How to display goods in a store: 15 rules of merchandising

Strategies and tools of merchandising that increase unplanned purchases

In a store, merchandising essentially acts as the "silent seller" – without conversation or pressure, it influences what the customer puts in their cart. Retail practices show that a significant portion of purchases is made in the store itself, not during the planning phase. Therefore, the organization of space, the flow logic, and product display have a direct impact on sales volume and average check.

To enhance these spontaneous decisions, retailers use a set of proven tools: from customer routing to working with shelves and checkout zones. These are not one-off "tricks," but systematic approaches that allow a store to earn more without expanding the assortment or lowering prices. Below are the key merchandising strategies that often yield measurable results in real retail environments.

1. Strategic zoning and routing

The correct organization of customer movement through the store is the foundation for impulse sales:

• The "golden triangle" rule. This is the key movement zone for customers between the store entrance, the regular demand products section (bread, milk, basic products), and the checkout. This is where the customer spends the most time and makes the most decisions. The task of merchandising is not to "confuse" the customer, but to stretch this path through the store, so that the customer naturally passes by other categories. The longer and more logical the route, the higher the likelihood of additional, unplanned purchases without pressure from the staff.

• Placing essential demand products deeper into the store. Products that customers purchase most frequently – bread, milk, cereals, basic household items – should not be placed near the entrance but deeper into the store. The same logic applies to targeted purchases in specialized formats: strollers, large items, furniture. As customers move toward the desired position, they pass by other categories, see offers they didn't plan to notice, and some of these items end up in the cart. In the end, the store increases the number of additional purchases without changing the assortment or prices.

• Using the checkout zone. The checkout zone is the one area of the store that every customer passes through without exception. While waiting to pay, the customer has already made the main purchasing decision but still has a few seconds of "free attention." This is when small, fast-choice products work best. Practice shows that in the checkout zone, it is advisable to place inexpensive items with immediate usefulness: chocolate, chewing gum, wet wipes, small toys, souvenirs. These products don’t require much thought and are steadily added to the bill, increasing it without the involvement of the salesperson.

2. Effective shelf display

Placing products at the correct height is critical for stimulating sales:

• Eye-level – the "golden shelf." The area approximately 1.2–1.6 meters from the floor is considered the most effective for sales. This is the height at which customers see the product effortlessly – without bending down or looking up. Practice shows that this shelf "sells" better than others, so it’s ideal for placing priority products: top sellers, high-margin items, and impulse assortment. Proper use of this area directly impacts shelf turnover and product turnover speed.

• Children's level. In stores where customers come with children, their line of sight should be separately considered. Products for children should be placed on lower shelves – at their eye level. Children quickly notice what’s in front of them and actively react to familiar brands or bright packaging. For businesses, this means an additional point of influence on the purchase decision, as children's interest often triggers parents to add the product to the cart.

• Vertical block rule. Vertical displays are perceived faster and more clearly by customers than horizontal ones. When products from the same category or brand are arranged top to bottom, customers can easily navigate the assortment and find the desired item at any level on the shelf. This approach reduces search time, decreases confusion, and increases the likelihood of a purchase, especially in categories with a large number of SKUs.

3. Psychological techniques and product adjacency

Using perception psychology allows manipulating the visitor's attention:

• "Successful neighbors" principle (cross-merchandising). Placing logically related products next to each other simplifies the customer's choice and stimulates additional purchases. When beer is placed next to chips, and pasta – next to sauces, the customer perceives this display as a convenient suggestion, not an imposition. For the store, this means increasing the number of items in the check without changing prices or active sales staff intervention. Properly selected adjacency works as a ready-made solution for the customer and directly impacts the sales volume of complementary products.

• "Anchor adjacency" principle. New or less-known products should be placed next to top-selling or well-known brands. In such adjacency, the customer's attention naturally shifts from the familiar product to the alternative, which seems like a logical option to try. For the store, this is an effective way to introduce a new product into circulation without special promotions: the customer compares the product with the "anchor" and is more likely to make a purchase decision than if the new product stood alone.

• Mass effect (bulk display). Displaying products in baskets, containers, or carts creates a sense of active demand and a beneficial offer. Customers often perceive this type of presentation as a signal for a promotion or sale, even without direct discounts. An additional effect is that customers find it easier to grab the product: they don't have to disturb a neat display or wonder if "it’s okay to take." As a result, these areas work well for fast product turnover and stimulate impulse purchases with minimal entry barriers.

4. Visual and tactile stimuli

• Brightness and contrast. Products with bright or unusual packaging naturally attract attention on the shelf and are noticed faster by customers. If the packaging is restrained or monotonous, it can be enhanced by proper adjacency – placing products with contrasting colors, shapes, or sizes next to it. This technique helps highlight the product without additional advertising materials and increases its visibility in the general line, which directly influences the purchase decision.

• Tactile contact. The ability to touch the product significantly increases the likelihood of purchase. When customers touch the product, they form trust more quickly and imagine owning it. This is especially important for products where the material’s feel matters: toys, children’s goods, textiles, soft accessories. In stores for children, the layout should allow some of the assortment to be accessible for independent inspection – when a child can hold the product, it makes the decision easier for parents and increases conversion without additional explanations from the salesperson.

• No empty spaces on shelves. Half-empty shelves create a sense of scarcity, disorder, or supply issues. Even if a product is temporarily out of stock, it is visually perceived as a store’s neglect. Therefore, shelves should look filled and neat. The feeling of abundance and order increases trust in the store, creates a comfortable atmosphere, and positively affects the customer’s willingness to buy more than they originally planned.

5. Special strategies for different categories

• Comprehensive display. Creating ready-made sets of several products simplifies the choice for customers and stimulates the purchase of several items at once. These could be solutions grouped by color scheme, use scenario, hobby, or promotional offer. When the customer sees not individual products but a logically grouped set, they make a decision faster and are less likely to limit themselves to just one item. For the store, this is a direct tool for increasing the average check without expanding the assortment.

• Dynamic play with toys. Creating simple plot compositions with toys helps customers imagine how the product will be used. Bears on swings, dolls in strollers, or figurines in "play scenes" trigger a child's imagination while also suggesting a game scenario to parents. For the store, this is an effective technique: the product stops being just an item on the shelf and becomes a ready-made idea, which significantly increases interest and the likelihood of purchase.

• Product duplication. An effective practice is placing the same product in several areas of the store. The main position stays in its category section, and an additional one is placed in the checkout area or on the way to the checkout. This approach works well for inexpensive impulse items: sweets, small toys, accessories. The customer may not notice the product in the department but see it again before payment and add it to the cart without further thinking.

Adhering to these principles helps create conditions where the desire to buy a product outweighs rational planning.