For many consumers, nothing replaces shopping in a brick and mortar store. A retail store gives a customer the chance to see the product in person, which may increase the likelihood of a purchase. How you label, package and display your product can make a huge difference in your sales efforts.

Getting Shelf Space

All retail locations have a limited amount of space for displaying and selling products. Your product is competing with other, similar products for the same shelf space. A retailer wants to stock products that maximize sales for a particular amount of space. Smart labeling and packaging decisions can help drive those sales.

Just Because Online Shopping Is Popular, Don't Overlook The Brick and Mortar Market

Effective Logo Design

When you think of a well-known brand, the first thing that comes to mind may be the brand’s logo. For example, McDonald’s has used the golden arches as a logo for decades. A great logo design can enhance brand awareness- and help you sell more product.

Emergingworld.org explains some important traits of logo design. Since a good logo should appear on all of your communications and advertising, the logo needs to be versatile.

The golden arches logo is now a simple arch design- sometimes displayed with no other wording. That simple design can be recognized on any sort of communication. The simple design also makes the logo memorable.

Your logo should present a professional image- one that will be taken seriously. We’ve all seen logos that look hand drawn or put together without much thought. Your logo should promote stability and professionalism.

Packaging to Get Attention

Once you decide on a logo, consider how you will package your product. The goal of packaging is to get people to look at your product when they are making a buying decision. This situation is referred to as point of purchase (POP) or point of sale (POS) marketing. Ideally, you’re trying to generate an impulse buy.

Allbusiness.com lists some tips for effective POS marketing:

  • Excitement: Use bright colors and engaging graphics to get the customer’s attention. If your packaging is in an unusual shape, the design may attract people. Try to visually stand out from the crowd.
  • Simple Messaging: Once your packaging design catches someone’s eye, you need to provide a simple, easy-to-read message that describes your product. Say, for instance, that you create Santa Sleigh packaging for Scotch tape. You’re looking for people who need tape to wrap gifts during the holidays. Once the clever packaging catches the shopper’s eye, “Scotch tape” needs to be clearly communicated and easy to see.
  • Grouping products: Another strategy to drive sales is to group products. During the holidays, your display may include tape, scissors and wrapping paper. These products compliment each other.
  • Create value: Customers want to feel that they are getting value; based on the price they pay. You may create a “buy one, get one free” promotion to create value. Another strategy is to bundle related products and charge less than the customer might pay for each product separately.

Point of Sale Displays

Your last step in marketing your product is to choose a point of sale display for retail sales. The size of your display can vary, depending on whether it is free standing or on a counter top. You display decision also depends on where your item is displayed in the store. A display at the end of an aisle may look different than one that sits on a shelf.

Consider a strategy to market your product in a retail store setting. An effective logo and good packaging design may drive a high level of sales.