A recent visit to a local shop raised a few personal concerns over retail shelf dividers, or – rather – the lack thereof at the point of purchase. They might be unnoticeable to the untrained eye, but these cost effective product-merchandising systems are the clear choice to keep your shelves neat and organized. Did you know it takes customers less than 30 seconds to form a first impression of your store? That’s why organization, an important ingredient in the visual marketing mix, tends to be one of the first POP elements we notice.
Upon entering this particular space, I experienced a nearly overwhelming sense of chaos from crowded gondolas and over-packed shelves. It seemed the idea behind the store’s design might have been to stuff as many products as possible into the building in a poor attempt to sell more merchandise. Although such a complaint might sound strange coming from the team that coined the concept of filling in “Dead Space”, we must stress the importance of functionality and heuristic completion in store paths and displays. For example, a shelf loaded with products, sign holders and merchandising strips might be music to our ears, but items scattered loosely over shelves, without any retail shelf dividers from one edge to the other, sounds like a nightmare.
It seems some retailers may overlook opportunities to improve the customer buying experience at the cost of sales and repeat business. They might be surprised to learn that a few affordable, plastic accessories such as the Econo Line Acrylic Shelf Dividers are easier to switch out and maintain than most of the costly, complex merchandising systems. The economical shelf organizers are made of crystal clear PVC and feature a special adhesive strip, which allows better product viewing in addition to easier removal and repositioning of the dividers.
Merchandisers with a need for a stronger alternative might appreciate the Thermo Formed Clear Shelf Dividers. The freestanding, 3-inch base fits flat on the shelf to reduce wobbling while separating your products in a clean and orderly fashion. Thermo formed dividers feature a second strip of the same special adhesive, which permits easy removal and repositioning.
Be sure to consider the general flow of store traffic and the themes of each section. Then place product information nearby in professional grade retail sign holders along with promotional offers and related items. This should result in an effective product merchandising system that helps customers find the items they need.
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