Let us first discuss the idea of merchandising. Merchandising is the process, or a practice carried out by brands/companies to push the sale of their goods and services. Merchandising is all about how well you display your product to influence customers into the purchase process. Merchandising of different products such as custom water bottles is possible.
There are two types of merchandising:
- Retail Merchandising
- Visual Merchandising
Retail Merchandising:
This type of merchandising is basically how you display your product in-store. It can range from deciding a floor plan to anything specific as selecting the corner where you want to put your custom water bottles for display so it can be seen clearly.
Visual Merchandising:
Visual merchandising is a wide term that can vary from a visual window display of your store to anything the customer sees from either the outside or the inside of your store.
An idea is your route to a small business. It all starts with your favorite interests or something that you are so passionate about what you want to turn it into business, starting from a small venture. To keep that business running and t put it on a larger scale in the future, you need successful merchandising tips.
9 tips of merchandising have been shortlisted for you below.
Know your brand:
Study your brand well when starting a small business. You should be aware of your brand values and what you will be offering to the consumer in the future. Knowing who you are willing to sell your product is very important. The consumer that will purchase from you should be your number one priority because that customer will be your center of merchandising. Think like a customer before you begin to create merchandising your product. Know what weak point to trigger your customer on because creating an everlasting shopping experience for them, in reality, to boost up your brand name.
Easily Accessible:
Your products should be easily accessible to the customer. If your product is hidden somewhere at the back or not easily visible, then your customer will lose interest and switch to some other store without making a purchase.
Play around with colors:
Psychologically speaking, color is soothing to the eyes and the brain. The customer of today loves an eye catchy packaging or display. Never be afraid to experiment with color palettes while you are working around with your merchandising because making it stand out could be a very exciting process. Select color palettes that go with your theme of the campaign that you are offering in the form of a product or a service.
Educate your customer:
Through your merchandise, you can also educate and connect with your target audience. A well put merchandising display could do wonders for your sale. Your merchandising can help educate your customers about a new trend that they weren’t aware of or you can put a look together that shows how your product can be used/paired with. Stores often let you have a demo display before you are about to purchase their product. Other features of informing your customer can be through price tags, instruction tags or size tags.
Brand your product:
The most important feature to keep a business running is branding. Branding helps differentiate your product from those of your competitors. Case in point the Apple.inc logo, they have branded their image so well that you can easily recognize a half bitten apple and associate it with the largest tech company that sells iPhone. That is why you have to be constantly on your toes if you want to distinct your merchandise from your competitor.
Display tricks:
A lot of brands use display tricks to highlight the product and make revenue. Rule number one of the display is never to overcrowd your display space. Your merchandising space should either feature a best seller to a hit item, which creates the center of interest for your target audience. If you have any small items like jewelry, facial oils or any such item, then they should be placed right in the front or at an angle from where they can be located easily. You surely do not want your customers to go through an extra effort to find the product they are actually here for.
Free Samples:
How exciting does it sound to those ears? Have you ever been to a departmental store and encountered sweet salesgirl standing at the door offering you a free tester or a sample of the product that is new to the market? Yes! That is what you call catching attention. It is over-whelming and catchy at the same time. We all love free product samples, I do! Giving out a free sample of your merchandise will help create focus and this way you can also convince your shoppers to make a purchase of your product.
Hire an Intern:
The most important task of starting a business is the hiring process. During a start-up or while you are on your verge to launch a small business of your own, you need a workforce to carry some important tasks. Hiring can be very costly at times as the higher the job description; the higher the payment bar will be for a company that is looking for revenues. But there is always a solution to it; companies hire experienced interns on a project basis from universities or colleges. Most of the inters are in need of job experience to further pursue their studies and by hiring them for their relevant field you can help them with gaining work experience, and it might also cut your cost of wages down to half of what you were about to pay.
Keep the customer busy:
Keep all the five senses of your customer engaged. Majorly brand owners focus more on the display of their merchandise visually. However, one should create an experience that is unforgettable and engages your consumers with all five senses. Try using soothing musical audios or affordable flower fragrances to create a calming ambiance inside your store.
Conclusion
Merchandising is a very powerful way of creating awareness about your brand and build a long-lasting impression on the market. To drive sales, you have to remind constantly your customer that you exist and your product such as the custom water bottles is one the best they can choose from different products of the same nature.