…Increasing Impulse Shopping
If visual merchandising or display is vital anywhere in the retail space, it must be where impulse items are being offered. The whole concept of “impulse shopping” is based on attracting the shopper to a product that she did not come into the store to buy. It means, “waving a flag” in front of her – making her stop, take notice of, maybe try or touch, and then buy. Doing this by utilizing the shopper senses.
To accomplish this, stores that are saturated or overloaded with visual images, signs and heavy presentations of stock, need to be opened up, simplified, and the product presented in more focused and more targeted attention getting displays.
It also means appealing as much as possible and as often as possible to all of the shopper senses.
SIGHT is foremost: that takes light and color. Without targeted highlights and contrasts of color what is being offered may be overlooked. It also takes contrasts of textures, clear and easily understood signage and—whenever possible lifestyle displays that set the mood and place for the product.
SMELL, where and if possible, is anher impulse awakener. Women respond to the aromas of flowers and men respond to the odors of the out-of-doors, to leather and fresh scents. All people respond to the aroma of fresh baked breads, brewing coffee, etc.
By contrasting textures you can appeal to the shopper’s sense of TOUCH. Once someone feels or touches a product and they begin to react with it, the feeling of having and holding it isn’t far off.
The SOUND of music, if properly selected for the particular targeted market, can soothe and relax the shopper and cause her to let her emotions take over. Once she is guided by her feelings, her desires and her wants, not her needs, the impulse shopping takes over.
If you can get the shopper to try on the garment – and she sees herself in the right light, against a soft, neutral background and with flattering light on her face, she is sold! The impulse becomes a sale!!
Impulse shopping needs to be stimulated and encouraged, and that can only be achieved by appealing to the shopper’s lifestyle and all of her senses.
