Business

4 Powerful Merchandising Strategies for a Retail Space

A retail business sells products and services to customers, and stores often do business from a commercial property that serves as a retail space. Stores create marketing plans that attract customers, but it takes skilful merchandising strategies to get shoppers to stay and make purchases. Professional retailers might use dozens of methods to boost sales, but there are four essential steps that nearly every company relies on.

Successful retail stores create captivating visual displays. They also engage customers’ senses, use signs constructively, and take advantage of holiday excitement to generate interest in their products.

Design Compelling Displays

Retail businesses have always relied on attractive displays to draw customers, but today’s stores also need to ensure displays are social media-friendly. Companies need to arrange products with the idea that they will be shared on social media. For example, a makeup exhibit might include an Instagram-friendly mirror that includes a message encouraging customers to snap a picture of themselves trying on products.

Displays can also include cross-merchandising that informs shoppers about products that complement items in a display. For instance, if a store offers mittens and sweaters with matching patterns, businesses might place examples of both products near one another and add a sign that encourages shoppers to buy a set.

Offer a Full Sensory Experience

Visual merchandising is primarily focused on aesthetics, which is essential. However, businesses can enhance merchandising impact by engaging all of their customers’ senses. That is critical since peoples’ feelings are linked directly to their senses, so appealing to all five senses affects how clients feel when they are shopping in a store.

Powerful merchandising appeals to customers’ sense of:

  • Sight. Colour, lighting, and balance can direct shoppers’ attention.
  • Hearing. Music affects emotions, and playing slow tunes with a soft beat can lessen customers’ pace as they browse.
  • Smell. Scent is potent since it is linked directly to memory. Many stores now use scent diffusers to invoke emotions like nostalgia, joy, calm, or excitement.
  • Touch. Store customers like to touch materials, so keeping items in their line of sight and within arm’s reach is critical.
  • Taste. Businesses that sell food and drinks should provide sample tables for clients to enjoy.

Capture Holiday Excitement

Holidays like Halloween and Christmas generate their own excitement, and retail stores can capitalize on that fact with their merchandising. Many businesses now use a store-within-a-store concept that customers love. For example, businesses add a Christmas Wonderland section or rows of merchandise devoted entirely to spooky Halloween merchandise.

Use Signage Constructively

Signs inform customers and direct them to storage areas, and retail professionals can design signage that ushers’ shoppers to specific sections. For instance, if the business is holding a clearance event or big sale, signs can direct visitors to sale areas.

The most-effective signs are short and to the point. They match the store’s theme and are easy to read. Successful businesses often use signs to define departments and demonstrate products at work.

Successful merchandising can make or break retail stores, so businesses typically use several powerful merchandising techniques to attract customers and encourage them to buy. Captivating displays are essential. Stores often appeal to shoppers’ emotions by adding elements like music and scent to engage the senses. Businesses can boost sales by creating displays that take advantage of holiday excitement. Creative signage is also essential to successful merchandising.