Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, as they say. But sales are in the eye of the customer. The way customers perceive your merchandise can really truly affect whether or not someone will buy it–there’s quite literally a science and psychology to how people shop and make purchases. You, as the artist, should focus mainly on designing and creating your works of art, and not have to conduct psychological research on how best to sell your work. That’s why we’ve put together this article to show you the most creative ways to display your merchandise. And by creative, we mean the ways that will most likely create sales for you!
Some Background
Think of the most striking decoration or displays you’ve seen in a store. What about them caught your eye? What made them memorable? What made you want to buy something at the store? Many stores tend to create a centerpiece of a large decoration that they use to draw people into the store and through the aisles.
For example, someone who creates custom made bird houses might show off their biggest and most exquisite work. Someone who designs custom fish tanks might show off their biggest tank with a lot of flashy tropical fish. Creators want to show anything that customers will tend to notice easily and gravitate to right off the bat. Scale usually tends to do this, although eye-catching designs can also do the job.
Play Around With Bundles
We’ve talked about how bundling can be a great way to show off your items, especially when it comes to textiles. Blankets and tapestries are excellent to be bundled up with other products–you can show it off in your store window with a beautiful set of pillows, sheets, or upholstery in a complimentary design. Having a nice matching set is very cute, and if it’s a striking design or color, can serve as a great gravity well for the eyes of passersby. Plus, seeing multiple items together will raise the chances of someone making multiple purchases too.
Turn Your Merchandise into Artwork
This is one way that store owners create those stunning displays–they incorporate it into an art piece. For example, that designer birdhouse woodworker might have a large ornate birdhouse, with painted wooden birds nestled in some real trees or plants, almost creating an “exhibit” that draws the customers in.
Tapestries and textiles lend themselves very well to being turned into artwork, partly because they are already artwork. It’s easy for them to integrate into little “exhibits” like we mentioned. For example, if you have a medieval-inspired tapestry that took you a whole year to weave, and is what you consider your masterpiece, why not make it the central piece of your store? You don’t have to put it up for sale, but you can display it along with a suit of armor and hang it in a section of the store to give the impression of it hanging in a castle. Whatever will make it look its best, and attract customers’ eye, is the goal here.
Light It Up
There’s a reason why shop owners and businesses continue to use those neon signs, even though they were invented nearly a century ago. Lights and bright colors and motion instinctively attract our eyes, making it a great way to draw attention to your merchandise, and possibly lure customers into your store.
Feel free to get as creative as you please here, as long as your merchandise is the star of the show. If you’re displaying your latest and most beautiful tapestry in your window, make sure it’s well-illuminated! Train a spotlight on it so it’s clearly visible from the street. Add some of those flickering pixie string lights around the border, to not only light it up but capture some attention with the gentle motion of the lights. Remember that medieval tapestry example? Why not catch everyone’s attention with some (fake) torches mounted around it?
Make it Instagram or Pinterest Worthy
Yes, it might seem annoying when Millenials and Gen Z-ers whip out their phones to send a picture of their food or outfit to everyone and their mother, but the reality is that it’s generating buzz and attention when they do this. Why not try to duplicate this, and make your shop social media worthy?
Funnily, the best place to get inspiration for your own shop is likely social media. You can look up designs to add into your shop, such as converting armoires into displays for your textiles, or adding in hashtag signage. Do some browsing, get inspired, then do some designing, and get noticed! Even if customers don’t make a purchase, you’re still getting free press when they add it to their stories or send it to their friends on Snapchat.
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