Your How-To Guide to Retail Merchandising

Before bringing retail opportunities into your spa, it’s important to ask yourself a few questions:

• Why do I want to offer these products to my clients?
• What products will my clients want to take home?
• What competition exists in my immediate area?
• How much physical space do I have?

Answering these questions is essential to developing and maintaining a strong retail presence in your spa. For spa owners that are shaping or expanding their retail boutiques, we’ve got your back.

Congrats! You’ve decided which spa products you want to retail. The next step is to start setting up your display space.

Your newest and most expensive product should be the first thing that clients see when entering your spa or salon. These products should live in the spotlight—close to the front door or POS system. When displaying your products, you’ll want to ensure to have several levels of height and optimal lighting. This will prevent other products from being blocked, keep displays from looking messy or cluttered, and optimize your minimal retail space. You can find merchandising accessories to fit your spa here.

Make sure that your space is filled with enough products so that customers can pick up and handle without totally dismantling your display. Never put up a sign that says, “Do not touch!” Let clients touch, smell, and test your products. Allowing clients to enjoy the products is one of the best ways to make a sale. Tester products are a low investment that promote additional purchases.

Additionally, adding a few well-placed, persuasive signs that are short and easy to read enhance the look of your products and display with a visual touch. Always make sure that signs cater to your senior or disabled clients.

Changing your displays seasonally or monthly helps keep your retail area relevant and looking fresh. Seasonal goods often have a shorter shelf life, so feature new arrivals in your store layout first. Arrange your products by their categories of use or display them by color.

If you order related items from different vendors, wait for them all to arrive. Putting an item out by itself can lead you to lose out on potential add-on sales.

Check your inventory levels weekly and be prepared to reorder your best-selling products quickly and consistently. Alternatively, if you have sold through your inventory, change your product layout to something you have plenty of. If the time comes when a product is struggling to sell, try moving the same display to another location or incorporate different product placement before giving up on it.

We’d love to see what you’ve done with your retail area! Take a photo and share with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest with the hashtag #RetailBoutique.