Focus on Bold Retail Displays

Every retail store needs at least one bold display to attract customers and keep them interested. A bold display, or feature display, should be at the front of your store, or at least where it can be easily spotted by shoppers that have not been inside for very long. A bold display is one that captures attention and features some of your more desirable products. Here we will discuss what makes an effective display and some ways that you can make yours stand out.

1) All displays should have a focal point at eye level. Displays without a central focus are either boring or too busy to really grab a person's attention. Tables and shelves that display things too low are easily overlooked or ignored by customers. Try to get things up higher so that the customer's eyes are easily drawn to it. You can use signage, a mannequin display, or a hanging form to create a focal point.

2) A display that is pleasing to the eye has balance. Think like a designer. Designers will often sketch out what they are building or decorating, starting with a focal point of interest. You can use shapes to give you ideas of how to vary the display so that you avoid having plain stacks of clothing. For example, a stack of folded t-shirts would be represented by a square on either side of the focal point. Make sure that you mimic shapes from one side to the other to keep it balanced. A triangle can represent a stack or accessory display that is heavy at the bottom and lighter at the top. A horizontal rectangle could be a stack of unfolded jeans or shirts. A vertical rectangle can be a rack of jeans or dresses hanging. Use your imagination so that the display has many elements that give it texture and depth.

3) The color of your display have an effect on customers. You will want to balance the colors used in the display. Darker colors feel "heavy" and lighter colors feel "light". Make sure that you don't throw the whole thing off balance by using too many heavy or light colors in one area. If you're stacking shirts, you may want to put the dark colored shirts at the bottom of the stack and the light colored ones at the top. Experiment with this until you get the look that you want.

4) The lighting in the area can have a big impact on the success of your display. Try to spotlight the display so that the lighting is a little dimmer around it. This draws the eye and makes the display seem more important to customers. If you use slatwall displays in your store, you can really make a central bold display stand out. Spotlight the slatwall, have a dimmer area, and then spotlight the display. Use slatwall panels and slatwall accessories to make the wall displays more interesting as well. A bold display can seem out of place if the rest of the store is boring. Think "texture" as you arrange your other merchandise and it will all come together for you.