looking for signs to guide them towards what they need or want and that’s exactly where big, bright and colorful signs with words come in. Be careful in selecting the words for each section, make them big and bold, and keep them short. Supermarkets use this principle to guide their customers towards the respective departments and you can do the same to highlight your best products.
The Focus Point
There are many ways to create a focus point and the most popular of them is focused lighting. Have you ever entered a supermarket and seen a slightly darker section where a particular product is slowly spinning while a spotlight gently illuminates it? We have all seen such displays at some point or other and that’s exactly what creating a focus point is all about. This can be done with the help of spotlights, colors, arrows, flashing lights and most important of all, by making sure that the location you have chosen for the display is a place which all customers can easily see.
Branding and Merchandising
In case you have a business that gives you the opportunity to sell customized items, then you can merchandise your own brand as well. Whether it’s a café, a gift shop or a crockery store, branded and customized coffee mugs properly placed in well highlighted sections of the store can do wonders for your business’s name. Every time someone buys one of those cups for themselves or as a gift for someone, you are making a sale and marketing your business. However, it is always better to go with a reputed name like Deneen Pottery when choosing a supplier who will be making those mugs for you. You just cannot be merchandising or selling anything that’s of inferior quality, when the product has your business’s name on it!
Updating Regularly
It is very important to keep things updated in the focus points of your shop. If you own a bookstore, the highlighted books need to be changed every once in a while, as new best sellers hit the shelves. If you have discount offers on some of your products this week, customers should not come in to find the same products being discounted next week as well, because that would defeat the purpose of the sale altogether.
Visual merchandising is about getting the attention of potential customers and making them want to buy it, so if you are following these five tips, you should be able to see increased sales within a very short time.