Brick and mortar retailers have had to change the way they do business with the pandemic. According to Fortune magazine online, big chain retailers have seen as much as 50 percent drop in sales, while online shopping is up 31 percent. To attract customers to the prime products, retailers have to be innovative with displays and point-of-purchase. Here are a few interesting ideas we found:

  • One retailer who has a small indoor space and could only allow a certain number of customers in the store at one time put black folding chairs outside the store instead of marking the social distance lines with tape or cones. The owner says it allows people to sit and socialize in the line and it meets the need for in-person interaction with other people.
  • For stores that are offering online ordering and in-store pick-up, savvy retailers have looked at the trending purchase data of what customers are buying online, then provided complimentary products that would be useful for the customer in-store. For example, if you purchased lighting fixtures online for in-store pick-up, you might find the necessary light bulbs or matching sconces in the store when picking up your order. According to an article on esri.com referring to an analysis of consumer credit card transactions, a customer who spends $100 online will likely spend another $171 in the store within the next month. Vice versa, someone who spends $100 in-store will spend an average of $163 online in the next month.
  • If you have the right products and items that are in demand in-store, you will be successful. Using retailing data that studies store traffic and consumer buying habits, and consumer demographics, retailers can plan accordingly with displays targeted to specific audiences. If the data shows that more men are shopping for a product that traditionally catered to women buyers, the point-of-purchase should be geared to men. A grocery store endcap on a gondola shelving unit with a sports theme is more likely to attract the male buyer.
  • Something as simple as a light board or easel with an artsy chalk board can be a popular display POP. It can be changed up based on the product special, and it will always look sleek and clean. If you’re more into technology, add a wall-mounted flat screen display behind a multi-tiered shelving unit – the result:  clean, simple lines with a lot of color popping from the display screen and the product.