SPRING 2011

118 THE DISTRIBUTOR’S LINK
RE-EVALUATING YOUR COUNTER EFFORTS continued from page 108
grocery store where the products placed in the end cap
may or may not be on sale, but always sell better than
product located down the aisle.
Uniform display gondolas with easily adjustable
shelves can be purchased new or used and can be
ordered with a multitude of accessories. Generally for a
Fastener Distributor white or a neutral color will be most
complementary to a multispec or light finished wall. Slat
wall, grid wall or pegboard can be integrated into the
gondola design to further enhance both display and
ambiance. Keep the height of these displays at 5’ or
less to facilitate eye contact with the customers. This
will discourage theft and provide an opportunity for the
staff to come out from behind the counter and work with
the customer at the point of sale.
Signage
As discussed in a previous article (Winter 2011)
signs are the silent salesman that describe the
products, direct the customer and eliminate confusion.
Banners, vertical signs, pictographic cutouts and other
icons will help bring the customers to the areas that they
need to visit and also remind them of things forgotten.
Any signage should be eye catching, colorful and
convey an image of the products as defined by the
customer’s context. For example J-bolts, expansion
bolts and epoxy systems can be merchandised in an
area with a concrete mixer (real or a cut out) over the
display. Similarly products associated with masonry
work can be found under a trowel and brick symbol or
sign.
Even if no other changes are made signs can be the
best investment for creating a new look in the counter
and showroom. Keep in mind that not all of your
customers speak the same language but everyone will
recognize a universal symbol. In addition, having fun
with caricatures and pictures will enhance these efforts.
Lighting
Bright lights can be just as bad as having a dim room.
A good counter area has uniform, glare free lighting over
the entire space complemented by spotlights to highlight
particular products or areas. Fluorescent lights with
energy saving T-5 or T-8 lamps suspended 10’ to 12’
above the floor and supplemented with track or
recessed lighting with LED lamps will be far superior to
utilizing point sources of light. As retailers well know it’s
a good idea to save energy and cost but not at the
expense of alienating customers.
Standard industrial shelving can be used along the
walls but it will be a poor display medium unless track
lights or under shelf low voltage lighting is incorporated
in the design. Windows and skylights should be used
sparingly because these light sources cannot be
easily controlled and a fastener related showroom is a
please turn to page 174