Today's store fixtures are not merely functional merchandise holders. They also display products in such a way that customers are drawn to them and enticed to buy. Because of that, today's fixtures are as stylish and attractive as a piece of furniture you might buy; they are also part of your decor and help make the interior of your store comfortable and pleasing, so that customers will want to stay and shop.
What's hot in store fixtures today, and what's not?
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Out: Bland, staid institutional fixtures
These certainly serve a function: They can hold your merchandise perfectly well, but they do nothing to help make the products they display more attractive, nor do they complement your store's decor in any way. In order to present a truly pleasant shopping environment, your store's fixtures should blend into or accent your decor, and present the merchandise they hold in a way that's truly aesthetically pleasing.
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In: Stylish, carefully chosen fixtures that both enhance your decor and showcase the merchandise you sell
Depending on what you want to portray as your store's "personality," the store fixtures you choose can accent and/or complement your decor, either blending in or providing a visual counterpoint. The choice is yours; anything goes, as long as the fixtures you choose don't distract from the products they display in any way. They should present merchandise so that customers will see and want to take a closer look at it.
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Out: One-size-fits-all fixtures
Retail shelving has come a long way in recent years. In past decades, customers might just accept fixtures that didn't quite fit the displays they housed. It was no wonder: Store fixtures from past decades were heavy, cumbersome, and difficult or impossible to set up and break down. Thus, you might set up your store's layout once, and leave it that way for years.
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In: Customizable, stylish fixtures that blend in with an equally welcoming decor
Today's savvy customers expect a store whose interior is welcoming and inviting, so that they'll enjoy the shopping experience. Attractive, well put together fixtures in a variety of materials, including wood, glass, metal and plastics in every hue, will enhance that experience -- and encourage customers to stay, shop, and buy.
Fortunately, you don't have to choose between being economical and skimping on fixtures, or spending a lot of money to have what you need. Today's fixtures can be set up and broken down instantly and reconfigured whenever you choose; a single investment into different fixture components can often give you what you need for your display options.
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Out: Stationary fixtures that leave you with a fixed store layout
Stationary fixtures once might have meant having to choose your store's layout once, and then leaving it that way. However, this meant you couldn't easily adjust to necessary changes like new department setups or the need to create wider foot traffic paths during busy shopping seasons.
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In: Movable fixtures that can be "stationary" if necessary, yet easily reconfigured as needed
Today, even seemingly "immovable" fixtures like gondola or retail shelving can easily be moved or changed whenever you need to. Not only does this give you the opportunity to refresh your look at will so that you stay fresh and inviting to customers, but it also gives you the ability to reconfigure your store's layout when needed so that you can accommodate changes like the addition of a new department or seasonal displays with no mess, crowding or difficulty.
