Increase Your Circulation with Visual Merchandising: Bookstore Display Principles (Nov. 2019)
- 1. INCREASE YOUR CIRCULATION with VISUAL MERCHANDISING AN ALA WORKSHOP | NOVEMBER 6, 2019 Presenter: Allison Fiscus Branch Manager, Toledo Lucas County Public Library bookstore display principles for libraries
- 3. The type of services that libraries provide are vastly different than what they used to be.1 When you combine these two things you begin to see merchandising as a necessity to sustainability. It works.3 Customers’ perceptions and expectations of the shopping experience, have changed dramatically as well. 2
- 6. What do you already have? Furniture Space Accessories (book easels, sign holders, etc.) Where are your people? Is your shelving flat or slanted? Do you have extra? How is your entrance arranged? Do any of your collections seem to be struggling? Lack of interest? Are they hidden? Are there other collections you could pair up with to help?Look
- 7. Pick an hour each day for a week and sketch a heat map of people entering and exiting your library. Look Study
- 8. Can collections be moved? Is there location a hinderance to their circulation? Are there collections you can pair them with to give them a boost? Are you promoting collections that don’t need the help? Plan to weed. Then plan to shift. Then plan to shift again. Does that one section (you know the one…) really need 20 shelves? Probably not. What furniture is currently being used or could be repurposed to display books? (No folding tables!) Plan
- 9. Can you rearrange? Define your entryway. Use displays to move people through the space. Consider developing and committing to a brand identity. This should be all-encompassing, from the font used on signs and promotional materials to the colors associated with your library. Plan
- 10. THE RULES
- 12. This is not my personal opinion. It’s science.4
- 13. Pyramids Face Out/Front Up Straight Lines Balance and Symmetry NO PROPS.
- 14. PYRAMIDS
- 26. STRAIGHT LINES
- 41. NO PROPS.
- 44. Topical Displays on a broad topic, genre, or idea.
- 45. Topical Displays on a broad topic, genre, or idea.
- 46. Topical Displays on a broad topic, genre, or idea.
- 47. Topical Displays on a broad topic, genre, or idea.
- 48. Topical Displays on a broad topic, genre, or idea.
- 49. Topical Displays on a broad topic, genre, or idea.
- 50. Standard How you shelve the bulk of your library.
- 51. Standard How you shelve the bulk of your library.
- 52. Standard How you shelve the bulk of your library.
- 53. Standard How you shelve the bulk of your library.
- 54. Standard How you shelve the bulk of your library.
- 55. Promotional Displays geared at promoting an event, initiative, or other noteworthy endeavor.
- 56. Promotional Displays geared at promoting an event, initiative, or other noteworthy endeavor.
- 57. Promotional Displays geared at promoting an event, initiative, or other noteworthy endeavor.
- 58. Promotional Displays geared at promoting an event, initiative, or other noteworthy endeavor.
- 59. COMMON MISTAKES
- 60. bending the rules only considering the materials and not the space making things too complicated
- 61. MEASURMENT
- 63. total circ checkouts per customer door count
- 64. CHALLENGES
- 65. too many vs. too few signage and brand identity staffing: doing more without extra no money to spend
- 66. too many vs. too few The rules are set up to work for both scenarios.
- 71. Do you have fixtures that can be repurposed?
- 72. End table!
- 73. Copier table!
- 78. Are there area bookstores you can reach out to? (i.e. Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million)
- 81. Do you have book stacks that are out in the open?
- 84. All you need is a flat surface or an open shelf.
- 88. Utlilize your library’s branding. If you don’t have any, set a theme and stick to it. • Though it may seem boring to you, it will help customers to know that the merchandising and signage are something the library is taking ownership of. This will help them to associate the “shopping experience” with your library. Use your brand colors and font for all signs associated with displays. Not only does it appear more professional, but it will aid in the book browsing process. Create a template that all staff can access and change. • Library displays will often be more spur-of-the-moment than we expect as we respond to the ebb and flow of checkouts. Having the ability to switch it up keep it branded is important.
- 92. First, recognize that this is most likely a culture change for your library. • We are not used to having to push our product. In many libraries it was never a priority and so the work that goes into it wasn’t a priority either. • Be open with staff about why this is important and stress that this is responsibility. Repeat this often. Build the work into your daily schedule. • Make it a portion of your opening and closing routine to recover the entire library. • Provide time for it on the schedule if possible. Hold people accountable. • If someone isn’t following the rules, correct them – preferably in the • Avoid the temptation to make this just one person’s responsibility. It takes a team.
- 93. QUESTIONS?
- 94. REFERENCES 1. Hoffert, B. (2017). Under the surface. Library Journal, 142(3), 30. 2. Cant, M. C., P., and Y. Hefer. "Visual merchandising displays: Wasted effort or strategic move? The dilemma faced by apparel retail stores." Journal of Applied Business Research 28.6 (2012): 1489-96. ProQuest. Web. 3 June 2017. 3. Krishnakumar, M. (2014). The role of visual merchandising in apparel purchase decision. IUP Journal Of Management Research, 13(1), 37-54. 4. Janiszewski, C. (1998). The influence of display characteristics on visual exploratory search behavior. Journal of Consumer Research. 25(3), 290-301. Retrieved 3 June 2017.