In the past, salons relied more on their staff to sell products, but as the retail landscape continues to shift, businesses need to rethink how to attract customer attention. Nowadays, people prefer to shop online for its convenience but despite that, one thing remains the same: customers will come back for an engaging, interactive shopping experience.

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And that’s where proper visual merchandising and retail design for salons can become the best retail “salesperson” you never knew you had. 😉

With the right design, you can create this ultimate shopping experience by literally putting a retail store inside your salon. But in order for this to be effective and profitable, you’ll need to implement these five essential components of visual merchandising and salon retail design.

1. Plan and assess.

As soon as the client enters your salon, you have about five to ten minutes to make your first sale. With proper planning, you can turn those five minutes into gold.

Once you’ve figured out which retail products you would sell in your salon, take time to develop a retail merchandising master plan. This includes assessing whether your display is:

• Clean. Nobody likes a dirty or dusty space, so be sure to prioritize the cleanliness of your area.
• Accessible. Your retail area should be in a place that customers can easily access, otherwise they won’t bother looking at it.
• Informative. Most clients won’t ask about products, so use shelf talkers to inform them about the items, their benefits, and pricing.
• Abundant. Fully stocked shelves sends a message that you’re fully committed to your retail line.
• Sensible. Are you merchandising by categories? This makes it easy for them to navigate your retail space.
• Narrative. Don’t just display. Explain the story behind the products.
• Interactive. Have a Try Me area so clients can see, smell, and experience the products for themselves.

2. Organize.

By taking appropriate measures to organize your retail space, you encourage shoppers to make purchases. But first, you must identify your salon’s selling zones and take advantage of them. Utilize areas like the lounge, entrance, and window to entice clients and passersby. Then, put your display/promo table near the entrance and your retail shelves in front of the salon. Workstations are also a perfect area to display specific products.

In fact, 80-85% of retail sales happen in the workstation.

Do not forget to incorporate images. It’s a great way to showcase your branding and what your salon is all about.

3. Tell a story.

We process and retain information when it’s in a form of a story. When creating that story, you will have to carefully choose the products that you are going to display. Consider the color and theme you would like to showcase. Ideally, your salon should have 6 themes per year with no more than 3 colors per display.

Once you’ve figured all that out, it’s now time to tell your story. You need to think like a designer and create a visual experience in order to convey your narrative effectively. A successful design follows the following principles:

• Repetition. Repeat themes and objects.
• Unity. Use like-minded objects or props.
• Contrast. Create visual interest by highlighting different retail areas with the use of colors, textures, and shapes.
• Rhythm. Incorporate movement by using a variety of shapes and sizes.
• Balance. Distribute products, objects, colors, and space evenly throughout the retail area.
• Harmony. Be sure that the props and colors create an overall cohesive effect.

4. Connect with clients.

So you’ve got your merchandising master plan and your story figured out. But how do you showcase those in a way that speaks to the client?

According to a 2015 study by Event Marketing Institute, about 75% of clients say they’re more likely to buy a product being promoted if a store offers an engaging shopping experience.1 This includes displays and promotions that appeal to all the senses, including the use of proper lighting.

5. Convert and measure.

It is recommended that 20% of your salon’s area be dedicated to retail with a goal of turning over your inventory four and a half times a year. For example, converting your waiting area into your retail store allows clients to interact more with the products, which increases the chances of them purchasing.

Of course, all these are tips are futile if you are not getting any returns on your investment. So make sure to measure your ROI to determine the success of your retail space or if there are any changes you need to make.

Source:

1Event Marketing Institute. 2015. EventTrack 2015: Forecast and Best Practices Study. Available: http://www.eventmarketer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2015EventTrackExecSummary.pdf