How you present your products on the shelf can amplify sales. It’s a mix of basic shelf psychology, modern display solutions, and a bit of creativity.

If any bricks-and-mortar retail store wants to increase sales, part of the equation is using shelf space in the best possible way. For a long time, we’ve known that simply putting products on the shelf is the bare minimum; there’s so much science behind where, what, and how.

From the basic to the bold, we’ve got ideas that can give your shelving displays new life.

Empty Space on Shelves Deters Customers

Gaps on shelves give the impression that you’re not stocking shelves well. It also, rather conversely, makes other areas with product look jumbled and messy. Empty-looking shelves make people postpone purchases, purchase their items elsewhere, or buy online. An empty shelf can deter up to 46% of customers[1]. Fix this by:

• Rearranging items on the shelf to give the impression of fullness
• Make sure there’s space for new items and plenty of growth opportunities
• Paying attention to the data. How long are products on the shelf for? Which ones move fastest? Use AI to make sure you always have stock when you need it and avoid those gaps in supply

Light Up Your Product

Shops need to be well lit because it can result in higher customer spends. There are four main types of lighting to consider:

• Ambient- the general lighting around the store
• Accent – focuses on specific areas to bring awareness
• Decorative – optional lighting to make things prettier
• Task – functional lighting, for example, at the cash register

Done well, lighting should encourage people to buy; we know that bright lights make people more likely to impulse buy[1].

Consumers Like Order and Organization

People like to know where things are. Consumers have certain expectations of retail outlets, like deodorants are going to be in the same aisle as the soap, or chocolate is going to be close to the biscuits.

People also like order: labels to the front, products not shoved at the back of the shelf.

Disorganization is a sales killer, with about 50% of people[1] who had a negative experience with messy inventory or broken shelves walking away from a sale.

Keep your shelves organised and tidy using boxes and shelf dividers. Boxes comes in extra small, small, medium, large, and extra large. These boxes help you to create places for everything, and keep everything in the right place.

Another way to keep shelves looking well-arranged is with shelf dividers. Keeping products in nice tidy lines not only helps to ensure no chaos on the shelf, but also just looks nicer. If your shelves have variable depths, try using a breakable divider. These can be snapped to fit any size from 285mm to 485mm long. There’s two heights, 60mm or 120mm. You’ll also need to buy the appropriate T profile strip adhesive.

If the divider will be permanent, you could try these deli dividers, which could be adhered with double sided tape. They come in 100 x 500mm, 100 x 600mm, 100 x 700mm, and 100 x 800mm.

Also, it’s worth having employees educated on standards around front-facing labels. When items are stacked on the shelf, the labels should be facing the front. During general tidying throughout the day, staff should ensure products remain label-facing.

Things You Want to Sell Go at Eye Level

Whether this is an item that’s on sale, a new product, or the ultra-expensive eye cream that featured in some magazine last week, put it at eye level. This means it will be the first thing a customer will see, and we know customers are fickle and will always take the easiest and first option that presents itself.

Sort by Colour

While the whole chromatic ordering vibe isn’t for everyone or everything, it can be super effective. Seeing a whole shelf of one colour or a rainbow of products can be very enticing. It doesn’t make things easier to find, it doesn’t make any particular product the star, but it will draw the eye and slow customers down.

It’s likely something your competitors aren’t doing so can really set you apart. Some people are going to complain they can’t find what they want easily, but to the right customer, this could be fun.

Use Signage

This isn’t groundbreaking; signage draws attention. But, different types of signage do different things.

• Wobblers/ danglers: These little signs pop off the shelf on a strip of plastic, and can draw attention to a product or item. These are common, but imagine seeing a line of these little guys wobbling in the breeze.
• Aisle violators: These are the large vertical signs that jut out into the aisle. These can be very effective for signs and directions, but also for a product or special offer.
• Shelf talkers: These can take a variety of forms, but are generally small-ish tickets that jut out of the shelf and draw attention to a product or maybe provide information. There are also ones that can be made to encompass an entire shelf area, include aisle violators, or even become a façade for a large area.

Need Shelf Dividers or Display Solutions?

In this push for pretty, don’t forget functionality. Keep products arranged logically, accessibly, and displayed effectively. We’ve been working in visual merchandising in NZ for years, and we know Kiwi customers, the products that can work, and we’ve probably got ideas that might help solve your display problems. Contact us to chat about your retail display options.

 

[1] https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/analysis/2022/empty-shelves-in-america-u-s-retailers-lost-over-82-billion-in-2021/

[1] https://www.ijsr.net/archive/v3i11/T0NUMTQxMTAy.pdf

[1] https://servicechannel.com/go/retail-report/

 

 

Who learns about the benefits of a product or if a new exciting product has been released, unless you tell them?

Poster displays are one of the best forms of in-store marketing. They are right in front of your target audience at the right time. After all, what’s the best time to market a product when people are shopping for it, looking at the display of the product?

Why Have In-Store Poster Displays?

Time is scarce, most decisions are made fast without any real thought or research, and customers are fickle.

Products have three seconds to catch the eye of potential customers. 30,000 new products are released every year, and 95% of them fail. People spend a maximum of 90 seconds looking at a product, reading only eight lines of writing the entire time they are in the store.

Visual stimuli in a store is vitally important for marketing purposes. Not only do you already have a soft sell, with someone in the store, but they are ready to spend money. They are primed to buy a product, and you need to take advantage of it.

How to Improve Your In-Store Poster Displays

You need to catch the customer’s eye and draw them in to pick the product up. Once that’s done, the battle is won – once they have touched the product, they are far more likely to buy it. So, how can in-store poster displays be super effective?

Use Colour

About 75% of purchase decisions are based purely on colour. That’s right, people don’t read anything, or engage their brains, they think ‘oh nice colour’ and buy the product. How can you use this to your advantage?

• Use one colour in various gradients
• Use two bold opposing tones, like yellow and purple
• We know green is natural, and purple is royalty. What are your colours saying about your product?
• If your product wants to be the Next Big Thing, the colour needs to be on trend

Have a Glorious Product Image

When you’re at the supermarket, shopping for dinner, and hungry, an attractive image of a meal is going to make you buy that product.

Having a fantastic product photo might be enough to draw that customer in and get them to put that product it in their cart.

Stock Photography Sucks

There are some stock photo models that are so familiar, they could go in a family photo album. Don’t be the business that uses straight stock photos without making them your own.

Don’t Be Scared of Empty Space

Empty space isn’t an enemy. Use space as part of the design, ensure everything is easy to see in that three second glance, and avoid clutter and confusion.

Immerse Your Customer in The Product

Make an evocative poster to take the customer to where you want them to be. Maybe your customer is wanting to buy a new swimsuit, having a photo of that swimsuit on the beach, or surfing, or sunbathing, is going to help tip the scales and get them to buy it.

Give a Clear Call to Action

While CTA’s are more commonly spoken about in terms of the internet, they are effective on posters too. Telling people what you want them to do next is incredibly effective. ‘Try this today’ is a simple option, or maybe mix up the action with the USP, like ‘Buy the comfiest top you’ll ever wear’.

Get it On Social Media

If you make the poster interesting or interactive, people will take a photo and put it on their social media. This increases your reach hugely, is free, and will target your intended audience.

Keep the Display Solution Flexible, Easy to Use, and Attractive

The hardware you use to display the product is important. It should be portable, be able to be used portrait or landscape, and allow flexibility with placement. How these posters are displayed makes a huge difference to how consumers perceive them. At Mills Display, we have a wide selection to choose from.

• Standard snap frames with 25mm profiles, in A4 to A0, in silver, black, green, blue, red, oak, pine, and gold
• Outdoor lockable poster frames (NZ) in sizes A4 to A0, in silver, white, red, blue, pine, oak, green, and black
• Weather resistant snap frames which clip from the front, A4 to A1 sizes, in black and silver
• Window snap frames in A4 to A1, in black or silver
• Easel A-frame stand 655 x 1155 x 600mm, double sided silver
• A3 or A4 standing snap frame with adjustable height
• Hanging snap frames and edging from A3 to A0
• Versa tool and adaptor kit for installing ceiling posters without needing to use a ladder
• Magnetic L shaped bases for metal shelving and gondolas
• And other poster display accessories such as ceiling hooks, hook wires, and suction cups

If you want poster display ideas, contact us. We have a huge range of products in different styles, sizes, and for a variety of different scenarios. While the design of poster is up to you, we can make sure it’s seen in the right place, at the right time.

NZ shoppers are demanding environmental accountability. How can you make your retail store more sustainable?

Consumers want their brands to be sustainable and are walking away from companies that are not. 44% of customers are more likely to buy from brands that have a clear, genuine commitment to sustainability. From big corporates to small bricks-and-mortar shops, the revolution is here.

In response to these changing attitudes, businesses are innovating and altering their practices. For example, Coca-Cola have said they’ll recover 75% of the bottles they introduce to market. J&J are determined to get a third of its energy needs from renewable energy sources. What is your business doing to become more sustainable?

Consumers want ethical, earth-friendly practices, and organisations that dismiss their concerns will find themselves with declining market share and poor social media. So how can you start making your practices more ethical, sustainable, and transparent?

1. Source Sustainable Products

This is arguably the most important thing you can do. Ensure the products you are selling are sourced from ethical companies. Make an effort to stock sustainable goods and highlight the product’s story in your display.

Some of the most well-known producers or distributors are not sustainable, so you’re going to need to do your research. You can search for sustainable brands on SPOT (sustainable product database).

It’s not just what you sell, but how you do it. Think about local providers to reduce the miles too. Even the most sustainable brand can become an eco-disaster if it’s flown into NZ.

2. Reduce Energy Use

By reducing your energy use, you’re not just cutting down on electricity bills, but you’re also reducing the need for power generation. Even in NZ, where most of our electricity is sourced from clean renewable sources, we shouldn’t be using more than we need. Install LED lighting, turn off electronics at the wall when not in use, and use low-power refrigerators and air conditioning.

3. Ditch the Use of Planes

If you have a larger business, it’s likely you’ll be flying staff and executives to various locations. Airmiles are incredibly bad for the world; make it video call whenever possible.

4. Reduce Waste

There are multiple forms of waste you can cut down on or manage better.

• Ensuring all plastic and cardboard are recycled correctly is a great start. Many councils also offer composting schemes which can be taken advantage of.
• Cutting back on water wastage is getting more and more important as water will become a scarcer (and more expensive) resource. If you use water in any part of your manufacturing and cleaning processes, ensure they are as water- minimal as possible. Make sure all taps and plumbing systems are maintained and not leaking.
• Food waste, particularly from food retailers, needs to be managed well. When food goes to landfill, it produces methane gas which is 28 times more harmful than carbon dioxide. Up to 10% of global gas emissions are related to dumped food, with around a third of all produced food wasted every year.Dump as little food as possible by having short-dated food items sold at highly discounted rates. Investigate if it’s possible to send to food banks if it’s not expired. Food that is expired should be removed from packages and sent to composting rather than degrading inside plastic in a landfill.

• Clothing stores contribute a lot to our environmental decline too. Deadstock fabric, sale samples, and unsold stock—find a positive use for them. Don’t dump them. Can they be re-used in some way that doesn’t devalue your brand

5. Eco-Positive Delivery

How you package deliveries is important, but also how things are shipped. For long-distance shipping, choose a low emissions way (not air). For last-mile deliveries, using AI to create routes to ensure more efficient distances are travelled and in the most cost-efficient way.

6. Go Paperless

Ditch the reliance on pulping trees. Digital menus, signs, receipts, and electronic communication whenever possible.

7. Cleaning Products

While not the biggest or most glamorous step to take, it’s an easy switch to choose green cleaning products. While bleach will still be legally required for food preparation areas, there are earth-friendly products for everything else.

8. Empower Your Customers to Offset Their Impact

People don’t want the end of the world. And if they can do lots of little positive things, it all adds up. If you help them, it reaps social media rewards- and repeat customers. A café that encourages use of KeepCups. A store that says they are going to plant a tree for every X number of sales. Maybe you’re a clothing brand that takes your old, worn-out clothes and recycles them into something cool (need a dump-bin for the old clothes?).

9. Make Plastic, Fantastic (and Tell Your Customers Why)

Plastic is versatile, safe, and cheap. It’s not going away. And for most reasons, it’s the most viable and environmentally friendly option. Compostable packaging or cardboard is something that has to be sourced, manufactured, and then it’s… thrown in the rubbish.

What a waste.

However, if you use plastic, you can help close the recycling loop. Some types of plastic are infinitely recyclable, giving it a lifecycle that never ends, ensuring the plastic is used again and again. Use recyclable plastic rather than non-recyclable (for example, food containers being polypropylene and not Styrofoam).

You can also help by using plastic that already contains recycled matter. This could include carpets in the fitout, the fabric used for employee uniforms, or crates. If you’re looking for shopping baskets in NZ that are made from recycled matter, contact us to find out more.

If you produce plastic in some form, you must enable all plastic to be recycled. While this looks different for each type of organisation, you must find a way to capture all plastic waste, and ensure it is cleaned, separated, and recycled.

10. Make Sustainability Part of Your Brand

Above all, make sure to tell your customers that you’re sustainable. Your content on your social media, the in-store narrative, everywhere and anywhere. Be honest, transparent, and also truthful about the future and what you have to do to improve (and the steps you’re taking to get there).

The flow-on effects of this are fantastic; you’ll attract quality staff aligned to your ethics, you’ll have loyal customers, and you can feel a bit better about the impact you’re having on the planet.

 

 

 

Got loads of customers in your store but sales are down? It’s time to amp up your POS merchandising.

There’s some big sales numbers associated with merchandising. Consumers enter the store with some ideas of what they want to buy, and the packaging and presentation of the product influence the outcome hugely—up to 95% of the time, Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman found. It’s not about price, or individually comparing brands—it’s in-store marketing.

If you can learn and implement some basic strategies, you can maximise these techniques in your POS merchandising, you can turn slow moving stock into swift sales.

The average monthly impulse purchase spend is the USA was $182.98 in 2020; are you taking advantage of fickle consumers and providing display solutions that give them opportunities to shop?

1. Get Into the Customer’s Mindset

If you’ve ever booked a tropical holiday in the midst of winter, you’ve needed to pack summer clothes, and even buy a new swimsuit. But it’s hard to think about being so hot outside when it’s frosty outside and you’re wearing three layers (plus a blanket).

What does this mean for your POS merchandising? Generally, you’ve got a captive market while they wait in queue or while their transaction is processed, and you need to think about what they want in this moment. In a supermarket, they’re likely hungry or thirsty, so you can leverage off that, providing sweets and snacks (especially healthy ones if there are kids around). If they are looking forward to seeing their pet at home, then maybe a new pet toy or treat.

You want to sell physically small items that don’t have a big dollar value; you want them to just add it to their cart, no thought involved.

2. Use Their Idle Time

Use of interactive technology is becoming more commonplace, especially as everyone seems to have a smartphone 24/7. Using QR codes can lead the potential customer to a website that provides information, allows entry into a competition, or gives them access to a game.

If they’re sitting in a queue while waiting, give them something to do that leads to more sales. Or, give them your socials and a prompt; get some free social media updates while they’re there. Use ticket frames or other display solutions to provide information, QR codes, and socials, and keep people busy while they wait.

3. Touching the Product Increases Sales

Touching something gives the consumer a feeling that they own the item, and that it has value. It’s harder to put down, and therefore it makes the person more likely to buy whatever it is. Especially if an item is in enclosed packaging, it could be useful to open one and have it on the retail display. This encourages people to touch—and buy. Things like a koosh ball or slap band are highly touchable, cheap, small, and great to have at the POS.

4. Keep It Seasonal

Refresh and rotate the products placed at the POS. Halloween, Christmas, and seasons will all dictate what’s displayed, but also new product launches, or unusual purchases. Love heart chocolates and roses for Valentines, pine tree scent diffusers for Christmas.

5. Cross-Sell

The onion soup packet is sold next to the reduced cream. Marshmallows next to the hot chocolate. Purchase of one item increases the purchase of others—even tangentially related items. Buying a shirt? Maybe a necklace or sunglasses in a dump bin next to the customer while they queue.

In fact, use a checkout line as a shopping alley, keeping wandering shoppers in line while tempting them with lines of dump bins. At the POS, things like corkscrews at a booze shop, suede shoe cleaner at a shoe shop, things that they might not have remembered to buy earlier.

6. Make the Retail Display Look Great

Because the POS area is usually small, you have to be creative and efficient with space. Hangsells allow you to display lots of small items in a confined area, which is easily accessible to all customers.

It’s important to remember that shopper confusion is real phenomenon; information overload can negatively influence shopper intentions. Cluttered, messy, and confused stores result in irritation and inefficiency of shoppers.

It’s striking that balance of attractiveness and helpfulness, and overload and chaos.

At Mills Display, we have all the retail display solutions you could imagine (and more). We also have plenty of experience helping stores fit out their interiors, and we can help you choose what’s going to work for you. Contact us at +64 9 634 5962 or sales@millsdisplay.co.nz to find out how we can amp up your POS retail display.

 

How to Create Beautiful and Enticing Fresh Produce Displays

Attractively presented produce makes it impossible to resist. Fresh, colourful, and varied fruit and vegetables can inspire delicious meals.

On some psychological level, vegetables and fruit can be boring. They’re healthy, we should be eating 5+ a day for optimal well-being, and it can feel like such a drag. But there is absolutely no need for this; with a beautiful produce section and a bit of innovation, you can encourage consumers to buy more.

Keep Your Produce Fresh

The first concern should be the freshness and quality of the produce. No-one wants soggy celery or bruised apples. While a lot of this is down to handling, the display is important too. For those fruit and vegetables that need refrigeration, produce matting not only cushions the produce from the bin base and surroundings, but also helps with drainage of any water and stopping slimy or rotting produce.

A herb display tray keeps asparagus and herbs looking crisp and fresh, with their feet wet and their heads bushy and alert. Coriander and other herbs can rot quickly, and they look slimy (not to mention smell awful) unless displayed correctly.

Keep Produce Accessible

Produce topper trays and separators work to keep items displayed attractively, while giving easy access to shoppers. Use of height creates attractive displays, makes use of available space without over-crowding, and allows shoppers to identify the items they want to buy without having to pick everything up and discard the ones they don’t want.

Make it easy for customers to buy by providing bags (i.e. for mushrooms) in dispensers.

Produce Should Be Presented Beautifully

While taking collapsible crates and stacking them in the produce chiller is easy and a robust solution, it’s not always the most attractive. There are a few different options for those wanting to create a beautiful, enticing vegetable and fruit display.

Display stands that use wicker baskets take advantage of vertical space and give a ‘fresh’ farmhouse vibe. We have:

• Rectangle 2 tier polywicker basket stand set in natural and chocolate brown
• Rectangle 3 tier polywicker basket stand set in natural and chocolate brown
• Oval 2 tier polywicker basket stand set in natural and chocolate brown
• Oval 3 tier polywicker basket stand set in natural and chocolate brown
• Round 2 tier polywicker basket stand set in natural and chocolate brown
• Round 2 tier polywicker basket stand set in natural and chocolate brown

For wicker baskets without stands, our range of baskets include slanted ones, ideal for storing produce in refrigerated areas. Our wicker is 100% food safe polypropylene and safe from mould, mildew, or warping in damp conditions. They are easy to clean.

• White wicker baskets 360x270x90mm
• White wicker baskets 450x310x60mm
• White oval wicker basket 380x270x90mm
• Natural extra large wicker basket with handles 580x385x175mm
• Natural extra large round wicker basket 440x440mm
• Natural small wicker basket 230x190x80mm
• Natural slanted wicker basket also in chocolate brown 280x200x70/40mm
• Natural slanted wicker basket 450x290x110/40mm
• Natural slanted wicker basket 290x450x110/40mm
• Natural wicker baskets NZ also in chocolate brown, 400x250x100mm
• Natural wicker baskets NZ also in chocolate brown 400x300x175mm

It is also great to consider our natural wooden barrels for non-refrigerated items. We have four sizes of these attractive, timber barrels. They have robust and long-lasting powder-coated steel handles.

• Small: 250mm(H) x 320mm(T) x240mm(B)
• Medium: 300mm(H) x 380mm(T) x 280mm(B) plus matching stand
• Large: 370mm(H) x 450mm(T) x 320mm B) plus matching stand
• Extra Large: 390mm(H) x 510(T) x 400mm(B)

Provide Food Information

These days, customers are becoming increasingly interested in their food miles. Clearly display the price, origin, and any other relevant information like varietal or storage information. Metal blackboards give a rustic look and can be changed quickly as required, making them versatile.

Provide Serving or Recipe Ideas

To make your produce truly irresistible, provide delicious meal and snack ideas. This is especially valuable for those feeding kids; a constant challenge for parents is finding vegetable dishes for kids that they love.

You can ask customers to give their favourite recipes, ask staff to volunteer ideas that worked for them, or simply search the internet for recipes.

Present these either in printed paper for customers to take away, in a format where they can snap a photo on their smart phone, or provide a QR code where they are directed to the recipe online.

• Wooden A4 display easel
• A4 portrait double sided acrylic card holder stand
• A4 brochure dispenser
• Ticket frame A4

Contact the Experts in Produce Displays

At Mills Display, we have years of experience in creating beautiful, enticing fresh produce displays. Using our range of produce merchandising tools such as wicker baskets, we have helped NZ retailers maximise their sales, and we can help you too.

As consumers tighten their belts, it’s retailers who feel the pinch. If the recession is biting into your sales, there are some things you can do to ease the pain.

While people might have a little less cash to flash in a time of inflation, there’s still money out there. There are eight things that people still buy, even when the economy is looking gloomy.

1. The essentials
2. Long-term goods
3. Low-cost items
4. Local products
5. Bulk products
6. Second-hand items
7. Substitute products
8. Long-term subscriptions

You may be able to use this information to help your ailing sales, leveraging on what people want.

The Essentials

People still need petrol, medicine, clothing and food. These are all the best sellers during periods of recession and inflation, because they are necessities. Present these attractively, using display accessories to highlight the price, making it easy for consumers to compare items and choose which is best for them.

Long-Term Purchases

It might seem a bit counter-intuitive, but some people anticipate more inflation in the future, so they make big purchases. Things like cars, furniture, and appliance sales can increase as people decide to make big-ticket purchases before more potential price increases occur.

Low-Cost Items

Because life is hard, and people aren’t going on their overseas holidays, or spending lots on their usual splurges, they might self-soothe with a bit of low-cost retail therapy. This could mean some cheer-giving fashion buys, a new video game to ease the boredom, luxe at-home coffee options to replace café-brought, or even chocolates and sweets.

As a retailer, you want to create attractive displays with touches of luxury, for a lower price. Using our hang-sell range or other display accessories, you can present products beautifully that catch the eye of people looking for a cost-effective treat.

Keeping it Local

When imported pineapples are skyrocketing in price, the classic Central Otago apple suddenly looks more appealing. Inflation affects imported products more than local ones, as there are less transport costs. Also, psychologically, people want to support their local producers rather than some international brand.

Display your local options prominently, and use ticket frames and pop clips to show people the local options. Clearly describe the origins of the product, NZ-made gets you paid.

Buying in Bulk

Buying in bulk is an economical option for long-lasting products like nuts, dried fruits, canned goods, and dry foods like flour.

The use of dump bins with multiple offers (such as three for the price of two) can help to sell products. You’re not only offering bulk buys for a special price, but the dump bins do give an illusion of finding a great deal.

Second-Hand Items

For environmental friendliness, pocket-kindness, and an all-round dose of endorphins from finding a great bargain, consumers love second hand goods. Whether it’s consignment shops for designer threads, or the local Sallies to find a second-hand cast iron Le Creuset for a cool $5, Kiwis love sniffing out a great bargain. Times of inflation just make it even more popular.

Substitute Products

Money saving cheaper alternatives are the go; whether it’s replacing meat with beans, or brand name with in-house generic product. If consumers can save $10 from their grocery shop, they’ll do it.

Offer generic products, or cheaper alternatives to the standard options. Provide giveaway recipes for plant-based food (use menu or brochure holders), or upsell a product that has re-usable packaging.

Long Term Subscriptions

When people see looming price rises (and increasing interest rates), they may try to lock down subscriptions at a lower cost. Longer term subscriptions sell better than the short-term options, at least until inflation slows down.

Retail Displays Make a Difference

Even when finances are tight, utilising your display accessories and being thoughtful about the products you promote can make a difference to your bottom line. It’s important to remember that although inflation has made goods more expensive, you can help consumers buy products that provide good value, and longevity. Contact us at Mills for all your shop display requirements