Back-to-School stocking is upon us, and you are most likely considering how to best merchandise your store to best prepare for the upcoming rush. Visual merchandising involves displaying products to highlight their features and benefits with the goal to attract and motivate customers to purchase. Successful visual merchandising will turn your retail space into your most productive and most efficient salesperson.
Here are some tips when merchandising your bookstore:
Follow the Rule of 3
A simple, but powerful tip is to display products in groups of three. Customers are more likely to stop when they see symmetrical or balanced designs. Place three products side by side instead of just one, or if you are arranging things by height, use items that are short, medium, and tall. You can also create a pyramid of products, as it forces the shopper’s eye to look at the focal point and then work their way down.
Urbanista In-Ear True Wireless Product Glorifier Podium Display
FREE with Qualifying Purchase of 9 True Wireless Earbuds
Use Planograms
Planograms are the easiest ways to plan out and organize merchandise in displays, slatwalls, and more. A planogram tool offers a visual of product layout, including helpful metrics like shelf height, product dimensions, UPC/SKU numbers, and more.
Check out these planogram tools from Douglas Stewart.
Consider Colors
Colors are a vital aspect of visual merchandising because it draws in the customers and tells a story about the products. For example, green often communicates sustainability, red is associated with passion, etc. You can also use color to attract a customer to a wall or display of products. Although black and white are typically bestselling colors for audio products, including a vibrant color option alongside them will make your merchandising stand out more to customers.
Check out more JBL resources HERE
Group Products Together
Grouping products together saves your customers time searching for pairings, but it also increases their likelihood to buy more product from you. Consider which of your products pair well together. It helps to understand the categories your products fall into, and which categories have good cross-over. For example: notebooks pair well with pens, binders pair well with index dividers and tabs or sheet protectors, and more. You can even practice during down-times with your employees by asking them to come up with different pairing ideas.
Popular pairings should be prominently displayed and showcased in your store. Show your customers how products work well together by putting those products together! Having these products close together will also help your employees quickly grab them to suggest an up-sale. For more cross-merchandising tips, read this article.
Change it Up
Visual merchandising begins to lose its affect once customers grow accustomed to it. That’s why it’s important to change it up frequently with new products and arrangements. Try implementing a merchandising rotation throughout the year based on your buying seasons.
Signage
Signage can be a great tool in capturing attention and conveying information. You may be limited on space in your store, so be strategic about the kind of signage you want to use and replace it regularly. Signage could include key new products, promotions, sales discounts, time-sensitive offers and more.
Click HERE for more Dell assets for your store.
Track Results
One of the most useful tips is to pay attention to what works and what doesn’t. Each store is different, and you may notice that certain displays or arrangements are more successful than others. Take note of how shoppers respond to merchandising efforts and adjust accordingly.
What merchandising tips have you tried? Let us know in the comments!
For all your back-to-school shopping needs, check out the Douglas Stewart 2023 Back-to-School HQ
Sources:
https://mannequinmall.com/blogs/posts/20-merchandising-tips-tricks-you-need-to-to-use
retailconnection 