There are many ways visual merchandising plays its role for retailers to catch their customers’ attention to help them make the right buying decision. The last point where a customer comes to after having made the purchase is the checkout counter.
Retailers all over the world use different executions of visual merchandising at the counter to maximize sales as well as give more options to the buyer right towards the end of their shopping. Some retailers get it spot on while some not only fail to execute it properly but in fact get it completely wrong.
The way you carry out retail counter displays decides whether your customer would be more inclined to give in to the impulse or get irritated and put off. There are some Do’s & Don’ts that must be adhered to when it comes down to retail counter displays.
Your retail display should really work in your favour, not the other way round. First thing you’ve got to remember is not to overload the counter with as many products as you can fit in. There’s a purpose for the counter as well as for the shelves and that purpose must be kept in mind. Shelves are for stocking while a counter is merely for checkout purposes which can subtly be utilized for impulse buying.
Like it or not, when a customer gets to the register they don’t want to find themselves browsing through a lot of more products. They don’t really appreciate that they’re given yet another ‘choice’ to make, they’re done with it. All a customer wants to do at the counter is to pay for their products and get on with their lives.
However, a great counter display, as part of your overall visual merchandising strategy, can interrupt them and get them to buy.
On the counter, try to put just one or two products, not more than that. It gives the customer a rather easy decision to make. Yes, or no. Try to have a product that has a universal appeal to it, one that could be used by any age group.
Try to choose a product with a low price tag. Your customers won’t mind dropping a $10 bill without noticing. Keep your counter display fresh and change it every week. Timing is the most important thing. Remember, if it’s spring, the item on the counter must relate to it.
When you put up a signage for your counter products, remember to keep them short, sweet and creative. A sign that reads ‘$2 each’ won’t do it for you, try and be more creative.
You’ve done the hard work of having converted a browser to a customer, maximize their trust with a compelling counter display. It will take some work, but the rewards are higher profits and higher KPIs.