One of the top goals in display design is to expose as much of your inventory as possible to customer view, while at the same time giving every jewelry piece the distinction it deserves.  Each merchandise group receives only a certain amount of display space, and it takes skillful planning and effort to arrange the items so that each piece gets noticed.  The psychological objective is to capture and hold viewer attention as the eye moves from one piece to another. Here are some principles of display for you to follow.

• All your display efforts will be undone if you have empty elements or price tags visible!
• You don’t want pieces blocking the view of other pieces, so put tall pieces in back, short ones in front.
• Be careful not to have too tall elements or props, they will get knocked over by sales people reaching in the case.
• Magnetic risers and elements are a life saver, helping to keep your displays straight and neat.
• Generally group single ring elements in 3’s or 5’s.   
• Just because a display is free, if it does not coordinate with your displays you should not be using it.

• Eyes need some blank space to “rest”, so the case should not be too full.
• Although you want a strong representation of a brand, you do not want to clutter the case so that each item cannot be individually appreciated.  
• Display only one item of a kind; don’t display multiples.  This removes any sense of urgency and suggests oversupply.

• Keep styles or collections together.  When you have all the products in any style or collection, it supports suggestive or add-on selling.  
• It’s also less confusing for the customer if they understand there are a specific number of collections with coordinating items as opposed to a myriad of random SKU’s.
• Group metals by color.  Unless you only have one or two items in yellow gold, separate your yellow from white metal.  Customers generally shop for one or the other and it will make it easier to focus their attention.

• Covering baseboards is essential for a finished look.  Uniform color makes the display cohesive and pulls the entire brand presentation together.  
• The quickest way to freshen up your look, is to change the colors of the baseboards. It is recommended that you do this quarterly. When things look different the client sees your product differently too.

• Use the right element for each piece of jewelry – neck elements for necklaces, pendant elements for pendants, etc.  The size of the element should be in proportion to the size of the piece of jewelry.
• Mix up single elements with trays with multiple slots for visual interest.
• Your highest price items should always be in a single element. Have at least one “hero” display element per case.
• For rings that have side details, use a clip type element, or a shelf type element – so these design details are visible to your client.

• If displays are too crowded or if the items are lined up in rows, the eye will tend to scan rather than focus on any one item.  
• To interrupt scanning and add interest, you should group merchandise as much as possible.  Put the largest item highest and furthest back in the case and the corresponding items grouped below in a triangle formation.
• When there’s a discernable visual path, the eyes and brain work together to take a series of mental snapshots, pausing at each stop for understanding.

• You can also use the triangle concept to create groupings of a collection.  When you place items of a collection as a discernible group, you subtly suggest to the customer that the items should go together, leading to add-on purchases.
• Keep in mind that “sets” are no longer fashionable, you want loosely coordinated product for your add-on’s.

If you would like more guidance and strategies for your business, please reach out to the Edge Retail Academy and we are happy to assist you.  If you are interested in a complimentary business opportunity analysis, please let us know that as well.  877-569-8657, ext. 1  or  Becka@EdgeRetailAcademy.com