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Unit 9: Merchandise Presentation

to market trends and conditions. Successful retailers today are using their fixturing to Notes
productively dispense their merchandise and communicate an appropriate environment on the
retail floor.

9.3.1 Basic Forms

Merchandise displays generally take one of several basic forms:
 Storefront Window Displays: These typically open on to a street or shopping mall walk
or courtyard and are intended to attract passerby that might not otherwise enter the store.

 Showcase Displays: These typically feature items that (1) are deemed to be too valuable
for display in storefront setups, or (2) are niche items of high interest to the business’s
primary clientele. These display centres are usually located in high traffic areas and typically
feature multiple tiers for product display and a sliding door on the clerk’s side for access.

 “Found-Space” Displays: This term refers to product presentations that utilise small but
nonetheless usable areas of the store, such as the tops of product carousels or available
wall space.

Figure 9.1: Found Space Display: T-shirts Displayed on the Wall

Source: bigapplejazz.com
Storefront window displays and “found space” displays are particularly popular tools for
publicising and selling sale items.
9.3.2 Successful Merchandise Display

Trudy Ralston and Eric Foster, authors of How to Display It: A Practical Guide to Professional
Merchandise Display, cited several key components of successful merchandise display that are
particularly relevant for small business owners. First, displays should be economical, utilising
only space, materials, and products that are already available. Second, displays should be versatile,
able to “fit almost anywhere, exhibit almost any merchandise, and convey almost any message.”
Finally, displays have to be effective. The ideal display, said Ralston and Foster, “is readily
visible to any passerby and [should be arranged so that] there is no time or space lag between
when a potential buyer sees the design and when he or she can react to it. The ideal display also

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