There are many store interior merchandising display options
to consider. A sampling of these are listed below:
- Island Display at Main Door to Greet Customers
- Use for Keep Promotions
- Create Promotion Style Trend
- Well Lit
- Use Platform to Enhance
- Counters / Display Cases
- Museum Cases
- Demonstration Cubes / Tables / Crates
- Perimeter Ledge
- Shadow Boxes
- Enclosed Display
- Fascia
- Columns
- Enclosed Displays – Effective Shrink Protection
- T – Walls – Form Small Closets / Selling Areas along a Wall
Examples of common fixture types from which you can choose include:
- Mannequins
- Platforms
- Costumers, Valets, Drapers
- Easels
- Counters
- Ledges
- Rounders
- T-Stands
- 4 – Ways
- 3 – Parts
- C - Racks
- Gondola shelving
- Tables
- Cubes / Crates
- Wedding Cake tables
- Slotted Walls
- Grid Walls
- Kiosks
- Outposts
When employing fixtures, considerations that you should be aware of include:
- Matching the merchandise to the proper type of fixture (e.g. Hard goods are displayed well on aisle shelving called gondola. Hanging apparel looks appropriate on round or T-shaped hanger fixtures)
- Density – Fixtures should look full, but not over-stuffed
- Size – Small items look best on smaller scale fixtures
- Look / Feel in Store - Match the look of your store with your fixtures. A store selling elegant clothing should employ elegant fixtures
- Color / Finish – Your fixtures should not be wild colors that clash with your store design colors
- Height – Chest-level fixtures are effective
- Condition – Fixtures should be well maintained. Old rusty fixtures give a very negative message about a store
- ADA Guidelines – Appropriate room needs to be available to accommodate your shoppers. You should be familiar with ADA special guidelines that are applicable to retail environments
Studies done by retail experts have documented the fact
that shoppers, particularly women, will leave an area that is too crowded with
merchandise. Additionally, generally accepted ADA guidelines suggest that
aisles of at least 36 inches in width should be maintained. Our own studies
have shown that when an over- crowded area (narrow aisle) is opened up that
sales often increase as more shoppers feel comfortable looking at merchandise
and are more likely to buy. Handicapped shoppers requiring wheelchairs, crutches,
or walkers (among others) may find tight aisles and other tight store spaces to
be very difficult to navigate and need to be avoided. Parents with strollers
often cannot get into tight aisles and will seek other merchandise that is more
convenient to view.
Sources of Merchandising Fixtures & Equipment that
you want to investigate include:
- A GOOGLE search is your best option when looking for fixture sources
- Suggested search Keywords
- Store Fixtures
- Point of Sale Fixtures
- Store Merchandising
- Store Signage
- Retail Store Equipment
- Retail Store Fixtures
- ThomasNet.com
- Retailers Closing Stores – Buy at Huge Discounts
- Used Fixture Dealers
Do not forget to ask your vendors for free or low cost
fixtures that they may provide and/or a fixture allowance to assist you to buy
fixtures to properly display the merchandise.
Point of purchase displays are also important and may be
composed of the following:
- Outdoor / Sidewalk
- Counter Displays
- Floor Fixtures near POS
- Accessories – Dump Bins, Wings, Ect.
- Vendor Supplied
Clearance goods often warrant a separate area in a retail
store, unless you intentionally choose to mix clearance items in with
full-price merchandise on your displays. Whenever possible, we suggest a
separate clearance area to draw attention to those items and reduce price
confusion if mixed in with full-priced merchandise. Examples of clearance item
placement include:
- In-Aisle Among Regular Priced Goods
- Back Corner
- Front of Store
