Unfortunately, the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” doesn’t apply to retail shops. As a consumer, it’s easy to decipher between a good product display and a bad one; this initial observation is what fosters a customer’s first feeling towards a store they’ve just walked into. It’s important to develop a creative strategy for your display concept that compels customers to come back time and time again. But what elements go in to creating both an appealing and successful display? Here are some helpful tips to help you create an effective and efficient store display:

• What’s your vision?– Develop a clear vision that will connect with you core customer group. Is there clarity around the offering? Have you identified the target group? What about the value proposition? First establish the type of customer you want coming into your store: what are their needs and wants? Not only will this will help you better understand your customer, but it will help you to know the types of displays that will appeal to them.

• Establish an atmosphere– Every store has a culture. Stores create an atmosphere through decorative concepts and the way their products are displayed. For Anthropology, it’s an enchanting, rustic, feminine atmosphere. Cabela’s has an outdoor, sporty atmosphere, and for stores like Best Buy, it’s a clean and techy atmosphere. Consumers adopt these feelings after seeing an ad for a store, walking past a store and finally after walking into a store. What is the feeling you want customers to take away when interacting with your store? Your store displays are what will create the atmosphere within your store, which is why it is important to pay close attention to how you display your merchandise throughout the store.

• Surprise your customers– A display is your first chance to make an impression on your customers, so don’t stick with the norm. Entice your customers with exciting, unexpected displays. Try using bold, bright colors and funky shapes. Unique window displays can make any passerby or driver stop in to see what your store is all about. In an article from Entrepreneur, Noelle Nicks,  the visual merchandiser for Cole Hardware in San Francisco, discusses a unique window display she used for Halloween. Nicks hung more than a dozen types of brooms against an orange backdrop with the words, “Which broom?” across the glass beneath them. The display not only played on the traditional witch-on-a-broomstick theme, but it also showcased the store’s large broom selection.

• Don’t overdo it– Keep your displays simple. Trying to go over the top can result in a confusing, cluttered display. If you are trying to feature a certain item, it can become lost in an overly busy display.

• Work with the seasons– It sounds cliché; however, the seasons allow you to mix up your fixtures and visual displays. The seasons also offer the perfect amount of time to showcase a certain display before spicing it up again.

Interested in learning more about how to create the perfect displays? The retail experts at Specialty Store Services can help. Call us today at 800.999.0771 or click here to visit our website for more information