Unit 2

Commercial Display and Techniques

Commercial display motivates people to come to the point of sale and display entices them to
buy after they reach the store. Display shows customers the range of merchandise available,
introduce new ideas, and suggest related merchandise. Display is the presentation of actual
merchandise and is usually located at the point of sale. For eg: A display in a case located in a
hotel lobby, an airport terminal or a convention centre is called remote display. Display located
at the point of sale consists of three types.

Exterior display
Window display
Interior display

Exterior display: Another name for exterior display is façade display. This type is located on the
outside of the store building or on the street. Exterior display is used to promote seasonal themes
and special events.

Window display: Traditional window display consists of glass enclosed windows facing the
street. This is more important for retailers located in downtown shopping areas than for those in
shopping centre locations.

Interior display: The interior display has become increasingly important to many retailers, as
window displays have become less important. This display is an extension of window display
and advertising and is most effective when correlated with these other forms of promotion. Good
interior display greatly increases the customer’s likelihood of purchasing. These displays help
the customer find where the merchandise is located within the store, show the customer how to
use the merchandise and encourage the customer to purchase.

Interior Display

While window display is arranged outside, interior display is done inside the shop. Products
placed in interior display are often kept within the easy reach of the buyers.

Advantages of Interior display

Interior display offers the following advantages:

1. Interior display saves a substantial part of selling effort. By looking at an interior display,
buyers get to know more information about the product.

2. Interior display helps to sell allied products.

 3. The interiors of the shop becomes quite attractive.

4. Interior display is flexible. It can be changed according to the requirements of the seller.

If interior displays are done well, they enable Customers to make a selection without the

Assistance of a sales clerk.

Types of Interior Display

There are several kinds of interior displays.

 Vignettes
 Showcase displays Countertop displays
 Wall, ledge, aisle and island displays

Vignettes: A vignette may also be called and environmental or lifestyle

display. It shows the merchandise in a realistic lifelike setting. Vignettes are
used frequently to show fashion apparel, furniture and tabletop
merchandise such as china, crystal and silver. The idea behind a vignette is
to show the customer how the merchandise looks in use and to encourage
customers to visualize themselves projected into the environment of the
display. Vignettes are often set up within the store where they can be
viewed from all four sides.

Showcase displays: Various types of cases may be used to display or stock

merchandise. Many small accessory items are effectively shown in this way.
An enclosed glass case, called a vitrine offers the advantage of protecting
the merchandise display from customer handling.

Countertop display: Effective displays can be done on tops of counters.

This type of display is called a point of purchase display because it offers
merchandise on a self-selection basis. Because the customer can touch the
merchandise, these displays require constant attention but they can be
excellent sellers. Some manufacturers design point of purchase displays to
be used by stores.

Wall, Ledge, Aisle, and Island Displays: Stores with limited space can
develop whatever unused space is available to show merchandise. Displays
can be pinned to walls and hung from ledges about merchandise racks.
Dead end space at the end of aisles provides locations for island displays,
which are freestanding display platforms. Even exterior doors of fitting
rooms can be used for displays.
The merchandise is the primary element used in the display. The major
advantage display has over advertising is that it shows actual merchandise.
The customer can see exactly what the merchandise looks like and
sometimes can even touch it. In addition to merchandise other important
display elements are props, background, colour, lighting and signs.

Merchandise:
The most important element in a display is the merchandise. Since that is
what the store is selling, it should be the focal point of the display. The
merchandise selected for display should be the merchandise customers
want to buy and not its dogs. A store should display its best merchandise. In
merchandising slang a dog is something that no one wants to buy. Such
merchandise items are purchasing mistakes made by the buyer.

A merchandise display is the physical placement of products and items in a retail store. It
can be a powerful way to highlight a product or products' most important features and
pique customers' interest. Most successful merchandise displays provide appropriate
visual and physical access to the products a customer wants to buy, depending on the
product type. They are also usually consistent with a company's brand and desired
messaging. Some companies may try to mirror their in-store merchandise aesthetics in
their online presence as well.

Arrangement of Merchandise Display

Here are some of the most important elements of displaying merchandise to remember when
planning your own:

Store layout: The overall layout of your physical space will affect your merchandise displays.
Consider observing or surveying the specifics of your store and incorporating them into your
plans.
Displays: Carefully choose and arrange your displays for maximum customer impact. Try
collaborating with team members to brainstorm creative and innovative ideas.
Color: Color might impact customers' perceptions and purchasing choices. Consider researching
the effects of different colors and color schemes to incorporate in your merchandise displays.
Lighting: Like color, lighting can impact customers' perception of a product and company. Try to
explore the effects of different levels and temperatures of light when making your lighting
decisions.
Product size**:** Considering the relative size of different products can help develop the most
aesthetically pleasing and accessible merchandise display, especially when different types of
items appear together.
Customer journey: Remember that displaying merchandise can directly affect the customer
journey. Consider how your display might attract new customers, retain existing ones and drive
sales.
Points of purchase: Point of purchase displays can be an important part of merchandising, so
consider evaluating cash register areas as part of your merchandising strategy.
Complementary products**:** Also known as bundling, presenting related items together may
boost sales by reminding customers of other products they may want or need.
Safety: Since team members and members of the public will be interacting with your space and
merchandise displays it is important for them to be as safe as possible. Consider factors such as
tripping hazards, electrical outlets and utilities access.

General Tips

The effectiveness of these cornerstones of merchandising display strategy can be increased by

remembering several other tips as well, including the following:

Allocate merchandise display space and expenditures appropriately in recognition of customer

demographics. If the bulk of your business’s customers are males between the ages of 20 and 40,
the bulk of your displays should probably be shaped to catch their interest.
Be careful of pursuing merchandise display designs that sacrifice effectiveness for the sake of
originality.
Make certain that the cleanliness and neatness of the display is maintained.
Do not overcrowd a display. Customers tend to pass over messy, busy-looking displays. Instead,
Ralston and Foster affirm that “a display should feature a single item or point of interest’¦. Every
primary article [in a display] must interact with every other so that they all come together as a
group. If they don’t it will look as if there is not one design, but several.
Combine products that are used together in displays. For example, pairing ski goggles with other
outdoor apparel is apt to be more effective than placing it alone or with some other product that
is only tangentially related to skiing.
Small items should be displayed so that would-be customers can get a good look at them without
having to solicit the help of a member of the staff.
Pay attention to details when constructing and arranging display backgrounds. For example,
Foster and Ralston counsel business owners to “avoid dark backgrounds when customers will be
looking through a window, since this makes the glass behave as a giant mirror.”
Merchandise displays can sometimes be utilized to educate customers. A well-conceived display
could, for example, illustrate a product use that may not have occurred to most customers. “In
addition to selling actual merchandise, display can be used to introduce a new product, a fashion
trend, and a new ‘look’ or idea,”

Types of Merchandising

Merchandising displays are important parts of the design of your store.

Slat Walls
Slat walls are one of the most popular merchandising displays used by
retailers around the world. These display fixtures consist of panels and
horizontal grooves (slats) that are configured to accept a variety of
merchandising accessories. Slat walls can be mounted onto walls or
combined with a base as a freestanding fixture. They are used in conjunction
with attachments such as arms, hooks and shelves that can easily be slotted
into the slats without the use of tools.

One of the biggest benefits of this type of display is versatility. Between the
assortment of finishes, sizes, shapes and types of attachments, you can
create a retail display unique to your business and it’s needs. Slat walls are
also a great bang for your buck with basic slat wall panels available at
relatively low prices, making it an affordable way for creating memorable,
customisable looks.

Another reason slat walls are worth getting right is that they are extremely
durable. They have an impressive life expectancy, can carry heavier
merchandise and are difficult to damage. Slat walls are also very space
efficient and have a high storage capacity. Once you have assembled your
panels, all you have to do is hook on your attachments and start
merchandising!
There is no single method of using slat walls but rather a variety of ways to
carry merchandise such as clothing, hardware, toys and accessories.
Grid Walls
Another merchandising display that has become an increasingly popular
choice for retailers is the Grid Wall. This type of merchandising display is
made from a lattice of wire panels that can easily accommodate a variety of
different hook and shelf options that attach to the grid.

Benefits of Grid Walls are similar to those of slat walls. They too are versatile,
affordable and customizable. However, Grid walls are much lighter and easier
to maintain, requiring minimal dusting and general cleaning.

With today’s high rent prices, retailers often seek effective and affordable
solutions to utilize wall and floor space that also offers flexibility and so the
Grid Wall is perfect for traders looking to conserve space.

Apparel stores especially can benefit from the use of Grid wall fixtures as
hooks and hangers are easy to remove and relocate, allowing the retailer a
quick merchandising update with minimal effort. With bins, baskets, and
shelving also easily attachable, impulse merchandising displays containing
loose goods such as Confectionery, Books and Magazines may also stand to
benefit from this type of display.
Pegboards
A Pegboard display is a fixture consisting of a slab of perforated hardboard.
The most common types of Pegboards are made of wood or fiber-board and
contain rows of evenly spaced holes which are used for attaching hooks, bins,
shelving and other storage accessories. Pegboards are also often paired with
other types of mainstream merchandising displays such as gondolas for an
interesting display of articles.

Benefits of this type of display include being highly flexible and allowing
aesthetically pleasing merchandising designs.

This type of display is most commonly used to carry smaller merchandise

such as categories found in snake queues of exit retail for example.
Categories include confectionery, stationery, jewellery and cellular
accessories to name but a few.
Table Displays
As per its name, Table Displays are merchandising displays that have a flat,
table shape to them but can be tiered or just have one level. Although the
term table could indicate being made of wood, Table Displays can be made of
a variety of other materials as well.

Table displays are commonly placed near the entrance of a store to display
craft items or other small items and the benefit of this type of display is that it
is an excellent tool for attracting and enticing a buyer to purchase items they
had not planned to buy. Table displays can also be used as decoration for
seasonal holidays and are highly visible, invoking a call to action.

Other examples of Table displays include showcasing clothing, home décor or

as a promotional platform for gifting.

Point of Purchase Displays

Point of Purchase displays, or POP displays are some of the most important
displays in any retail store and yet can be one of the most underutilized tools
in retail. This type of fixture is most commonly the marketing material of the
merchandise or brand being promoted, and most vendors will provide these to
stores for free use to boost sales of their product. These merchandising
displays can be as simple as a sign or as elaborate as a full free-standing
display where the vendors’ products are boldly displayed.
POP displays are found in high-traffic areas such as next to the cash register
or the doors so that it is easily accessible to the customer and increases the
possibility of an impulse purchase. The material will highlight the product and
draw the customers’ attention to it, which is extremely important in a retail
store crammed with similar merchandise.
Stores use Point of Purchase displays to place fast-moving merchandise such
as candy, cheap items and popular goods. Many stores also use the point of
purchase display for sale items or items close to the expiry date.
Lighting arrangements

Effective use of lighting is integral to the retail experience. Lighting is a powerful tool that sets the mood
of the store, and can be used to draw attention to highlighted products. There are four main types of
lighting that are used in a retail setting: Ambient, Task, Accent and Decorative.

 Ambient lighting
Ambient lighting refers to the store’s main lighting. You need to ensure your customers have
enough light to feel comfortable in the store. Too dim and the store looks dingy, making it
difficult to read product labels and making customers uncomfortable. On the other hand, if the
lighting is too bright it is also uncomfortable for customers. How many lights, and how bright
they are, will depend on the size of your space. A large, warehouse style space with high ceilings
will require lots of powerful lights since they will be hung fairly high up and need to illuminate a
large area. A small store will require dimmer, less powerful lights in order to achieve the same
level of lighting.

 Task lighting
Task lighting refers to lights that are focused on areas of the store that require more light, such
as the tills and the changing rooms. Customers need more light in the changing room so they
can accurately assess the fit and look of the items they are trying on. Your cashiers need extra
light so they can better see their tills and do their jobs more effectively. Task lighting is also
useful for highlighting your store’s sign and the entrance area so that customers can clearly read
your store’s name and are welcomed into the store.

 Accent lighting
Accent lighting is lighting that can be used to highlight specific areas in order to draw customer
attention to specific products and give customers the sense that these products are important
and noteworthy. Accent lighting is an excellent way to highlight seasonal products and to
highlight specific products on shelves or in display nooks. Accent lighting is also very effective in
window displays since they visually emphasize your products and help bring people into your
store.

 Decorative lighting
Decorative lighting is all about visual appeal and much less focused on illumination. Light fixtures
play a huge role in this lighting as they need to be beautiful and decorative. Decorative lighting
can also be used to invoke nostalgic feelings, such as using a string of small white lights in a
winter holiday display to invoke childhood memories in customers.