Creating a visually appealing, beautifully designed retail store can benefit your enterprise in a number of ways. Product presentation is one key design factor that has the potential to significantly improve sales. If your product is presented well and is easy for guests to see and pick up, they are more likely to purchase it, increasing your average check and your top-line performance. Below we discuss some key points to optimize product presentation in your retail enterprise.

Most importantly, make the product easily accessible to your guests. This means, first, that the products must be visible and physically accessible to guests when they walk through the service flow of your enterprise. Place beverage cases, pastry cases, packaged products, and merchandise where guests will naturally see them as they order, pay, and receive their food. For example, place beverage cases to the right (where many people naturally look) of the line to place an order, and small merchandise to the (guest’s) right of the register.

Accessibility also means creating as few barriers as possible between guests and the products. Place branded merchandise, non-food items, and grab-and-go food where guests can pick them up and look at them—on an open shelf or in an open cold case, for example. For pastry and other unwrapped food in cases, use glass or clear plastic cases that are well-lit, so that guests can see and be enticed by the items as they wait to order.

Cases also should be consistent in orientation and clearly labeled. While guests may not notice that each pastry is facing exactly the same way, they will notice the overall impression of care and attention that went into creating the presentation. The clean, tidy look of the case will also make them more likely to see individual items and be excited by them. Legible labels prevent staff from having to answer questions about each item. And a well-worded description can pique a guest’s interest and make them more likely to order the item described.

Your products are not only what will make you financially successful, but they are also the stars of your enterprise—so make sure they shine!

Happy Presenting…TaraPaige Group