Often referred to as the “Silent Salesman,” visual merchandising and point of purchase design associated with retail displays should physically, mentally and even emotionally attract the customer all the way to the purchase point. Because of this, retail displays are not likely to be effective if they happen by chance. Rather, they should be the result of great thought, planning and design, based around the business, its products and the desired connection with the customer. With effective point of purchase design, retail displays can create a significant edge over the competition.
The International Journal of Engineering Science and Innovative Technology (IJESIT) conducted a study in May, 2013 and found that 93% of customers look at all displays and signs in a store. Eighty-five percent of the respondents said light, color, ambience and attractive visuals made them spend more time in the store.
Other ideas to consider when creating the most impactful retail displays include:
• Target market every detail of the display. An effective display will appeal to specific customers, so an Alice and Wonder toothpaste display for kids should not include Freddie Krueger. This would be, not only an obvious break from the theme, but a disturbing one.
• Use the five senses – consider lighting (sight), music (hearing), aromatherapy (smell), food samples (taste) where applicable, lotion samples (touch) for example, so the customer will be impacted on several levels.
• Story-based theme. Instead of Easter, consider a display based around Peter Cottontail.
• Be bold. Use bright colors and/or strong, catchy themes or phrases. Push the envelope!
• Less is more. When in doubt, less is best. Cluttered displays lack focus, dilute the impact and weaken the sale.
• Odd number. As in many other aspects of art, the rule of three applies to retail displays as well.
• Pyramid. The top spot of this type of display belongs to the most important aspect of the design because the eye will be drawn upward towards the ultimate message.
• Repetition. Consider using cases of soda stacked high or built into an object, like a goal post for a Super Bowl-themed display.
• Show don’t tell. Customers want to be shown a message rather than have to read one so more visual aspects are better than just words.
• Lighting. Lighting, or lack of lighting, and every type of lighting in between, creates its own type of ambiance.
• Change it up. Customers become desensitized easily and quickly.
Because retail displays help set the tone of a store, they are just as important as the products they hold. Therefore, great care should be taken regarding the overall message the store would like to send through the retail displays it utilizes. And, always make sure this message is based on customers’ expectations.
Jim Hollen is the owner and President of RICH LTD. (www.richltd.com), a 35+ year-old California-based point-of-purchase display, retail store fixture, and merchandising solutions firm which has been named among the Top 50 U.S. POP display companies for 9 consecutive years. A former management consultant with McKinsey & Co. and graduate of Stanford Business School, Jim Hollen has served more than 3000 brands and retailers over more than 20 years and has authored nearly 500 blogs and e-Books on a wide range of topics related to POP displays, store fixtures, and retail merchandising.
Jim has been to China more than 50 times and has worked directly with more than 30 factories in Asia across a broad range of material categories, including metal, wood, acrylic, injection molded and vacuum formed plastic, corrugated, glass, LED lighting, digital media player, and more. Jim Hollen also oversees RICH LTD.’s domestic manufacturing operation and has experience manufacturing, sourcing, and importing from numerous Asian countries as well as Vietnam and Mexico.
His experience working with brands and retailers spans more than 25 industries such as food and beverage, apparel, consumer electronics, cosmetics/beauty, sporting goods, automotive, pet, gifts and souvenirs, toys, wine and spirits, home improvement, jewelry, eyewear, footwear, consumer products, mass market retail, specialty retail, convenience stores, and numerous other product/retailer categories.