If you think of merchandising as low priority in your business as an esthetician, you might be missing out on a valuable income stream. Not only do you have product readily available when making a recommendation to a client, but an attractive display can bring in new customers as they pass by.

Merchandising doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require thought and intention. Put yourself in your client’s shoes. What types of product will grab their attention? Does your display layout draw the eye to your best products?

As we head into the holiday season, here’s a simple breakdown of how effective merchandising can be a lucrative piece of your esthetician practice.

Attract Customers With Strategic Product Placement

The way you display product can have a big impact on whether customers are enticed to take a closer look. Be strategic with your product placement to draw attention to the right items.

Your customer will naturally be drawn to items at eye level, as well as larger items, brighter colors, and contrasting colors. You can use this to your advantage when setting up your displays.

Use the center of your shelves as a focal point and place your tallest products in the middle with shorter items on the ends, creating a pyramid effect. 

Set up high-margin products in a way that naturally attracts your customers. Grouping product with similar packaging colors can help differentiate product by type or product line.

Don’t ignore your shelf decor, but don’t go overboard either. Visual clutter overpowers your products and can overwhelm your customer. Stick to one or two vendor signs that can be moved around as needed.

Achieve Sales With Intentional Pricing and Thoughtful Purchasing

Price is one of the main considerations for many shoppers when deciding to purchase a product. Your prices should be competitive but represent the value of the product. A higher price tag often signals a premium product to a consumer.

The most important thing is to make pricing easily accessible for your customer.

Customers don’t like asking about price so if they can’t find the cost, they will often skip the purchase. Be sure to mark individual products or display the pricing on the shelf. 

When purchasing product for your business, remember that you don’t need to have all the products in a single line. It’s better to have a few SKUs from multiple lines than all the SKUs from one line.

Be mindful of par level, which is the minimum amount of inventory needed to meet the demand of current customers, while providing a cushion in case of unexpected demand. 

Remember that empty shelves = lost sales.

Keep enough product on the shelf to make the shelves appear full without looking cluttered. Group products by product type (serum, cleanser, etc.) rather than product purpose since some products can be used for multiple skin concerns.

A Note About Theft

While it stinks to talk about, theft happens. You can protect your business with a few simple strategies.

• Keep expensive merchandise farther away from the door, making it harder for someone to steal and exit quickly.

• Greet people when they come in so they know someone is aware of their presence. (This is also just good customer service.)

• If you’re suspicious of someone, keep chatting. Ask what they’re looking for or make polite conversation. The more attentive you are, the less comfortable they’ll feel about stealing your inventory.

The Bottom Line

Merchandising can be a lucrative piece of your business. When your clients are waiting for a service, a beautiful display area can entice them to purchase product. Attractive window displays and storefronts can bring new customers off the street. 

Plan your product purchases and display areas with intention and you open the door for a valuable income stream.