Today I received an email from a hospital gift manager asking for a few suggestions on how she could improve her visual merchandising display. One of her biggest challenges is that the hospital never created a large enough space for the store, so she's operating in a very small area. After reviewing her store photos, I have come up with eight ideas (in no particular order) that are relatively low cost, to create maximum impact. (see photos below)

1. Add color: Paint the back wall a rich, warm neutral color, such as a darker taupe. This would really help the merchandise pop and warm up the space, making it seem less like a hospital environment and more like a permanent store.

2. Addition of store signage: The hospital manager mentioned that customers often walk right by her store—they even don't notice it's there. I'd love to see the screen come down and various smaller hanging signs moved further back so a professional sign could be installed behind the cash register area. Also, while we're on the subject of store signage, I always recommend that a paper sign never be used. If you're going to make your own on a computer, I'd suggest finishing it off by framing it. Inexpensive frames can be found at your local craft store.

3. De-clutter: Since this retailer is operating in such a small space, it's absolutely critical that she create some white space (also know as resting space for the eye). She doesn't actually need to subtract merchandise from the floor to make this happen, she just needs to consolidate some of the merchandise into a tighter area. Also, I'd recommend removing all merchandise from the floor. This will help make the store appear a little larger.

4. Utilize more vertical space: This retailer is taking advantage of the horizontal display space but there is very little vertical space utilized (with the exception of the signs). I'd suggest purchasing some inexpensive acrylic risers from a fixture company to give the products different heights.

5. Create a focal point: Currently, the focal point of the store is the candy. While I'm sure candy sales make up a large percentage of store sales, I'd like to see the area to the right of the cash/wrap area be the focal point of the store. A cute themed display could be created here or you might want to consider installing wider shelving. In a more extensive re-model, I would consider removing all the built-in shelving to opt for bigger and deeper bookshelves. This would also give you options to move the store around to create a new look.

6. Add an area for impulse items on the cash/wrap table: Currently the only items I see for sale on the cash wrap are candy bars. I might opt to replace the candy (move it below) with the bracelets I see in the jewelry area, or the wooden roses—a great impulse item.

7. Product selection: While it looks like you carry a lot of charming gifts, it seems to me that you might be missing out on some sales of merchandise that visitors might buy for friends who are in the hospital, such as bath and body products, really plush robes, slippers, cards, etc. One more suggestion in terms of products is that sometimes you can create a more stunning display with more merchandise. If money were no object, I'd suggest adding more plush to the store—it could be a really cute display.

8. Displays that pop: The merchandise itself is grouped into similar categories, but there are no really strong displays within each category. Here a few ways to create a strong display: a) enough merchandise to make it look interesting, b) products displayed at different heights, c) interesting props or display pieces if the merchandise itself cannot be stacked to create height or d) repeat patterns of colors which can come from the merchandise itself or from props.

Does anyone else have any other ideas or suggestions?