Improving Product Visibility and In-Store Experience
Strategic product placement combines visibility, seasonal relevance, visual merchandising, and in-store experiences to create engaging retail displays.
Four Practical Tips for Effective Strategic Product Placement
Simply placing products in a prominent location is not enough. Effective retail merchandising requires an understanding of shopper behaviour, product relevance, visual presentation, and day-to-day store operations.
1. Improve Visibility and Create a Clear Theme
The first priority is to ensure that shoppers notice the display and immediately understand its purpose. Colour, point-of-sale materials, signage, and decorations can be used to strengthen visibility from a distance.
A clear theme can also make the display more relevant and easier for shoppers to understand.
Examples include:
- New Home Essentials
- Emergency Preparedness
- Stay Cool in Hot Weather
- Everyday Health and Wellness
Rather than simply presenting a group of products, retailers can use themed displays to address a specific customer need or suggest a practical lifestyle solution. This can help attract attention while making it easier for shoppers to understand the relationship between the featured products.
2. Reflect Trends and Seasonal Demand
Shoppers are often attracted to displays that offer a sense of discovery or reflect their current needs. Merchandise should therefore be reviewed and updated according to customer demand, seasonal campaigns, public holidays, and promotional priorities.
Examples include:
- Featuring products that are attracting attention on social media
- Creating dedicated displays for Songkran merchandise or year-end products
- Grouping relevant health and personal care products when demand increases
- Displaying cooling products and sports drinks during hotter periods
Regularly refreshing display content can give returning shoppers a reason to explore the store again. It can also help prevent outdated promotional materials or unavailable products from reducing the effectiveness of the sales floor.
3. Communicate Product Value Through Visual Merchandising
Visual merchandising, or VMD, is the practice of communicating product value through visual presentation.
Placing priority products at eye level and presenting complementary products together can make products easier to identify and understand. This may also encourage shoppers to consider additional items related to their original purchase.
Examples include:
- Positioning priority products at eye level
- Displaying suitable condiments near ready-to-cook meal products
- Placing cheese and crackers near wine
- Presenting shampoo and treatment products as a coordinated solution
Displays that help shoppers imagine how products will be used can support cross-selling, improve product discovery, and make purchase decisions more convenient.
Maintaining this type of display requires consistent execution. Products, pricing information, point-of-sale materials, and related visual elements should be checked regularly to ensure that the presentation continues to reflect the intended merchandising plan.
4. Offer an In-Store Experience
As online shopping continues to offer convenience, physical stores can differentiate themselves by allowing shoppers to see, touch, test, or experience products before buying.
Examples include:
- Food and beverage sampling
- Cooking appliance demonstrations
- Cosmetic testers
- Cleaning-product demonstrations
- Product sampling campaigns
A well-managed product experience can improve shoppers’ understanding of an item and give them greater confidence in their purchase decisions. Retailers should also ensure that testers, samples, promotional products, and related materials are replenished and maintained appropriately.
※To be continued in Part 3 of this three-part series.
For more information about our merchandising services, please visit this page. 👉 Merchandising Service – AJIS Thailand
Read previous article: Column 1 What Is Strategic Product Placement in Retail?
Editor: AJIS Group
AJIS Group is a global corporate group led by AJIS Co., Ltd., which has been a leading provider of stocktaking services and retail support services in Japan. The Group operates in the United States, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
With a proven track record of working with more than 3,000 companies and supporting a cumulative total of over one million stores annually, AJIS Group helps address a wide range of challenges faced by the retail and distribution industries. Its services include stocktaking, store operations support, sales floor improvement, and promotional support.
By providing practical services tailored to the market characteristics of each country and region, AJIS Group contributes to improving store operational efficiency and enhancing the value of sales floors.
