Skip to content
Use Retail Fixtures To Improve Your Store
Darren GilbertJun 2, 2017 3:58:01 PM4 min read

How To Use Retail Fixtures To Improve Your Store

You may be surprised by this, but the type of retail fixtures you use in your store can have a significant impact on your overall sales. They can have an impact on your overall brand too. After all, the fixtures you use say a lot about your store as a whole and can even shape your customer’s perceptions of you.

For example, as a small food retailer, you may have invested in industrial shelving. Yes, it’s functional. It may even allow you to put more product on the shelf. But what does it say about your business and how do your customers view this shelving and the products on them? Instead of the warm, inviting aura that you believe you've created, it probably feels cold and impersonal.

Remember, just because a shelf can hold your products doesn’t mean it’s the right one to use.

Use retail fixtures to refresh the look of your store

You’ve undoubtedly heard about how a new coat of paint can make a drab building look brighter and more inviting. The same can be said if you use new retail fixtures to refresh the look of your store.

In fact, you should always be on the lookout to see how you can freshen up the look and feel of your store.

In refreshing your retail fixtures, you can give your customers the impression that your store is new, even if it isn’t. Conversely, while your merchandise might be the same, if you place it on new retail fixtures, it will give your customers the impression that they’re seeing it for the first time. You can even bring in a bit of excitement on their part to explore your products.

Mind you, just be careful not to change your store too much that it becomes unfamiliar to your customer. You don’t want a customer to walk in, become confused about where to find something, and then walk out in frustration.

Use retail fixtures to call attention to specific merchandise

If you have a product on sale or if you’re running a promotion, the right retail fixture located in the right place within your store can bring it the attention you want.

A retail fixture such as a display unit is a great example. Small enough to be able to be placed anywhere within your store, they are usually well lit and will have banners attached to draw your customers.

Speaking of lighting, you’ll be surprised by how much of an impact good lighting can have on your customers’ overall shopping experience. Too dark and you have a store that is foreboding and intimidating. Too bright and your customers leave half-blinded and with the memory to avoid your store (and perhaps even tell their friends and family to do the same).

If you’re a clothing retailer, the need-to-have retail fixture is a mannequin. That is not just because it gives them the chance to see what your clothes would look like on them, but it will also help them to see how your product will fit into their lives. Seeing a duvet setup on a bed in a mock bedroom or a faux lounge area complete with a TV, leather couches and a glass coffee table work just as well.

And then, of course, you have your shelf talkers, one of the three retail fixtures you should make use of in your store. By creating more product awareness or by displaying promotion information, you stand a good chance of drawing customers to it. They are also more likely to choose these products over others or better yet, end up buying additional items.

Use retail fixtures to take your customers on a journey

From the moment your customers walk into your store, you need to be aware that they are on a journey. That journey only ends once they leave your store. Whether it’s a long or short one is wholly up to you, the retailer.

One way of ensuring that they stay longer is by using your retail fixtures to create a path for them to follow. The reasons for this are twofold:

Firstly, as mentioned above, you want them to stay longer and explore your store, which will expose them to your products for as long as possible. A path can do that.

Secondly, a well-thought out path can help you control any potential congestion within your store. Too crowded and you’ll undoubtedly lose customers.

Just make sure that when your customers do walk down this path, you include eye-catching retail fixtures that will slow them down. That includes placing your in-demand products at eye-level and within easy reach or grouping similar products close to each other.

You can use power walls or focal points to slow your customers down. Even a dump bin or well-placed gondolas can work, depending on the type of products you sell or the overall look and feel of your store.

Conclusion

Each store is different so it wouldn’t be wise to advise that a retail fixture that works for your store will work for another. But don’t be afraid to experiment. Also don’t be afraid to spend time and money on investing in good retail fixtures that will best serve and improve your retail business.

avatar

Darren Gilbert

Darren Gilbert joined in 2017 and is the content manager. He has a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of Stellenbosch.

RELATED ARTICLES