Jeweller - April 2022

Business Strategy
• Yellow is optimistic, warm, cheery and
the first colour we see
• Green is calming and refreshing and
the easiest colour on the eye
• Brown signifies warmth and security
• Blue represents trust, loyalty and
confidence
• Purple symbolises luxury, wealth and
sophistication
• Orange just makes us happy
Communication: In-store signage is
incredibly important, yet often an underutilised
component of a good display. Signs
answer questions about products and
highlight features, price points, etc. On
the sales floor women often read signs for
information, however; men rely on them,
especially for big ticket items where features
are important.
Remember that eye level – 4 feet to 5 feet
(120-150cm), four inches (10cm) from
the floor – is the ‘buy level’. It’s the best
performing sales area for adult shoppers, so
if a sign encourages purchases, add one.
Senses: The five senses play key roles in
the customer experience spectrum and can
enhance a monthly theme. Sight and touch
relate to merchandise, taste is anything
that’s prepackaged during the pandemic,
but hearing and smell can make your
monthly display much better.
Instore music must be considered
because the right music can influence
sales by providing a background that
entices shoppers to stay longer and buy
more. Disco, or any music that’s upbeat,
is a popular favourite because it makes
shoppers smile. Music can also energise
your staff on the sales floor.
Research has proven that a pleasantsmelling
environment has a positive effect
on shopping behaviour. Fresh pine scents
during November and December, for
example, will put shoppers in the holiday
spirit. Adding scent to your themes using
diffusers or machines are great, but avoid
burning scented candles on your sales floor.
Marketing: This involves events or
promotions that are tied to your theme, plus
where the theme and related products are
marketed. Consider Facebook, Facebook
Live, Instagram, Pinterest and bi-weekly
emails or newsletters.
Areas of importance on your sales floor
To save time, plan ahead and know which
areas of the sales floor will be part of your
monthly theme. Spread the theme area
wherever you like throughout the store, but
note key areas that need to be involved for
one reason: If you mis-merchandise, these
highly visual areas can mean lost sales.
Store-front windows are the ‘eyes of the
store’ and the first thing a customer sees
when entering. Unless you are in a high
traffic area, you need to change your window
displays weekly. Consider changing them
once a month or more when having multiple
themes planned for that month.
Speed bump displays work: they slow
shoppers down. These are also the first
display customers see upon entering the
store and a good indicator of what to expect
on the floor.
While most jewellery stores are small and
don’t require speed bumps, a well located
table can do the trick. Change or update
your speed bump displays once a week;
more often if your store has a lot of repeat
customer traffic.
Lake front property (LFP) is a term used to
descibe high-value real estate on on your
sales floor. Since 90 per cent of customers
enter a store and look or turn to the right,
your LFP can create a big impact on sales. If
your store has a centre door your LFP is at
the front right side of the sales floor.
If your door is at the far left, your LFP will
BEST FOOT
FORWARD
Theme
Choose a theme
for each month of
the year and be
creative
Props
Think texture -
baskets, smooth
woods, glass,
metal
Product
Choose products
for display to tell
a complete story.
be on the right and the opposite if your door
is located at the right corner. Regardless
of where your LFP is situated it is a critical
space that must be included in your themed
displays and regularly updated.
Power walls are located at the front right
and the most important selling wall in your
store. Use it to feature merchandise you
want customers to see.
End-features or end caps are high-impulse
shopping areas that are located at the end
of gondolas or similar shelving-type fixtures.
It should not be used to house products
permanently, but are best for featuring new
items and promotional goods. Again, while
they might not be relevant to small jewellery
stores, it does offer food for thought.
Theme ideas to get you started
There are many holidays to celebrate each
month and it’s not surprising to see an
entire window dedicated to these themes.
Use holidays as a starting point to get your
creative juices flowing. Brainstorming with
your staff is often a good source of ideas.
Much of your success at retail is contingent
upon your visual merchandising skills.
Customers are not drawn to sparse or
poorly executed displays. Stores that stay
the same, no matter what time of the year,
are bypassed for those with a better in-store
experience.
Every fixture, product, and detail influences
a customer to stay, buy and shop with you
again. Executing displays is an art, but it is
also a science. With a little planning, you can
eliminate the ‘what am I going to put there?’
dilemma and get a head start in creating
quality displays.
RICH KIZER and GEORGANNE
BENDER are retail strategists,
authors and consultants. Visit:
kizerandbender.com
April 2022 | 59