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| September, 2000 |
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 Printer Friendly Version |
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Boost Your
Bottom Line
With
Effective
Displays
By Steve Nessl |
Effective signage and displays (such as this one from Grégoire Sport) do more than keep merchandise nearly displayed. They also assist customers, even if your salespeople are busy helping others. |
Do unto others as you have them do unto you. Remember that saying? Most of you probably heard it over and over again while growing up. While it is has its place in teaching young people social skills, it also applies to the business world, especially with respect to the way you treat potential customers.
You know what you like to see when you walk into a retail environment, so why would you subject your customers to something less? If anything, you should strive to surpass those standards…to make an impression that adds cash to your register at the end of the day. Good, friendly customer service is one way to accomplish this; getting your merchandise to speak for itself – and you – is another.
Get Moving
“Once the consumer is in your store, you need to get the consumer to notice and purchase your brand…to get your brand to move,” says Stephen J. Alexander, retail expert and president of Automotive In-Store Marketing, Inc. The way you display your wares is critical. Just having the right stuff on hand isn’t enough. You need to create something that will catch customers’ attention and keep it...something that will help the goods sell themselves.
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The staff at Myers-Duren Harley-Davidson in Tulsa, Oklahoma, tries to keep as much product as possible – as organized as possible – in front of their customers. No clutter or confusion here! |
So, what makes a good display? Lots of things, really. When it comes to the vehicles themselves, simply having them on the showroom floor is usually enough. It is the collectibles, accessories, apparel, etc., that need a little help when it comes to attracting attention.
Involve the customer. Developing a display around vehicles they are interested in is a good place to start. Fay Myers Motorcycle World in Denver, Colorado, has made a habit of going to extremes when it comes to their showroom floor. An eight-time Dealernews top 100 winner, they have gone as far as building an off-road starting line inside their store. A fully outfitted starting grid shows off the latest bikes, helmets, apparel and protective gear all at once. Even better, it is a major focal point in the store, thus drawing the attention of anyone and everyone who walks through the door. |
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Experiment At Eye-Level
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Sometimes, effective ideas emerge out of necessity. Jim Knaup, a two-time Top 100 winner and owner of Encore Performance in Prescott, Arizona, had the help of Mother Nature when it came to designing his helmet display. A flood made Jim realize that he needed something that would keep his helmets high and dry. The solution involved a MIG welder, sticks of conduit and some wooden balls to form a helmet treat that not only got helmets off the floor, but also put them directly at eye level.
Of course, there are ways of displaying goods that won’t have you staying after hours setting things up. Most aftermarket manufacturers have point-of-purchase materials, complete with signage and countertop or floor-standing displays. These can be effective ways to have the features and benefits of the product in full view, and are often a good way to achieve add-on sales. “In the automotive aftermarket,” says Alexander, “studies show that 60% of consumers who make an initial primary purchase will make an unplanned, impulse purchase solely on the basis of an in-store merchandising stimulus.” You want to be careful not to go overboard and rely too heavily on POP displays, however. Too much signage can confuse the customer, and clutter your store’s interior. |
Placing helmets at eye level – rather than on the floor – encourages customers at Encore Performance to try them on. This display also keeps the helmets safe during flash floods. |
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| Displays that incorporate plexiglass cubes and waterfall hangers will always have their place in a retail environment, but don’t let that stifle you. If a product is going to speak for itself, it must first be seen. If it gets noticed without you pointing it out, so much the better. |
The folks at Grégoire Sport in Quebec, Canada, cover all the bases – and most market niches – with a clean looking, multi-vehicle display |
Fay Myers Motorcycle World’s “starting line” shows off gear and apparel in a way that draws more customer attention than traditional racks and hangers. |
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Make a Difference
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You and your staff can’t be everywhere at once. Nor are you the reason customers walk through your door – most of the time, anyway. “A large majority of shoppers are arriving in the store today with no set shopping agenda and with few rock-solid brand preferences,” notes Alexander.
The way you display product in your store does have an influence. Why not make sure it looks its best? For help in deciding what display options would work best for you and your store, visit Automotive In-Store Marketing, Inc.’s website at www.autoinstore.com, then check out the In-Store Merchandiser, Dealernews’ new handbook that arrives with the October issue. Here’s another proverb: If you can’t display something nice, don’t display anything at all. That is stretching things a bit, but you get the idea.
Stephen J. Alexander, president of Automotive In-Store Marketing, is a contributing author to Dealernews. He can be reached at his Sanibel Island, Fla. headquarters, phone (239) 395-9203, or e-mail salexander@autoinstore.com.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE:"Reprinted with permission from Dealernews, September, 2000, page 44. Copyright by Advanstar Communications, Inc. Advanstar Communications, Inc. retains all rights to this material." To subscribe to Dealernews, call 1-218-723-9477 or email fulfill@superfill.com.
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