Acrylic Sign Holders, POP Displays, and Retail Upgrades for Shifting Demographics

According to a recent Bloomberg report, the global Generation Z population (born since 2001) will nudge ahead of Millennials (1980-2000, the range used in this study) for the first time in 2019. As the future progresses, this is increasingly good news for higher tech “gig” industries and gadget makers trending upward with online sales and services like “final mile” delivery.

But what about the Baby Boomers? Forbes Contributor Tom McGee reported in mid-August that this demographic segment is very much alive and well in the US, as 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 every day. Citing a 2016 Visa projection, “consumers over age 60 will continue to dominate U.S. consumer spending in the coming decade.”

McGee also points out that “the generation that grew up on Main Street” is retiring later and spending more. Downsizing empty nesters, for example, are helping drive a resurgent housing market. That, in turn, helps drive sales of everything from tables and chairs to pots and pans.

This where retailers need to pay particular attention to store layout and making featured products attractive, desirable, and accessible. Making the shopping experience pleasurable and a breeze to navigate can prove to be a winning formula when appealing to this growing consumer market.

Part of McGee’s thesis speaks directly to floor layout in an area we know well: updated signage. More specifically, how to make that signage resonate with buying eyes.

One of the keys to locking shopper focus on product specials depends on eye-appealing point-of-purchase (POP) displays. And sometimes the most effective display employs the KISS method – Keep It Simple Stupid. Literature should be easy-to-read and prominently showcased in strategic foot traffic patterns.

If you’re in retail and looking to capture sales in the Baby Boomer demographic, take a look at the latest in Clear Sign Holders and eye-catching Acrylic POP Displays, including multi-sided options. Such selling opportunities are not to be missed!

 

Designing a Retail Shopping Environment and Sign Holders that work in a Digital Shopping World

In a brisk consumer market where brick-and-mortar retailers face the challenge of convenient online shopping, store operators are paying keen attention to attractive store design and targeted marketing for customer appeal. Creating the allure of a positive shopping experience is a key part of the equation.

New Hope Network, which bills itself as “the premiere digital marketplace that connects the healthy lifestyle industry from supply to shelf,” recently published research results based on interviews with hundreds of natural food retailers that could apply to other retail segments…citing store layout, lighting, and how unique products are merchandised. Such direct, tactile appeal can help capture shopper allegiance and repeat business.

Using this specified niche of the retail grocery industry as an example, New Hope discusses floor layout nuances that enhance the customer experience. Self-check kiosks give consumers a sense of control over their purchases AND reduce time spent waiting in line. Creating a space where customers can interact and sample goods also creates a more “immersive experience.”

Beyond structural rearrangement, in-store target merchandising needs to be displayed strategically and prominently to build the buzz. Not even online shopping can guarantee that eyes will fully engage with cross-promotions. Direct, eye-to-eye contact gives retailers a sterling opportunity to boost profits.

Making targeted promotions grab attention brings us to Lucky’s Market in the New Hope study. With an eye toward new products, Lucky’s vice president of merchandising, Andrew Vialpando said “a main point I strive for is discovery.” Vialpando’s goal is to make food shopping more of an engaging experience than chore-like drudgery.

His formula utilizes “pointed messaging and signage” in clean, simple displays that highlight a product’s most unique/attractive features. Minimizing pyramid displays to lessen consumer fatigue and clear price displays also help increase impulse buys…backed by research numbers indicating “upwards of 68% of buying decisions are unplanned.”

That’s where new acrylic Sign Holders and point-of-purchase signage can make a significant difference. Impulse Sign Display Holders including swivel-base and designer oval-shaped Literature Displays deliver eye-catching appeal and attention to your own unique retail specials.

One more tip from New Hope? Lighting: the more natural lighting you have, the better. If not, track lighting can lend an appealing, high-end look. 3,500K bulbs “have a warm yellow tone…4,000K for brighter, more blue light.”

Converting Brick-and-Mortar Retail into Customer Fulfillment Hubs

While some brick-and-mortar retail stores scramble to keep pace with online commerce, others are finding a new niche in the supply chain…and customers are taking notice. Satisfying immediate demand with a new wave of product delivery options, traditional retail outlets are discovering new revenue sources through conversion to omnichannel fulfillment centers.

By serving as a fulfillment hub, retailers are filling a critical link in the customer shopping experience. While giants like Amazon have changed the shopping and ordering experience, that immediate purchase gratification for customers can disappear quickly with poor/slow delivery. Enter the retailer for “final mile” delivery.

According to a recent Total Retail article, increased demand for BOSS (“buy online, ship from store”) is something retailers face in an area where they’re traditionally prone: the downstream delivery network from store to consumer (upstream logistics going from supplier to distribution center to stores).

To tackle the challenge, retailers are developing new relationships with smaller but tenacious third-party delivery networks like Instacart, Lyft, and Uber. Operators also realize, according to the article, that consumers don’t mind pick-up of online orders if they have already arranged and paid for products and can save on delivery. Facilitating that process quickly enough for instant customer satisfaction may test inventory management skills but a well-trained staff that can integrate the digital approach, smooth out initial pratfalls, and engage customers with orders almost as fast as ordering a pizza, bodes well for repeat business.

Total Retail also points out that “new technologies like heat mapping, embedded sensors, digital store tags and connected assets allow customers, associates, and store managers to interact with each other based on geographic location and inventory availability.” Using these tools helps retailers co-exist with customer-controlled fulfillment…and with the e-commerce market.

Physical brick-and-mortar establishments also deliver a customer’s need to see a tangible product in-store – 75% of customers, according to Alliance Data. And that ties into something else up-close-and-personal: how signage is displayed once they arrive. Essential for new customer fulfillment hubs? Brochure Holders for informational pamphlets…Sign Holders for cross-promotions and policy statements…and Name Plate Holders for department/staff ID and directional signage. Nothing fits this modern landscape better than acrylic!

Glass Green Name Plates, Patterns, Colors, and Lights in Retail

A lot of psychology goes into retail layouts. How a store is planned, where and how products are placed, the use of color, lighting, and even subliminal hints all have a place…and the more attention to detail on the front end pays dividends on the back.

If you operate a retail environment, consider what greets your customers as they walk through your doors. According to a recent www.furnituretoday.com post, Art Van Furniture’s newest store in Canton, Michigan took a decidedly more colorful approach in design. Art Van used changing color values of the same light-to-darker gray palette in areas like wall and trim color, then switched to a terra cotta color to “pull” consumers deeper.

Visual Director Chris Meier said “Color can define spaces and pull your guest through the store.  We want our guests to look ahead and be drawn to the next area of the store.”

You can upgrade your visual approach in other ways and guide potential customers with unique applications of color and patterns. One approach involves NPA2 GG Clear Executive Glass Green Name Plates with metal standoffs, creating a classy, upscale look that accents high-end décor nicely.

Turn plain name plate inserts into attractive displays, including directional signage. Unique, distinctive patterns are now available to sharpen focus from busy foot traffic. You can elevate displays elegantly with mixed patterns in an acrylic showcase, like NPBR Clear Name Plate Holders as well as the Glass Green Executive Series. Help point the way in a style that captures and pleases the eye.

Did you notice the Art Van approach to color did not mention bold, primary colors like red, yellow, green, and blue? Martin Roberts of Martin Roberts Design says the belief that color sells merchandise simply isn’t true anymore. “It’s about soft variations. If you have a red sofa, it’s usually the last thing to sell.” He added “retailers are very careful not to put on their floor things that are too strident because that limits the amount of people who will buy it.”