Create effective end caps to help you sell more.

End cap displays are notoriously golden sales areas for retailers. With a little creative merchandising – the right products and the right presentation – your end caps will keep paying big dividends all year long.

Here are some tips from the experts to help you create displays that will be top sellers in your retail store.

Combine related items

Whole Foods Magazine uses the example of combining foods and supplements in a health-related display, but you can greatly boost add-on sales by applying this concept no matter what kinds of products you carry. Since too much variety deadens the impact of an end cap display, use multiple adjacent end caps to promote complementary merchandise.

Or group products around a theme. You can choose obvious ones such as valentines and hearts for February, or look for themes that reflect your products. May is National Home Improvement Month, which could apply to keeping healthy snacks around the house as well as selling more paint or yard care supplies.

Seasonal themes – spring, back to school -- offer tremendous flexibility for all types of products and offer an ideal way to promote incoming merchandise, encouraging shoppers who want to be among the first to own what’s new. And holiday themes are a must. Use more thematic end cap displays during high-sales seasons such as Christmas.

Keep it fresh

End cap displays are hot sellers because they’re always new, creating a sense of surprise. So change them frequently, preferably every three to four weeks, and move them around your store, too.

Take advantage of purchasing specials from your suppliers to offer amazing bargains your customers can’t resist. A one-time promotion on one item enables you to also direct customers to related merchandise farther down the aisle, further boosting sales.

Keep it packed

Fill your displays with lots of merchandise, so you don’t have to restock often. But remember that “lots” means volume, not variety, when you’re building successful retail end cap displays.

A full display looks more exciting and inviting, but from a psychological standpoint, no one wants to be the first to help themselves or risk “messing up” your display. So take out a few items randomly to create an uneven facing that gives the impression smart shoppers are already busily taking advantage of this great opportunity.

If you’re using cases to build your display, put empty boxes on the bottom so you can get maximum visual impact without sidetracking too much saleable product.

Make it interactive

Strong visual impact draws shoppers to your end cap. But when they can smell, taste or touch the merchandise, they’re already saying “yes” to it. So sample the product, if that’s appropriate. Sampling isn’t just for food or beverages, you can include a mirror so shoppers can test the new blush color or see how great they look in the new fall scarves.

Incorporate an interactive monitor in your display, or use a kiosk as your entire end cap.

Ask your suppliers for help

Great ideas for end cap displays can be as close as your supplier. Often they will provide everything you need to create an eye-catching, high-performing promotion. After all, they also win when you sell more.

Experiment

Retail “conventional wisdom” says you should use front end cap displays to promote your hottest new merchandise or offer special deals, to draw shoppers farther into your store. But often the best ideas come from thinking unconventionally, so be creative to learn what display ideas work best in your store.

If you’re using cases to build your display, put empty boxes on the bottom so you can get maximum visual impact without sidetracking too much saleable product.

If you have additional questions about retail solutions, connect with us on our website at www.palmerretailsolutions.com. Keep current with industry discussions and product information on Twitter: @PalmerPRS. Palmer derives great satisfaction from designing unique interactive kiosks that incorporate maximum functionality, ergonomics and offer long-lasting service. Click here to receive a USB FLASH DRIVE containing great examples of retail store design, display fixtures and mall kiosks.

 
Palmer Retail Solutions strives to offer our clients the absolute best combination of innovation, quality, service, and value for our diversified custom store fixtures and merchandising displays. For more information about our designs, retail fixtures, cash wraps, kiosks, or point of purchase displays, visit our website at http://www.palmerretailsolutions.com.