Flexible and forward-thinking: Innovations in store fixtures
While retail stores come in all formats and configurations, their design and fixtures make a big difference when it comes to customer experience.
“Store design is critical because retailers want to engage, educate and welcome consumers into a space they want to return to, while increasing sales and profitability,” says Chris Fowler, president of Matrix Marketing, a full-service store design, fixture, and retail marketing agency based in Burlington, Ont. “The key to success is having the right design in the right channel with the right product mix and approach.”
Whether a retailer is in grocery, convenience, or pharmacy, it’s important to ensure their store is in step with the latest innovations. “New products and new approaches can be integrated into the retailer’s traditional gondola and racking, offering them better merchandising flexibility, the opportunity to reduce labour costs, and the ability to make sections much more attractive,” says Fowler.
While Matrix Marketing has offered a unique mix of products and services for more than 30 years, an exciting development means retailers now have access to even more solutions. The company is now the exclusive distributor of two leaders in retail display and merchandising solutions: HL Display, which is present in more than 70 countries, and Siffron, which was formed through the merger of Southern Imperial and FFR Merchandising.
What on-trend solutions do retailers now have access to? One example is ModoShelf, which is available through Matrix Marketing’s partnership with Siffron. “It is a fantastic new product that offers the most flexible merchandising system on the market for any section of the store—from produce to centre store,” says Fowler. “The cross-merchandising opportunities are endless, and the system is amazingly easy to clean and re-merchandise in minutes.”
Matrix Marketing is also helping retailers on the waste-free front, as consumers seek to cut down on packaging. For bulk sections, HL Display’s 4eBin Gravity Bins fits the bill perfectly: the antimicrobial bins offer great product visibility in a hygienic, closed system, while an efficient design makes cleaning a breeze.
A display solution from HL Display, called Roller Track, is a self-facing gravity feed system that automatically slides products forward, so the shelves always look full. Not only does Roller Track make shelves look great, but it also helps retailers sell more product and cut down on labour costs. “Instead of having a staff member manually pull product forward when items are sold, Roller Track does it for you,” says Fowler.
Clearly, store design and fixturing is—and will continue to be—a key driver of sales, profitability, and customer experience. By partnering with Matrix Marketing, retailers can ensure they’re “top shelf” on all fronts.