The retail landscape has become a combat zone filled with sale merchandise. In order to survive these trying times and pull through, retailers must make sure their stores are correctly merchandised. It is too often one goes into a store to find a sale and they also discover the stores merchandise is in disarray.
When sale merchandise is strewn all over the place, it’s perceived value goes down, thus meaning less money in the pocket of retailers. Staff should make organization a top priority. It is even more important for presentations of stores’ merchandise to be put together.
One way to preserve the integrity of sale merchandise is to integrate it in with the regularly priced items. This not only will make “old” items look new again and not stale; it can also be used to manage the changing of seasons in order to sell through merchandise. One can style the mannequins in this manner, creating a different dynamic with the sale merchandise. Consumers look to the stores image and mannequins as to how they want to style themselves. Innovative and creative ways to mix and match pieces must be taken by stores in order to guide the consumer. The same goes for the window displays. Special attention should be paid to how often these are changed. It is recommended that they be changed quite frequently, again, to inspire the consumer.
Mannequins are not the only visuals consumers look to in stores. The sales staff plays an important role by how they are dressed. Again, if they are styled well and are knowledgeable on the products, the consumer is more likely to make a purchase.
Unique, creative displays add flavor to a store. It also differentiates it from other stores while solidifying the brand image. Merchandise that stores wish to push on consumers the most heavily should be at eye level. These will be the products a consumer will first turn to. Other merchandise must be accessible to the consumer. Nothing is more annoying than going into a store and seeing something you like and then not being able to reach it.
Frustration does not lead to sales. As for ideas on a creative way to merchandise a store, one can look for inspiration to current events. Our last election was a huge inspiration for many store fronts to speak their political minds while displaying their merchandise.
Above all else, the “KISS” factor plays an important role. K.I.S.S., or keep it simple stupid, allows one to have a revolutionary take on merchandising without going to far off the deep end and alienating consumers. When the sale merchandise is kept updated with styling and constant attention is paid to it, both the consumers and the retailers win.
-Oriana DiNella
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