When people come into your store, your #1 mission should be to appeal to their desire to buy. Plenty of studies have been conducted regarding the psychology of buying and, in a retail store setting, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on the visual elements of the selling environment, including:
- Prominent colors
- Lighting
- Signage
- Flooring material
- Retail shelving
While it may not be overtly apparent, the correct design and use of your retail shelving will encourage your visitors to buy while improper use will have a subtle effect that actually discourages them from making purchases.
The effective use of your retail shelving and fixtures is both an art and a science. You may have the best products in the world on offer, but if they're not properly displayed your customers will merely walk by without a second look. Appearance is key. It's just like the presentation of a dish at a fine restaurant—regardless of how well the food is prepared or how nourishing it may be, if it's not presented appealingly, it likely won't be a success.
Create a Theme
Whether you're creating a brand new store or remodeling an existing one, obtaining the assistance of a retail store specialty design firm is something you may want to consider at the beginning of the project to provide some insider tips and tricks to create an effective selling environment for your particular brand. Rather than creating a hodgepodge of different displays in your store, you may be better served by settling on one dominant theme that unites all your displays and product offerings into a cohesive, appealing grouping.
This doesn't mean all your displays need to be the same, but rather that they are all visually and functionally compatible with each other. You can keep things looking fresh by regularly moving the location of different displays within the retail space, making sure to take advantage of seasonal changes throughout the year if your products lend themselves to seasonal distinctions. Hot-moving seasonal items are best featured in large displays near the front of the store where customers are sure to see them while entering or exiting, but also in various other locations throughout the merchandising area.
Today's modern shelving can often be moved around with minimal effort, especially units best located in your store's center area, such as gondolas. Easy movement of this shelving type makes a fresh redesign of your store's floor plan much easier than it was in the old days.
Units like pegboards and wall-mounted slat board fixtures utilized on your store's perimeter walls can be altered using a wide array of accessories, such as adjustable shelves, hooks, hangers, baskets, bins, waterfall displays and more. These are easy to arrange and rearrange to keep things fresh and functional.
Fresh and Functional
While your retail shelving is crucial in helping to highlight your merchandise, it's important to realize that your shelves shouldn't be the primary focus of your store's interior space. What's most important is the product you're trying to sell, and your shelves and fixtures need to draw attention to these products in the most appealing way possible. An example could be the sale of dinnerware and cutlery. Having these items displayed on a dining table so customers can envision what they'd look like while in use creates a powerful visual that will have them imagining how these items would work for them.
Effective selling is a science that, when understood, you can use to your advantage to boost your bottom line. Stay fresh, stay functional, and give your customers what they want.
