| The layout of your retail store displays should be | | | | have initially considered buying. |
| given careful consideration. The goal is to create | | | | An alternate approach is known as lifestyle |
| an environment in which your product naturally | | | | merchandising. This is when unrelated products, as |
| unfolds and reveals itself to your customers. But | | | | defined by product category, are placed together |
| how is this accomplished, and how do we make a | | | | in order to reflect a certain lifestyle. This may be |
| store front "shopper friendly"? | | | | accomplished via retail displays that mimick rooms. |
| A variety of techniques have been found to be | | | | For example, a display centered around a golfing |
| successful with regards to retail store display | | | | lifestyle might contain golf shirts, khaki pants, |
| organization. The most widely accepted of these | | | | golfing shoes, and even golf clubs, club covers, |
| techniques is that similar products are grouped | | | | balls, hats, gloves and sunglasses. This type of |
| together in the same physical area of the store. | | | | merchandising is focused on the overall lifestyle of |
| In the broadest sense, an example of this would | | | | the target demographic, as oppossed to the |
| be found in department stores, where there may | | | | category of product. |
| be entire sections of the store devoted to | | | | Thematic merchandising is another method of |
| general categories of products, such as men's, | | | | setting up retail store displays. A good example of |
| women's, boys, and girls. Within each main section | | | | this type of merchandising could be found in a |
| can be found subdivisions, for example, | | | | display that is designed around a child's bedroom. |
| accessories, blouses, pants, skirts, perfume, and | | | | In such a display, one might find a race car bed |
| cosmetics. | | | | frame, matching race car comforters, sheets, and |
| This type of organization allows a consumer to | | | | pillow cases, matching wall paint, lamps, alarm |
| easily browse and encounter specific lines of | | | | clocks, curtains, ceiling borders, wallpaper and |
| products for which they are looking. Within each | | | | other room accents, all similarly themed around |
| subsection, teasers can be included to entice the | | | | the race car motif. |
| customer to browse the other sections. For | | | | Of course, the above methods can be modified |
| example, in a section which sold women's blouses, | | | | and even combined as appropriate. The important |
| mannequins placed at eye level will not only | | | | thing to remember is that there be some logical |
| feature blouses, but perhaps a skirt or pants, as | | | | connection between all of the products in any |
| well as a purse and jewelery. This type of visual | | | | given retail store display. The connection should |
| merchandising increases the average per | | | | not only be between the products, but also serve |
| customer ticket, as additional items are | | | | to connect with the customer. |
| discovered by the customer that they may not | | | | |