Do and Don't: RMU Romancing the Customer

I often see the sad state of displays whenever I shop. I feel sad for the beautiful products that are just placed haphazardly as if the owner didn’t care. Even marked down pieces deserve a nice set-up.

 

DO: Retail Merchandising Unit Display (RMU)

The display is given structure and several design elements are utilized. There is direction, there is shape and there is an appeal to customers to interact with products. Items are also grouped by design.

 

COULD BE BETTER:

Nice ceramic bathroom accessories are just placed on a shelf without thought for design and display appeal.

Do and Don't: Don't Say Bad Words

Ever been to shops where you already know the chances of the staff being rude is high? Just the tone of their signs already gives off a signal of this. How sad many shop owners are unaware the power of their signs and how unwelcoming they can be.

DO: This sign says "These items are FRAGILE Please handle with care, We gladly provide assistance." Isnt this a nice way of informing customers to be careful instead of saying the usual "You break you pay"? or "Do not touch"?

DON'T: Hmmmm. The store wants customers to buy but God forbid they try something on. As if the pink paper and border ribbons will make up for "NO FITTING"!

Do and Don't: The Power of Light

Ever wonder why some stores attract more customers while others have customers passing them by? The not so secret secret? Well-lit spaces! Bright areas attract the eye, hence hard to ignore. Well-lit stores often follow the ABC of lighting- A for the brightest spots which are the focal displays and task lighting including lease lines; B for framing the walls and floor units and C just spillover lighting.

DO: Wow, what a nice and enticing display upfront! I am sure its effective in getting passers-by to come in as well. Did I ever mention that the brightest stores tend to attract the most customers? Lighting the entrance, especially the main focal display is sure to grab attention.

DON'T: Who turned off the lights? Lighting the entrance is crucial not only in getting attention but also in defining the start of the store experience.

Do and Don't: RMUs- How Low Can We Go?

Ever wonder what some retailers are thinking when displaying their products? Is their goal just to show as much merchandise as the space allows regardless of visibility? Shouldn't it be what makes more sense- such as how easily accessible and viewed products are from the customer's viewpoint? After all, some empty space is good as it gives the eye a place to rest.

DO: The ideal lowest level of merchandise display is knee height especially for small items. This makes it easy to access and view the merchandise in relation to a customer's height.

DON'T: Really? Floor level? I realize retail carts do not have as much room to display products, however to merchandise all the way to the floor doesn't make sense. Do the operators think customers will squat down or go on their hands and knees to view these items?

Do and Don't: The Perils of Live Mannequins

DO: This example of a window display using live mannequins show professional models working their best to create interest in the store and their products.

DON'T: This female model is indeed creating interest, just not in a positive way. I do feel bad for her, however she is supposed to promote merchandise, not show how tired she is.

Do and Don't: Am I Too Fat?

DO: Allow enough room for customers to browse through merchandise on the back wall. After all, there are more merchandise displayed here than on the front feature table. At least three feet of space between fixtures is good.

DON'T: I realize that space is at a premium, however who can ever fit in between this feature table and the wall to comfortably browse through the wall merchandise selection? I can't even imagine how anyone, skinny or otherwise, access this section.

Do and Don't: The Romance of the Holidays

DO: A select few pieces is showcased dramatically with the use of colour and simple props to convey a strong message of holiday gift giving.

DON'T: A holiday window display needs more appeal than the one seen below. The display not only fails to multiple sell within a set, it hardly encourages customers to even want the items displayed. Jewelry is a gift of love and romance. Its absence in this window is simply too jarring.

Do and Don't: What is Being Sold?

DO: Having text on the window acts like a title to the story being sold. It immediately conveys the store's message to the shopper. Crucial to the placement of the text is its position in the window. It should not hinder sightlines to the main selling point which is around the mannequins' chest area. Placing the text around hip level of the mannequins is a smart move.CAN DO BETTER: In this window, the text is more prominent that the products being promoted. The positioning of the text covers the window's main selling point which is right around the mannequins' chest area.

Do and Don't: Show me the Light!

DO: Darkened areas can make a store look dramatic. In this case, eyes are drawn to feature highlights such as the focal display right at the centre and makes the power wall products visually pronounced. DON'T: A darkened area just because the lighting is inadequate or out of order is hardly the way to sell prestige cosmetics---Especially when customers are invited to test the products and see how it looks against their skin.

Do and Don't: Its a Trap!

Ever decide NOT to walk into a shop because it looks like there are no exit pathways? Funny how some retailers fail to realize that the more crowded a space is, the less likely customers will penetrate that selling space.
Customers do not want to feel trapped and unable to quickly exit any space.
DO: Front the storefront, customers can see that all areas of the store is readily accessible. The floor design itself makes the circular racetrack evident. DON'T: Avoid creating dead-ends like the shop below. I realize that at times, inventory levels are high, however it is still vital that customers are able to easily navigate the entire store.

Do and Don't: Can't See!

GIVEN the choice, will customers still fully penetrate a selling space if they cannot view the shop or will they simply walk past it?
DO: A beautiful display setting that leads the eye from the front low table to the way to the back wall. Guess which direction customer traffic will go? They will surely visit each unit from the front to the back! DON'T: Too bad the front unit is loaded with too much merchandise that it hinders sightlines to the rest of the shop.

Do and Don't: Where's the Romance?

DO: What a beautiful and eye catching jewelry display. Not only is the display eye to waist level, the message is conveyed through a fairy tale story. Makes me wish upon a star for the necklace on display. DON'T: This jewelry display is simply too low. Right at eye level, one sees a blank wall. There is also nothing special displayed, just a mass merchandising presentation. Where's the romance in this?

Do and Don't: Handwritten, REALLY?!

DO: Regardless of how inconvenient it is to get a sign printed, it is vital that they have a professional finish. In this case, the brand and product values are conveyed to customers right before they enter the premises, starting the selling process. DON'T: While effort can be seen in creating this sign, and although the store has up to 50% off sale, this unprofessional look simply devalues the brand, the store and its products.

Do and Don't: Lets Confuse the Customer-NOT!

DO: Make it easy for customers not only to buy but also understand your groupings. By displaying products with the same end-use, in this case a dressy clutch bag with coordinating accessories, it silently sells to customers a one stop shop for their special occasion needs. DON'T: Can this be anymore confusing?! Evening jewelry merchandised alongside an everyday bag; evening clutch bags with everyday wallets immediately below it. Is this how customers will wear them?

Do and Don't: Is that Junk I see on the Window?

DO: A great seasonal window display-- it effectively conveys target market, expected price points and product selection being promoted. DON'T: So sad they ran out of space for inventory and they just stacked all boxes right behind this window display. Note that customers can see past a display- whether it is in the window, behind the cash desk or tucked underneath a wall display.

Do and Don't: Who Turned Off the Lights?!

DO: When majority of the merchandise is small in size, adequate lighting allow customers a good view of the items being sold. This also makes the store more inviting and sets a positive tone for shopping. DON'T: Customers have a hard time reading product labels and packaging inside this toy and games store.

Do and Don't: How Skinny Should I Be?!

DO: Allow space for customers to walk around a feature display. This provides easy access to all merchandise including those displayed in the back. I don't need a sale incentive to look through these items. DON'T: Wow, what a deal, 2 suits for $199! However, I wonder who is skinny enough to squeeze through and browse that suits rack?!

Do and Don't: Nothing Simple in Garbage

DO: At closing time, bringing garbage out for pick-up in clear plastic bags is a good step in keeping shrinkage down. DON'T: Using store's shopping bag as garbage bins is a surefire way to encourage internal theft.

Do and Don't: Fixtures that OVERpower Product Displays

DO: If you are already stuck with slatwalls, use a fabric or plastic/card board background that runs vertically. This breaks the horizontal lines and will better highlight product displays. DON'T: Slatwalls offer flexibility in displays. However so do slotted standards and these do not have the very distracting repeated patterns of line that overpower product displays. The only time a slatwall looks good is if it is filled with product and one hardly sees the slatwall.

Do and Don't: A jacket vest with your beddings?

DO: A nice display bed presented with furniture and accessories that take advantage of multiple selling opportunities. DON'T: Sales Associate to Customer:"Oh such a beautiful bedding set, isn't it? And how about a jacket vest to go with it?!"