what are the merchandising tips

Summary: 30 Essential Retail Merchandising Tips and Tricks.

• Consider your brand and target market.
• Choose the right floor plan.
• Consider navigation and flow.
• Maintain a ”decompression zone”.
• Allow for social distancing.
• Group related products.
• Cross merchandise.
• Encourage impulse buys.
• Engage every sense.
• Answer FAQs with signs.

Full Answer

What are the most important merchandising tips for consumers?

As one of the important Merchandising Tips, the most common complementary product placement pairing is the most valuable pairing for consumers. Matching helps ease the journey of consumers throughout the shopping process. By putting complementary products together, users can find what they want without having to walk around the store.

What makes a good visual merchandising strategy?

Look for one thing that makes a grouping other than price. All of one product works well in a grocery store, but it is little more than warehousing the items in a retail store. Your visual merchandising strategy should include making displays according to product use – an assortment of items related to brewing and drinking tea, for example.

What are cross merchandising tips and how do they work?

Cross merchandising tips are subtle but effective ways to increase basket sizes and order values. The practice promotes product discovery and entices shoppers to look at items that complement what they’re already buying. There are several ways to implement cross merchandising tips.

How do you engage customers in merchandising?

Speak to your customers Retail merchandising success starts with having the right knowledge — and the best information always comes straight from your shoppers. For this reason, it’s important to involve your customers in the planning stage of your merchandising initiatives. You can do this by having conversations with your target shoppers.

What are the 5 P's of merchandising?

The 5 Ps of product, price, promotion, place, and people are the holy grail of business for retailers and consumer packaged goods (CPG) enterprises. Data scientists are now simplifying and creating the optimal mix of these 5 Ps for enterprises, using the massive amount of data they generate.

What are the 4 elements of merchandising?

There are 4 key elements of visual merchandising....They are:Store exterior.Store layout.Store interior.Interior display.

What is the best merchandising strategy?

7 Retail Merchandising Strategies to Drive SalesThink About The Customer Journey. ... Support Your Product's Narrative. ... Understand Why Customers DON'T Buy. ... Advocate For Premium Shelf Space. ... Research Retail Merchandising Trends. ... Avoid Out-of-Stocks. ... Maintain Retailer Relationships.

What are the basics of merchandising?

The basics of store merchandisingStart with the storefront. ... Get the directional signage in place. ... Lighting. ... Create divisions. ... Questions to ask in order to create effective, interesting retail displays. ... Create product displays that will stop customers in their tracks. ... Set rules around retail merchandising.

What is the process of merchandising?

The process of merchandising involves understanding consumer needs, identifying & sourcing of right merchandise, deciding the right assortment, planning distribution of merchandise to different locations in the right quantities, deciding on the pricing, communicating merchandise offerings to the target customers, and ...

How can I improve my visual merchandising?

Visual Merchandising Techniques to Increase Sales (7 Retail Tips)Group different products on display. ... Do not display the products for which a customer came to your shop, display the products that the customer desires. ... Display new products near the entrance. ... Change the location of products in your shop.More items...

What are the 4 types of merchandise?

5 Types of Merchandising You Should Know–Product Merchandising. Product merchandising signifies all promotional activities and business practices undertaken to boost the sales of both physical and digital products. ... –Retail Merchandising. ... –Visual Merchandising. ... –Digital Merchandising. ... –Omnichannel Merchandising.

What are the 5 key points to selling retail?

There are five keys to success in retail: location; marketing; store layout and appearance; service and assortment, and bundle selling. Let's take a look at how each of these can help you establish a successful retail operation.

What is the most important aspect of merchandising?

Inventory management One of the most important aspects of Retail Merchandising is to offer its customers the products that their customers expect to buy. To do this, we will have to work on the planning, supply, purchase and storage and display of products.

How do I become a good retail merchandiser?

Here are some top visual merchandising tips and tricks!Focus on High-Value Items. Use your store displays to upsell and cross-sell. ... Keep Things Fresh. ... Capitalize on Events. ... Use a Theme. ... Establish a Focal Point. ... Make Your Displays Instagrammable. ... Use Mannequins. ... Keep Things Manageable.More items...

What is a merchandiser role?

Merchandisers are responsible for everything that happens to a product from the moment it is delivered to the store to the moment a shopper picks it up off the shelf. Depending on the retailer, that may include: performing stockouts, organizing the shelf, setting up displays, and setting up price and promotional signs.

What makes a good retail merchandiser?

In order to implement a strong retail merchandising plan, you have to have someone who understands the science of which colors are in fashion, what trends they can tie into, the cause and effect of fast-moving or dead products, as well as someone who has the creativity to create the excitement of serendipity when ...

What are the 5 most important elements of visual merchandising?

While much of the choices revolve around your specific tastes and preferences, it is how you make those choices work within the five key elements of Visual Merchandising, color, landscape, texture, communication and decor that make for an effective display.

What is the purpose of the 4 elements of visual merchandising?

VM uses 4 elements of Visual Merchandising to manipulate the store so that it is more appealing to customers, making them more likely to make a purchase. Shape- outline of display, not limited to shape of merchandise, but props and fixtures as well. Direction- smooth visual flow, create a focal point.

What are the different types of merchandising?

5 Types of Merchandising You Should Know–Product Merchandising. Product merchandising signifies all promotional activities and business practices undertaken to boost the sales of both physical and digital products. ... –Retail Merchandising. ... –Visual Merchandising. ... –Digital Merchandising. ... –Omnichannel Merchandising.

What is the most important element of visual merchandising?

ColorsColors. The choice of color represents one of the most important elements of visual merchandising and any other form of visual presentation. According to numerous studies, we humans are related to colors in a way that differs from most living being here on Earth.

What should every aspect of a retail merchandising plan take into account?

First things first: Every aspect of your retail merchandising plan should take into account your brand and your target market. In other words, your store experience should represent your brand values and resonate powerfully with your target market .

Why is merchandising important in retail?

Why is merchandising important in retail? Simply put, an excellent retail merchandising strategy can dramatically influence how consumers discover products, evaluate purchases, and ultimately, choose what to buy.

What Is Retail Merchandising?

Retail merchandising is the process of selling products in a physical store. It’s the set of experiences you create within a store to drive sales. It encompasses the selection, arrangement, and display of your products – from special promotions to store traffic patterns.

How far away from a store is a decompression zone?

Maintain a “Decompression Zone”. The first 5 to 15 feet of your store is often referred to as the “decompression zone” – it’s where shoppers transition from the world outside into your store’s experience. In general, it’s best to keep the decompression zone clear and uncluttered.

What is the best way to keep a decompression zone?

In general, it’s best to keep the decompression zone clear and uncluttered. It’s also a perfect place to introduce your brand’s personality and values.

How to create a memorable experience?

Create a truly memorable experience by engaging shoppers’ senses. For example, you could play music, offer free samples, and add a scent to your store. You could also ensure products are within easy reach for shoppers to feel and explore with their hands.

How to display products at different heights?

Use props to help display products at different heights – for example, you could place products in baskets on the floor, spread products across a table, and hang some from the ceiling.

How to display items in a remerchandising process?

Display left to right, top to bottom. We read left to right, so our eyes move in that direction across our visual field and stop at the right. Put less-expensive options to the left and more expensive to the right. Place smaller items higher and larger items lower, so the visual field looks balanced. Be willing to move items if they aren't selling. In general, if people have to ask for an item frequently, it needs to be remerchandised.

How to make shopping experience easier?

Having to ask questions can add stress to the shopping experience. Use signage that educates. For instance, we label beginner band books so parents can find them easily. Clipboards hang above the books, so customers can see the area schools that use each title. (See photo.)

What should be included in a sign?

Signs should include features, advantages and benefits (FABs). Signs listing specs that aren't connected to a tangible user benefit are meaningless. Include prices on merchandise, as a lack of visible pricing can create suspicion. That said, put prices on the back, so customers have to pick up items and turn them over to see prices. Customers will be more likely to buy an item if they hold it.

How to show confidence in your customers?

Clean up, including the bathrooms. A clean store shows you care and will inspire confidence in your customers. Dust display instruments regularly, replace burned-out light bulbs, and make sure the bathroom has plenty of soap and paper goods.

How much space do you need to have a retail store?

Give your customers space. Leave at least 4 feet between fixtures and at least 6 feet between fixtures and walls. The trend in retail today is toward more space, especially at entryways. Space says "class." (Notice that discount stores tend to be crowded.) Aim for an open look, particularly in the parts of your store where you offer higher-end instruments.

How to develop merchandising strategies for physical stores?

When developing merchandising strategies for physical stores, create layouts that are friendly to the eye and focus on developing a stimulating shopping experience. You can incorporate music that evokes particular feelings and build displays that attract interest.

How effective is merchandising?

Effective merchandising also depends on a thorough competitive analysis. The brand's competitors might use different strategies to reach the same audience, sometimes with more success. An organization can study how its competitor reaches that audience and draw from those techniques to create its own, establishing a more competitive and thorough merchandising strategy that can attract customers from the competitors.

What is merchandising?

Merchandising is a term that covers all of a business's efforts to market its products. These efforts include ad campaigns, price promotions, special events and the costs associated with such activities. Marketing professionals study merchandising to learn more about how promotional efforts affect brand image and customer interest and track how much the company spends on marketing its products and services. Merchandising strategies are specific techniques that marketing professionals use to convince customers to purchase a product. Here are some examples:

How does merchandising work?

Marketing professionals focus on the customers' needs and on visual design to create appeal and encourage a sense of urgency to acquire the company's products and services. Here are some of the main components of merchandising and how they contribute to the larger act of merchandising products and services:

Why is product design important?

A product's design, along with its packaging and promotional materials, plays an important role in the merchandising process. Designers can help make a product seem more appealing by incorporating design elements that align with customers' preferences. For example, a customer who prefers an environmentally conscious lifestyle may appreciate products with minimalist, recyclable packaging.

What is merchandising in business?

Merchandising is a technique used by companies of all sizes, from small business owners to international corporations. Often, individuals and businesses within the retail industry use merchandising to enhance their brand or encourage customers to purchase their offerings.

Why is merchandising important?

The use of effective merchandising can help support a business's success. Merchandising represents the efforts a business takes to market its customers and encourage them to make purchases.

How to make your store more appealing?

How they are positioned in your shop can make or break your store’s appeal. Having your employees move around on the sales floor instead of staying behind the counter is a good way to make the place more inviting.

Which way do you drive in a shop?

Consumers in the UK and Australia for instance, drive on the left side of the road so they tend to explore stores in a clockwise manner while consumers from right-hand driving countries like the US usually turn right when they enter a shop.

Why is it important to put complementary products together?

By putting complementary products together, users can find what they want without having to walk around the store.

What does it mean when a store is done properly?

When done properly, it also allows your customer to shop your entire store.

Which way do supermarkets move?

The pattern of movement in the supermarket is counterclockwise in the United States, but PathTracker studies in the UK, Australia, and Japan show a much greater tendency for shoppers to move in a clockwise pattern there… traffic patterns in the store may also be affected by vehicle traffic patterns outside. In these small studies, we noted that in countries with right-hand driving, where traffic circles move in a clockwise pattern, shoppers in stores may be more comfortable moving in the same direction.

Where are retail fixtures located?

They’re also usually located at right angles throughout your store, which allows your customers to become familiar with where your products are placed.

Is it easier for merchandisers to stock your shelves?

It’s easier for merchandisers to stock your shelves.

How to make merchandising more interesting?

Even without writing, your merchandising strategy should speak for itself. Tell a story with your displays. Include characters and themes that make your merchandise bigger than just a product. You want to be alluring and eye-catching when putting together your plan. Use whimsical objects and sets to prop your brands products.

How to use cross merchandising?

Integrate cross merchandising into displays through promotions. For example, promote a sale with two products that can be used together and are likely to be purchased at the same time. “Buy two, get one half off” can be an enticing steal for consumers. When working on cross merchandising, be sure to make it obvious enough to understand the connection between the products.

How to be more relevant to shoppers?

Instead, stay up to date with the latest digital trends, pop culture waves, and consumer preferences. Adjust your merchandising to the season and holidays. This will make sure you are perceptible and relevant to shoppers.

What is the biggest mistake a merchandiser can make?

The biggest mistake merchandisers can make is creating a sure-fire merchandising display and never analyzing the results from their efforts. Whether it is a success or a failure, it helps to know what does and doesn’t work, so that action can either be replicated or avoided. Pick a unit of measure to standardize your data collection and adhere to it.

Why do you group products by three?

This classic merchandising technique hasn’t gone out of style. Grouping products by three creates symmetry and balance that naturally draws the eye. Leaving a product to stand on its own can appear odd or disproportionate.

What is the best way to passively inform about a product's features?

Signs are the the best way to passively inform about a product’s features or celebrate the releases of a new product. Allow signage to inform and direct as it calls attention to the flow of your set up. Never have consumers questioning where they can find your merchandise.

Why do you choose the same font?

Choose the same font for stylistic reasons and brand recognition.

What is visual merchandising?

Visual merchandising is presenting, arranging, and displaying products in a way that makes them grab the shopper's eyes and encourages them to pick up, try on, and ultimately buy the merchandise.

What to do if something doesn't sell?

If something doesn’t sell, try moving the same display to another location or incorporate different product placement before giving up on it.

How to make your eyes not monochromatic?

Try related or contrasting colors. Our eyes quickly get the point and move on, so never make a monochromatic display.

Do promotional items have a shelf life?

Holidays and seasons only last so long , and promotional items have a short shelf life. Feature new arrivals in your store layout first.