Opening a retail store always involves a lot of work. You might have seen places like Walmart and Costco and then think that it's easy to run such a chain. When you venture on your own, you quickly realize that the business side of things wasn't so straightforward after all.
One of the things that no one pays attention to is end cap displays. These features are almost always used as temporary placeholders for running campaigns. Their purpose is to hold products to boost sales and increase awareness. When you place something in plain sight, it sells quicker than if it's hidden between two competing aisles.
In the past decade or so, there has been a lot of research on shopping habits and how people interact with shelves. One of those studies found out that more than 25 percent of consumers engage with end caps before moving between two aisles when they're researching what a store offers. Visit this page for more info.
What's even more important is that two-thirds of those that engaged with the merchandise didn't even want to go between the aisles because they were satisfied with the things that were presented in front of them. This means that carefully placing your products improves sales and attracts clients that wouldn't actively be shopping in that area.
Why should you include them in your store?
You might have been thinking about installing such a feature and reading the research behind it. Well, you shouldn't have any doubts. For starters, stuff that's placed right in front of the customer attracts more eyes to it. When more people see the single display, there aren't any competitors to the products, which can be seen in the peripheral.
Whenever something sticks out, it's much more likely to get sold. A single tree in a field is much more impressive than a single tree in a forest. It's the same thing in both scenarios, but the impact is a lot different. The second reason why you should include them is that it will make a first impression.
Now, you might be thinking that first impressions are only important for people. That's not the case. The first time you're presented with a new product will have a lot more impact on your impulse buying habits. That's why car promotions work so well. You can follow this link for more info https://www.marketing-interactive.com/c-suite-talk-how-marketers-can-avoid-getting-sidelined-in-2022
All of the automobiles are hidden, and they get presented with a single swoop. At the revelation moment, all of the spectators are presented with a marvel of beauty. That's what keeps investors coming back.
In the case of a retail store, the effect is not as strong, but it can still be noticed in the shopping habits of consumers. Even if someone doesn't intend to purchase anything from the isle where the end cap is located, the positioning will ensure that the item is seen and remains in the memory of the visitor.
What kinds of products should you put there?
Since that little space between isles is super important, it needs to be used wisely. You can relocate a number of things depending on the store. The logical choice should be promotional items at the start. This includes all of the things that have an incentive, such as a discount or a two-for-one promotion.
These types of packages sell out fast, and you need to have a stockpile ready before you start. If you notice that some of the categories are lacking, you can create a cross-promotion that will bring in more profits while taking care of the surplus inventory.
Another interesting thing that the space can be used for is new product launches. This alerts your shoppers that something fresh is coming. It could be a new drink that you're selling or some items from a classic or foreign cuisine. Here's one example.
Everyone knows about cough medicine. Well, that field was revolutionized thanks to clever end-cap displays and marketing. Gummies and liquid forms of the same medicine were presented as something novel. That created a lot of new exposure, which ended up generating more sales.
There's also the option to create seasonal promotions. The place you pick will serve as a shop in itself. For example, when Christmas comes around, you can place your decorations on that shelf. That can also include a bit of holiday-specific food and other similar items. The holidays present an excellent opportunity to implement new methods and change up your store.
A few final words
There are plenty of benefits to these types of displays to remember. First of all, there's the increased revenue. You reach more people, which means that you gain their attention. As soon as you have their attention, this creates the perception of added value. Combining that with cross-merchandising is something that will definitely drive more goods in the basket.