It doesn’t matter how amazing your merchandise is – if you don’t display it correctly, no-one will notice it, and no-one will buy. For those in the retail business, here are a few tricks that could get your stock flying off the shelves.
Creating a theme
Interior décor is as important as exterior décor. Even if you do own a jumble store, there are ways of giving your retail outlet a theme. You can stylise your displays through colours, creative signage and a uniform look. Go metallic and white for a minimalist and clean look, or embrace baskets and wooden coat hangers for something more rustic. If quirky enough, this uniform style will draw people regardless of your merchandise.
Luring with lighting
Brightening up certain areas of your shop can draw people’s eyes to these areas. You can also use lighting creatively to set a mood (as with the dusky lighting of a shop like Hollister). Certain areas need to have a certain amount of light for carrying out tasks such as changing rooms and tills, but feel free to go creative in other areas.
Converting window shoppers
Your window display is your most important display – this is where you will lure in shoppers. Here you should put your most eye-catching and unique displays. Be careful of adding pricing unless you really are showcasing a bargain. Sometimes putting expensive products in the window without pricing can encourage people to come in and ask about the cost – you’ll have then got them in the shop where they may see other merchandise they like the look of. You should also ensure that items in the window aren’t likely to become faded or damaged by the sun.
Making your pricing persuasive
Your pricing needs to grab people and not deter them. Handwritten price tags are alright if you’re going for a ‘retro independent’ look, but can occasionally look amateurish. Print off prices for a more formal and upmarket look, and use services such as Datalabel to get brand stickers and barcodes. Use big signage for big deals on items you want to sell. Make sure you’re always coming up with new promotions and take advantage of special occasions by highlighting offers on relevant stock (for example, chocolates in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day and beers in the lead up to Father’s Day).
Encouraging last minute purchases
The items by your counter are your impulse-purchase items. These are the items people will see as they’re queuing up or getting served and are generally low-cost items. Consider small snacks and gum and other impulse items you might buy whilst nearing the till. You can also encourage your staff to try and sell items that need to be shifted by asking customers if they’d be interested in such-and-such an item today. Make sure any promotions by the till are clearly signposted.
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