The retail apocalypse isn’t a theory or a rumor. It is a trend dominating the economy. Shopping malls are dying, stores have a hard time staying open, and consumers are browsing online.
In the age of Amazon and Walmart, it can be incredibly difficult for brick-and-mortar retail stores to attract customers, boost traffic, and generate sales. Even if you’re fortunate in bringing in shoppers, can you allure them enough that they simply won’t head to Amazon to buy the same products at a cheaper cost?
That said, there is still some hope. In June 2017, it was reported that ecommerce industry increased its market share, but overall sales declined, interestingly enough. Physical stores are not dead yet; they have some life left in them.
It is all about adaptation for business owners, managers, and marketers. One aspect of the company to hone in on is your retail display shelving. It may seem inconsequential, but it can play an important role in not only increasing foot traffic, it can ensure they stay in the store.
Interested in boosting sales? Here are five retail display shelving tips:
1. What is Your Brand Image?
This is an honest question that you must ask yourself. Yes, you have a store, you have a business name, you specialize in a certain product. But do you have a brand? If so, what is its image?
Indeed, it can be a hard question to answer. Many people want to own a company, but they don’t understand how to differentiate themselves from the rest of the market or how to market their brand to the consuming public.
Are you a clothing outlet like the myriad of others in your vicinity? Or are you a clothing outlet that targets millennial businesswomen? By picking one over the other, you will have a greater idea how to install your POP displays to showcase your products.
2. Organization is Key to Success
Some stores you refuse to venture inside because you can’t find anything thanks to the disarray. Suffice to say, many, many stores you come across are disorganized: products are scattered everywhere, there is no direction, and even the salespeople are unable to locate items.
Once you conjure up ways to stand apart from the competition, you need to figure out to be organized. This can consist of constructing your aisles in a certain way, complementing your inventory with technology, and categorizing your products.
3. You Need Aisle Spacing
Whether it is an apparel store, a food outlet, or a technology hub, oftentimes the establishment feels too cramped. It is great that you’re maximizing your space and you’re cluttering your shelves with displays and goods, but if you can hardly fit in the aisles, then it’s no use.
This is perhaps where organization comes in. If you can organize your shelving units, then you will certainly have plenty of space for customers to browse.
4. Place Popular Products at the Back
It doesn’t matter if it is an iPad, a carton of milk, or a pair of jeans. One of the best ways to generate sales and increase the amount of time shoppers are in your store is to place all of the most popular products at the back of the store.
Why is this important? Since shoppers need to travel to the back of the store, their eyeballs will be attracted to a diverse array of other goods. This enhances the odds of more dollars in the till.
5. Update Your Look Often
Look, if your brick-and-mortar store looks like it is from the 1990s, then all the power to you. But it won’t create excitement, produce attention, or experience much foot traffic.
In other words, it is time to freshen up your look, update your image, and adapt to modern culture. Moreover, once you fully bring your image to the 21st century, you need to regularly update the look every couple of months, and this doesn’t just mean adapting to the seasons.
Sure, many consumers are buying their baby diapers, dress shirts, or kitty condos online because it is cheaper and more convenient. But there is another reason: your store is just too hebetudinous, it lacks flavour, it needs something more than just staff and stuff.
Not only should you be competitive and offer products that the online world does not, you need to make your shoppers enthralled by the very presence of your store.
This starts by changing your retail display shelving.