In the competitive landscape of retail, engaging and innovative display design has become an absolute necessity. Whether you are a retail display buyer, a brand merchandiser, or a retailer, understanding the current trends in retail display design is essential to attract customers and drive sales.
This blog post discusses the top 5 trends of 2023. How interactive displays, sustainability, advanced technology, captivating window displays, and thoughtful store layouts are shaping the future of retail. By staying ahead of these trends, you can transform the retail store into a vibrant, engaging, and sustainable space that offers your customers an unparalleled shopping experience. Read on to uncover strategies that will set your brand apart, while maintaining a conscious focus on eco-friendliness and technological integration.
1. The Rise of Interactive Retail Displays: Engaging Customers Like Never Before
Just like the interactive experiences at Disney's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, interactive retail displays are revolutionizing the way we shop. Interactive retail displays are the next generation of in-store experiences, taking shopping from passive to active and engaging.
Here are some of the ways interactive retail displays are changing the way consumers interact with products and services they want to know more about before purchasing:
- Innovative display solutions are transforming in-store experiences into more engaging and personalized shopping journeys.
- Customers are encouraged to actively interact with products through technologies like touch screens, motion sensors, and/or augmented reality.
- Interactive displays showcase products dynamically, allowing demonstration of usage, showcasing of different features, encouraging touch and feel, fostering a stronger connection between the consumer and the product.
- They offer an engaging platform for providing detailed product information, for instance, an interactive display for a skincare brand can present ingredients, benefits, and personalized recommendations based on skin type.
- Interactive displays open a two-way communication channel between the brand and the customers; customers can leave feedback, participate in surveys, or sign up for exclusive offers directly from the display.
- This kind of interaction not only enriches the customer's shopping experience but also provides brands with valuable insights into customers' preferences and behaviors.
How to take advantage of the interactive retail display trend?
Incorporating interactive displays into your retail strategy could be the game-changing move that propels your business forward in 2023, offering a unique shopping experience that truly stands out from the competition. Instead of passive viewing, invite customers to actively interact with products. Integrate touch screens, motion sensors, augmented reality, or other custom solutions into your display program.
2. Embracing Sustainability: The Future of Retail Display Design
According to Nielsen, there has been a 26% increase, in the last year, of consumers who are willing to pay more for sustainable products. Brands want to show commitment to sustainability, and retailers are looking for ways to make their display design more eco-friendly. Here are a few ways to do this:
- Use recycled or renewable materials. As one of the longer term trends in sustainability, there are many ways to incorporate these materials into display design. For example, you could use recycled cardboard for your display panels or use wood from sustainably managed forests. Using these materials in your display design is a great way to reduce your environmental impact.
- Create durable and long-lasting displays. Creating designs that are durable and long-lasting, reducing the need for frequent replacements and thus minimizing waste can communicate a long term commitment to sustainability.
- Use energy-efficient lighting. With the transition to LED lighting, displays are already more sustainable. You can still up the sustainability game through lighting automation and strong lighting design.
- Install water-saving features. Water-saving features are also becoming popular in stores that incorporate live plant displays. Innovative irrigation systems can keep these displays looking lush while minimizing water use.
By incorporating sustainability into their display design, retailers can meet the growing demand from conscious consumers, save money on operations, and contribute to a healthier planet.
How to take advantage of the sustainable retail display trend?
Start your design discussion with sustainability in mind. Make sure your strategy for sustainability matches the product and the brands being displayed so that consumers will see the difference of a well planned display program.
3. Incorporating Cutting-Edge Technology: Revolutionizing Retail Displays
Retail display technology continues to play an increasingly crucial role in revolutionizing the retail landscape. In 2023, we can expect to see even more innovative ways for retailers to incorporate technology into their displays, creating a more immersive and engaging shopping experience for customers. Technology is what drives another trend, interactive displays, so let's look at some of the top emerging technologies.
Some of the most promising tech trends for retail displays in 2023 include:
- Virtual reality (VR): VR allows customers to experience products and services in a completely immersive way. For example, a customer could use VR to try on clothes or furniture before they buy them, or they could take a virtual tour of a store before they visit in person.
- Augmented reality (AR): AR superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world. This can be used to create interactive experiences that help customers learn more about products or services. For example, an AR app could allow customers to see how a piece of furniture would look in their home, or it could provide instructions on how to use a product.
- Artificial intelligence (AI): AI can be used to personalize the shopping experience for each customer. For example, an AI-powered recommendation engine could suggest products that are relevant to a customer's interests, or it could provide real-time assistance with customer service inquiries.
- Beacons: Beacons are small devices that can be used to send targeted messages to customers' smartphones. For example, a retailer could use beacons to send a notification to customers' phones when they walk into a store, or they could use beacons to send personalized offers or discounts.
- Blockchain: Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology that is gaining popularity in the retail industry. Blockchain can be used to track the provenance of products, ensuring that customers are getting what they pay for. Blockchain can also be used to create loyalty programs and to manage inventory.
- Loss Prevention Technology: Shout out to ShopperAccess, our solution! Retailers like Target are losing up to 1 billion dollars a year. Stores in major cities are closing prime locations. Theft prevention technology is an absolute must for retailers in 2023. Just consider this quote from Brian Cornell, Target CEO:
“As we look ahead, we now expect shrink will reduce this year's profitability by more than $500 million compared with last year. While there are many potential sources of inventory shrink, theft and organized retail crime are increasingly important drivers of the issue. We are making significant investments in strategies to prevent this from happening in our stores and protect our guests and our team. We're also focused on managing the financial impact on our business so we can continue to keep our stores open, knowing they create local jobs and offer convenient access to essentials.”
How to take advantage of the technology in retail displays trend?
Think through how customers want to interact with products, but also what you want to gain from the interaction. The more technology incorporated into your display program, the more opportunities you will have to gain shopper data and analytics. Display technology is a game changer, and should be considered in your display program.
Pay close attention to the impact of shrink as well. ShopperAccess is helping retailers fight these losses. Combined with other emerging retail technologies, retailers can build programs that increase revenue and protect margins.
4. Mastering Visual Merchandising: The Evolution of Window Displays
Window displays have long been the silent salespeople of retail, creating the first impression that can make or break a potential customer's decision to enter a store. This year, window displays are expected to become more than just a static presentation of products; they are evolving into immersive storytelling platforms.
Creating visually appealing window displays has always been key, but now, it's about weaving narratives around the products. Retailers are using thematic designs, creative props, and dramatic lighting to tell a story that resonates with their target audience. The aim is not just to showcase products but to evoke emotions, pique curiosity, and create a memorable experience that drives customers to step inside.
Enhance your visual merchandising with interactivity and technology to master this trend:
- Incorporating interactivity into window displays is another rising trend. Touch-sensitive windows, QR codes for detailed product information, or even window projections that respond to passerby movements are some of the ways retailers are making window shopping a dynamic experience.
- Another noteworthy trend is the integration of technology. Digital screens are being used to display rotating products or to create an ever-changing backdrop, ensuring the window display is always fresh and engaging. Augmented Reality (AR) is also stepping into the scene, providing an opportunity for customers to interact with virtual products or models.
Window displays will continue to push the boundaries of creativity and technology, offering an engaging fusion of art, storytelling, and interactivity. It's a testament to the ongoing importance and potential of visual merchandising in the retail industry.
5. Enhancing Customer Experience with Innovative Store Layouts
The overall layout of your store can have a big impact on the customer experience. In 2023, retailers will be looking for ways to create stores that are easy to navigate, visually appealing, and comfortable to shop in.
Retail spaces need to adapt to a changed environment after the events of the pandemic. Customers' needs are different. How they engage with products has changed and even how they engage with each other while shopping has changed. Retailers need to innovate to keep their customers' expectations.
Here are some tips for creating an innovative store layout that enhances the customer experience:
- Create a clear path of circulation: Customers should be able to easily move through your store without getting lost. How can your displays guide your customers through their shopping experience? As you plan layout, use your total display footprint to guide your customers through a satisfying experience.
- Group products for impact: Merchandising items is an age old art on the shelf and we all know it can increase sales. The best layouts this year will be intuitive for the shopper, but also delightful. Effective display design will incorporate opportunities to showcase products in unexpected ways.
- Use visual merchandising to create interest: Eye-catching displays come in all shapes and sizes. Visual display design is a conversation between the product and the customer.
- Create a comfortable shopping environment: Customers should feel comfortable and relaxed while they're shopping in your store. Make sure the lighting is adequate, the temperature is comfortable, and the noise level is low.
Retail display design in 2023 is significantly shaped by increased interactivity, sustainability, advanced technology, innovative window displays, and strategic store layouts. These trends emphasize active customer engagement, eco-friendliness, immersive shopping experiences, storytelling, and seamless navigation. Staying ahead of these trends is key to standing out in the competitive retail landscape and to deliver an exceptional shopping experience to customers.
