Hopefully for your business, the summer of 2022/2023 brings loads of sales and success. We hope that you get a little time off too, to enjoy some great weather and fun with friends and family. Summer is a perfect time to take a good long look at your retail display strategy and systems, with a view to making any necessary upgrades and improvements. To help with this, we’ve prepared a list for you. Check it out.

FRESHEN UP

Is now a good time to get new stock ready to go for 2023? We realise that it may not be appropriate timing for every business, but new products bring foot traffic, and people are hungry to shop in the post-Christmas sales period, so it’s a great time to have stock refreshed and new items on offer. It can be a perfect time to chat with customers; to find out what they’d like to see more of, or less of. Summer is an ideal season for posting on your social media, as a lot of people on holidays are chilling out and surfing their phones. If you get new products in, now’s the time to try a new window display perhaps, or try a different look at the entrance. 

CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS

It’s really important to keep the front windows squeaky clean. Many business owners have professionals attend to this on a regular basis, which is a great service. If the window cleaners haven’t been in a while and the windows are a bit dusty, hit them with the windex! But also make sure to get inside the window displays and tidy up any dust or cobwebs or other unsightly things. Keep your windows looking super spruced up at all times. It’s important; first impressions last!

THEME YOUR WINDOWS

At Christmas time you might want to go for a ‘Noel’ look or festive feel. You may wish to have a Christmas tree, some tinsel, snow, elves or whatever. We recommend adding something to indicate that you’re into the spirit of the season, and you may be offering specials at this time of year, which you should advertise in your windows or near the front of the store. You may not usually have themes in the retail displays up front, but maybe have some fun with it during the summer? Put a few eye-catching pieces in there. Get people to stop and have a closer look…

UPDATE, UPDATE!

If you haven’t done anything new with your retail displays for a while, summer’s the time to do so. What worked during the year? What didn’t? What patterns emerged? You can use POS reports to assess this in more detail. Carefully consider all your retail displays and update accordingly. Change shelves around. Move racks. Use visual merchandising best practice! If you’re not so sure about that, ask us at Informed Design for sage advice.

SUPERCHARGE SIGNAGE 

Excellent signage is crucial to success. Is any of your signage looking a bit shabby? Has any of it become obsolete or superfluous? Look at all the signage around your store, in the windows and at the front and on the exterior. Do you need new signage? We can certainly help you with that. Do you need to include QR Codes on signage now? External signage can include amusing text or images. Large red letters always work well... There are so many ways to jazz up your signage and get customers to take notice of your shop – and come in to buy… Ask us how. 

LIFT THE LIGHTING

What’s the lighting situation like at your premises? Lighting is really important for a few reasons. Firstly, you want quality lighting to illuminate your store and make it look as aesthetically pleasing as possible. These days, a grid of blazing flouro tubes does not really impress. You want a more subtle system and the ability to control and alter the lighting around the different zones. Secondly, you should be able to highlight certain retail displays with spot lights. Thirdly, there’s a reason they call it ‘mood lighting’. You want to be able to create an atmosphere in your space which puts your customers in the right frame of mind to enjoy their time in your place: get them in the mood to purchase your fabulous products using sexy lighting. Summer could be a good time to evaluate your lighting situation. 

ASSESS THE LAYOUT

How’s the layout of your store going? Is it working well? Or do you think it could be improved? This summer could be the season to alter it; to try a new approach. The most popular patterns for layouts are: grids – where the perimeter walls provide borders and smaller retails displays are placed within, in proportion to the overall space and shape of the building; geometrics – where displays and fixtures are set out at irregular angles in order to create a more startling and surprising environment to stimulate customers; diagonals – where uprights and lanes are laid out in diagonal sections, creating nice flow and visibility; angles – when smart looking angle fixtures combine for an upmarket look.

SHELF SHAKE UP

Is it time to consider how well your shelves are looking and functioning? After a while, all shelves get dusty and often get bits of stuff caught up in the corners and joints. Give them a serious clean-up, and while you’re at it, think about how your shelves are holding up. Do some need replacing? There are so many terrific new types of shelves available now – in traditional styles and materials and also in brand new variations. Ask us about the range of exciting new products which we can supply and also custom create for your business 

FIX UP THE FRONT

The way the front of your business looks and functions is so important. This cannot be overstated. Many good intentions may not necessarily hit the right notes when it comes to setting up a store front. Whatever stock is displayed around the front needs to enhance the overall look and appeal of the store. This should be where customers engage with your brand. But be careful you are not placing too much stuff here. Don’t let displays act as barriers or hide the view inside. A sense of scale is important for luring customers inside. The front does not want to appear cluttered. This can be a fine line. Ask us for advice on getting this just right.

GOT A ‘DECOMPRESSION’ ZONE?

Have you got a ‘decompression’ zone? This is a space just inside the entrance, where customers who have just wandered in can take a moment to take a breath, adjust their line of sight and take in the ambiance of your fantastic shop. This space should be free from clutter and retail displays should be kept at a short distance, not right up in the customer’s face. Not sure how to set up a delightful decompression zone? Ask us at Informed Design and get it sorted this summer!

SUMMER CHECKLIST

As you revise your retail display strategy this summer, it could be handy to have this basic checklist: 

• Is signage neat & tidy and easily read and understood?
• Is the store clean, clutter-free and calm?
• Is your business looking fancy and fresh?
• Is there a feeling of openness, spaciousness?
• Is there attractive and appropriate lighting?
• Is there decent room for customers to move?
• Is there the right placement of items on shelves and fixtures?
• Is all product info and ticketing correct?