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Deborah Kurfiss

Guide to Finding Store Displays and Fixtures

Great resources to optimally display your merchandise

By Deborah Kurfiss, Principal, Kurfiss Connect

Your inventory is critical and your space and location are important, but don't underestimate the importance of the image and the feel you project to your customers through your store fixtures. Often when retailers rent space, they may inherit lighting, displays and even furniture. If any of this fits in with your store's image, by all means use it. But if not, it is worth the investment to buy what you need to project your brand and to give your customers a comfortable buying experience. When selecting store displays and fixtures, you will want to consider:
  1. Your image. If you are selling handmade folk art you will choose very different displays than if you are selling electronics.
  2. Optimum space and paths through the store to give your customers a comfortable buying experience and guide them efficiently through the store
  3. Your budget. Buy what you need, but be creative in order to keep down your expenses.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done


Project the right image

Consider what you want your store to say to customers. If you are selling expensive jewelry, you will want to highlight individual pieces with a lot of space, using velvet pedestals or displays rather than paper cards. If you are selling handicrafts, you will want to buy well-chosen wooden displays and furniture rather than the glass and chrome you might choose if you are selling computers.
I recommend: To learn more about branding before you set up your store, you may want to read a study from Dartmouth College that examines retail branding including store atmosphere.

Choose your displays

There are many, many vendors who sell store displays and equipment online, so no matter where you live, today it is easy to find good displays and equipment.
I recommend: For most of your store display needs from slatwall to showcases, check out Store Supply Warehouse, Grand and Benedicts and Daniels. You may also make some surprise finds of shelving at Ikea and The Container Store. If you are specifically looking for jewelry displays, take a look at Nile, Allen Display and Fetpak.

Lighting is critical

You can have the best displays and merchandise in the world, but if you don't light your merchandise properly, you won't reach your optimum selling potential.
I recommend: Try the retail lighting section of elights.com or Pegasus Associates. And remember, if you are selling fashion products, install flattering lighting.

Don't forget bags, boxes and packing materials

Keeping up with your bag and box needs doesn't have to be a chore. It pays to buy attractive bags printed with your logo, particularly if you are in a mall where customers carrying your bags from store to store provide on-the-spot advertising.
I recommend: You will find a good selection of bags and boxes at some of the sites listed in the Display section of this Guide. Also take a look at Bags on the Net and Uline.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

  • Wooden or other opaque shelves can throw shadows and even hide the merchandise below. Consider glass shelves that enable customers to better see your merchandise.
  • Even if you have limited space, leave enough area to properly display your products so your customers can see it. Display your featured products at eye level.
  • Avoid what is often called the "butt brush". A customer is examining an item, making a buying decision, and someone walks by and brushes her from behind because of the narrow aisles. This is death to an impulse buy.

The official source of Finding Store Displays and Fixtures is
the Store Fixtures page at Business.com

Store Fixtures
Distributor and manufacturer of retail store fixtures. Offering online shopping and live phone ordering. Same day shipping and match price guarantee.
www.kc-store-fixtures.com
Pet Store Fixtures & Wholesale Aquariums For Sale
Visit Dutch Aquariums & Pet Store Fixtures. Enclosures for Fish, Birds, Reptiles, Small Animals, Puppies & Kittens. Aquariums, Paludariums, 3D.
www.petstorefixtures.com
Retail Store Fixtures
Provides store fixtures including slatwall, gridwall, display cases, shelving, gondolas and acrylic displays.
www.allendisplay.com
Store Fixtures
Find Store Fixtures. Search listings and reviews of retailers, specialists and services in your local area now.
www.justclicklocal.com

Recommended Solution Providers

American Retail Supply: Fixtures and Displays
Supplier of store displays and fixtures.

TRIO: Retail Store Design
Provides display design services and display fixtures.

Displays2Go: Point of Purchase Displays
Provider of display hardware, specializing in POP displays.

Matrix Fixtures: Manufacturer of Quality Store Fixtures
Specialize in stainless steel, metal, and acrylic display shelving. If you need something specially designed (for a significantly higher price) this is your place.

Focal Point Plastics: Customer Displays
Provides custom point of purchase displays and products.

The Fixture Liquidators: The Nation's Largest Source for New and Used Fixtures
Fixture Liquidators also offer a store planning service. Offices located on both the east and west coast.

Gershel Bros: New and Used Store Fixtures
In addition to store fixtures and displays, Gershel also offers free store planning so you can maximize your display area. They lend experienced advice on the best way to display a particular item.

Best Sites to Learn More

About.com: Store Design
Articles on retail store design and layout.

TRIO Retail and Design: Store Planning Primer
Browse a series of handy articles to help you plan the design of your store, whether refurbishing or starting from scratch. Includes access to design guides and printable pdfs.

Creative Magazine: Promotions and Marketing
Articles describing trends in POP displays, plus case studies .

Institute of Store Planners: Setting the Standards for Retail Store Design
A list of helpful resources for retail and store design. Everything from how to carpet your store to environmentally friendly design.

Best Blogs and Forums

VisualStore: Visual Merchandising Forum
Forum for discussing visual merchandising and store displays.

Instock Displays: POP Blog
How to care for you POP displays, and details upcoming product releases.

Retail Store Supply Information: A Nu-Era Service
Provides lots of helpful information on what to buy for your store and, more importantly, where to put it.

About Retail: Retailing Blog
Find lots of helpful advice on running your retail business. Several articles devoted to store layout and design.

Retail Design Diva: The Industry's First Retail Design Weblog
Dedicated to hashing out the issues, opinions, and frustrations concerning store design. Presented by DDI (Display Design Ideas) Magazine.



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