Saturday 27 April 2013

Should QVM Traders Stop Display Overload?


Some of our traders adopt floor to ceiling display merchandising. You know the format products going as high as positioning hooks will allow, sometimes not just on the sides of the stall but at the front and even out into the aisles. There are arguments to suggest that this type of display is anti-business.

Distraction – shopping at QVM is a little like shopping in a supermarket. There are just so many things to look at that it is easy to be distracted and overhead displays simply add to the problem. How often have you had a customer say they couldn’t find you even though they walked up your aisle earlier in the day?

Lighting – dim lighting is a real problem at QVM and “block-out displays” simply don’t help. Not only are you restricting the light that falls on your stock, you are stopping light from falling on your neighbours stock.

Contemporary Display Practice – contemporary retail displays have lowered stock to meet modern customer demands. Key retailers like Target and K-Mart abandoned floor to ceiling stock displays some while ago and even markets like Spitalfields (London’s oldest market) show a big open space above stalls so that buyers eyes are kept on the key stock at or around eye level.

Laziness – trying to show every stock line you possess is easier than regularly changing your display. Hands on traders know that setting up your stall in a different way each week can keep your stock fresh and interesting for customers. Effective customer service will quickly let your customer know if you have what they are looking for.

Time Hungry – think of how much setup time could be saved by keeping displays to around 2 metres.

Contemporary retail practice in shopping centres and markets, would suggest that floor to ceiling block-out displays may no longer be appropriate. What do you think?

Have YourSay – click here

COMMENTS:
27/4/2013 2055  Overhead Displays  "What we really need overhead at each stall is a business name sign that would make it easy for customers to find traders and be a lot less confusing than stock block outs."