Retail merchandising is a very important topic for brick and mortar stores, especially for grocery stores. While some might think that in-store merchandising doesn’t have an impact, they couldn’t be more wrong. Why? Because visual merchandising plays an important role and it can make customers want to shop more or leave the store empty-handed.
As you might expect, in this article, we are going to focus on visual merchandising. We’ll talk about the best visual merchandising tactics, as long as tools and solutions that can help you sparkle up your grocery store.
What is visual merchandising?
Visual merchandising is a marketing strategy in which retailers take advantage of their space to arrange merchandise in such a way that attracts the attention of shoppers. Visual merchandising means arranging, promoting, and displaying products in a way that makes customers want to purchase them.
There are a lot of things retailers need to take into account when it comes to retail merchandising, from space to the products they are selling. The one that is in charge of arranging and displaying products is known as a visual merchandiser. They rely on retail merchandising knowledge, combine it with creativity, and manage to showcase the inventory of the store in an innovative and positive way.
Visual merchandising has an important impact when it comes to sales. 90% of the information sent to the brain is visual. As you can expect, what we see impacts our purchasing decisions. For example, finding a complementary product in the store, near a product you were planning to buy will increase the chances of you purchasing it.
Visual merchandising can also help increase foot traffic, especially if you focus on window displays. If you have great visual elements, you will attract more customers which will eventually lead to better sales. How can you ace visual merchandising? We’ll tell you!
8 visual merchandising insights
While we are not reinventing the wheel, we came up with great visual merchandising insights and solutions to help you engage shoppers and make them purchase more.
1. Change display often
Products come and go, especially in a grocery store. That’s why it is a must to change displays at least once a month. Place new arrivals right at the entrance, to capture the attention of shoppers from the start.
If you have new arrivals that you planned on selling along with other products that haven’t arrived, wait. Don’t dilute the first appearance of products and don’t ruin your chances of add-on sales.
2. Focus on what people want, not what they need
While it is important to give customers what they need, when it comes to visual merchandising, you might want to focus on the wants, not the needs. People are more likely to impulse purchase products they like, not products they need.
For example, go for the upselling technique. A customer might need a hand mixer, but you don’t advertise that one. Instead, you advertise a KitchenAid. Everybody wants a KitchenAid, right? Why not try to sell them a better, more expensive product?
3. Add something intriguing to the mix
If you want to attract shoppers in-store, try adding something unusual or intriguing right at the window. It can be something that doesn’t connect with your store or something that is just odd. People will be curious to step into your store.
4. Make technology your visual merchandising ally
Retail tech can play an important role in merchandising. For example, Tokinomo, the robotic POSM can help you make products stand out from the crowd. Because of its sound, light, and motion technology, Tokinomo creates amazing experiences in-store.
5. Focus on the windows and the front of the store
The first impression counts, especially in retail. Shoppers passing by your store might not want to purchase something, but when they see your window displays, they might enter just to look and maybe buy something.
Also, the front of the store, the entrance, and the first shelves are the most important parts of your store. Try to capture the attention of customers right at the beginning. If they don’t like what they see in the beginning, they might leave the store without purchasing anything.
6. Don’t forget about prices
Make sure that each product has a price. Even if you have a unique fixture and products are not placed in their regular way, don’t forget to put a price on them. People hate asking for prices.
7. Convenience is a must
While visual merchandising is all about creativity, you don’t have to forget about convenience. It’s amazing to surprise your shoppers with unique fixtures and displays, but you don’t need to go overboard. Place products in a way that is convenient for shoppers.
8. Seasonality for the win
We all love holidays and that’s why we try to keep that holiday feeling for as long as possible, even when we go shopping. If it’s Christmas or Easter or Halloween, make you store a storyteller. Decorate windows, displays, and shelves. Stock up on holiday gifts and products to keep customers happy and in a holiday spirit. Plus, people tend to buy more during holidays so a bit of decorating can go a long way.
Attracting customers and engaging them in-store is a difficult task. However, with the right tricks up your sleeves and the best tech solutions, you will manage to surprise customers. Encourage shoppers to purchase the products they want with the help of visual merchandising.
