Four Tips for Creating a Winning Display
- Created on Friday, 06 July 2012 15:50
- Written by Yasmin Grothé
Other than recommending products for resale, the easiest route to selling is creating the proper setting. A cleverly designed merchandising strategy can turn flat sales into awesome numbers. According to statistics from Point of Purchase Association International (POPAI), the vast majority of buying decisions are made at the point of purchase, that is, your salon. Here’s how to take advantage.
1. Fully Stock Your Shelves
To encourage clients to test products, make sure that they are between 22 and 66 inches from the floor— proven heights for easy accessibility—as shown in the Redken display. “Don’t be shy about putting the most amount of products on display,” says Mathieu Bouchard, marketing group manager for Redken Canada. “Contrary to what most people think, spacing out the products is actually a big mistake. It gives clients the impression that they are not selling. You are better off having fewer shelves that are nicely packed with product.” Include shelf-talkers (a printed card or other sign attached to a shelf to call buyers’ attention to a particular product) to encourage sales.
2. Put Together a Retail Window Display
This is your opportunity to have unpaid advertising do the work. Use point-of-sale material, photos (think magazine tear sheets and celebrity images) and special promotions to draw people through your door. They will clearly see the products you stock and may simply come in to purchase them. When Orbite salon in Montreal decided to renovate, it opted to include a much bigger window display, an idea that owner Louis Hechter credits with a sharp increase in sales from walk-ins. “Despite the economic challenges, we began selling many more products to clients who would just walk in to purchase what they saw in the window,” says Hechter.
3. Position the Front Desk Away from the Entrance
Where you locate your retail products within the salon can make all the difference. Ideally, a display should be at the front of the salon, enticing clients as they walk through to get to the reception desk. “When doing a retail area you need breathing space. You need to have it clear of reception and never, ever, behind it. All the products have to be accessible,” says Joseph Gossen, education and sales manager for Kevin.Murphy at Quebec distributor Star Bédard.
4. Eye Level is Buy Level
According to Gossen, “make sure the products are within reach. Customers aren't going to buy a product they can’t access themselves. And remember retail’s golden rule: eye level is buy level.”
What’s more, think of all areas in your salon where you can maximize retail purchases, not just the reception display. “The top sellers should always be at the bottom,” continues Gossen. “You should display products from smaller to bigger. The eyes naturally gravitate toward the bigger, from lighter to heavier.”
Also, consider this retail tip from Bouchard: “The idea is to create a storyline. So you should start with your shampoo, conditioner and leave-in and finish with your styling product, in the same sequence as your client will be using the products.”
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