Face it! - Merchandising 101

 

Ensuring your products are seen by your customers is a no-brainer, right? So why then do so many places ignore the basics of merchandising?

Let me tell you a short story. We all know about impulse buying at the tills. I myself am a sucker for the impulse buy, and because I know this about myself I take my time shopping, especially in a new store. I once had a job doing customer service at a very rugged store that specialized in mowers, tractors and chainsaws. It wasn’t the best place for impulse buying and was set up for fast service. I asked if I could place a few items facing where people would be lined up waiting for the parts person. I placed a kiddie tractor that was a replica of the full-sized one on a shelf behind the service desk at about eye level. I also moved some more toys and collectibles to higher shelves (adult eye-level) near their full-sized working versions. Guess what? The people who came into the store for one specific purpose, purchase or service of a rugged machine, got excited about toys. Grandparents and parents alike saw the value of the toys for interesting young family members in rugged work, often farming. Of course, this did backfire on me pretty quick as I was the one who assembled the ride-on toys and they had about 100 parts each. We started to take orders so I could assemble the toys and have them picked up within a week. At least that way all the rugged work versions got priority and the toy versions were still appreciated by all.

Merchandising a variety of products showcases your changing stock and makes your business more friendly for people looking for gift items.

There are rules in merchandising. The order of the rules depends on you and how your place of business is set up. It’s up to you to decide but you must also consider the reactions of your customers when certain rules are ignored or put low on the list.

Rule: Clean products. Duh!? In a city that has strong wind or in a place of business where product is near an entrance, dust is a huge factor for cleanliness. How often do you dust your shelves and the actual products on them? You certainly have a schedule for cleaning the floors and counters but what about sample products on display? Every noticeable smudge or layer of dust tells a customer that you do not value your products and therefore the customer. Either that or your stock is old and not selling, right? Seeing dust tells a customer they should wait for a sale or ask for a discount as the product you have is not moving; maybe it is no good. That’s not true is it? Please dust.

(free image shared of Salvidore Dali's work)

Rule: Face it! Facing product means pulling items to the front of your shelves and aligning them in an orderly fashion. This tells the customer that you value the product and touch/replace/clean it every day. Seeing a line of products that is in disarray, like a tiny bull head-butted through your display, tells a customer that whoever put out the product thinks very little about it OR no one is paying attention to unruly behaviour in the store and again this devalues their visit. Items not well-ordered on a shelf also cause confusion if you have price tags on the shelf. How many times have you been shopping and picked up an item in line with a low price and then been disappointed because that price is for a different item further down the shelf? That causes stress and feels like a lie to the customer. Face it.

Rule: Stacking. When should you display a stack of items? If you do a brisk business in an item, if an item needs to be in constant supply, or if you are trying to get rid of old stock it is a good idea to stack. If there is any chance that an item can be damaged by stacking it, don’t do it! Stacks on the ground, like larger boxed items, should ideally never actually touch the ground. Items on the ground are in direct contact with dirt and become devalued when they get dirty, even if the dirt is only on the box. On the ground, boxes can get kicked around or have things spilled on them. Dirty items do not sell at regular price. To keep items off the ground directly, either stack them on a pallet, a loose shelf or on a piece of fabric. This off-the-ground display automatically “elevates” your product and its value. Stack up for big sales.

Rule: Garbage. Always ensure that there is a garbage can available for customer use. This way a customer with a used drink cup or a used tissue (eww!) has the option to toss out their own item. If you do not provide, they will dump their trash where they can. The number of times I have picked up a used coffee cup or empty snack bag in a store that I was shopping in and had to search for a bin to dump it is surprisingly high. Don’t hide your trash bins. Celebrate the fact that your company recycles or composts and let customers be part of that. Put up a sign indicating how your company contributes to saving the Earth and your customers will applaud you and be happy to join in. Even if you do this, there needs to be regular sweeps of your public areas to ensure no trash is on your floor or mixed into your product displays. Trashy isn’t a fun atmosphere unless you mean smutty literature or bespangled merch. Keep it clean :)

Rule: Signage. Signs and price tags are how you communicate with customers. Ensure that all price signage is up to date and if you have a product in more than one place, check all the signs. I recently was at a grocery store and wanted to buy a melon for $5.99 which was a sale price. I saw what looked like the same melons in a different display 2 aisles away and asked the clerk for clarification as that display stated a price of $6.99. After checking, I was told the price is $6.99. What should have happened? The clerk should have given me the melon for $5.99 as the sign was out. This was some bad service. Check you price signage because if any customer “saw the sign and it opened up (their) eyes”, you really must honour the lowest signed price. (Which Ace caught that musical throwback?)

Next blog is Merchandising 102 and we talk about Displays. There is so much to talk about!