You can’t judge a book by its cover

The proverb says that you can't judge a book by its cover, which is taken to mean that even when the cover of a book looks a bit boring it might prove a really good read. However, often if the cover of the book looks a bit dull, you don’t hang around to find out whether or not the proverb is true - you pass it over for one with a bit more of a lively presentation.  

The same is true for a shop; if the shop window display is dull and boring,  many people will not bother entering the shop to find out whether or not it might be interesting. The shop window is the deciding factor that captivates or turns away potential customers.  

To make a point of interest, you will want to draw the potential customer’s eye to focus on something which is colourful or interesting. It might create a question or stimulate their appetite to find out more, thereby drawing them in to your shop. It’s a good idea to change your window display frequently to maintain people’s interest, and to do this you will need a variety of easily changeable and versatile shelving and accessories.

Shelving4Shops offers many different kinds of shelving, including wire baskets and wire dump bins, which are especially useful for shop windows as they are easily transportable and therefore easily removed when changing the window theme. Try stacking colourful and seasonal matching products, or try a minimalist approach with just a few well-chosen goods laid out artistically on a contrasting background. Either way, you will find that Shelving4Shops has just the right kind of equipment to display your goods. Whether you want standard shelving, wire shelving or peg boarding for your window, we can meet your needs.  

Give Shelving4shops a call on 01455 221512 to find out more about the shelving we offer, or call in at our Leicestershire showrooms to see it for yourself.  

Too tidy?

It may be hard to believe, but according to research customers are hesitant to mess up to an extremely tidy and organised shop display. That means that if your shop is just a bit too tidy, people will hesitate to handle and touch your stock - an important aspect of shopping, as it helps the customer familiarise themselves with the item and make up their mind about purchasing it.  

For example, how often do you go shopping for clothes and run your hand over a garment, instantly giving a verdict based on the feel of the fabric? Women are particularly tactile shoppers, and will be deterred from bringing things into disarray by this method of sampling if the display is just too pristine. Some shops deliberately give their goods the ‘jumble sale’ look, simply to encourage a hands-on customer experience. The goods then look as if a previous customer has rooted through them, and the new customer is then not so reluctant to do so themselves.  

However, conversely, customers will also be deterred if the merchandise is in a disorganised heap, as there is no visual attraction. It is necessary to somehow bring about a happy medium; making the products available and attractive without the turn-off factor of too much mess.

To display your goods, whether the shelf is tilted or flat, you will need shelf dividers to separate different stock and shelf risers to prevent things falling off on to the floor. Shelving4shops can supply them in acrylic or chrome, depending on your needs - how you deal with getting the balance right between chaos and order is then up to you!

Give Shelving4shops a call to further discuss your requirements to display your goods effectively, or call in at our Leicestershire showroom at Hinckley Road, Wolvey, LE10 3JG, to see how you can utilise the equipment we offer to maximise your customers’ hands-on experience.  

Making the most of customer’s shopping habits

Sometimes life is a bit of a mystery, and the art of shopping is a skill learnt by experience! Likewise, the art of selling is a skill that's learnt and then adjusted according to the kind of customer that you are wanting to attract.  

Some shops are geared towards attracting men, simply because of the products that they are offering, and needless to say, they have to consider the shopping habits of men. Many men do not enjoy shopping, but when it is a necessity they usually like to dive into a shop and out again as quickly as possible.  

To make the most of a man’s shopping trip, many shops like to offer other products to engage their interest whilst they are in the shop. There are many ways of doing this, and one is to direct their steps around the shop by means of creating aisles with gondola style shelving. The major products which a man seeks are usually placed at least half way down an aisle, ensuring that the customer will be able to appreciate other merchandise which he might need, on his way to finding the thing he really came for! Surrounding the major selling products are items of interest deemed particular to the same customer, particularly focusing on men’s habits and men’s interests. The strategically-placed gondola shelving then directs the customer past other attractive merchandise before he arrives at the pay point.  

Gondola shelving can be placed down the centre of a shop, creating retail space either side of the unit, and thereby maximising on the floor space.  Units can also be joined end-to-end for the length of the shop. 

Shelving4shops offers gondola shelving in a variety of heights, from 1.4m to 2.1m, whilst the shelving itself also comes in a variety of widths which can be adjusted to meet your requirements.  

The little things in life

For some, tracking down the perfect answer to a problem is time-consuming, and requires a lot of focus. Whether the problem concerns the right sort of clothing for a special event, an ingredient for a delicate dessert, or a particular tool for an artist, the quest takes one into a shop to hunt. 

It is quite a specific challenge, but one which you as a shop owner can maximise on, by giving a basket to the newly-arrived customer. It is both a welcoming gesture and one designed, of course, to encourage them to spend money in your store.  

Even the humble shopping basket has a role to play in the grand designs of planning and strategy.  By being given a basket, the customer is both encouraged and enabled to buy more than one thing. Without a basket, they are restricted to what they can carry, but with a basket the possibilities are increased and with careful planning the customer is introduced to more ways of how to solve their problem than just the one thing that they were focused on purchasing when they arrived.  

It must be acknowledged that one item looks a little lost in a large basket, and some people also feel embarrassed to take a basket to the checkout with only one item in it. So, frequently, more than one item is placed in the basket, creating an ease of sale which maybe hadn’t been considered beforehand.  

Shelving4shops supplies not only the major things such as shelving, chiller displays and refrigeration units, but also the little things like shopping baskets, cash registers, security mirrors, which help your store provide more of an enjoyable shopping experience for your customer and more of a profitable enterprise for you.  

Call Shelving4Shops on 01455 221512 to find out more of the ways we can help to supply the little things to help you, as well as the larger equipment.

Setting up shop with Shelving4Shops

If you are new to the retail trade, it can be difficult to know where to turn for help when you are trying to establish yourself in a way that's going to attract customers as well as being financially viable. How much of a risk can you take without being foolhardy - and on the other hand, how conservative do you need to be without becoming boring?  

After planning your budget and finding the right premises for your venture, the next step will be to plan how you are going to set out your store. Whether you are planning for a large or small store, Shelving4shops can give you as much or as little advice and guidance as you want.  

For over 15 years our customers have benefitted from our wide experience - we have helped establish and refurbish large supermarkets as well as small shops. Not only have we supplied the shelving and equipment for setting up shop, but we have also guided some customers every step of the way as they have contemplated the best layout for their store.  Sometimes only experience can understand the problems and the pitfalls to avoid, and no one wants to discover those after they have set up! 

We can also help you stick to your budget by supplying used shelving which has been removed from supermarkets when they have undergone a refit.  Some of these supplies may be too large and deep for a smaller shop, but we welcome all enquiries and will do our best to meet your needs. We are happy to supply new or used shelving to suit your budget and your shop.  

To find out more about our friendly and expert service, give Shelving4Shops a call on 01455 221512 or call in at our Leicestershire showrooms for a chat to see how we can help you get your project off the ground.