Store merchandising tends to be one of those things which despite being of supreme importance is also regularly underestimated in terms of complexity. Of course, exactly what makes for effective merchandising by way of shelving, layout, focus points and whatnot will be determined by the specifics of the business.

Nevertheless, there are certain universal rules that ring true in every instance when it comes to genuinely effective store merchandising. So for those looking to ramp up the impact of their own stores and products this summer season, here’s a quick rundown of just a few tips for making it happen:

1 – Change Displays Monthly

First of all, it is important to get out of the habit of assuming that merchandising and store displays only need to be considered and changed with the seasons. In fact, experts advise that in order to keep things as fresh, relevant and interesting as possible, displays should in fact be changed on a monthly basis. Even in the case of new arrivals and promotional goods, everything has a short shelf life at best and will not shine brightly for particularly long.

2 – Think About Wants

Another helpful tip is that of moving away from focusing on the essential products within your store and instead drawing attention to those that are somewhat optional. Or in other words, wants vs needs. The reason being that the kinds of products your customers need will always sell themselves. By contrast, it is often useful to give things they don’t particularly need but desperately want something of a push, in order to influence their purchase decisions.

3 – Start at the Door

From the moment your customers enter your store, you have limited time to win them over and impress them. What’s more, the more time they spend in your store, the more of your ‘messages’ they will have to consider. As such, it simply makes sense to start at the door when it comes to your promotions and ensure that whatever it is you want to sell most of you position close to the door. Either this, or the relevant marketing materials are placed close to the door where they cannot be missed.

4 – Light It Up

Never underestimate the power and importance of appropriate lighting when it comes to a store merchandising and promotions. While unusual or additional lighting may not work as a permanent fixture in your store, there’s very little better when it comes to highlighting and drawing attention to specific items and displays.

5 – Group It

Another important tip is that of ensuring that when you present a certain item or range of items as primary focus points, you also group them with similar or related items of interest. The reason being that if your customers are interested in the item you are pushing most aggressively, chances are they will also be interested in related or similar items.

6 – Track and Modify

Last but not least, there’s nothing to say you cannot tweak and modify your displays on a regular basis – it’s actually a very good idea. What you should be doing is tracking the performance of each and every key promotional display you set up, in order to make changes accordingly. If it has been setup and in place for several days and there has been absolutely no change whatsoever in terms of sales, clearly something isn’t working and could do with being adjusted.