Retail Displays That Maximize Sales Per Square Foot
Merchandising Strategies for Outdoor Living
By WM Display Group
The outdoor living category continues to grow as shoppers invest more in their patios, yards, and entertainment spaces. Fire pits, patio umbrellas, outdoor furniture, and grilling accessories are taking up more and more space every season. For retailers, this growth creates a clear challenge. How do you showcase a premium selection of outdoor merchandise without sacrificing valuable floor space?
Specialty retail displays strategically designed to help retailers present more products, improve shopping experiences, and increase conversion rates while reducing underutilized floor space.
Three Merchandising Strategies That Drive Results
When in Doubt, Reach for the Sky
Vertical merchandising allows retailers to present multiple products within the same footprint where only one or two items might normally fit. Customers can quickly see their options without moving throughout the store, and retailers make better use of every square inch.
Group Related Products
Convenience drives sales. When complementary products are merchandised together, such as patio umbrellas alongside their matching bases, shoppers can easily find everything they need in one location. The days of “Is this compatible?” are in the past, with sales climbing. Expand on that strategy to include all products necessary to create an outdoor oasis.
Let Customers See and Touch the Product
An engaged consumer is a confident consumer. When merchandising outdoor lifestyle products, the goal should be to bring shoppers as close to the at home experience as possible. The tricky part is when the product demands space, and the packaging doesn’t show the finish, true color, or the scale. Allowing customers to see the actual product, compare sizes, and feel materials firsthand, builds trust and confident purchasing decisions.
Retail Displays Built for Outdoor Living Products
When these merchandising principles are combined in display design, they result in retail solutions that improves space efficiency for large outdoor living products. The following examples demonstrate how this approach is applied on the sales floor.
Fire Pit Tiered Tower Display
Fire pits are large and can quickly consume floor space when displayed individually. The Fire Pit Tiered Tower Display addresses this issue by presenting three full size metal fire pits vertically. This approach allows retailers to showcase multiple styles and price points within a compact footprint while keeping each unit visible and accessible.
Patio Umbrella Retail Floor Stand
The Patio Umbrella Retail Floor Stand brings everything together in one organized solution. Typically umbrellas and umbrella bases have been displayed apart from one another, creating a disconnected consumer experience, slowing down the buying process. The display holds up to ten umbrellas and eight matching bases, making it easy for shoppers to compare options and select compatible components. Its compact vertical design streamlines the customer journey from selection to purchase, all while maintaining a minimal footprint. Checkout our Retail Ready Fixture to get yours today.
Tabletop Display Stand
Merchandising patio tables presents a unique challenge. When displayed fully assembled, they consume valuable floor space. When stacked on pallets in boxed packaging, customers struggle to evaluate color, finish, and size. Our Tabletop Display Stand solves this problem by presenting up to five real tabletop samples in an upright, space-efficient format. Shoppers can examine surfaces, compare finishes, and better understand dimensions before purchasing. The mix-and-match design creates a more interactive experience that builds customer confidence and engagement. Integrated graphic panels provide space for branding, product specifications, and care information to support informed buying decisions as well.
When A Larger Merchandising Solution Makes Sense
Individual displays are effective at increasing sales. Grouping similar products using specialty retail displays in a more immersive experience can exponentially increase sales.
Store in Store Outdoor Living Destinations
For retailers with the retail floor space custom store in store environments can significantly elevate the shopping experience. These solutions combine custom fixtures, signage, and interactive elements to create a destination that educates and engages customers. In a collaboration with Weber Grills and Ace Hardware, a custom grilling destination helped drive a 300 percent increase in grill sales compared to the previous year.
These environments work best when customers want to compare options, learn about features, and spend time exploring the category.
The Bottom Line
Strategic retail displays play a critical role in the success of outdoor living merchandising. Vertical layouts, grouped product assortments, and hands-on product visibility allows retailers to maximize floor space, increase conversion rates, and deliver a more engaging customer experience.
Don’t leave sales on the floor this season. Connect with our team to evaluate your outdoor living strategy and identify impactful display improvements.