Navigating what can be composted at home and what needs a commercial composting facility is an ever increasing problem faced by many of us these days. As we manage our way through new waste minimising intiatives one of the most common questions asked is “Where is my local commercial composting facility?”
Click on the below link to be taken to a convenient list of facilities within New Zealand and let’s do our bit to make a difference.
https://www.wasteminz.org.nz/sector-groups
The objective of your retail store is to move products. You need to encourage customers to make a purchase using a range of different strategies and techniques, from stocking the right products to having an effective pricing strategy. The layout of your store is important too.
The layout of your store affects customer flow and helps guide people around your store. It also helps to showcase your products in the most effective way possible, and it impacts the experience of customers, i.e., do customers enjoy shopping in your store?
In many respects, deciding on the layout of your store is the first step to effective store design. Here are the most common types of store layouts that you should be aware of.
Grid Store Layout
This is probably the one most people will be familiar with because it is the one that supermarkets use. In other words, aisles that are parallel and largely uniform, with checkouts close to the entrance/exit.
This layout offers a lot of advantages, particularly for retail stores with lots of different products and substantial product variation – like a supermarket. You can also guide customers through the store by putting the most commonly purchased items at the back. Grid layouts are also familiar to shoppers, and shelving solutions are commonly available.
This style of store is not very creative or interesting, however. It’s more about function than design and can lead to frustration with shoppers when used in the wrong situations.
Free Flow Layout
The free flow layout is a common layout in boutique stores and is often the favoured layout in shops where there isn’t much space available. There are really no rules with a free-flow design. Instead, it’s about being creative and using the space you have in the best way possible.
While it is common in small stores, it usually works best in high-end retail outlets that don’t have many products to display. It’s also good for experiential retail spaces, and where you want there to be plenty of free space.
The downsides are less space to display products, plus it can be confusing for customers. This style of layout can also have unintended consequences, where the free layout of the store leads to a lack of focus on good retail practice.
Spine Layout
This is where you have a single aisle running from one end of the store to the other, with products displayed on either side of the aisle. It is common in smaller spaces, particularly where there are lots of products to display.
The biggest downside is space, as it can feel cramped, particularly when the store is busy.
Loop or Racetrack Layouts
A store with a loop layout forces customers to follow a pre-determined route around the store. A variation of the loop is a racetrack layout, which has a more varied design but with the same principle.
This layout is often used to ensure customers pass every product as they walk through. It also presents opportunities to strategically locate promotions for maximum impact.
However, it doesn’t suit stores where people know what they want to buy before they go in, as it can cause frustration.
Solutions for All Store Layouts
Whatever layout you choose for your retail store, we have the products and solutions that you need. Browse our range of over 3,000 products today.
If you are looking for a new and innovative 3D display solution this is it. Say goodbye to boring endcap designs and create 3D displays that will wow your customers. There is nothing else quite like this on the market that will bring a new dimension and function to your retail displays.
Research shows that a lot of the information processed by humans is via the sense of sight, so it is important to offer interesting and eye catching designs instore.
The ultimate goal is to attract, engage, and motivate the customer towards making a purchase.
With the Neo Peg system you can do exactly that with the added bonus of being able to re use the Neo Pegs to create new displays to keep your store looking fresh, exciting and attracting your customers attention to a focal point.
Contact us today for more information!
Everything in a retail environment is carefully designed to showcase products to look their best. Retailers try to maximise available spaces as well as arrange displays so that products are appealing, easily seen and accessible.
The entire arrangement of a retail space is treated as an exercise in visual merchandising. For instance, to promote the feeling of a healthy, wholesome space, the produce section is often placed at the beginning of the store. Essentials are placed toward the middle or the end so customers are incentivised to walk through the other aisles and browse other products as well.
Display is everything in a retail store and it does pay off to invest in clever display accessories that can create a browser friendly environment. Display hooks are one such product that can clear up clutter, maximise your presentation and improve sales.
Hooks are detachable merchandising accessories that can fit in neatly on standalone or countertop cardboard construction displays. They are available in various lengths and styles to suit a variety of purposes.
These hooks make it possible to save floor space by arranging lightweight, compact products vertically on hang-sell displays. This also makes it possible to place key products in your customers’ line of sight. The hooks help to organise your displays neatly without making your space look like it’s crammed with products.
There are a variety of hooks available so depending on the display that you want to create, you can choose hooks that fit into slatwalls, pegboards, cardboard displays or wire grids. Each hook has an end that is bent slightly upward to prevent products from sliding off.
These hooks are sturdy and can hold a variety of different products including phone accessories, fashion accessories, jewellery, and packets of items. You can choose from different hook lengths to suit your purpose or invest in all the sizes so you have them on hand. This way, you can use whichever hooks work best depending on the stock you have at the time. You can fix hook locks at the end of these to prevent high price tag items from going missing. Only a member of your staff can unlock and show the product for a customer to examine.
Display hooks are made with highly durable plastic to ensure that they are long lasting and can be used for years to come. Display hooks are easy to use and can be fitted or removed by a member of your staff quite easily.
Thanks to display hooks, with minimum investment, you are able to put more products on display and sell more of your stock. The versatility they offer in terms of function and ease of use means that nearly anyone can to put together eye-catching displays for new collections or special products. Display hooks are a staple retail accessory and are not likely to go out of style. So buying them is an investment that you can reap the benefits of for several years.
Thanks to the multiple advantages offered by this clever device, display hooks are often bought and stocked in bulk by chemists, jewellers, dairies, newsagents, clothing and even sports stores. You can choose between plastic butterfly hooks, double loop hooks, multi display hooks or even single hooks.
If we have a confirmed order for pegboard hooks or multi display hooks by 12pm, providing it is in stock, we can assure you that we will dispatch your order on the same day so there is no waiting around, ever!
Mills Display is proudly Kiwi owned and is based in Auckland, New Zealand. We have built up a diverse collection of retail equipment and accessories to offer you. With over 3000 products in our inventory, there is plenty for you to choose from to create the perfect space. Our knowledge of local needs combined with our commitment to help you succeed and international buying power allows us to offer you complete solutions for your retail needs.
In addition to a wide range of display accessories that are already available, Mills Display also offers you in-house design, prototyping and we can develop bespoke solutions for your space. If you are unsure of which product would be exactly right for you, our experienced team is happy to help at every step, so give us a call today.
It’s human nature to prefer convenience (be lazy), and shopping trolleys were first added to supermarkets for this very reason. Sylvan Goldman wanted to make it easier for shoppers to circulate through his supermarkets and browse the aisles with ease. But once their baskets had a few items, the weight prompted customers cut the trip short and go straight to the checkout counter. He decided that introducing shopping carts with large baskets was the ideal solution. It not only encouraged them to stay longer but also increased the possibility of them picking up more.
“When the shopper got their basket full, it was too heavy for them to carry and they stopped shopping, I thought if there was some way we could give the customer two baskets to shop with and still have one hand free to shop, we could do considerably more business.”
Studies have shown that when baskets are strategically used, it encourages buyers to spend more in your store. Shoppers who aren’t overly strict with following their grocery list, will almost always pop in a few more items since they’re in the store.
The pandemic has impacted shopping behaviour of customers. People are trying to make the most of each trip by buying more. This is another reason to have baskets or carts easily available to customers.
The placement of the baskets and trolleys in your store makes difference. Don’t place them directly adjacent to the front doors which is considered to be the ‘transition zone’ – customers may miss it here as they’re still getting acclimatised to the new environment that they’ve just stepped into. Place baskets and trolleys in a visible spot before the shopping floor area. The stack of baskets needs to be at the right level so customers are not bending too low to pick one up.
Businesses have also seen success in placing baskets around the store for shoppers who entered on impulse with the intention of buying only one or two essentials, but are now uncomfortably juggling quite a few items. Having baskets stacked strategically through the store will be useful to these customers. You could also have your employees offer baskets to customers who are jugging three items or more.
Baskets and trolleys are useful in supermarkets of any size and in order to use them to your advantage, make sure you’ve picked the right design. There are a number of different variants that you can keep in your store.
Remember to always match the shopping baskets/carts to your space and to the products you have available. The products in a shopping market are generally pre-packaged and if you have large, bulky items, the carts should also be large enough to accommodate these.
Since the pandemic, shoppers are playing more attention to touch points and looking for safer, hygienic experiences. These shopping baskets, carts and trolleys are designed to be easy to clean so you can sanitize them before a customer picks one up.
Having enough of the right baskets and carts in your store makes a big difference in your customer’s shopping behaviour. Even though it is an investment at the beginning, this is a well-studied aspect of consumer behaviour to increase sales.
Based in Auckland, New Zealand, Mills Display is a Kiwi owned company that has built up a strong reputation as the provider of quality retail accessories. Our knowledge of changing local needs coupled with our international buying power makes us the go-to brand for all retail display needs.
Our inventory includes a wide variety of over 3000 products. This collection has been put together very carefully to be able meet every retail requirement imaginable. Our experienced team is on hand every step of the way to ensure that you find the right products to help you succeed.
Our areas of specialisation range from shopping baskets, safety equipment and promotional display accessories to even literature displays, display hooks, shelf management accessories and food handling equipment/displays. If you’re looking to upgrade your retail environment, you’ve come to the right place. Contact us today to chat about the baskets we have in stock, and can despatch to you today, or about personalising your baskets and trolleys to suit your branding.
No matter what retail business you’re in, effective customer flow management offers huge benefits, with increased profits and a better customer experience that encourages return visits.
Customer flow management is about controlling the movement of visitors inside your place of business, and it begins the minute they enter the door. It involves arranging your space in such a way as to discourage crowding, preventing long queues from forming, as well as leading people to the items you want to sell. This helps to adapt a customer-centric approach that brings about a relaxed, calm atmosphere and enhances the overall experience.
The good news is that you don’t need to have a large staff to handle this. You can have effective customer flow management with a few common practices and versatile equipment.
Barrier posts have proven to be invaluable in retail spaces. This simple piece of equipment consists of a stainless steel post set on a wide, weighted base for stability. The top has a retractable belt fixed in that can stretch out to about two metres. This can be clipped into another post or a wall clip to form a continuous barrier. Each post has a 4-way clip at the top so you can form barriers in what ever direction required. These portable posts can be used in any set up whether it’s a public office, a fast food eatery, a supermarket or a retail establishment of any size.
Making sure that lines are moving at a good pace and customers are not getting impatient is important. To prepare for this, take into account the conditions during peak business hours and the madness of holiday shopping.
First, make sure that there is enough room to accommodate as many people as there are likely to be in the queue at any one time. Then, address one of the key reasons for queue anxiety: poorly managed queues. Setting up barrier posts is a simple way to keep lines organised, separate and with no risk of nefarious queue jumpers.
Nobody likes standing in queues and a reliable method for reducing perceived wait time is to keep your customers engaged. Arranging product displays along the line can hold your customers’ attention and increase impulse purchases. Studies have shown that these displays encourage impulse buying by about 400%.
Stainless steel barrier posts are not bulky and awkward. Your staff can move these posts around with ease so they can be set up wherever you anticipate a crowd to collect. Setting up a row of barrier posts can streamline any part of your set up. If you’re a supermarket with a sudden surge at the deli, or a retail store where you’re closing and opening tills, make sure you can move your barrier posts as needed.
You can add ticket frames to advertise offers and new products. While they handily sit alongside barrier posts, you don’t have to limit them to your queue barriers. Use them to attract customer attention to bulk displays or bins. Have attractive displays at the ends of aisles, which have been shown to increase sales of some alcohols by up to 46%!
Freestanding ticket frame stand 800-1200, adjustable
Freestanding ticket frame stand 700mm, black
Ticket frame stand for barrier post
Ticket frame A5 in black, clear and carriers
Ticket frame A4 in black, white, green, red and carriers
Ticket frame A3 in black, white, green and carriers
Ticket frame A2 in black
Our barrier posts are easy to store, durable and long lasting. They are made with stainless steel so they are extremely durable and can last for years. Unlike regular rope barrier posts, the retractable belts don’t get tangled. This makes the posts that much easier to store.
The pandemic has irreversibly altered a few aspects of our daily lives. Going forward, hygiene and safety will be top expectations of customers even in non-food related stores. These barrier posts are much easier to wipe down and sanitise at regular intervals that cloth ropes.
In light of the recent pandemic, effective customer flow management plays a crucial role in reducing contact between customers and ensuring adequate social distancing within your establishment. Improper management of customer flow can discourage potential customers from visiting and dissuade existing customers from returning. This can further impact your profits and negatively affect your staff’s productivity.
Despite the similarities retail stores share, every establishment sees some unique trends. To understand what works best for your retail store, study customer activity. Making decisions based on data that you collect will prove to be very effective.
Mills Display has amassed a comprehensive inventory of over 3000 products that can help you raise the bar for retail presentation by several notches. You can reach out to us for anything from product presentation to visual communication requirements.
Mills Display is a Kiwi owned enterprise and our local knowledge helps us to help you choose the right products for your retail needs.
We have short lead time roll outs for a whole range of products to sweeten the deal. Our experienced team works hard to assess your retail needs and set you up with products that will translate to a better customer experience. Contact us today to discuss what you need- by phone on +64 9 634 5962, email us at sales@millsdisplay.co.nz, or visit our display room at 327A Neilson Street, Penrose, Auckland.