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How to Improve Customer Retention With Visual Merchandising

February 10, 2023

Visual merchandising is an integral part of any retail store's strategy. Using strategic visual merchandising, retailers can create an inviting atmosphere for customers, encouraging them to shop more often and for more items. This can help to improve customer acquisition and customer retention. 

 

How Visual Merchandising Impacts Customer Retention

 

Visual merchandising uses strategic displays to attract customers to a store and encourage them to make purchases. It includes everything from window displays and floor layouts to product placement and promotional displays. Visual merchandising can be used to create an inviting atmosphere within a store, making customers more likely to shop there and return in the future.

 

Research shows that customers are more likely to return to a store if they find their shopping experience enjoyable, and visual merchandising plays a huge role in this. By creating attractive displays and layouts, retailers can make their stores more inviting and appealing. This can be especially beneficial for customers browsing and window-shopping, as visually-appealing displays can draw them in and encourage them to explore the store further.

Store Aisle With Visual Merchandising

Benefits of Point-of-Purchase Displays

 

Point-of-Purchase (POP) displays are visual merchandising tactics focusing on product-specific displays near the point of sale. These displays are usually designed to catch the eye of potential customers and encourage them to make an impulse purchase before they check out. They can come in many forms, from simple shelf displays to complex, multi-tiered displays.

 

POP displays are a great way to increase customer retention. Retailers can use them to display and promote new products, which can be a great way to draw new customers into the store. Additionally, they can promote existing products, helping remind returning customers of what they have previously purchased and encouraging them to return. 


POP displays can also draw attention to product bundles or other promotional offers. Customers are more likely to purchase items and mention promotions to their friends and family when they are aware of sales and promotions. This helps to increase sales, customer loyalty, and referrals.


Adding Interest

The primary goal of a retail display is to get customers to make a purchase. For this to happen, the display and merchandising tactics need to build interest in the product or brand. The package design and signage are great ways to add interest – the colors can coordinate, and the wording on the signage should be clear while also intriguing. Touch-and-learn displays are also becoming popular in the retail display industry. These displays allow the customer to pick up a product, use a feature of it, or in the case of cosmetics, even try a sample of the product. 


Loyalty Programs

It seems like every store and restaurant you go into these days has a loyalty or rewards program. Well-executed loyalty programs accomplish their goal: keep customers coming into the store and choosing your store over a competitor. You can integrate your loyalty program into your visual merchandising efforts. Consider having signage advertising the perks of joining the program or QR codes customers can scan with their phone to join the program or get deals.


Testimonials

Customer testimonials are another powerful strategy to integrate into your visual marketing strategy to increase customer retention. Your store should have testimonials, ratings, and reviews online through your website, Google Business Profile, and social media. Using customer testimonials on displays is simple and effective for your brick-and-mortar store. Small cutouts with testimonials printed on them placed on the product display will intrigue new customers and encourage them to leave a review so they can be featured in the store.

Exactec Team Photo

Seasonal Displays

Creating seasonal displays is a final visual merchandising tactic that can aid customer retention. Displays representing holidays, events, weather changes, and more invite your customers into the store and capture their attention. You may also choose to have recurring signature elements of your seasonal displays – think of having a cardboard cutout of a store mascot wearing seasonal clothing or putting out a window scene with similar features each season but a few notable changes. Customers will wonder what your next theme will be and take the time to stop into your store. 


Work With Exactec


Our Exactec team is well-versed in visual merchandising strategy and creating unique displays to help your store stand out. We have decades of experience creating custom displays from acrylic, plastics, and more. Contact us today if you're ready to improve your visual merchandising efforts!

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