 |
    
    
April's
Articles for Giftware News:
back
to articles>>
Merchandising tips:
Location, location, location
January 8, 2007
As the New Year rings in and new product arrives in your stores,
it is time to assess your presentation and merchandising techniques—and
make sure you are ready for the new season.
Here are a few simple rules that will help you merchandise the
most productive areas of your store.
Location, Location, Location. Grocery store specialists have spent
oodles of money figuring out the positioning of product in their
stores. Guess what—no big surprise—things focused from
waist to eye level have maximum interaction with the customer.
Stretch and bend—we don't like to do that!
The lighting of the Menorah represents the eight days a small
amount of oil burned and gave the Maccabees, victorious in preserving
their holy place and moral beliefs, a miraculous eight days of
holy light—it was a triumph of good over evil and light over
darkness.
So, location, location, location—position your most important
products (that would be the product you bought the most of) in
this easy access area. This is your prime real estate—the
area your customer will see first, and if your product is right
for them—it is the area that will turn over the most product
for you. Leave top shelves and bottom shelves for either bulky
items that can be noticed from a distance or for doubles of what
is already in your key position. If you must put some of your
most important product in low and high shelves—remember to
rotate it to the prime space as your other product sells down.
If your key real estate is not delivering sales, relocate! Some
great areas are in front of the cash register, beside changing
rooms, on lead tables, or on the cash desk itself—as well
as other unique locations pertinent to your own store. Know these
locations and cater to them—if you cannot figure out what
is best, move the product around until it hits.
Just as within every shelving unit, there is a premium positioning
area within your square footage. There are also the most key areas.
What can be seen from either the sidewalk or the aisle outside
your front door?
The first 15 feet of your shop are likely visible from the doorway—this
is where you position your lead table, your advertised product,
the key items of your shop or of this season, etc.
This positioning is part of the value of your lease—it is
part of your marketing. You need to make sure that the presentation
in this area is dynamic and eye catching—this is the display
that will cause somebody to walk in and look around.
A lead table is really just any flat surface that has a strategy
investment on it. You may be a seller of tourist tee shirts who
likes to pile them high and see them fly, or you may have a collection
of unique statuettes from Bavaria that—when displayed together—sing
a song of exclusiveness and rarity. Whatever the decision for
your lead table (which could also be a sideboard, or any other
sort of platform) it is a strategy that needs to reflect your
goals. This is product that you have invested in significantly—or
this is product that is so unusual and dynamic that it will draw
people into the rest of your concept.
This table should also have signage—it may be price pointed
signage or it may be educational signage that explains values
beyond price—such as country of origin, handmade, limited
issue or other interesting aspects of the product.
This lead table, remember, is visible from your doorway—is
the proverbial show stopper!
A simple rule for lead table display—or for any display—whether
on a bench, a shelf, or a basket—is to group product in irregular
numbers. Arrangements in groups of 3, 5, and 7 are more visually
pleasing than groups of 2, 4, and 6.
Use the pyramid as a reference for your display shape—placing
higher items in the center and shorter ones to the side.
Sometimes a display looks great up close, but is not noticeable
from a distance. Consider adding signage with some height to draw
customers in.
Though it is said the customer's most favorite word is "Free"
—and it does attract a lot of attention—I like to believe
that signs with interesting art or graphics and clever, informative
and even amusing copy, can also light up a display.
Good signage—which means easy to read and brand appropriate
signage can greatly enhance a display.
Watch out for "sign-itis" however—remember you
are selling giftware, not signs—customers need to be able
to see the product too!
It is important after a sale, to clear out old sale signs.
Also keep in mind, new arrival signs are really only appropriate
when the product is truly new.
Next week I'll talk about buying and merchandising by themes.
April Cornell
Burlington, Vermont |
|
|
