Why You Should Rearrange your Store

The way that your retail store is designed has a big influence on your customers' perceptions and also how much they buy. Rearranging your store to create a better shopping experience is important, but it is also important to keep in mind that you want the customers to relax and spend more time in your store. If you can make them more comfortable and encourage them to shop longer, the chances of them making extra purchases are greatly increased, especially if you implement these strategies to expose them to more items. Use this guide to help you as a retail manager or boutique owner more aware of the impact that your store displays have on the customer and the amount that they spend when they shop with you.

1) Arrange things in a way that customers are directed to see things that they normally would not. For example, put displays near the register so that customers have to walk around them to check out. Use small signs for your fitting rooms so that customers have to walk around for a while before they find them. If you have aisles, put displays at the ends of the aisles so that people are already looking at the display as they come down the row. If your store isn't gigantic, don't label departments so that people have to walk around to find what they need. Strategically placing items where they'll be accidentally seen is an important part of giving the customer plenty of opportunity to buy more than they came in for.

2) The condition of the display has an influence as well. If a customer has to dig through stacks or bins to find their size, they will most likely be discouraged from doing it again. They may be interested in things that they are passing, but hesitant to go through the digging process again. Make sure that sizes are clearly labeled, either on the garments themselves or by using hanger markers. Keep your inventory fully stocked so that displays never look like they're running out of sizes. If someone can't find their size in a certain item, they are not as likely to look for their size at the next display. They don't want to be disappointed again. Keep your displays stocked and neat, but watch your customers to see how they react. Some stores have had success with creating "not so perfect" displays because they noticed that their customers were not comfortable touching a perfectly arranged masterpiece of a display.

3) Entice people to browse other departments by using a slatwall display. Using slatwall is a great way to show customers something enticing from far away, drawing them deeper and deeper into the store. Using slatwall panels and slatwall accessories also helps you to control how full your store looks. It can save room and make it look like you have more inventory than you really do all at the same time.

4) Another effective way to draw customers back is to put your high priced inventory at the front and have the prices decrease as the customer moves back. By the time they make it back to the register, they have become more encouraged to buy more because, in comparison, everything is so cheap!