As the ever-increasing presence and store count of dollar stores puts pressure from below on retail giants like Walmart, it’s worth taking a moment to consider the segment’s unique merchandising needs. While the retail requirements of booming chains like Dollar Tree and Dollar General aren’t wholly dissimilar from Walmart’s and the like, they do present their own set of challenges.
- Efficiency is key. One way dollar stores maximize profit is by increasing retail packout within a given floor plan. Anyone who’s visited a location is struck by tight aisles, tall fixturing and limited floor space for customers. Shoppers typically don’t need a lot of information about the products they’re searching for, so messaging areas are usually minimized in favor of additional facings. Also, the hemmed-in feel of many dollar stores means that a display, regardless of placement, will likely be sighted from different directions, so planogramming accordingly is critical to sales success.
- Design for easy organization. Another way dollar stores absorb their cheaper merchandise price points is through wages. With fewer employees per location, display upkeep can suffer, running the risk of a client’s display receiving little to no post-installation attention other than the occasional restock. It’s important, then, to offer displays that are durable, and present the product favorably even when shopped down, whether through pushers, dividers, or some other system that ensures the merchandise remains faced up.
It’s not just the complex, expensive display programs that can be the most challenging. Like a deceptively simple Rubik’s Cube, sometimes producing basic displays for discount stores requires that extra measure of problem-solving and creativity. Spectas excels at anticipating the needs of a retail landscape shifting with economic trends, and solving any retail challenge, no matter where it falls on the merchandising spectrum.