One of the best ways to bring in holiday shoppers and get them in a festive mood to buy is to design attractive indoor and outdoor displays. The biggest buying season of the year officially kicks off in a few weeks. However, shoppers are already buying since they know many of the items on their gift list are in limited supply. If you haven’t developed a plan of action to generate more sales, it’s time to get going. Creating a schedule helps prevent overlooking crucial details and allows staff to work together cohesively with one purpose in mind.
Although e-commerce sales are booming, people still want to shop at physical stores to see, feel, and demo products. One of the reasons people shop at the neighborhood hardware store is to have conversations with people they trust to give them helpful information. It’s essential to help customers feel welcome when they enter your establishment. These may include greeting shoppers as they enter, helping them to select products, or setting up a special gift wrapping area for the holidays.
Draw in Customers with Outdoor Displays
The display should motivate passers-by to stop and take notice. It can be as simple as a brightly lit Christmas tree with colorful gift boxes underneath. The point is to help the person visualize a simple project. Change the theme throughout the season to promote popular products and specific categories. More options are stockings stuffed with hand tools, wheel barrels filled with affordable gift items, or inflatable decorations.
Wow Shoppers with Indoor Displays
You can also take customer engagement to the next level with interactive displays and fun demos that give shoppers a chance to see products in action. Additionally, manufacturers often provide in-store videos that highlight the bells and whistles of featured products.
Cross-Merchandise to Sell Complementing Items
Everyone who shops online is familiar with the term “you may also like” when making a purchase. This concept also works in-store with endcaps. Cross-merchandising is incredibly successful for holiday merchandise and tools. Grouping drills, bits, goggles, and gloves together is a reminder for customers to get the items they need at one time.
Encourage Posting Photos on Social Media
Some displays are so innovative or detailed; customers want to take a selfie or post on social media to share the creation with others. It’s a way to get your store a broader audience and make it a destination for shoppers unfamiliar with your establishment. If you’re looking for stand-out holiday display ideas that are creative and innovative, Pinterest is an excellent place to start.
It’s also a good idea to send out an e-mail to stay in touch with loyal customers. Focus on special offers and new products that may motivate them to leave the comfort of home.
Keep Displays Simple and Fresh
Simple, uncluttered displays help shoppers quickly focus on the merchandise they want to buy. Showcasing fewer items has more of an impact than an endcap that is overflowing with options. Endcaps should be changed or rotated with fast-turn merchandise every two weeks to keep them looking fresh and prevent them from being overlooked by customers who shop with you frequently. Seasonal products should be on display when demand is highest.
Make Prices Bold and Easy to See
Customers should be able to locate prices without the assistance of a salesperson. Experience indicates that shoppers would rather leave the item on the shelf instead of tracking someone down to get information that should be readily available. Every sale is critical, so do what is necessary to help customers make the right purchasing decision.
Take a Chance and Try Something New
Clever visual merchandising creates buzz and will help you attract new customers and keep shoppers engaged while they shop in your store. The visual merchandising practices discussed here are ideal for small and medium-sized operations. Adding a local flavor will help create affordable and functional displays that are also practical sales tools.
