It’s an exciting time for all of us at Studio M. We just settled down after 2019 winter market season where we launched hundreds of products in a variety of new categories, and our retailers loved what they saw. If you’re looking to recreate our displays in your store, or if you’re just brainstorming your next great retail display, you’ve come to the right place.
We’ve got quite a few fun and fresh merchandising tips to share from our Atlanta showroom, and we even have free signage available for download so you can print at the size you need and create polished in-store displays! Just log in to our website and click “Downloadable Product Signage” in the left menu under “Retailer Tools.”
Click the link above to get this and other signs for free!
Log in to download & print this sign for your store!
Let’s dive in so you can find out how to create great displays and when to incorporate various types of signage.
Sometimes You’ve Gotta Keep It Simple
Our new Garden Humor products have a modern, clean look with white backgrounds and simple color schemes. The real star of these new lines are the witty one-liners and sassy sayings featured on each item. This is the stuff you want to pick up and show a friend because you just can’t stop giggling – keep your display simple so it’s easier for shoppers to focus on product.
Try not to clutter a line like this with wordy signage or lots of props. We used a variety of similarly surfaced merchandising pieces so each display had one neutral backdrop instead of a mix of textures and/or colors. Our Garden Dirt collection was displayed on a few galvanized pieces, Plant Lady found its home on warm, wooden surfaces, and Bird Nerd was laid out a light wood table and shelf.
For displays like these with a lot of phrase-heavy items, signage should be kept visual with few words – let the products speak for themselves rather than including a sign explaining what the collection is all about. Our designers developed a sign for each collection featuring relevant illustrations, simple color schemes, and the line name. (We created modified versions for you to print and include with your own displays!)
This type of sign really pulls a collection together by giving it a name – it helps the main theme click in the minds of your customers. If you want to get creative and make your own signage, try drawing the collection name/logo and a coordinating image on a chalkboard.
Diving a Little Deeper
Some collections have a deeper story to tell that doesn’t always immediately come across at first glance. For this type of line, signage with a bit more of an explanation is in order. Without any signs, you might not know that our new Elements collection represents air, water, fire, earth, and cosmos.
Since these items are full of color and pattern, we were able to incorporate text-heavy signage without making things feel too busy. Each sign features the line name, an element, and words or phrases associated with the element – making it easy to quickly get an idea of what the whole collection is about, what a smaller group of products has in common, and finally the deeper meaning or lessons the line is trying to convey.
We used corrugated cardboard to provide some texture and a natural-feeling backdrop for this collection. Risers, shelves, and wall hooks made from birch logs and wood slices suited the Elements line much better than typical metal or plastic versions. If you can, use props and displays that fit in with the theme of the collection you’re merchandising – it will really help pull everything together and reinforce the style of the products.
Have a Little Fun!
Last, but certainly not least, have some fun with your displays and signage! We couldn’t get enough of the the “She Shed” trend (and of course the hilarious State Farm commercial) so we decided to build one of our very own for the showroom. But what good is a She Shed if no one knows it’s a She Shed?! Signage to the rescue! We used our monogram flags to quite literally spell it out for everyone. Steal this idea for any simple signage needs you have in your store. It’s super easy to put together, looks great, and does a good job of getting the message across loud and clear.
Thanks for joining us on the blog today! Hopefully, you were inspired to put together some great new displays for spring. Remember to log in to our website to download any signage you need!
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