From Concept to Sales Success

Plastics provide an affordable way to create retail displays. Their lightweight nature means you can have portable displays you can quickly move around your store, and the many colors and opacity options allow you creativity for your design. As you plan for a new retail display, maximize your use of plastics and the design principles surrounding effective displays to create an eye-catching display that will sell more.

What are some key design principles to consider when creating an eye-catching retail display with plastics?

As you design your retail display, use principles of good design to make it as effective as possible. These tips will help.

1. Put New Items in the Best Spot

You will have items that you want to shine the most light on in your displays. These may be the newest items, or they may be the most profitable items. Put these toward the front of the display, and rotate older items toward the back.

2. Build a Pyramid

Use a pyramid design to group items within the display. The top tiers should have fewer items on them, moving in a pyramid shape toward the bottom tiers. This is an appealing look that will draw attention to your display. If you make those top tiers your best items, it may increase your sales of those items as well.

3. Keep The Rule of Three in Mind

The human mind appreciates groups of three, so group items within the display in groups of three. Use three colors for displays. Use three tiers of products for an attractive look. Keeping the rule of three in mind will help you create displays that work well.

4. Use Strategic Height Placement

Most shoppers don’t want to kneel or crouch low to find items. Thus, the best displays will have merchandise that is above knee level. However, you also don’t want to put it too far above the shopper’s heads. Keeping it at eye level and below will work best in most applications. This placement will allow most people to reach what they want to buy easily.

5. Consider Balance

Your display should have a balanced look. For example, items that are larger or that have dark colors are more visually weighty than smaller or light-colored items. Thus, these should be placed lower on the display. You also want to balance the display from side to side. However, the sides don’t need to match perfectly but should look balanced.

6. Have a Focal Point

Retail displays work best when they have a focal point, whether a prominent item or a sign displaying information about the item and its pricing. This focal point should sit at eye level, with products placed around it strategically.

7. Choose Colors That Attract Attention

Bright, bold colors attract attention but proceed with caution. Some colors, like neon colors, can be too flashy for people and cause them to look away. Instead, choose complementary colors that are bold and attention-grabbing, but use other elements to draw attention as well, rather than relying solely on super bright color combinations.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Retail Display

As you plan for your new retail signage, make sure you are avoiding some common design mistakes. These include:

• Choosing the wrong material: Choose a retail display material that fits the environment and will achieve the right look. Consider factors like the need for long-term displays or portability and how much weather exposure the display will have. Make sure it is sturdy enough to hold the weight of your products. Let the team at Piedmont Plastics help you make the best choice.
• Not considering traffic flow: Consider traffic flow through the retail establishment. Ensure the displays do not interrupt traffic flow or prevent customers from seeing and accessing the items on the display.
• Display detracts from the product: As you build your display, it’s tempting to add flashy features and eye-catching visual elements but remember that the primary goal of a retail display is to sell products. Don’t add so much that you detract attention from the products themselves.

Avoiding these common mistakes while adhering to good design principles will help you create an effective display.

The Use of Lighting & Visual Effects

When lighting retail displays or creating visual effects, maximize the benefits of plastic. The translucent nature of many plastic displays allows you to get creative with visual effects and lighting. For example, you can add lighting behind signage to back-light it, or you can add lighting under products for a pleasing effect. However, avoid lighting through only direct overhead lights, which can create a strong shadow. Instead, use lighting to draw attention to the product and the signage, but keep the product center stage.

Contact Piedmont Plastics

If you are designing a new retail display and want to benefit from the lightweight versatility of plastic, reach out to Piedmont Plastics for expert guidance on choosing the best materials.