No matter what products your retail store offers customers, there will always be competition with the store next door or down the street. Customers have infinite choices of where to shop but usually a limited amount of money to shop with. As a result, all retailers must compete with their neighbors for the business their products deserve, and there is no better way to do this than with excellent presentation. Creating a retail store display that will grab customers' attention can make all the difference in the world.

Whatever display design or fixtures you decide to use for your retail store displays, remember to keep it simple. The purpose is to attract attention to particular products not distract with elaborate artistic visions. For example, when using a slatwall, simple rows are much better than elaborate configurations. Slatwalls can become very distracting if used incorrectly, but they are very effective if kept simple. It needs to be easy for any customer to locate what they are trying to find and to quickly understand how your products are arranged. Keep your products grouped logically by theme or purpose. This will add to the sense of organization in your retail environment.

Another important concept for retail display is to always have a major focus point for every display, whether it is in a shop window or on a back wall. Think about where you want customers to look and what you want them to notice. It is important to control the flow of the eyes through your display. The most common way to produce a focus is to place the main product directly in the line of vision, surrounded by complimentary products. These items on the periphery will not only frame the featured product but increase upselling as well. One of the most common mistakes with creating a display focus is keeping products too low to the ground. Displays need to be right in the line of sight (or at eye level) to insure their acknowledgment.

When it comes to visual balance, keep those colors that are lighter towards the top of the display along with smaller products. Inversely, those darker shaded products that are larger in size should reside in the lower parts of the display. These are just simple design rules of thumb that can be broken, but be sure that you are breaking them for a purpose. There should also be horizontal balance according to object sizes. If you have several products on the left of a display shelf, perhaps one large object can balance them on the right. The idea is to create an atmosphere of order and comfort.

Drafting a design plan before you begin placing products can help you plan things like simplicity, focus, and balance. It is difficult to accomplish these things without planning. Before you begin, think about whether your products will be arranged in straight lines or curved ones, if they will be organized vertically or horizontally, and if they will be aligned in a round or triangular shape. Use a pen and paper to sketch out the shape and flow of your display design. This will make product placement so much easier and more appealing.

Of course, you should always use proper lighting for your store displays. If you are not familiar with light presentation, perhaps finding a lighting specialist would be worth it. Your products need to be seen, and for this reason it is also important to consider your display design from every angle that a customer might experience. Be sure that other displays do not block those featured products and that the balance and simplicity you tried so hard to achieve can be experienced from every angle. The right kind of store display is sure to bring more traffic to any sales floor, so take the time to really consider every part of the design.