Contact Christi at christifitch[at]hotmail[dot]com. Follow her on Twitter: @christifitch
When you think of visual merchandising in your store, you need to imagine it is like meeting someone for the first time – you want to make the best impression possible.
Customers entering a store are greatly influenced by the visual information they gather in the first split second. Think of what grabs people’s attention: bright colors, new shapes or groupings.
Use these simple tips to keep those first impressions fresh and new:
- Keep the merchandise looking full even if you don’t have the stock available.
- Use a visual triangle shape when merchandising. Keep the sides somewhat symmetrical and the center or item towards the back tall.
- Place new merchandise front and center.
- Never block any piece of merchandise with another.
- Organize merchandise in a shippable manner. Do not make it too cluttered.
- Avoid covering tables or massing-out decorative items on furniture.
- Merchandise items to give customers new ideas.
- Be ready for anything. Have a backup plan if the merchandise in your display is sold. Know what you will replace it with next.
- Keep it clean! Insure that the merchandise looks as new as the day you received it.
- Replenish and restock as merchandise levels diminish.
- You want the display to be as fresh for the last person who sees it as it was for the first person.
- Make each display approachable so your customers want to touch and feel your merchandise.
- Double-expose the merchandise because this helps customers visualize your merchandise in different settings.
- Keep bulk or excess merchandise in close proximity to the display they are featured on.
- Know what looks good. After all, this is your store, and you know it better than anyone else.
