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Watch the Signs
Almost 70 percent of purchase decisions are made in-store; your signing program helps shoppers make those decisions. Signs should be professional, displayed in sign holders, and represent your brand. If handwritten signing is part of your shtick then go for it, otherwise opt for signs that are printed on neutral colored card stock.
Eye Level – aka buy level—is approximately four to five feet, four inches from the floor. These important signs are used to highlight a product’s features, offer ideas about
what can be created using the components on the display, suggest items to be worn
or used together, and of course, price points—whatever you want shoppers to know about that particular product.
Signs should be an easy-to-read font in at least 30 point type. Shoppers should be able to easily read your signs without
their reading glasses. And avoid using all capital letters because caps are hard
for older eyes to read, and younger shoppers think you are shouting.
Follow the Light
There are several types of lighting used in stores: General (overhead), Task (cash wrap, service areas), Accent (to highlight merchandise and direct attention to certain
areas of the sales floor), and Decorative (chandeliers to add character or table lamps to add ambiance to a display).
It’s important to note that we need three times the amount of light to see as well in our 60s as we did in our 20s. If you have Baby Boomer customers, and your lighting is bad, there’s a good chance they can’t see your merchandise clearly. If you haven’t relamped your store recently, contact a lighting expert who can recommend the proper lighting for your sales floor.
Wrap Things Up
You never want customers to stop thinking about merchandise, even when they are paying for purchases. Take advantage
of the fact that women are big impulse shoppers by displaying small, high profit items at the cash wrap. If you have a
wall directly behind your counter, make
it a focal point, use it to tell a story or to showcase important product. If your store has checkout lanes, position displays with impulse items close by.
Adopt our 30 Degree Pass-By
If you’ve ever heard a sales associate say, “It was right here yesterday!” you need to adopt the 360 Degree Pass-by exercise— a quick walk through every inch of the
sales floor. In the five minutes it takes to do this exercise you will easily notice which areas need attention, product that needs to be restocked or straightened, signs that need to be replaced, etc.
Store layout is an art but it’s also a science. Over the years, retailers have left a trail of lasting techniques that are still used by successful retailers today for one, simple reason: they work. They’ll work in your store as well. If you’re not sure what to
do first, give us a call, or email photos, and we’ll brainstorm ideas to help you get started! ■
COPYRIGHT KIZER AND BENDER 2019 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender are consumer anthropologists, keynote
speakers, authors and consultants who
have helped thousands of businesses in the retail, restaurant, hospitality, travel, funeral profession, beauty and service industries since 1990. KIZER & BENDER are contributors to MSNBC’s Your Business and have been named two of Retailing's Most Influential People. As global retail thought leaders, KIZER & BENDER are listed among the Top
40 Omnichannel Retail Influencers, Top 100 Retail Influencers, and the Top Retail Industry Experts to Follow on Social Media. Their award-winning Retail Adventures Blog
is consistently listed among important retail and small business blogs.
Images courtesy of Ashley Hope, Michelle Wood and Theresa B. Manry
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