5 Retail Display Trends to Watch For in 2020

Merchandising Trends to Look for in 2020

Successful retailers stay on the lookout for upcoming trends in retail displays to draw inspiration and enhance their customer experience. Though there are many trends that are timeless, some trends are hot only for the moment or season. It’s important to note that not every trend will work for your store and customer base.

Expect continued growth in data-based merchandising.

Nike’s latest flagship store in NYC boasts a 68,000 square-foot building called House of Innovation 000. Though Nike began incorporating tech into their marketing strategy in 2016, their latest store takes it to a whole other level with data-driven merchandising that includes “Instant Checkout, Shop the Look and Scan to Try, all powered by the Nike application.” With Shop the Look, customers will be able to go up to a mannequin or any retail display fixture and use the Nike app to scan a QR code that’ll bring up its entire outfit.

Look for an increase in information-rich signage.

Retailers are going beyond the traditional “SALE” signage and display fixture signs that encourage shopper engagement and interaction. Take Amazon, for example. In their physical stores, they use signs to product recommendations. “If you like this, you’ll love that” type of signs.

More retailers will use “calls to action” signs.

In looking for more ways to engage customers, “call to action” signs will continue to see growth in the retail industry. “Pick Me Up” or “Press Here” aren’t just for selling toys anymore. They’re for getting your customers to interact with your products or the environment you’ve created for your products.

Expect to see more experiential merchandising.

More retailers are creating Instagram-worthy spaces in their stores to give customers the opportunity to take beautiful photos and selfies of their retail experience. Experiential merchandising includes pop-up retail. Hershey, for example, created a “retail theater.” They “engineered a Spiderlicious Halloween Pop-Up at Kroger stores, designing an immersive 360° shopping experience in an enchanted chocolate forest filled with a monster-load of candy.” Experiential merchandising allows visitors to participate in and experience the environment created.

Embrace the “less is more” philosophy of merchandising.

Consumers are constantly bombarded with advertising — from the ads that play before a video on platforms like YouTube and Twitch, and then during a video like Facebook, pop-up “subscribe to our newsletter” on almost every website. Consumers are wary and retailers know it. Companies will look to lessen the cognitive load. More retailers will begin to let their products and promotional offers do the talking.

As for décor, you will likely continue to see more warehouse, vintage-inspired looks. Vintage retail displays will always be among the favorite go-to merchandising styles. Warehouse, vintage chic offers the perfect setting for grocery store fixtures. Retail fixture companies can help merchandisers with popular decorative finishes like brass, copper, and rose gold for visual merchandising. Upscale retail shops will continue to favor marble and stone store supply fixtures for sophisticated looks.