As a retailer, you’re always looking to increase same-store sales. You can freshen up your merchandise mix to pique customers’ interest. You can hold sales or offer coupons to entice customers to buy more. And you can try to engage customers with unique and attention-grabbing in-store displays. After all, engaging customers is likely to drive up sales!
All of these strategies can be effective. According to the marketing agency Research OgilvyAction, however, one of them is more effective than the others (and it may surprise you). A survey of more than 6,000 U.S. shoppers revealed that twice as many shoppers were driven to make “impulse purchases” when exposed to store displays versus price alone. Clearly, store displays can boost sales as long as they are effective displays. Here are three considerations to keep in mind when choosing your store display fixtures.
1. Should the Display be Moveable or Permanent?
There are two types of store displays — permanent and moveable. It’s smart to use a mix of both. Movable display fixtures, such as counter-top and table-top displays, cardboard standees and lightweight shelving are most effective for displaying products that can be described as “impulse buys” (snacks, greeting cards, gifts, fun accessories, candles … things a shopper may not especially need or make a trip to the store to buy, yet a store display may entice them to buy anyway).
Permanent display fixtures, such as elaborate end-cap displays, interactive displays, video displays, and heavy wooden or metal floor displays are ideal for highlighting items shoppers need and visit a store to find. You can freshen up permanent displays by changing the brands or types of products highlighted. For example, a permanent display geared toward people needing to paint their house could display paint one month, paint brushes and accessories the next month, etc.
2. Is the Display Functional for Its Intended Purpose?
No matter how great your display looks, if it’s not functional it won’t be successful. Before you install store display fixtures, consider what you’ll be showcasing on it. Stacks of tee-shirts or packages will weigh far less than stacks of canned goods. On the other hand, stacks of tee-shirts will require more surface area than stacks of canned goods. Consider weight, dimensions and how sturdy your stacks will be. Multiple lightweight cardboard boxes could continually topple over if not displayed correctly.
Depending on the size and weight of what you’ll display, you may choose a metal, wooden, glass or plastic fixture. You’ll also be able to choose from configurations like two-sided gondola style displays, pegboards, grid walls, table displays, or reconfigurable modular displays that snap together like Lego building blocks.
3. Can the Display Fixtures be Updated Easily?
The main reason why store displays are effective at being sales tools is because they stand out from the rows and racks of products. When you’re reading an article or a book and you see a block of text that’s bolded, italicized or underlined, you probably read it first because it catches your attention. That’s what a store display does – it draws attention to the unexpected.
When shoppers see the same display week after week, though, they lose interest because the display has become expected. It has lost its pizzazz. Make sure to choose display fixtures that you can rearrange easily – or that you can freshen up with new mirrors, signage, accessories, lighting, etc. Speaking of lighting, always make sure the displays you choose are compatible for wiring and electricity!
If you’re ready to take your retail sales to the next level by incorporating eye-catching store display fixtures, contact us at Houston Installation Service (HIS). Our team can prepare your retail space for the display, handle electrical considerations, configure and install your fixtures, and display your products – all while your store is closed. This will minimize downtime and avoid interrupting employees and customers (which will avoid cutting into sales.) We’ll have your display looking like a million bucks and ready to wow customers the next morning!
