What is Merchandising?

Merchandising is everything you do to promote and sell your products once the potential customer is in your store. When we talk about merchandise, we are talking about products available for sale, typically in a retail setting.

Since the sales process often starts with the eyes, merchandising typically involves presenting products in a visually favorable light, to try and encourage purchases.

Merchandising Strategies

Some of the most popular ways to entice buyers to purchase include:

Window and in-store displays

Grouping related products together

Shelf signage

In-store ads featuring the merchandise

Well-stocked shelves

Spotlighting promotional items

Don’t Discount Cleanliness

Making sure your products look appealing is key to effective merchandising, but how does the rest of the space look? Do customers see:

Clean floors and aisles

Dust-free shelves and products

Products that are neatly stacked or hung

A sense of organization, rather than overwhelming chaos

Vignettes of related products set up together to suggest how they might be used

Enough elbow room to move about comfortably

Benefits of Merchandising

Some small business owners hire professional visual merchandisers to come in and spruce up their displays and selling floor, finding that the cost is well worth it. But merchandising goes beyond just moving inventory around, to space planning and product staging. Effective merchandising yields:

Higher sales

Faster inventory turnover

Buyers who spend more time in the store

More satisfied customers

Increased customer loyalty

Stores that present products that customers are frequently looking for in a pleasing display, or tucked away neatly, will find those same customers returning for more on a regular basis.