We all pay good rent, don’t we? Some of us much more than others. We value our position, our store front in the street or mall and see it as a good return on investment – that money we put into “rent”. Why then do we as retailers neglect to value the frontage of our store? Why do we not put the same level of importance and value into our window or shop front?
There is no simple answer as to why we do not…. However there is a very simple answer as to why we should – Because when you look good, you sell more! Visual marketing helps your business grow.
So much of society today is based on looking good. We groom ourselves within an inch of our lives – hair styling, facials, waxing – you name it. We want to look our best. Well funnily enough the better your store looks the more inviting you are to potential customers – it’s not just about the product you wish to sell, but about the way you present it. Here’s a few tips on how to start to make your window & store look good.
#1 TAKE A GOOD HARD LOOK AT WHAT IS THERE NOW.
The first step is to look at what you have, be critical… and see how you can improve. Look at simple things to start with :
- Cleanliness – is your shop front clean, dust free, uncluttered.
- Lighting – do you have sufficient lighting in your shop front / window to ensure that it shines for potential customers walking by.
- Image – does your window / shop front represent your brand’s image at its best?
Displaying one item well may be more effective than crowding the window
These are all simple things to look at and fix – clean the window, wipe away any dead bugs (yes, there might be some there in the corners), change the dead light bulbs – all are an easy fix and a great start to looking good.
#2 CHOOSE THE RIGHT MERCHANDISE FOR YOUR SHOP FRONT.
There are different was to choose the merchandise for the front of your store :
- Choose the newest stock and promote it to attract new customers.
- Perhaps you have some older, existing stock that you want to sell but it simply won’t move – display it in a new way, maybe even use some form of props to freshen up the way it looks in-store.
- Add signage or decals (stickers on your window) to attract attention to your merchandise.
- If you have a lot of stock of 1 item to sell, you don’t need to show all of them – simplify your display and the way you merchandise to make it look more exclusive.
#3 LOOK AT THE STYLE OF SIGNAGE YOU USE.
All too often I go in to a retail outlet and am horrified by the over-use of signage and the style of signage. Here’s a few tips:
- If it is too small it cannot be seen, looks messy and detracts from sales.
- Do not hand write signage unless you have a REALLY nice style of hand writing – remember that a hand written sign will often look unprofessional if not done really well.
- Be consistent in the style of signage throughout one display – if your signage is white onto black – ensure that all signage within the display is consistent in size and style. It makes the signage easier to read and your overall display appear much more professional.
Let’s face it we all want to sell more and my job as a visual merchandiser is not to sell BUT to get customers to walk into the store. Then it is up to you BUT if they aren’t walking in the door you don’t have a chance.
Remember when your store looks good you will sell more so keep it clean, keep it simple and light it well.
Jano Dawes, Director : The Prop House & VM+
