Repeat, Repeat, Repeat!

Who has time for display? Between ordering, paying bills, keeping the store neat, talking to customers, working with staff and the many mini- and not-so-mini-emergencies that pop up during the day — when do you create displays? In your sleep? Evenings are the only spare time you've got, and by then you're probably wiped out. Luckily, there's a pain-free technique for gift and decorative accessories display. In a word: repetition.

Let me repeat: Repetitive images are one of the strongest, simplest display techniques available to retailers. All you need is a bunch of the same item and a good sense of spacing. The human mind can only take in so much before we overload and have to process the input. And if a customer is having a visual overload, they're not shopping. Instead, they're just staring blankly at the first display they come to. Only after customers process the look of a store do they start to shop.

The more disorganized your store, the longer it will take for customers to orient themselves and start shopping. As a merchant, you can't afford to lose store time to processing. Opening with a strong, repetitive image allows customers to see merchandise with little or no processing, so a merchandise can be understood and appreciated — and, hopefully, purchased.