Even with the advent of e-commerce and online store, many customers still prefer to shop in-store. Besides not having to wait for the product to get delivered, you can also examine the product up close.
An online store can never replicate the experience of buying a retail product from an actual store, which is why in-store shopping will never go away. You can never touch and examine the quality of the product up-close if you only rely on an online store.
Because of this, many businesses are still opting to have a physical store and retail display despite already having an online store. So to help you convince more customers to buy your product, we have created this guide to help you learn the art of retail store display.
Table of Contents
About Retail Display
Before you start budgeting and crafting the perfect strategy for your retail display, it is crucial that you understand what retail displays are.
When we say retail displays, you probably picture the retail environment of Walmart, Home Depot, Sephora, and many more. These stores housed several products that are often the same but are from different brands.
But, it is important to note that apart from these big retailers, there are also retail displays in small and independent retail shops.
So whether you are an agency marketer or a corporate planner, you should always take note of this every time you are creating a marketing plan and strategy for a client or your boss. Remember that though these are both retail stores, their foot traffic or loyal customers are still different.
As a marketer, your goal is to make a product stand out among the sea of choices within the store. And you only have a few split seconds to do this.
Picture this, a customer was looking for a shampoo that she can buy. She goes to the store and sprints to the shampoo aisle to find the best one. Since there are a lot of shampoos on display, her eyes would start to wonder at the most interesting shampoo that caught her attention. And next thing you know, she already made the decision and is now paying at the counter for the shampoo. All of these micro-decisions can happen in less than a minute or so.
There are a lot of things to unpack in the example above, but ultimately, the main point here is that all these micro-decisions that turn a potential customer into buying customer can all happen in a matter of seconds or minutes.
With this in mind, you need to carefully strategize how you would display your product as well as calculate and look at all the possibilities of how you can make them stand out among the sea of competitors within the store.
Picture Yourself as a Random Shopper
Before signing a contract deal with a retail store, you should put yourself in the shoes of one of their customers. For example, if you are promoting a new line of makeup and you want to display the product in Sephora, then you should at least know what it is like to shop at Sephora first.
In order to do this, you just need to simulate what it is like going to the store or you can just simply drop by the store to experience it yourself. This way, you can easily find the best spot in the store where you can display your product for maximum exposure.
It also helps if you picture yourself as a neutral or random shopper who is simply curious about the product in the store. As a random shopper, you do not have any preference and you are simply picking the best merchandise in the store that piques your interest.
If you think like a random shopper, then your product display style should be able to pique their interest and curiosity. Who knows, this random shopper might turn out to be one of your most loyal customers in the future.
So as much as possible, your product should not only capture a passersby’s attention, but it should also make a lasting impression so that these people would be more curious about your brand.
Types of Custom Display
If you enter any retail store, you probably already notice that each product is displayed differently. There is a reason behind this organization and the way each product is displayed. A lot of factors have to be considered before these brands finally decide on where to put their products or retail fixtures in the store.
But before we discuss these factors, let us first give you an idea of the different types of displays or visual merchandising that you can opt for inside a retail store.
Floor Stands
These are the products that are often on the aisle of a retail store. Oftentimes, what these brands do is neatly organized their products besides their competitors. This not only gives the customers a choice but also allows them to compare side-by-side the same products from different brands.
Many brands often resort to gimmicky floor stands and catchy layout branding to make their products stand out among their competitors. Below is an example of a floor stand.
Display Cases
These are free-standing displays enclosed on all sides by a transparent casing. Oftentimes, these are the type of displays that you often see in jewelry displays or luxury stores. The vibe that these displays give off is that “you can look at it, but you cannot touch it.”
Only retail associates can open the casing and you have to ask for their permission before you can touch the item. In hindsight, this type of retail display should only be used for fragile and super expensive products. Other than that, we do not necessarily encourage this type of retail display if you are simply selling normal everyday products. Below is an example of a display case.
Gondola
These are the shelves that fill the aisle of every retail store. Retail stores often allow several brands to display their products on the same gondola or aisle. This way, customers can conveniently locate the items that they need and they can easily compare the products of the different brands.
It is worth noting that displaying your products on a gondola is often too constricting and limiting because you have to strictly follow the guidelines set by the retail store owner. Generally, retail stores are the ones that would provide the gondola or retail shelving and the only thing that you need to do is simply rent a section where you want to place your product.
For brands renting a gondola, the only thing that they can do to stand out is to make their packaging and product design unique. This way, customers would surely notice their product on the shelf and it would not get overshadowed by other brands. Below is an example of a gondola.
Countertop Display
One of the best places to put your product is on the countertop or beside the cashier of a retail store.
Every time a customer has to pay, they are forced to look or notice your product on the countertop.
If they are a loyal customer of the retail store, then there is a high chance that they would already be familiar with your product after several visits to the store. And even though they are not particularly interested in your product, they would still get introduced to your brand.
What makes these retail displays great is that you are free to be creative as much as you can. Generally, a retail store would simply give you a dimension and a few guidelines that you have to follow. Other than that, you can get creative and create your own countertop display.
Below is an example of a countertop display.
Sidekick Display Unit
Ever go to a laundry detergent aisle and there’s a small pop-up shelf of laundry pods hanging in front of the shelve? These are sidekick or pop display units that maximize the use of space and are often ideal for cross-merchandising. Brand owners often avail this type of retail display in a store if their products are often consumed or used in pairs.
Other than cross-merchandising, the sidekick display unit can also be used to entice customers with complementary products. For instance, soy sauce products on sale often give complimentary products to their customers such as herbs, spices, or even those tiny bottles of sesame oil. Displaying these complementary products along with the main product entices the customers to make impulsive decisions on the spot. Below is an example of a sidekick unit display.
End Cap Unit
If you are planning to display your product in a big retail store, then you might want to consider placing them in the end cap unit. Since not all customers go through each aisle of a retail store, there is a big chance that they might miss your product on an aisle.
So to remedy this, you can instead place them at the end of the aisles to increase their exposure. Even though a customer did not go through your aisle category, they can still get a glimpse of your product and what you have to offer.
Most of the time, the end cap unit only contains products from one brand. Because of this, the brand has the freedom to design the space and make it look more enticing to customers or passersby. Below is an example of an end cap unit.
Choosing the Best Type of Display
When choosing the best type of display, there are a lot of things that you should consider before signing a contract deal with the retail store owner. Here are a few top ones that you have to take note of
Store Niche or Specialty
Even though it is a retail store, there are times when these stores are only loved by their customers for one thing.
For example, a retail store that sells baking supplies is only popular because of the selection of cake designs and tools that they offer. Other than that, people from the community often go to other retail stores for their other baking supply needs.
Having this type of knowledge or information is important because you can strategically narrow down all the retail stores where you should put your products.
Restrictions and Guidelines
As we have mentioned several times before, most of these retail stores have their own set of guidelines when it comes to product display and store fixture. You cannot simply create your own shelf design and display your products. You have to follow the dimensions, signage, colors, aesthetics, thickness, layout, etc. that they set before you can even display your products on their shelves.
Price
Lastly, you have to ask yourself whether a product placement in their store is worth it or not. That is why you need to do market research not just about your target market but also about the retail stores where you want to place your products.
This way, you can gauge whether the rental cost of displaying would outweigh the benefits that you would reap.
Conclusion
Now that you have an idea of what it is like to hold a retail display, it is time to start brainstorming with your team about the perfect retail display strategy.
This way, you would get the most of what you pay for. Because at the end of the day, displaying your products in a retail store is not that cheap. You need to strategize carefully so that you can get the full ROI from all the expenses you incur.
