Depending on your industry, there may be times you have to merchandise ‘boring’ products. This never should mean that you have to fall into the trap of ‘boring’ merchandising.
If you sell basics or have a uniform range, you experience a unique challenge in merchandising. The styles are often almost identical and the colours may be uninspiring. So how can you merchandise this type of product?
Here are 5 Tips especially for you:
SCENES
Orderlies riding motorbikes? This creative display adds interest to a medical uniform range
Think about the products you sell – who buys them? Who wears them? In what circumstances do they wear them? Create scenes reflecting the real life uses for your products. Use mannequins to show off the clothing so customers can imagine the clothing ‘in action’.
COLOUR
Choose the non-standard or brightest colours in the range for features.
Maybe your corporate wear shop is a sea of neutrals. Maybe all you have is a narrow range of colours (such as primary colours in a uniform shop). Don’t ignore the colours when merchandising, just because they aren’t the season’s latest shades. Instead, work with what you want to display. Shop fittings should never clash with the colours of the products. If you have a range of high-vis clothing, or sports teams’ colours, choose neutral shopfittings. But, if your product range consists of greys and neutral tones, consider timber as a contrast. Beech timber freshens the look of your store, and is available in shelving and clothing hangers.
SHUFFLE
Just because the products all look similar doesn’t mean it should always stay in the same place. Shuffle items around, so that items that are otherwise ignored become a feature. Remember, goods need to be merchandised differently in summer and winter. Put the mannequin in short sleeves at the first hint of summer, and replace the leggings with shorts.
REGROUP
Regroup products according to use, not just style. Put the safety boots near the gloves; the scarves near the blazers. This is not only a way to give different items exposure; it is also an effective upsell method.
NEATEN
Fashion Biz presents their uniform range in a neat and easy to find manner
If all else fails, ensure your store looks neat. People are much more likely to buy from a neat shop. Steam clothes on mannequins to freshen them up. Display pricing clearly and in the same way on every garment. If you are selling uniforms, ensure your store looks uniform!
You may not have the variation that other retailers experience. Their on-trend seasonal styles have an almost constant turnaround. But you have more opportunity to experiment and find what works, with less worry about moving the ‘dated styles’. Enjoy the challenge and your customers will enjoy visiting your shop. They’ll probably buy more too!
