Setting a lovely and inviting table isn’t just for dining. It applies to retail displays as well. Display tables are great solutions when you might be at a loss for something fresh in your store. Just as you would set a table for a meal with guests, you can set the design for customer interaction and admiration with a display table.
Choose the table style: Your dining table might be cherry wood surrounded by statuesque chairs of the same material or it might be glass-topped with tufted chairs around it. For your display, choose from a variety of finishes – natural, black, white, or wood. Choose based on what would be most versatile for your store. If your store design uses lighter colors, by all means, get display tables that will blend appropriately. If you have the room to allow customers access on all sides, do so, but be sure each side is “finished” with merchandise that looks like it belongs there.
Create the theme: Whether it’s holiday, picnic or formal, your dining table usually has a theme. Display tables can do the same thing. The goal is to elicit emotions in people so they want to stop and look at the merchandise.
Less is more: When there are too many extraneous things on a table, everything seems to be in a jumble. Which side is the bread plate on? Which water glass is mine? If you’re displaying clothing on a table, make sure it’s wrinkle-free and easily foldable. Items like packaged dress shirts, neck ties, jeans or pants are good candidates for table displays. Create a little “white space” around each stack of pants, for example, so that each stack is an individual entity. Don’t overwhelm the space with too many stacks up against each other. Keep additional inventory in storage cubbies close to the display table.
Add some height: On a dining table, height comes from candlesticks, glasses and centerpieces. On a display table, you can use cubes, easels, and laminated stands. Creating a three-dimensional look with shelving at the back of the table and merchandise on the front is a popular way to accommodate more inventory on the table. Height can also be achieved by using mannequin busts.
Center the display: Use a mannequin or a sign or an elevated cube for a centerpiece on the display table. This piece will anchor your display and help to keep it neat.
Enjoy the experience: When dinner is served, the hostess can sit back and relax. You can get satisfaction from your creative display table when customers reach out to touch it, or when sales of the merchandise on the table soar.