You may be a licensed sports product retailer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t glean information and get ideas elsewhere. Following are some tips and inspiration from other industries:
- Create identity or tell a story. Naming mannequins and adding a short story about who they are not only adds an unexpected visual detail, but it also creates curiosity and slows footsteps. If done well, your consumer may even say, “Hey! That’s me!” Why not eliminate the typical signage on a fixture and, instead, tell a story about who wears the product?
- Create a display on the wall. Mannequins are fantastic, but creating an unexpected experience or grouping product always will get attention. It’s worth a try!
- Bring in the outside when possible. Retail environments, especially in big-box stores, suffer from an industrial, stale feeling. Flowers and natural elements calm; when shoppers are calm, they stay in the store longer. And when they stay longer, the potential to buy more grows.
- Color is your friend. Repeating color in a display is a huge attention-getter. Go big or go home.
- Add some whimsy. Every prop doesn’t have to be functional or utilitarian. Adding a touch of whimsy creates that sought-after emotional connection.
- Tell a solid story and don’t leave out any details.
So remember, your sales may be highest for men’s licensed sports products, but that doesn’t mean men are making those purchases. Focus on adding a bit of unique magic to your merchandising, create an experience and invite women in with your storytelling. You’ll discover that you won’t miss a beat with either gender. Now that’s what I call home field advantage.
Robin Enright is the founder of Merchandising Matters, which works to create and enhanced emotional connection between buyer and seller through precisely crafted visual merchandising techniques. She also is merchandising editor for SNEWS and leads merchandising tours at Outdoor Retailer winter and summer markets. For more information or to comment on this article, email Robin at [email protected] or visit merchandisingmattersnow.com.
