g mannequins, make sure the faces are well lit and there are no unsightly shadows below the eyes and neck, or around the nose and lips. The only way to achieve this is through the use of source illumination from different angles.

Don't overcomplicate the situation. Maintain the focus of the display and have your products layed out in a clear and intuitive fashion. Slatwall shelving should be neatly arranged, and uniformly arranged from shelf to shelf. There is no need to individually organize each slatwall shelf as a separate display! This

You have your fall product on the shelves. The back to school season is over. The holiday shopping season is just around the corner. You are struggling with ideas to keep sales solid in the runup to the holiday season. What to do?

Remember there are thousands of choices available to consumers. Regardless of the uniqueness or other distinguishing qualities of your products, you must set yourself apart through the effective showcasing of your products. This is also known as visual merchandising.

The goal of visual merchandising in retail store displays is to provide a glimpse of how the product will look or be used in a real life situation. The presentation of your display can have dramatic effects upon sales. Effective retail store displays not only increase customer traffic, but also increase the average ticket.

Many retail store displays are disorganized, which can confuse or distract a customer. Make sure there is a central focus to the display - a focus point - upon which the "action" is centered. A focal point should be the main product or item featured, with accessories and ancillary products framing the display. The focal point should be at eye level - not too low, as is the case in many retail table displays, and not too high. If the display is not at eye level, it may very well go unnoticed by your customers.

Be sure your display is balanced, with darker items (which are "heavier" to the eye) near the bottom of the display. This will avoid a sensation of the display being overly-laden from the top. Also ensure there is a left to right balance, emanating from the focal point of the display. Imagine a seesaw - you don't want one end of the display weighed down more than another - keep it even. Both the number of products and the size of the products should be taken into account when creating balance.

Be sure to use proper lighting to avoid unwanted shadows or dark areas. Lighting from the top should be avoided, as should lighting from only one angle. An effective display will have light sources coming from multiple angles, to minimize shadows. The use of portable spotlights, floorlamps, or flexible halogen lighting is recommended. If using mannequins, make sure the faces are well lit and there are no unsightly shadows below the eyes and neck, or around the nose and lips. The only way to achieve this is through the use of source illumination from different angles.

Don't overcomplicate the situation. Maintain the focus of the display and have your products layed out in a clear and intuitive fashion. Slatwall shelving should be neatly arranged, and uniformly arranged from shelf to shelf. There is no need to individually organize each slatwall shelf as a separate display! This a

l store displays is to provide a glimpse of how the product will look or be used in a real life situation. The presentation of your display can have dramatic effects upon sales. Effective retail store displays not only increase customer traffic, but also increase the average ticket.

Many retail store displays are disorganized, which can confuse or distract a customer. Make sure there is a central focus to the display - a focus point - upon which the "action" is centered. A focal point should be the main product or item featured, with accessories and ancillary products framing the display. The focal point should be at eye level - not too low, as is the case in many retail table displays, and not too high. If the display is not at eye level, it may very well go unnoticed by your customers.

Be sure your display is balanced, with darker items (which are "heavier" to the eye) near the bottom of the display. This will avoid a sensation of the display being overly-laden from the top. Also ensure there is a left to right balance, emanating from the focal point of the display. Imagine a seesaw - you don't want one end of the display weighed down more than another - keep it even. Both the number of products and the size of the products should be taken into account when creating balance.

Be sure to use proper lighting to avoid unwanted shadows or dark areas. Lighting from the top should be avoided, as should lighting from only one angle. An effective display will have light sources coming from multiple angles, to minimize shadows. The use of portable spotlights, floorlamps, or flexible halogen lighting is recommended. If using mannequins, make sure the faces are well lit and there are no unsightly shadows below the eyes and neck, or around the nose and lips. The only way to achieve this is through the use of source illumination from different angles.

Don't overcomplicate the situation. Maintain the focus of the display and have your products layed out in a clear and intuitive fashion. Slatwall shelving should be neatly arranged, and uniformly arranged from shelf to shelf. There is no need to individually organize each slatwall shelf as a separate display! This

ies and ancillary products framing the display. The focal point should be at eye level - not too low, as is the case in many retail table displays, and not too high. If the display is not at eye level, it may very well go unnoticed by your customers.

Be sure your display is balanced, with darker items (which are "heavier" to the eye) near the bottom of the display. This will avoid a sensation of the display being overly-laden from the top. Also ensure there is a left to right balance, emanating from the focal point of the display. Imagine a seesaw - you don't want one end of the display weighed down more than another - keep it even. Both the number of products and the size of the products should be taken into account when creating balance.

Be sure to use proper lighting to avoid unwanted shadows or dark areas. Lighting from the top should be avoided, as should lighting from only one angle. An effective display will have light sources coming from multiple angles, to minimize shadows. The use of portable spotlights, floorlamps, or flexible halogen lighting is recommended. If using mannequins, make sure the faces are well lit and there are no unsightly shadows below the eyes and neck, or around the nose and lips. The only way to achieve this is through the use of source illumination from different angles.

Don't overcomplicate the situation. Maintain the focus of the display and have your products layed out in a clear and intuitive fashion. Slatwall shelving should be neatly arranged, and uniformly arranged from shelf to shelf. There is no need to individually organize each slatwall shelf as a separate display! This

seesaw - you don't want one end of the display weighed down more than another - keep it even. Both the number of products and the size of the products should be taken into account when creating balance.

Be sure to use proper lighting to avoid unwanted shadows or dark areas. Lighting from the top should be avoided, as should lighting from only one angle. An effective display will have light sources coming from multiple angles, to minimize shadows. The use of portable spotlights, floorlamps, or flexible halogen lighting is recommended. If using mannequins, make sure the faces are well lit and there are no unsightly shadows below the eyes and neck, or around the nose and lips. The only way to achieve this is through the use of source illumination from different angles.

Don't overcomplicate the situation. Maintain the focus of the display and have your products layed out in a clear and intuitive fashion. Slatwall shelving should be neatly arranged, and uniformly arranged from shelf to shelf. There is no need to individually organize each slatwall shelf as a separate display! This

g mannequins, make sure the faces are well lit and there are no unsightly shadows below the eyes and neck, or around the nose and lips. The only way to achieve this is through the use of source illumination from different angles.

Don't overcomplicate the situation. Maintain the focus of the display and have your products layed out in a clear and intuitive fashion. Slatwall shelving should be neatly arranged, and uniformly arranged from shelf to shelf. There is no need to individually organize each slatwall shelf as a separate display! This actually gives the slatwall display a disheveled or "busy" appearance, which can create cognitive dissonance in your customers.

Finally, be sure that the display is attractive from all angles, if multiple viewing angles are possible. This would be especially important in a window display that is also viewable from the store, or a display set in the middle of a showroom. Walk around the display, noticing the lighting, balance, and coloring from each angle. Make adjustments as necessary, so that your retail store display is visually appealing from all angles.

About the Author: Ron Maier is the Vice President of S & L Store Fixtures, a leading provider of retail store displays, including slatwall accessories, mannequins and more. For more information, please visit www.slstoredisplays.com.