show it
off
Sweating the Small Stu ff
BIG BANG THEORY
There’s a very fine line between “appealing” and
“messy” when it comes to displaying small goods.
As such, most retailers resort to two approaches:
standard slatboard or containers.
“When presenting small things, it’s important
to leave space between groups,” says
Diana Li, co-owner of Front & Company in
Vancouver. “It’s like reading. Paragraphs
give the eyes a chance to take a needed
rest.” Beyond this solid and sage advice,
Li and her retail cohorts employ numerous
smart and visually interesting techniques for
merchandising tiny things. Read on for more
of their fabulous ideas.
DOUBLE DUTY
BIG BANG THEORY
For impact, group similar products by
material or colour.
DOUBLE DUTY
Kill two birds with one stone – and increase
your average sale – by merchandising
jewellery in small jewellery boxes.
TIERS & TRIANGLES
Find new uses for old things. An antique
tiered tray is used to build levels. Notice the
overall triangular shape of the groupings?
Triangles carry the eye to a focus.
Whatever route you decide to take, the
most important rule to remember when
merchandising small items is to keep them
within sight of your cash desk and at eye-level
to reduce theft.
Joyce Ozier is the vice-president of Retail
Display Secrets, an online support site
offering display and merchandising advice.
www.retaildisplaysecrets.com
TIERS & TRIANGLES
PHOTOS: GRANT HARDER
