Visual Merchandising in the beauty industry – how to increase sales of cosmetics in a stationary store?

The beauty industry is characterized by high shopping impulsiveness. Cosmetic products are a category addressed to everyone, regardless of gender or age. Their diversity is reflected in both prices and types of products.

Large selection options make it not easy to stand out on store shelves. We go to a drugstore not because we like a given brand, we go there in a given need and we often do not know which brand’s product we will buy. Clothing stores have the advantage that they sell their goods against the background of other products of their line. They do not compete in a small space with other big brands. The case is different when it comes to selling cosmetics.

How to expose cosmetic products?

It is said that the attractive presentation of beauty goods increases their sales by 20-30 percent. We can build the “attractiveness” of an exhibition by stimulating all the senses of our clients. It is worth mentioning at this point research on sensory marketing, which says that men are less sensitive to the reception of sensory impulses in the retail space. Cosmetics are bought to a large extent by women, so it is worth carefully analyzing their consumer behavior. Article about it can be found on our blog: “How do women buy”.

Color cosmetics are usually placed in cosmetic cabinets, while care items are placed on shelves. As mentioned above, they compete for customer attention. Their effectiveness is rarely the result of a single visit to the store by a given consumer. Building trust and liking among consumers of beauty companies usually begins with online promotion. Customers are more and more aware, before they decide to buy, they search various forums or social media in search of the perfect face cream or lipstick. Recognizable brands enjoy high revenues. What if your business is just starting and you don’t want to disappear on store shelves?

Market research and visual merchandising assistance

The display of goods carried out on the basis of the principles of merchandising and an in-depth analysis of the sales psychology will increase brand recognition. This will make it easier to sell the products and teach customers to recognize it within the category.

According to POPAI’s research by The Global Association for Marketing-at-Retail, approximately 70% of purchasing decisions are made at the point of sale. During a visit to a standard drugstore, the customer notices as many as 300 products within 5 seconds. It can be concluded that the brand must be as recognizable as possible. The companies that are chosen in the first place are those that trigger an emotional reaction in us. This complicated process of selling beauty goods meant that marketers had to spend a lot of time to develop their standards of display in the store. Therefore, it is worth employing an experienced visual merchandiser.

How do we buy cosmetics?

Color cosmetics is a special line that we “buy with our eyes”. Therefore, it is worth putting our product under the eyes of the customer. What does this mean in practice? Choosing the right place! In this case, the best-selling point will be a place located at the eye level of an average person, i.e. 70 to 180 cm.

Cosmetic products, as a few of the available goods on the market, have the so-called testers. These are smaller equivalents of goods, thanks to which we can try a given product on our own skin. They are located in close proximity to the product to be purchased. Why? Because we like to touch and test color cosmetics.

Drugstores also accustomed us to a certain pattern and order on the shelves. Products are arranged in groups – lipsticks, powders, brushes, they lie in clusters of similar products. Next to the foundations, we place bases, brushes for application or highlighters. Such treatments facilitate and increase the sale of products. We come to buy a new foundation, but we can also be encouraged to purchase a new brush to apply it. If the brushes weren’t lying next to us, we might not even think about them.

What mistakes to avoid when arranging the display of cosmetics?

The most common VM mistakes in the beauty industry:

• No keynote – no plan.
• Incorrect arrangement of products – not kept well-known standards.
• Unreadable display – too many products or too large losses between them.

More and more consumers buy cosmetics online. The main reason for this is the lack of an appropriate assortment in the store. Beauty products are small goods that can fit a lot even in a small shop. The key is to understand the market – customer needs and cosmetic’s appropriate exposure. This type of service is provided by the Ergo Store team, which professionally designs retail furniture and produces stationary stores. We invite you to cooperation.