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Visual Merchandising Goals for 2023

January 23, 2023

If you've been setting goals for your business for 2023, be sure you set a goal to improve your visual merchandising in your brick-and-mortar store. Businesses that have a clear visual merchandising strategy drive sales and can have higher customer retention. Visual merchandising for your store takes some planning, some creativity, and a good amount of execution. However, if you have implemented the strategies you planned into your store, you get the thrill of seeing how your customers react to the changes you've made. 



Window Displays

The idea of "window shopping" has been around since as early as the 18th century, and there's a reason that it still exists today. Customers love the intrigue of seeing a few products from the outside of the store without having to enter – and if their interest is piqued enough by the window display, they'll enter the store. You may want to set a goal of changing your window display at a specific frequency: each week, every other week, or each month. Featured products, seasonal products, and best-selling products all make strong choices for a window display.


Lighting

Lighting is one of the most under-utilized visual merchandising tools. If you haven't given much thought to the lighting in your store aside from overhead lights, expanding on how you use lighting in the store can be an excellent goal for 2023. Soft glow white lights can be strategically placed around aisles, tables, and displays, drawing attention to products without being overbearing. For bolder statements, you could add neon or colored lights for a specific section of the store to stand out.

Traffic Flow

Have you ever been in a store with tight, crowded aisles and it was hard to maneuver around other customers and store items? A store with a poor traffic flow usually leads to negative customer experiences, and customers might not return to the store. The design of your displays, shelving, and customer path through the store is a part of visual merchandising. You can assist traffic flow by increasing your signage, adding flow arrows on the floor, and having similar items near each other for cohesion. 



Signage

Signage is one of the most critical tools for visual merchandising and your store's success. When signage isn't set up well in a store, it can be overwhelming or confusing for the customers. Signage for individual products should be easy to take in within one or two glances. For larger stores, more prominent signs that denote store sections can be bigger and color coordinated. Finally, signs that direct customers to a customer service area, price check, checkout area, and bathrooms are also essential.


Cohesive Colors

The colors you use throughout your store can impact your customer's purchasing habits and overall experience. It is important to strive for a cohesive design – you can pick out lots of different color palettes for displays and signage, but the important thing is that they match and coordinate. You could color-coordinate different sections of the store or base your colors on your logo. You may also consider researching how color can influence consumer behavior. 


Brand Identity

Similar to colors, brand identity is all about cohesion and consistency regarding visual merchandising. Your brand identity should encompass more than aesthetics and messages, rhetoric, and philosophies. You can incorporate this vision into your store with photos, symbols, and displays. For instance, an athletic clothing store that promotes spending time outdoors may feature pictures of people camping or walking in nature. Nailing down how to visually represent your brand identity can take some practice, but it pays off when you do.

Appeal to Senses

Visual merchandising is mainly focused on what we can see. However, successful retailers will often incorporate other senses in their displays and stores. Product displays that let customers pick up a sample product and feel it or smell it can help to improve sales. Grocery stores and bakeries can offer samples of products to entice their customers. You can also appeal to your customer's auditory sense with thoughtful ambient sounds or music in the store.



POP Displays

Make 2023 your year to add or enhance your POP displays. POP (point-of-purchase) displays encourage impulse buys by placing items right by the checkout area. The merchandise you put in POP displays can be smaller featured items, travel-sized versions of other products, convenience "grab and go" items, or items that a customer might have forgotten to pick up earlier in the store. The displays should invite customers to pick up the items on them and be interactive. With POP displays and visual merchandising goals, your store will be set to improve sales for 2023. 


Work with Exactec

Our team at Exactec makes custom retail displays out of acrylics, plastics, and more. We have decades of experience working to create innovative displays for our clients. Let’s talk about your project today!

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Great retailers know that even if a product "speaks for itself," it must still be positioned well in the store. The design of physical stores speaks to how the customer experience will unfold. Since it's not practical for retailers and store owners to constantly redesign all aspects of the store, retail displays can serve as a way to keep the store looking fresh. How often and when should store management change out their displays? Let's examine times when you'll want to switch out displays or rework what you have. New Product Launches One of the most common times to change retail displays is when your store launches a new product (or carries a new product). The vendor may already have branding and even a display design in mind. The store manager will want to find a prominent spot to put the new product in, such as right near the entrance or at the point of purchase. New products should catch the eyes of regular customers and encourage impulse purchases. Season Changes It's natural for shoppers to be in tune with the seasons. No matter what type of retail store you operate, you have specific products you'll push more in the fall and winter versus in the spring and summer. Store management should change retail displays when they can to match the tone of the seasons. Consider adding seasonal lights or props even if the store budget needs more room for new displays. Color schemes can make a massive shift, too – think brighter, warm colors for the summer and cool tone colors for the winter. Major Holidays Major holidays are also a critical time to change retail displays and seasons. If your store runs any holiday promotions or deals, your displays should reflect the sale. The traditional holiday season is an expected time to get the store decked out while holiday shoppers run in and out. However, other holidays throughout the year can serve as a time to change out displays and keep the store looking festive. 

Consumer Behavior Predictions for 2024

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With the new year quickly approaching, now is the time to start planning for 2024 and beyond. At Exactec, we specialize in designing and creating innovative retail displays for our clients. To best serve our clients and their businesses, we must deeply understand consumer behavior and emerging retail trends. These forecasts and predictions can be invaluable for anyone in the retail world – so let's examine consumer behavior predictions for 2024. Hyper-Personalization In an era where consumers seek tailored experiences, hyper-personalization has become the cornerstone of successful retail strategies. Leveraging advanced data analytics and AI, businesses can now understand consumer preferences at a granular level, leading to highly customized product recommendations and messaging. By tapping into this trend, brands can foster deeper connections with their customers, ultimately boosting loyalty and retention. Take, for instance, the success story of a leading online clothing retailer that saw a significant increase in sales by implementing a personalized shopping experience, catering to each customer's unique style and preferences. Sustainable and Ethical Shopping The shift towards sustainability and ethical consumerism will continue to gain momentum in 2024. Consumers are increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of their purchasing decisions and actively seek brands that prioritize ethical practices and sustainable production. Retailers can align with this trend by incorporating eco-friendly materials and transparent supply chains, showcasing their commitment to social responsibility. By highlighting brands with robust ethical practices, retailers can resonate with the growing number of consumers who prioritize conscious shopping. Seamless Omnichannel Experience Seamless integration between online and offline shopping has become a non-negotiable expectation for consumers in 2024. The modern shopper seeks a consistent and convenient experience across various touchpoints, including mobile apps, social media, and physical stores. Successful retailers understand the significance of a cohesive omnichannel approach, providing customers with a seamless transition from browsing online to purchasing in-store. Companies that have seamlessly integrated these channels have witnessed a notable increase in customer engagement and satisfaction, setting them apart in an increasingly competitive market. Contactless and Cashless Interactions The global pandemic has accelerated the adoption of contactless and cashless payment methods, making them the preferred choice for many consumers in 2024. Retailers can adapt to this shift by offering various digital payment options and emphasizing the security and convenience of contactless transactions. By prioritizing contactless and cashless payment methods, retailers can enhance the shopping experience, ensuring a seamless and secure transaction process for their customers.

Point-of-Purchase Display Mistakes -- And How To Fix Them

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Retail Prep List for the 2023 Holiday Season

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