Saturday Special: 15 Visual Merchandising Tips

Gift & Home Today invited Christi Finch to share her ideas about store displays. Christi has worked on the wholesale and retail side of home furnishings. A 2005 graduate from Texas A&M University, she is studying for a masters in merchandising and marketing at the University of North Texas. 
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:
  1. Keep the merchandise looking full even if you don’t have the stock available.
  2. Use a visual triangle shape when merchandising. Keep the sides somewhat symmetrical and the center or item towards the back tall.
  3. Place new merchandise front and center.
  4. Never block any piece of merchandise with another.
  5. Organize merchandise in a shippable manner. Do not make it too cluttered.
  6. Avoid covering tables or massing-out decorative items on furniture.
  7. Merchandise items to give customers new ideas.
  8. Be ready for anything. Have a backup plan if the merchandise in your display is sold. Know what you will replace it with next.
  9. Keep it clean! Insure that the merchandise looks as new as the day you received it.
  10. Replenish and restock as merchandise levels diminish.
  11. You want the display to be as fresh for the last person who sees it as it was for the first person.
  12. Make each display approachable so your customers want to touch and feel your merchandise.
  13. Double-expose the merchandise because this helps customers visualize your merchandise in different settings.
  14. Keep bulk or excess merchandise in close proximity to the display they are featured on.
  15. Know what looks good. After all, this is your store, and you know it better than anyone else.