Today one of our readers commented on the post about our merchandising makeover.

Here's what she said:

I'm a new shop owner, never worked retail before in my life. I look around my store and while I've made improvements it's just not there yet. I've thought of paying a designer consultant to give me tips. What do you think? - Shannon, Primrose Lane, Owner

I think bringing in a visual merchandiser (at least once) is a phenomenal idea for every store owner. Strong visuals are absolutely critical: the better your store looks, the more you'll sell—it's that simple!

Why you might ask? I believe the answer can be broken down to three reasons:

You have 20 seconds to sell customers on shopping your store.
The first 20 seconds is the time frame in which consumers decide if they'll step in your store and if they'll stay to shop. What does this mean for you? You need strong store sigange, excellent window displays and a fresh and cohesive look inside so you can get a potential customer to come in and keep shopping.

Strong visuals give your customers ideas on how products can be displayed in their home
I can't tell you how many times I've purchased an item in a store because the product display inspired me to want to duplicate the setup in my home. At the makeover the store owner had set up a faux fireplace and I ended up purchasing several items from her mantle to duplicate the display on my mantle.

Strong visuals showcase your fabulous products.
How many times have you walked into a store only to find you're lost in the clutter? Where should you look first? Up, down, left, right? Instead of figuring it out, you leave. A great visual merchandising plan helps you organize your store and ensures the customer focus stays on the products.