Just as there is prime real estate for the location of your store, there is prime real estate on your sales floor as well. Examples of prime real estate on the sales floor include …
- Front entryway
- Cash wrap
- Front display tables
- End caps
- Tops of tables for sale
These are key areas to create eye catching displays and showcase smaller items that may otherwise get lost.
Setting Up Versus Staging
There is a difference between setting up furniture and staging furniture. Arranging a couch and a coffee table in the front entryway is okay. But when you transform that space into a living room, you help shoppers imagine those items in their home. Add a lamp, a throw rug, some throw pillows, and a coffee table book. Now you have a staged living area.
Direct Customers Through the Store
Directing traffic is also a powerful. The way furniture is displayed creates traffic patterns.
Consider what greets a customer when he or she walks in the front door. Is there a clear path? Or is there a barrage of furniture customers must dodge? Is there an inviting and enticing new display to explore?
The Vantage Point of the Customer
To coach your team on the importance of merchandising, walk them through the store. Periodically stop and ask them …
- Where catches your attention first?
- What is next?
- What path do your eyes take through the store?
This exercise puts your team in the shoes of the customer. It helps them imagine the customer experience from a merchandising perspective.
Creating Order Out of Chaos
Organization is critical on your sales floor. Size clothing appropriately and display together. Organize items by category, keeping all similar miscellaneous items together. Keep clutter to a minimum. General upkeep of the sales floor makes for a more enjoyable shopping experience.
Too often, prime real estate is overlooked and disregarded. Large corporate box stores track shopping patterns. They invest time and energy on their planogram before ever rolling out product. It should be the same for thrift. Planograms must be a priority and prime real estate must be the first thing that is identified. When you pour energy into prime real estate, it sets the standard for the shopping experience.