Palmer Retail Solutions Blog

Retail 101: How to Pick the Right Store Display Fixtures for Your Product

Posted by Kathy Heil on Oct 4, 2016 2:19:39 PM

How to Pick the Right Store Display Fixtures for Your ProductWho cares which store display fixtures you choose? Why not just pick things you like? Or whatever is cheapest? Because your customers care. Because the right fixture-match invites them to buy. And you should care, because making sales is the reason you’re in business.

When it comes to store display fixtures, you have virtually unlimited options:

  • Countertop and free-standing floor units
  • Tables and cabinets
  • Bins and baskets
  • Wire grids
  • Slatwall and pegboard
  • Racks
  • Shelving
  • Glass showcases
  • Mannequins
  • Found items and props

It doesn’t take a veteran retailer to see that not all of these options work for every type of product. So, how to you pick the right store display fixtures for your product?

Fit the fixture to the product

Grocers use long gondolas because they need lots of sturdy shelves that hold lots of small items. Big box stores use heavy-duty rack systems because much of what they sell is large and heavy. Try to picture what your store’s fine jewelry or delicate lingerie would look like displayed on these fixtures. They would be lost – visually overwhelmed by the fixtures themselves.

Jewelry belongs in showcases designed to highlight each piece’s individual beauty and sparkle. Lingerie wants to be displayed on personal-sized tabletop mannequins, with back-up supplies in showcase drawers or prettily arranged around the mannequins.

Camping gear and home furnishings demand to be set in real-life scenes. That makes it easy for customers to picture themselves in the scene  using the gear, sitting on the sofa, dining at the table. Scenes show customers how to use your products and which accessories they should also purchase. 

What size and shape fixtures will make your products look most appealing? Make it easy for customers to reach out and pick them up.

Use store display fixtures to direct traffic

Which fixtures you choose and how you arrange them help define your store’s layout. Stores where shoppers are often “on a mission”  groceries and box stores, for instance – use a simple grid pattern. Shoppers can zip up and down the aisles quickly.

But if you sell clothing, candy, toys, or jewelry, you don’t want shoppers to zip through your store. You want to draw them in the door with tantalizing window displays, then lead them subtly on a browsing journey around your store. You need fixtures with varied height for visual interest. Use a generally low-to-high configuration from front to back and from center to sides, so customers can easily spot what they’re looking for. Or something they had no intention of buying but which now appears as a must-have.

Every store needs display fixtures that serve as “show stoppers.” These may be enticing endcaps, mid-aisle vendor-branded display units, or a free-standing display with a single featured item. Catching shoppers by surprise generates more impulse sales. And it keeps them interested in your store.

And speaking of presentation, branding store display fixtures with your unique look is critical. Create a consistent look that reinforces your brand. That will also make customers more comfortable. Choose a mixture of display types that work well together but give you a chance to re-arrange easily. That way, you can frequently refresh your look (and further intrigue shoppers) without sacrificing consistency.

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