Retail Store Signage: The "Silent Salesman"

Retail store signage has been called the "Silent Salesman" and for good reason. Signs directly communicate with customers in efficient and direct ways to help sell your products, guide shoppers through your store, and promote special offers and discounts. Signs come in all shapes, sizes and colors to fit your store's decor and your marketing message. For centuries merchants have been using signs to attract customers. In ancient Rome vendors would inscribe their store's name on the city's stone walls to attract customers. A practice that is not much different from today's signage except now if you carved your name into a wall you'd be arrested for vandalism in most states!

Signs can be divided into two categories: indoor and outdoor. Both types of signs have their own particular uses. Indoor signs are used to help guide and enhance the customer's shopping experience when they are in your store. Outdoor signs are used to get customers into your store: promote in-store events, specific products, services or sales that are going on "inside". Outdoor banners are perfect for this kind of advertising. Banners are large and colorful and get the attention of cars and vehicle traffic as it passes by. Banners are great for promoting sales, grand openings, and services. Banners are easy to use and are reusable. Most come preinstalled with grommets and/or tie-downs so they can be easily attached to buildings, windows, walls or wherever attention is needed.

Freestanding sidewalk signs are another type of outdoor signage that is great for getting you message seen right were your potential customers are. Sidewalk signs come with changeable letters or have write-on/wipe off surfaces that can be changed along with your promotional schedule with just a simple wipe of a towel.

Indoor signs are used to help guide the customer's shopping experience when they are in your store. Signs have a wide variety of uses, they can create a unique environment with colors and graphics, but they can also simply call out a price or an offer. One of the most common in-store signs is the point-of-purchase sign. Menu signs and boards are a great example of point of purchase signs as well as category signs in video and music stores. This type of sign helps the customer in the shopping process and creates a more comfortable environment.

Signs are a great investment that will change the way your store communicates with its customers. You could be selling the best "widget" in town and at the best price, but if you do not have an outdoor banner or sign telling everyone you have it, you won't even sell one "widget". Even if you got your customers inside your store they would never find the "widget" if there are no point of purchase signs pointing them in the right direction and advertising your great price. That is why retail store signage is called the "Silent Salesman" because they communicate with customers in efficient and direct ways and never ask for a coffee break!

About Author:

Eric Weinstein is Vice President at Specialty Store Services, the leading supplier for retail and video store supplies. http://www.specialtystoreservices.com