9 Visual Merchandising Tips All Retailers Need to Know

When 83% of the information our brains process is through sight, retailers know that visual merchandising is key to making sales.

Visual merchandising focuses on the aesthetic appeal of the store, and the products, to attract the attention of the paying public. Even with a sales staff, the retail space has to become an effective and productive salesperson of its own.

But where do you even start? What are the visual merchandising tricks to maximize your store’s sales potential?

Let’s look at 9 visual merchandising tips you can use today to grow your store’s bottom line.

1. Keep It Fresh

Changing out your displays frequently will keep sales up. It also gives repeat customers a new experience every time they come into your store.

Sales, holidays, and seasons have a short shelf life. Keep these displays changed out monthly, if not more if an event calls for it.

Displaying new arrivals will help shoppers know what’s new and drive sales up. But don’t be afraid to add a few items leftover from previous shipments in on that display. It can give them a fresh look, making them more enticing.

2. Show Don’t Tell

Before a customer buys something, they envision the role that item will play in their lives. They’ll ask questions like:

  • How will this shirt look on me?
  • How can I mix and match these dishes together?
  • How will this sofa look in my living room?

To eliminate any doubt they may have, you need to show not tell. Meaning you need to display the item in a way that helps them visualize that product in their own life.

Display apparel on mannequins or have store employees wear the merchandise. Set up furniture and household goods to look like what it might in their own homes.

If they can picture themselves using it, they are more likely to buy it.

3. Group Like Products

By grouping items with similar products, it will increase the likelihood of customers buying more than one item from you.

For example, if a customer comes in to buy a purse, but sees a matching wallet close by, they will be more tempted to buy both items.

And grouping like items together also saves your shoppers time. Instead of wandering around the store to mix and match things, they can find everything they need in one area. That’s a move that shoppers will appreciate.

4. Use Signage

You can’t display merchandise and expect people to automatically buy them. You need visual cues showing information, promotions, or even directions.

Add a sale sign for promotions. Paint a quick story with a few words to get the shopper emotionally invested in the product. Or simply give some product info in a well-worded sign.

Or add Point of Purchase signs to your displays, such as the ones available on this website.

But remember, no matter what kind of signage you use, keep the wording brief. A shopper’s attention span is short, so you want to get your point across as quickly and easily as possible.

5. Vary the Height

Our eyes naturally keep moving when we are looking at something asymmetrical. When we see something balanced or flat, they stop immediately.

That is why it’s important to vary the height of your displays. It gives visual contrast that keeps the attention of shoppers longer.

Make sure to have a clear focal point. Then position supporting items cascading below it.

Or if you have smaller items to display, add a large centerpiece in the middle and display the merchandise around it.

6. Light It Up

The lighting of your store plays an important factor in the mood and emotions you want your customers to experience. Whether you want them to feel at home, like they’re in a nightclub, or walking down a fashion runway, can all be achieved by the lighting you choose.

And using spotlights will help focus their attention on important products or featured sales you want them to see. Also known as accent lighting, it will make your merchandise “pop”.

7. Rule of Three

The Rule of Three is a principle visual merchandisers use when setting up displays. It means instead of displaying one item of a product, they work with sets of three.

For example, when creating a display of apparel, showcase three shirts instead of one. Or if you’re using accent items to showcase a particular product, pick three items of various height.

By using the Rule of Three, it keeps eyes on a display longer because imbalance attracts our attention.

This is like the “Pyramid Principle” in which the featured product is at the top and all other items are one step down. The eye immediately goes to the focal point, then works its way down.

8. Play up the “Wants”

When a shopper comes into the store, chances are they already need something. So, try to avoid playing up that need in a display. Instead, play up a want.

A shopper may be coming in for a simple hand-mixer. But what most people dream of owning is a fancy KitchenAid mixer.

With the right display and well-chosen wording, the shopper may decide to treat themselves to the fancy mixer instead of the one they came in for.

9. Find Inspiration

And though it’s fun to come up with visual merchandising ideas on your own, you don’t have to go it alone.

Thanks to the internet, there are several websites you can go to for display inspiration. You can draw ideas from sites like Pinterest, Design Retail Online, Shopify, and Smart Retailer.

Or walk around your favorite stores. Look at what they’re doing. Take ideas that you like and tailor it to meet the needs of your business.

The Right Visual Merchandising Tips Will Drive Sales

By using these visual merchandising tips, you will see growth in your store’s bottom line. Not only that, it will give your customers an aesthetically pleasing place to shop, which will keep them coming back for more.

And to make sure you keep the merchandise in your store safe, click here to find 10 essential loss prevention tips!

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