The psychology and subconscious power of color is a topic that has been heavily tested and studied over the years. According to the Color Marketing Group, color plays a part in 85% of total sales. Here are a few ways you can incorporate color into your store!

Snap Judgment

As customers walk into a store, they form a subconscious judgment within the first 90 seconds. Experts say that roughly 62% to 90% of this judgment is based on color alone. Warm colors, such as oranges and browns, are calming and encourage customers to linger in your space. Orange is especially proven to make people happy. Cooler shades, like blues and greens, create a calming environment. Pink is relaxing and provides relief from tension and stress.

Add color to your store by incoporating colorful accents or painting your walls; you can even purchase paint-grade slatwall for a totally customizable look. Another option is adding colorful mannequins, which is a new trend for making your merchandise pop while also tying your store’s color scheme together. Look for colorful accent pieces that are also functional for displaying merchandise.

Build Your Brand

Color plays a vital role in establishing your brand identity in the customer’s mind. Store logos, signage, and advertisements work best when tied together with a signature shade. This concept isn’t limited to the colors you have within your store. Think of the items customers take with you when they leave your store. Brightly colored bags that match your store’s colors are a great silent advertisement for your brand. Many successful retail store are easily identifiable by their signature bags, such as Victoria’s Secret pink striped bags or Forever 21’s bright yellow bags.

If purchasing an entire new inventory of bags isn’t in your store’s budget, adding colored tissue paper is another easy and affordable way to incorporate color into your store’s packaging. Coordinating hangtags, ribbon, and other small touches will help build your brand in the customer’s eye.

Signage

Ever wonder why most sale signs are red? Red is associated with warnings and danger, so the human mind is trained to perceive messages in this color as urgent and important, making red the perfect color to capture a customer’s attention.

Yellow is the first color perceived by the retina and a time-tested color for getting a customer’s attention. Like red, yellow is associated with stopping. Customers brains are wired to stop when they encounter these colors. Be careful not to overuse bright reds and yellows, however, as too much of these colors can be jarring to the eye.

Remember, elements of color are meant to visually enhance your product and shouldn’t be too distracting. A little goes a long way! With the proper design, branding and execution, though, color can work with your product instead of against it.

An Impulse Buy is defined as a spur of the moment, unplanned decision to buy, just before making a purchase. Essentially, it’s a purchase a customer makes without putting prior thought or consideration into it. Retailers should look at this area with the opposite approach. It’s often overlooked, but with the right merchandising, can bring in major sales. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind:

Store Flow Sets the Tone

When merchandising your store, finding the right flow is crucial. While maximizing your space is essential for smaller stores, you don’t want it to appear cluttered or messy. To avoid congestion, place larger, higher priced items away from heavily trafficked walkways. Customers will spend a longer time examining bigger ticket purchases, so keeping these items out of the main walkway gives them the space they need to weigh their decision.

Alternatively, lower priced items can be more densely merchandised and perform best nearer to the cash register.  Give your customers something to consider as they wait in line because 27% of shoppers will make an additional purchase at the cash register (Neiberg, 2013).

The Little Purchases Add Up

The reason items merchandised near the cash register do so well is because the customer has already made up their mind that they are going to be spending their money – so what’s a few dollars more? POP (point of purchase) sales can add $5 to $10 to each sale, which quickly creates a big profit. POP displays take up 1% of total retail space, but account for 7% of annual sales (Neiberg, 2013).  As a retailer, you can’t afford to not be using the space around the register.

If you aren’t currently utilizing this space, it’s time to start buying inventory specifically for your point of purchase area! Think of small add on items that compliment your best selling merchandise or fun trinkets that will appeal to your customer base.

The Right Display Will Help You Sell

Store displays speak volumes – sometimes more than your staff even can! 1/3^rd of customers shopping say they don’t want to talk to store employees (Reyle, 2014). That’s a huge chunk of business; so instead of loosing these customers, let your store displays communicate for you. Try incorporating signage into your displays. Many fixtures today include sign holders, so adding a sign couldn’t be easier.  Find a clever way to speak appal to your customer’s impulsive side, and you’ll also find yourself bringing in sales.

Take a look at your current store layout and see where you could add POP displays.  Of course you can use countertop displays next to the register, but don’t forget about impulse bins, floor spinners, or even gondolas if your store has the space. (Think of the way a retailer like Target does this by their checkout area). Wooden bins or baskets are kid friendly and encourage easy browsing.  Remember, you’re trying to attract the customers who are waiting in line, as well as the ones who are the register. Displays by the register do have the advantage that your store’s employees can talk up the items and share brand knowledge. Near the register is a great place to display items that are special or unique to your store.

Not All Impulse Buys Are Add On Purchases

We’ve spoken a lot about the best placement for impulse buys being near the checkout area, however, don’t limit yourself to just that. Every retailer has experienced this scenario: a customer walks into your store and you great them with a friendly, “Hi! Is there anything I can help you find today?” only to hear the customer respond with, “No, I’m just browsing.” This type of customer may not have entered your store with the intention to purchase, but that doesn’t mean they won’t leave without buying a little something. However, the “just browsing” customer will not likely linger near the cash register.

For this reason, we suggest merchandising your impulse buys in more than just one location.  Spreading your inventory throughout the store increases the chances that a customer will spy something they like and make a purchase – even a customers who came into your store just to look around. Small purchases also appeal to the tourist customer; often they want to buy something, even if it’s just something little, to bring home as a memento of their trip.  Items such as key chains, magnets, and personalized jewelry appeal to this shopper.

Looking to add maximize your sales by capturing the impulse shopper? Specialty Store Services can help! Our retail experts will guide you through choosing the right display solutions for your store. Call 800.999.0771 or visit our website for more information.

 

Reyhle, Nicole. “Maximizing Store Experiences & Sales Through Merchandising & Displays.” Retail Minded. May 2014. Lecture.­­

Nieburg, Oliver. “Impulse Buy: Unrealized Potential.” ConfectioneryNews.com. William Reed Business Media, 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 04 June 2014.