Re-Opening Key Messages

We are starting to see an end to the quiet period for some, and we all need to think about how we will need to adapt for new consumer behaviours and needs.

What could this mean for Visual Merchandising? Well, considering VM is meant to be communicating a message, there are several messages that are imperative to communicate to customers as they start coming back into our spaces. Many of these messages are true for online marketing as well:

WE ARE RELEVANT:
Show your customers your most relevant products for how we are living today. That means save your party wear for another time. Feature items like loungewear, home activities, and more of the home staple items.

WE UNDERSTAND YOUR NEEDS:
This ties into product relevancy, but also to the reality of many households: this is when showing sensitivity to pricing makes sense. Typically, we’d be telling you to prioritize lower-ticketed items towards a lesser visible zone in order to push the regular, higher priced items. That will not work in your favour. Show your customers that you do care about catering to their needs by focusing on price sensitivity. 

WE ARE A POSITIVE SPACE:
We can’t take a breath without remembering all the reasons to feel stress these days. We can tone that dial down by avoiding the c-word (covid) and all the other associated words (pandemic, virus, etc.). So consider using alternate messaging in your verbiage: instead of “Stay At Home” products, how about Cozy Home Living? The reason a customer chooses to shop in certain channels or spaces over others is the experience, so we can certainly make it a more positive one.

WE ARE SAFE:
Of course, being positive doesn’t mean overlooking safety measures. Customers will want to be reassured of the safety of shopping in your space. This means putting the new retail safety items in place (as listed below), ensuring you are reflecting careful disinfection, offering hand sanitizer and gloves, and consider toning down on the units you have on display for display-only, so that they are purchasing and leaving goods from your back room, where other customers have not handled.

WE HAVE ADAPTED:
Retail will likely have a different look for a while. That includes integrating *plexiglass guards at cash points, *signs as needed to remind about physical distancing, and (our VM ID favourite because it’s what we’ve always been saying) LEAVE A GOOD AMOUNT OF SPACE IN YOUR WALKWAYS! Typically this is 4 feet of space. The more walking space you have, the more customers will feel confident about being able to maintain physical space between them and other customers. *All of these retail safety products are available. If you need sourcing help, please reach out!

You are the experts when it comes to your customers - definitely tune into their needs and react as necessary! This e-mail is to remind you to be as proactive as possible to ease the transition period.