Products placed at the end of an aisle get a 93% increase in exposure and a 32% lift in sales according to a report by Oracle Retail. Shoppers don’t typically venture down an aisle unless they have to, making displays at the outer ends—or end caps—the perfect opportunity for brands to capture customers’ attention in brick-and-mortar stores.
End cap displays have the ability to highlight a particular product or promotion, entice shoppers down the rest of an aisle, and drive impulse buys, which constitute more than 60% of all purchases.
When placed strategically, end caps have the power to increase sales and contribute to sustained brand and retail store growth. Based on our experience with creating attention-grabbing, sales-boosting end cap displays, here are the top 5 things end caps do to help you sell more products.
1. Capture the customer’s attention
A visually appealing display entices shoppers to engage with a brand and its products for longer and possibly add it to their carts.
Eye-catching displays are often big, colorful, and on-theme with a particular season or holiday. Product placement at eye-level and clearly visible signage can draw a shopper’s attention and entice them to purchase a particular product.
2. Make shopping more convenient
End caps help shoppers find what they need quickly without having to venture down multiple aisles and can encourage them to buy a product they normally wouldn’t.
Pairing items often bought together on an end cap or showcasing best-selling products from your brand helps shoppers find what they’re looking for quicker. Using end caps as an opportunity for cross-merchandising can be doubly successful; displaying complementary products encourages shoppers to buy multiple items.
While end caps can be used to showcase the best your brand has to offer, using an end cap to pair one of your bestselling items with a lesser-known product is also another way to inform customers of product offerings.
3. Guide customers to more of your products
End caps give customers a sneak peek to an adjacent aisle. This type of display can invite customers to more of your products by subtly reminding them of an item they might need.
If end cap displays are designed with the optimal colors and packaging, they naturally draw the customer’s eye and entice them to explore more products from your brand. Inviting customers to try products beyond the top-sellers drives impulse buys and increases brand awareness.
4. Let your brand’s personality shine
Gondola end caps provide an opportunity to present an overview of what your brand has to offer. You can use end caps to highlight a key product and bring your colors, logo, or brand mascot to life.
Creative end cap displays might include a life-sized version of your product, which brings your brand to life for the customer while possibly even becoming a fun photo opportunity. Whether your brand is known for being fun and colorful or sleek and modern, make sure your end cap display follows suit.
5. Create new experiences
End caps are one way to employ “retailtainment”—an experiential retail design meant to make the shopping experience entertaining, fun, and memorable. Creating a new way to engage with your product could be the difference between customers bypassing an item and buying it.
End caps are a way to encourage customers to interact with your merchandise. If there’s a chance to touch, taste, or smell the products, shoppers will spend more time at your display and ultimately, gain more interest in making a purchase. Incorporating video screens or social media in an end cap display are other ways to create a new experience for the customer while capturing shoppers’ full attention. And if it's engaging enough, your customer may spread the word via a picture in a social media post.
Whether you aim to offer convenience, highlight a new product, or provide a brand-new retail experience, custom-designed end cap displays have endless possibilities. Utilizing this shelving space creatively encourages customers to engage with more of your merchandise, buy more products, and ultimately, give your brand a competitive advantage.
When you are ready to design your next end cap display, reach out to the team at InStore Design Display. We've got lots of ideas for your next project.
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