Modern retailers know that creating attractive displays is important. When used properly, stack displays can be one of the most important tools in any retailer’s display arsenal. They influence consumer buying patterns, impress customers, and make the merchandise look more appealing.
Not all products are a good fit for stack displays, so they should be used wisely. Read on to find out about three of the most important dos and don’ts of using this essential merchandising technique.
Do Know the Customers
It’s important to tailor products in stack displays to the customers’ wants and needs. Although attractively designed stack displays can garner plenty of attention, they’ll only encourage sales if customers would actually be interested in the products.
Don’t Stack Small Items
Small items are best displayed on Madix Shelving, not in stacks. Only use stack displays for bulky items like pet food, boxes of drink cans, seasonal items, or kids’ toys. Not only does stacking small items look messy, but it also creates a much larger risk of customers knocking over the display and leaving behind a huge mess for workers.
Do Get Creative
Stack displays are perfect for testing new items. The displays garner a lot of attention and stand out in consumers’ minds but don’t take up high-performing shelf space. Lots of stores use this merchandising strategy to push seasonal items like Christmas decorations or summer pool equipment. Plenty more use them to introduce or test new products to see how customers will respond prior to committing to full shipments. Both of these are great, creative strategies for taking full advantage of stack displays.
Don’t Overstack
Thousands of people have been injured by falling merchandise in stores across the country. Displays that are stacked too high don’t just pose a potential liability problem, either. They also disrupt customers’ sightlines and make it more difficult for them to access the merchandise. It makes much more sense to create two smaller displays than to overstack products to the point they may interfere with customers’ shopping experiences.
Do Monitor the Display
It’s not uncommon for customers to leave unwanted products on conveniently placed stack displays. Make sure to monitor the displays frequently to pick up abandoned products for remerchandising.
Frequent monitoring comes with a second advantage, as well. It lets managers evaluate how well the products are performing. If the items in the display are new, this may tell management it’s worth carrying them long-term while, if the stacks are made up of older merchandise, good performance may indicate the shelved products need to be moved to a more convenient location.
Don’t Create Clutter
Overusing stack displays can be just as problematic as over stacking individual displays. Customers need to be able to move easily with their carts through aisles, which means displays can’t get in the way of traffic. Choose a few key items and place the displays in places where they won’t get in the way instead of creating clutter by over-doing it.
The Bottom Line
Stack displays offer a creative way to test new products, push older merchandise, or showcase seasonal products. It’s important to design a display that won’t fall or cause other problems for shoppers, but it’s equally important for floor managers to monitor the displays to see how the products are performing, so keep an eye on the displays.
