Global Trends in Merchandising

the Global shop is the world’s premiere annual merchandizing event. They have forecasted the following trends in merchandizing:

Digital: Touchscreens aplenty featured fast-moving graphics as part of the in-store marketing-to-consumers process.

Scents: It is all about immersing the senses in the retail environment. Speakers report that scent marketing is where music was 15 years ago. The Lincoln automobile’s rebranding, for example, includes a new scent in showrooms that combines green tea and jasmine.

Coloured LED: We saw this at Vision Expo East, too. It is called RGB (red, green, blue) LED lighting systems… one set of lights programmed with multiple colour options. With the flick of a remote, you can change colours of displays and the store itself from day-to-day or season-to-season.

Mannequin Mania: It’s now about making “the entire mannequin the focus, not just the clothes or accessories. The next-generation consumers want to see a story, and a mannequin becomes part of the sell.”

Too many displays feature only one item - just the shoes, just the wedding rings, just the drills, or the black sweaters. That’s just too boring! Displays have to grab a shopper’s attention. They want to see a complete lifestyle or a complete solution. You want them to see all that your products can do for them. The mannequins are at the front of each section and at an angle towards the foot traffic. How can you show the whole picture of your products?

Encourage Interactivity:  Modern displays encouraged customers to interact physically with the display. What could you do to get shoppers to touch, interact and have fun in your store?

Create Clearly Defined Areas: Enough space must be given to the displays and their large props, so shoppers could easily see across the store to where they wanted to go. However, these displays must make customers consider the possibilities of adding something different or new to my lifestyle. Most stores offer few visual cues to customers. They allow shoppers to wander aimlessly until they find something they want or ask someone where it is. Clear store signage and modern store designs are missing. Customers need to feel smart; help them with clearly-defined areas and good signage.

Make Function Easily Understood:  The display wall signage should prompt customers in understanding key uses or functions- encouraging decision making. In the example below, shoppers could easily understand that there were three types of running shoes with subtle differences. Notice they did not list the features, just the important benefits. How can you make subtle differences obvious and easy to understand for your customer?

Create Signage That Emphasises Benefits of Multiple Products

There is not just one type of runner, in this signage. With the display, show your shopper the benefit of using all these products together. In this case the sign implies you will be able to run longer because you will stay hydrated. Benefits works in selling and visual merchandising.

This next signage example comes from the new flagship ATT store and explains how using their products to manage a mobile workforce will increase your business.

How can you show a shopper what they will get or be able to do with your products? What signage with displays can you create to emphasize they will get better sleep, have a quicker recovery, or be able to spend more time with their kids?

Offer Places to Sit: Many times, shoppers come into your store with someone else. The more uncomfortable the “someone else” gets, the less time the shopper will devote to browsing. Give those “someone else” somewhere to sit, a seat, a bench, or a couch.

Click here to view a video that explains the future of retail.