We’ve been talking a fair amount about brand lately. It’s an important part of your business’ success and while you can’t (and don’t have to) invest the millions in branding that national retailers do, you can help your shop be a strong part of your brand. Here are a few merchandising tips to help. [level-members]
Be Bold with Colors
Your logo and other branding includes a harmonious combination of colors, no doubt. Use those colors, or the dominant color, to draw attention to particular features or areas of your shop. If the colors are particularly bold, be careful not to overdo it – but painting a single wall to stand out can be a dramatic change to your shop.
Go to Extremes
You’ll find as much advice telling you to avoid clutter as you will telling you to avoid an antiseptic look in your shop. Both are true and both are false. You can create a shop that has an overstuffed feel and attract folks who want to explore. And you can opt for a much sleeker, modern, minimalist feel if that fits your clientele and your neighborhood. Just don’t get caught in the middle. An overcrowded sleek shop or a bare overstuffed look will read as a mistake.
Partition
Don’t be afraid to create separate shop sections, even in a small space. Perhaps you use chest-high shelving to keep a small space from feeling chopped up, but the separate “rooms” you create help focus customers on a particular niche you want to highlight.
In short, don’t be afraid to break a few rules to help create a shop that supports your brand message. The only wrong answer is “bland.”
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