Why Retail Merchandising is Still Important in a Pandemic World

Although people love to drop-ship items to their home through digital shopping and have been doing so even more since the lockdown started, it seems shoppers still crave an in-store experience and were missing it greatly since Covid emerged. Whether it’s because customers like to try things on for size or just feel goods and products in their hands, sometimes you just can’t replace a retail experience that’s four dimensional. Retailers must still consider the customer’s shopping experience in brick and mortar, so focusing on exciting features such as a store-within-a-store or simply how a space is designed is crucial. Retail merchandising is extremely significant when planning a space. Retailers need to make sure products are merchandised in an organized way so that the entire display is visually appealing to the shopper. Retailers and brands use signs, color, lighting, and tidiness to attract and engage the customer, so they’re more willing to make a purchase on the spot. That’s where third-party merchandising companies like us can help. Once a fresh, new design is planned out by the visual merchandising team, our customized retail merchandising team can help implement those changes by executing the work. Merchandisers ensure the retailer's or brand’s plan-o-gram is executed accurately, so the change will be successful.

Changes within a retail space are necessary. Retailers know how important it is to keep the attraction and engagement going within the store. That’s why store changes are constantly happening with in the retail space. Retailers track sales and look at what’s working or not working on the sales floor and make appropriate adjustments by initiating special retail projects. Look at Target for instance. Compared to a few years ago, their beauty department now looks like a trendy store-within-a-store that any make-up lover would love to hang out in. Target saw what Sephora was doing in their retail space and replicated something very similar to make the buying experience feel much more glamorous. In addition, this fall, Target launched the Ulta Beauty store-within-a-store throughout several of their locations. Our professional services division helps retailers with these types of store changes during the planning phase as well. Creating move plans and phase plans helps give the retailer clear insight on how much labor will be needed to revamp the store, and the plans help the retailer save time, money while mitigating labor leakage and other risks. Getting these changes done on time and within budget is crucial. Plus, retailers know they can’t disrupt the customer experience while it’s happening.

Removing confusion for shoppers by simplifying the shopping experience is just another reason why retail merchandising is so important still. The better the merchandising and messaging, the easier it is for customers to feel confident in their purchase. Shopping shouldn’t be a daunting experience especially when shoppers are faced with other stresses in life. Just think of the last time you went to a clearance store that was a mess. It’s overwhelming and gives some people anxiety at the thought of having to sift through several items to find something that works. The more organized the store, the less confused a shopper will be. When retail merchandising is done right, most shoppers won’t even notice. They’ll just naturally gravitate towards good lighting, organization, and good messaging without realizing it.

The pandemic has without a doubt increased online shopping traffic when it comes to e-commerce, however, as people start to emerge, they’re longing to get inside a store and have a real shopping experience. Retailers need to think omni-channel. It’s important to meet your customers in the channels they’re already shopping in – mobile, online, and in-store. Just because the world was on lockdown, doesn’t mean brick and mortar will fall by the wayside. It’s important retailers continue to apply best practices when it comes to merchandising, so their customer’s don’t leave them for their competition!

If you need help with phase planning, store changes, merchandising, or even assisted selling, Apollo Retail is here to help. Contact us today by emailing marketing@apolloretail.com.