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Retail Merchandising Tips...

By Jacqueline Drew
START Marketing Inc.
www.startmarketing.com

Retail merchandising is probably the second most crucial success ingredient after location, and one that you can really work to your advantage. It is also fun and a great way to learn about consumer buying patterns. Here are a few tips you might enjoy.

1. Decide your image and vision for the store first. Think of all the ways you can make the store click into that image. Think of all five senses and what each should be doing when in your store.
2. Outside signage should be clear, bright and unique. Make sure people can tell what you offer at a quick glance. Signage should be positioned where people can see it easily from all traffic directions.
3. Inside Signage needs to show people where things are. This can be done with words, photography, or art, but make sure people are not confused or frustrated when trying to find things in your store.
4. Post business hours and stick to them, whatever they are. You could even ask shoppers if they would prefer longer or different shopping hours, and keep track of the results until you have a good number of people asking to change them.
5. If you can put something outside your door or in your window to draw people in, then do it! Even blowing a wonderful scent out your door is a great way to attract traffic. Or perhaps music, or flowers!
6. Try walking through your store carrying a couple large bags of groceries, or pushing a stroller. If you feel like you might break something, consider rearranging the store to make aisles wider for parents, the disabled, or even those of a more generous girth. You could also ask a school aged child whether he or she can find or reach things in the store, to see how shorter folks navigate your store.
7. Ever consider asking your neighbouring retailers to critique your merchandising? You might be surprised at their ideas. Most businesspeople are happy to give critical feedback, but are hesitant to do so without first being asked.
8. Take advantage of every season. Your store should be a continually changing heraldry of life. Keep it fun with ever changing displays, merchandise, and more.
9. Discount and sales signs should be kept at the back of the store, where there should be a regular clearing area for out-of-season merchandise. Keep the front of the store reserved for current, new and exciting merchandise. If you always have a SALE sign out front, it will look like you are always in a state of financial urgency, and you will train your customers to wait for the sale.
10. Continually experiment, and keep track of the results. You will never learn better merchandising without a lot of trial and error.