Whether you’d like to merchandise your newest line of cosmetics, or you’d like to organize your own boutique, it’s important to put a lot of consideration into retail displays. People who have an interest in beauty tend to also value aesthetics, so visual merchandising has an especially distinct impact on this group of consumers.
As a result, any weaknesses in your visual merchandising strategy can make it difficult to sell products. Makeup displays often become disorganized, or even dirty, after a long day of being tested and evaluated by consumers. These challenges have helped cosmetic brands have some of the best visual merchandising techniques in the retail industry.
Whether you’re a new entrant or an old favorite, this stark competition means that cosmetic sellers can’t afford to fall behind on merchandising techniques. Let’s take a look at 25 helpful tips to make sure your cosmetic visual merchandising strategy is as effective as possible.
1. Integrate the Brand’s Style
Visual displays are all about communicating your brand’s image. As a result, all visual merchandisers should put the brand front and center when designing a visual merchandising strategy. It’s obvious that your displays should be catered towards your target market, but don’t forget about the minutiae and niceties. For example, is your brand more about soft edges, or hard corners? Black, or white? Shiny, or matte? It’s important to think of every small consideration ahead of time for a cohesive brand image.
2. Think of the Store Layout
Whether you’re merchandising your own store, or purchasing space at an existing retailer, effectively using the store layout is crucial. Make sure that people aren’t passing over your display. For instance, put extra emphasis on products that are against the store’s front walls – otherwise, consumers are unlikely to notice it until they turn around to leave the store. On the other hand, a small display in the center of the store must be conscientious of space.
3. Understand Your Customers
Customer motivations should be central to your visual merchandising strategy. For example, customers that look for luxury brands will be partial towards sleek, shiny displays with bright lights that shine above. On the other hand, customers who want organic, cruelty-free products may want a more natural-looking display that proudly communicates their commitment to animal welfare.
4. Store Low-Value or Excess Products in Dump Bins
Need to sell inexpensive lip gloss? Store it in a small display box on top of a pedestal, or use a specially designed dump bin. This creates an easy and visually appealing way to store products, especially if there is a wide range of colors available. Or, use multi-bin displays that will let you put multiple products together in a slightly more organized manner.
5. Use Simple Colors
Black and white are commonly used in cosmetic and makeup displays, due to the effects of color theory . White lends itself to qualities like purity and cleanliness, while black communicates a sleek and modern appearance. Using bright, bold colors may make your products stand out in the wrong way, which may fall outside of the retailer’s merchandising guidelines. If you’d like to use a certain color, implement it as an accent.
6. Consider Clear Acrylic Displays
Clear acrylic displays allow customers to see an entire product without any barriers or visual distractions. If your products have a beautiful package, an opaque black display could block it, squandering the effort used to design the package. In addition to this, clear acrylic displays are very versatile, allowing them to be reused again and again.
7. Use Wooden Retail Displays
If acrylic isn’t exactly in line with your brand image, consider using wooden retail displays. This will help give your products an earthy, all-natural appearance that will help you stand out. With that being said, try not to stand out too much – use lighter shades of wood, which won’t disrupt the theme of the entire store.
8. Use Space Effectively
In the beauty industry, companies often have a wide range of products and a limited amount of space to display them. However, crowding countertops with rows of makeup is overwhelming for a viewer. Instead, consider using acrylic risers to create multi-tiered displays to split up visual elements in the display while giving the display more space.
9. Store Lotions and Oils in Trays
Trays aren’t ideal for merchandising products like mascara or eyeliner. However, they are fantastic for lotions, essential oils, and creams. Acrylic trays will help keep your display organized, and they can even be custom-made to allow the products to fit perfectly inside.
10. Clean Displays Regularly
If people are allowed to sample products, the displays are bound to get messy with various powders, creams, and fingerprints. Unfortunately, well-used product displays devalue all of your products. Make sure that your displays are easy to clean, and that store employees understand how to clean your display. This is one reason why acrylic is very popular for cosmetic displays – it is simple to clean using basic acrylic care products.
11. Create a “Beauty Bar”
Beauty bars provide an area for customers to try your products. Either provide samples for customers to use and then dispose of, or supply the store’s makeup artists with your favorite products. However, make sure that you provide specially designed retail displays that make it simple for customers to view an array of products at a glance. Don’t forget to outfit them with acrylic mirrors!
12. Use Display Cases for High Value Products
Display cases don’t only show customers your star products, they can be used to deter thievery. Try to place display cases along walls for best results.
13. Know When to Use Locking Displays
Locking displays are sometimes necessary for certain star products. Look at cosmetics that are commonly stolen from the store, and find out which ones have significant value. Any products that are both high value and are commonly stolen should be locked away.
14. Tuck Away the Basics
A lot of shoppers are going to want eyeliner and mascara – however, it’s not advisable to allow customers to grab those cosmetics and leave in a matter of minutes. Instead, try to market other, less popular products in the immediate proximity of these products. For example, put eyeshadow next to your eyeliner, instead of putting mascara next to eyeliner.
15. Label Your Products
Not every shopper can tell a brow liner pen from an eyeliner pen. To help new or unfamiliar customers navigate your offerings, make sure all products are clearly marked. This can be done through customized retail displays, retail signage, or something as simple as vinyl stickers.
16. Create Additional Visual Interest
If your display looks exactly like a competitor’s, it might be passed over. Make sure that your whole range of cosmetics makes a statement by using creative displays. These may include rotating stands, curved lipstick displays, or spiral displays.
17. Communicate Brand Image with Vanity Trays
Makeup isn’t all about the product – it’s about an experience, too. Try arranging items like flowers, a potted plant, or a locked jewelry box for your brand’s display. This will help add an authentic, non-commercial touch to the rest of your display.
18. Use Lighting Effectively
Beauty stores are exceptionally well-lit, so don’t leave your products in the dark. Consider using light boxes or lighted pedestals to make sure that your products are eye-catching.
19. Use Models and Influencers
A model helps communicate the anticipated effect of using your product. However, be more creative than using a beautiful woman or a suave man. Feature a model who embodies your brand’s image, whether its daring or sophisticated. Or, consider using star power, like how Maybelline employed a trending “beautuber,” James Charles, to capture a younger demographic.
20. Borrow From the Marketing Team
Look at how your brand communicates on social media, TV, billboards, and other marketing channels, then use this information to influence your instore displays. Feel free to borrow imagery directly from these campaigns, since it will help you double down on messages in the commercials.
21. Always Track Sales
Depending on how your displays are arranged, they can help or hinder sales. Don’t guess which displays are the most effective – instead, collect sales data and determine which displays impact sales the most.
22. Make Sure Pricing is Clear
Makeup prices are not standard by any means. Some liquid eyeliner will set a customer back $5, while another brand’s liquid eyeliner could exceed $30. If a product’s pricing is a selling point, be sure to use signage that properly communicates this. Otherwise, customers won’t want to be surprised at checkout, and may pass your product over.
23. Use Displays Designed for Makeup
Displays that are specially designed for makeup are great for organization, and make your displays look much more deliberate. Makeup and cosmetic displays can be customized to perfectly fit your product, allowing the cosmetics to be neatly slotted inside.
24. Use a Planogram
Planograms aren’t necessary for every industry, but they have a lot of utility in the context of makeup displays. By nature, makeup displays host a diverse range of makeup types and colors, and it’s difficult to ensure everything is being stored in the right place. A planogram can provide this consistent guidance, and ensure your products are properly displayed in every store.
25. Regularly Refresh Your Displays
It’s recommended that retailers adjust their displays on a monthly basis. It’s not crucial to completely overhaul your displays during this time, but it’s advisable to at least change your fonts, or use different models and imagery. During certain seasons and holidays, be sure to capitalize on consumer attitudes.
Final Thoughts
Retail displays are an important part of the beauty industry. With these tips and tricks, you can make sure that your displays are effectively turning window shoppers into loyal customers.
Ready to start creating cosmetic displays? Take a look at our wide selection of makeup organizers and displays. Or, contact us today if you’d like a customized display.