A successful sport retail environment needs to cater to a new breed of time conscious buyers.
With limited time to activate their customer’s spending, today’s sport retail spaces need to be well organized and visually dynamic.
The customer may only have enough time to squeeze in 18 holes, so thinking they have unlimited time to browse the shop is simply a false reality. The old strategy of having your customer travel through the entire shop browsing, eventually ending at the service counter is an antiquated sales tactic. In fact, this type of shopping will typically frustrate a customer and lead to a negative impact on sales.
To succeed, think about the three major visual sightlines of your customer: upon entry, while at the service counter/desk, and while leaving the shop. Capitalize on these areas. Create simple yet colorful and dynamic visual merchandise presentations that activate the customer. Entice them with new or seasonal sale merchandise in these areas. These locations need not be in the major traffic pattern, yet only in their sightlines. Obviously, the best merchandise strategy for these areas will be full height wall presentations, but pay close attention to the floor cabinetry and fixtures the customer will pass to get to their destination. Don’t unnecessarily block their path, but create strong merchandise stories along the way
Shopping sightlines play an important role in successful sales revenue, especially in non-member based shops. This may be the only and last time this customer plays your course and steps foot in your shop (we can only hope that this is not the case), so make sure you visually stimulate them.
Merchandise needs to be displayed in organized collections with delineation between vendor collections. What may seen as flexible, like a 12’ linear space of slatwall, can often become disorganized and sea of mismatched product, patterns and vendors. Give your vendor collections their individual space, and above all, remember to include visual relief space and let the interior architecture or cabinetry create the backbone and organization. Gain a true understanding of your vendors, their demographics, and their style— match this with your displays and visual merchandise props. Tell the story of the product to the customer. Not only will your vendors will be thankful, but also you will sell more product.
When signage is not used, the shop should be clearly planned and organized to create an immediate understanding of the various classifications of product offerings. It is always beneficial to create cross merchandising or visual displays with multiple product lines, however, remember to give each classification their own home. Some of the product can spill into other areas, yet the majority should create a dynamic presentation, so the customer understands quickly your depth and offering within a product line. In general, in non-member based shops, the architecture and planning of the shop will usually dictate these locates.
In closing, a simple rule is often the most important when it comes to organizing a retail setting: Less is more! Within your setting, peel away the extras that just don’t sell, create clutter, or don’t enhance the shopper’s experience.