Visual merchandising is yet another piece of the very intricate puzzle that is the customer experience. You can create an impact, increase sales, and strengthen customer loyalty with thoughtful visual merchandising. With a few simple suggestions from Action Card, you can increase product awareness for each person who walks through your doors, as well as their desire to purchase.

Is it positioned properly?

Displays can be can eye-catching and create an energetic experience…or they can be sloppy and in the way. Be sure you’re positioning your displays out of the natural flow of your customers. If people are stepping around the display, or making room for one another by stepping to the side to allow someone else around the display, then it’s not in a good spot. Be sure your customers have a smooth path through the store.

Use sales to predict your display rotation and placement.

Are you currently tracking how displays are affecting sales, and then further, how the locations of those displays are affecting sales? You should be! Like with most things, if it’s not being measured, it can’t be effectively improved upon. Regulars might walk right past a display that hasn’t been either moved or refreshed. Your displays, meant to boost sales through secondary purchasing, can become invisible without some attention to detail.

Have you rolled out the display to your employees?

Many displays can seem self explanatory, but again, attention to detail can make a difference in how your display performs. For instance, a 2 for $3 candy bar display doesn’t exactly need an explanation to your employees, right?

Wrong, if every employee knows how much the customer saves on each candy bar, and they’re given instruction around sales, you could see a great return on your very simple employee roll out. You can also incentive your display sales to increase employee buy-in with a little friendly competition. Moral of the story, anytime a new display is introduced to the store, it requires explanation, context, and a means of tracking success.

Always put the Cadillac out front.

Way back in the day, I worked at a restaurant for a boss who would prefer to put the better looking employees at the host stand. She would say, “Always put the Cadillac out front”. While we certainly can’t condone this talk or the action behind it with employees, it does make a lot of sense when you’re talking about your store front.

Your store front is your chance at a first impression. Newer, catchier products should be placed in the widows or near the entrance. Dark, dusty, half stocked display cases are simply not enticing. Rather, they’re an indication of what the customer can expect when they walk in, disappointment. Keep it stocked, well-lit, and the signage should be updated and clear (not faded from the sun).

Don’t overdo it. Less can be more.

When too many clashing displays assault the customers’ senses, they can actually act as a sales deterrent. A display stands out and catches the eye because it is different than the other shelving or racks around it. If you have an army of displays that customers have to weave through, they become overwhelming, annoying, and again, invisible.

We hope we helped with our visual merchandising tips. At Action Card, we’re invested in helping store owners and managers create the best customer experience possible. We love working with our clients to create efficiencies and make the most of what they have. Want to know more about what your organization can do with the Action Card app and the team behind it? Let’s talk!