Discover 7 retail merchandising tips to improve displays, efficiency and sales.
Continuing from Part 1
In Part 1, we explained the purpose and importance of retail merchandising, the common challenges faced by retailers and the three essential elements of an effective selling space.
New to this series? Effective Retail Merchandising Strategies for Thai Retail Stores
Seven Retail Merchandising Tips You Can Implement Now
1. Create an Accessible and Easy-to-Navigate Store
Provide sufficient aisle space so that customers can move around the store comfortably. Products should be clearly organised by category, brand, size or other relevant criteria. Customers should be able to identify where products are located without having to search extensively or ask store employees for assistance. A clear and accessible store layout improves the shopping experience and can encourage customers to explore more areas of the store.
2. Make Effective Use of the Golden Zone
The golden zone is the shelf area that customers can easily see and reach. New products, priority products and high-margin items should be placed within this highly visible area whenever appropriate. As a general reference, the golden zone for adult shoppers is approximately 75 to 135 centimetres above floor level. However, the ideal shelf height may vary depending on the target customer, product category and store format.
3. Display Complementary Products Together
Place related products close to one another to help customers remember additional items and encourage cross-selling. Displays can be created around a season, purpose or everyday situation. This approach makes it easier for customers to understand how products can be used together. For example, grouping items by a specific household task or customer need can provide shopping inspiration while creating opportunities for additional purchases.
For more information about our merchandising services, please see the page below.
👉Merchandising Service – AJIS Thailand
4. Create Destination Areas That Attract Customers
Popular products, promotional items and everyday essentials can be positioned at the back of the store or at the end of key customer pathways. These destination areas act as magnet displays that encourage customers to move through more sections of the store. As customers travel towards these products, they are exposed to a wider range of merchandise, increasing opportunities for product discovery and additional purchases.
5. Update Displays for Seasons and Events
Bring together products that are relevant to seasonal demand, festive periods and local events. In Thailand, retailers may plan merchandising activities around occasions such as Chinese New Year, Songkran, school reopening periods, the year-end and New Year season, and major promotional campaigns. Where appropriate, seasonal merchandise can be introduced two to three months before the expected peak in demand. Starting early helps build customer awareness and allows stores to respond to purchasing trends during the campaign period.
6. Communicate Product Value with Effective POP Displays
Point-of-purchase materials should communicate more than the product price. Use concise messages to explain specific customer benefits, such as saving time, improving convenience or making a task easier. POP materials should be positioned according to customer traffic flow and sightlines. Messages must also be easy to read and understand within a few seconds. Clear, benefit-led communication can help customers compare products and make purchasing decisions with greater confidence.
7. Use Data to Measure and Improve Performance
Review sales results before and after making changes to product displays. Retailers should monitor sales performance, inventory turnover, out-of-stock levels, excess inventory, product availability and sales by product or category. By combining POS data with inventory data, retailers can evaluate whether a merchandising change has delivered the intended results. A continuous Plan-Do-Check-Act process enables stores to make improvements based on evidence rather than relying only on employee experience or intuition.
Improve Store Execution with Professional Merchandising Services
Retailers that lack sufficient manpower or specialist knowledge may benefit from using an external merchandising service. AJIS Group’s merchandising services can support a range of in-store activities, including:
- Product replenishment
- Shelf facing and product alignment
- Display changes
- Planogram implementation
- Visual merchandising execution
- Analysis using inventory and POS data
Outsourcing these activities can help store employees focus on core responsibilities such as customer service, sales support and customer analysis. It can also help retailers create more consistent merchandising standards across multiple stores and establish sustainable, data-driven store operations.
Conclusion
Retail merchandising has a direct impact on sales, customer satisfaction, brand image and store efficiency. Retailers should begin by reviewing three essential areas: store layout, product displays and in-store promotions. Practical measures such as optimising the golden zone, displaying complementary products together, creating destination areas, updating seasonal displays, improving POP communication and using sales data can all contribute to better store performance.
Retail merchandising should not be treated as a one-time project. By measuring results and making continuous improvements, retailers can achieve sustainable sales growth while reducing the impact of manpower limitations and dependence on individual employee knowledge.
This article is Part 2 of the series. Read Part 1 here. Effective Retail Merchandising Strategies for Thai Retail Stores
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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.
