Using thoughtfully-designed in-queue merchandising fixtures goes well beyond increasing sales; it can also decrease perceived wait times and foster goodwill with your guests, ultimately creating an exceptional environment for long-term customer loyalty.
Join us as we explore the art of transforming mundane waits into lucrative sales opportunities while wowing your customers every step of the way.
1. Elevate the Checkout Experience with In-Queue Merchandising Fixtures
In-queue merchandising involves strategically placing impulse merchandising products within the checkout line to capture customer attention. As psychologist David Maister suggests, distracted customers are less focused on the passage of time, resulting in reduced perceived wait times—and a better shopping experience. Satisfied customers are more inclined to browse and make additional purchases.
- Begin with end goals in sight. Visualize the customer’s journey through the queue. Would a straight or serpentine single lane or multiple checkouts best suit your space? How might the in-queue merchandising fixtures integrate with surrounding stanchions or belts to facilitate orderly line movement? Where can you place signage to mark the start of the queue for easy navigation? What adjustments can you make to the queue during peak traffic to maintain efficiency?
- Allow room to breathe. Arrange retail store fixtures so customers have room to browse, without feeling overcrowded. Optimal arrangements may involve attaching fixtures to retractable belts, wall bracketing, or dovetailing onto posts. Just be careful about too much of a good thing: avoid overfilling products or creating tight corners that may deter shoppers.
- Boost impulse buys with in-queue merchandising. Maximize space for category-specific displays. In one case study, attractive, convenient checkout merchandising led to a 64% rise in transactions, a 130% increase in unplanned purchases, and 112% gross profit growth.
- Create a standout checkout. So your queue doesn't blend in with surrounding merchandise, choose fixtures that differ from those used throughout your store. Consider shorter shelving heights, stanchions with retractable belts, prominent signage, and curated merchandise tailored specifically to the checkout experience rather than standard offerings.
2. Choose the Right Merchandising Fixtures for Your Queue
Seamlessly integrate merchandising fixtures to display products along the queue. Turning this former dead zone into a product gallery significantly enhances the customer experience—and boosts your bottom line. Here we discuss three of the most popular styles of fixtures for checkout areas: fixed slatwall fixtures, portable gondola shelving, and end cap displays.
Fixed Slatwall Fixtures
Retail slatwall fixtures are versatile display panels with horizontal grooves for hooks, shelves, and bins. In the checkout queue, they showcase popular items, promote specials, or display clearance merchandise, enticing customers to make impulse or additional purchases, and optimizing every minute to engage the consumer.
There are several key advantages to slatwall fixtures, which accounts for their popularity:
- Space efficiency. Slim, double-sided profiles maximize merchandising space, increasing sales per square foot.
- Customizable by size and shape. Slatwall panels come in many widths and heights to accommodate your specific plan-o-gram.
- Adaptability. Innovative hinged connectors allow flexible configurations to fit any area. Easily move or swap panels, create angles, or add messaging to slatwall fixtures as needed.
Portable Gondola Shelving
Gondola shelving is a modern shelving display made of versatile and attractive freestanding units, commonly used to organize merchandise and maximize space. Key benefits of portable gondola shelving include:
- Portability. Lightweight aluminum display walls are on portable, wheeled platforms that function as standalone merchandising units but can quickly connect together to form long-run aisles.
- Flexibility. During busy times, roll a portable gondola over to quickly increase the length of the queue for better crowd control and expand sales opportunities.
- Eye-catching arrangements. Mix and match vibrant assortments of colors, using gondola shelving’s open concept design to create memorable merchandising.
End Cap Displays
End cap displays are an excellent way to increase merchandise without adding additional floor space. End Caps come in many configurations such as Slatwall End Caps, Tiered Wire Baskets, or Cascading Merchandising Bowls. They provide several key benefits:
- Visibility. By their very nature, End Caps stand out. Located at the front of a queue or on a turn, merchandise can easily catch the eye of customers moving through the queue.
- Organization. Shelves, baskets, and bowls transform clutter into inviting displays, while also saving space. Group similarly-themed items together to inspire multi-item purchases.
- Accessibility. Curved and compelling (some would also add cute) merchandising bowls and wire baskets encourage customers to interact with the displayed items, increasing spontaneous purchase.
3. Leverage Electronic Queuing
Electronic queueing is a cost-effective complement to merchandising fixtures. Using cashier register lights, audio, and/or media displays, an electronic queuing system keeps lines moving and informs customers of available checkout registers. More and more retailers are implementing electronic queuing because of its proven effectiveness. Electronic queues:
- Minimize wait times. Implementing an electronic queue ensures customers are served efficiently, minimizing service lags and wait time.
- Provide promotional space. Digital signage within the electronic queue management system drives incremental sales by promoting special offers, discounts, or loyalty programs.
- Foster customer interaction. Electronic queuing alleviates floor staff from having to direct traffic, and frees them up to devote more attention to customer service.
Collaborate with the leader in queue management.
With all you have on your plate to get your retail floor space humming and profitable, why devise your checkout queues on your own? Partner with Lavi’s checkout queue experts who can assist in designing your layout, guide you on selecting the right solutions, install fixtures and electronic queue management systems, and keep you updated on the latest innovations. Our queue checkout solutions create a shopping experience that meets modern expectations and generates sales.
Schedule a consultation with the Lavi team.
