At AIS, we understand the importance of effective merchandising for furniture stores. With the growing competition in the industry, it's crucial to stand out from competitors and attract potential customers. Furniture merchandising plays a vital role in attracting customers, as well as showcasing products effectively, and driving as many sales as possible. When done right, it can transform a store into an exciting space where customers are inspired to make purchases.
In this article, we’ll explore a variety of furniture merchandising tips to help you improve your store layout, display furniture styles and much more.
Understanding Furniture Merchandising
When customers enter a furniture store, they often have a vision of their dream space in mind and as a furniture retailer, your goal is to help them turn that vision into a reality. This can be done in many ways, for example showcasing your products in an appealing and accessible manner. Effective furniture merchandising involves careful planning, strategic placement, and attention to detail.
Creative Store Layout
A well-designed store layout can significantly impact customer engagement and sales. Consider implementing the following strategies:
Product Grouping
Organising your store in zones can help customers easily identify different furniture categories, such as living room, bedroom and dining furniture. Strategically group complimentary items together in these zones to encourage cross-selling opportunities for your furniture products.
Traffic Flow
Arrange your furniture in a way that ensures a smooth flow of traffic, guiding customers through your store. Use focal points and eye-catching displays to lead customers to specific areas, promoting exploration and discovery of your products.
Visual Merchandising
Visual merchandising plays a crucial role in capturing customers' attention and driving sales. Here are some effective visual merchandising techniques to consider:
Window Displays
Create inspiring and eye-catching window displays that showcase your best-selling or newly released furniture pieces. Use attractive props, innovative lighting, and creative arrangements to draw customers into your store. Remember, this is the first impression potential customers will have of your furniture store so it’s ever so important you catch their attention with creative displays. Including out of season furniture can discourage people from entering your store.
Seasonal Themes & Trends
Update your store displays regularly to align with seasonal themes and trends. To do so, incorporate seasonal colours, textures, and accessories to create a fresh and relevant atmosphere that resonates with your target audience. When we talk about seasonal themes, people often think Christmas, Summer, Winter etc. However, a good example of this is showcasing furniture from sustainable material as this trend increases in popularity.
Technology
Embracing technology can enhance the customer experience and provide a competitive edge. As technological advancements continue to improve, the use for technology when furniture merchandising will only increase! Think about it, if you were to walk past two different store fronts, one with a holograph outside of someone inviting you in vs a dated piece of artwork in the window, which would grab your attention more?
Virtual Reality (VR)
Virtual reality has been around for several years now but is a popular choice for implementing technology. Features have improved since it was initially introduced to the world with many gaming platforms offering this as a service now! However, it has also been introduced into other industries to showcase products. VR allow customers to virtually explore different furniture setups and visualise them in their own homes. This immersive experience can increase customer confidence and enable purchase decisions.
Augmented Reality (AR)
Similar to VR, augmented reality is another great technology choice to consider. Develop applications that enable customers to virtually place furniture pieces in their homes using their smartphones or tablets. This interactive experience allows for better visualisation and reduces the hesitation of buying furniture without physically testing it out.
AIS Furniture Merchandising Experts
At AIS, we boast a number of industry experts for furniture merchandising and by becoming a member, you could also reap the rewards of this service. Using real life data, we can support you with furniture merchandising and help drive success and improve profit margins.
For more information furniture merchandising or how to become a member, contact us today by calling 0121 711 2200 or emailing info@aistores.co.uk.
