Museum Connections 2027

Merchandising Tips

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Merchandising: a strategic lever for performance Designing a clear, attractive, and profitable shop

Often reduced to a matter of layout or visual display, merchandising is in fact a strategic tool at the heart of the success of a cultural or tourism retail space. 

When well designed, it helps visitors understand the offer, streamlines visitor flows, enhances product value, and sustainably improves economic performance, while enriching the overall visitor experience.
From monitoring key performance indicators to implementing a coherent purchasing journey—through spatial storytelling and sensory merchandising—these tips provide practical reference points to optimise your shop and turn every visit into a memorable… and value-generating experience.

Merchandising Tips by Hélène Genter

Monitor your key performance indicators 
Conversion rate, turnover, average basket value, quantities sold, average number of items, average price… setting up regular reporting and monitoring your shop’s performance is essential to effectively manage your activity.
Put yourself in the visitor’s shoes
Imagine entering your shop for the first time… can you easily find your way around? 
Is circulation within the space smooth? 
Have you passed by every section? 
Putting yourself in the visitor’s position and observing their behavior in your shop is the best way to validate product placement and space layout. 
Check the profitability of your shelving 
The space allocated to a product or product category should reflect its share of turnover and quantities sold. 
Remember to validate your layouts by comparing this data. 
Improve circulation within the space 
The Floor Space Occupancy Coefficient confirms the positioning of furniture. 
To ensure a comfortable shopping experience, on average 35–40% of the usable sales area should be occupied by fixtures and fittings. 
Définir un parcours d’achat 
Quel circuit se fait le plus souvent dans votre boutique? 
En répondant à cette question, vous pourrez déterminer les 4 zones de votre boutique (zone de transition, zone chaude, zone froide, caisse) et placer ainsi le bon produit au bon endroit. 
Take care with product presentation 
 Follow a few golden rules of visual merchandising : prioritise ease of handling and free touch, secure displays, choose the right type of presentation (quantitative or qualitative), vary display methods, create a sense of theatre around the offer, and encourage customers to buy more — and better. 
Make your offer easy to understand with signage and In-Store Information (POS) 
Directional signage and point-of-sale signage must be clear. 
Don’t forget atmospheric signage either: it enhances the pleasure of browsing in your shop and encourages visitors to stay longer.