Creating a Trend Wall

November 21, 2014

Everyone loves to know what the latest trends are—whether it’s in fashion, color, home décor, food, or technology. So why not create a trend wall in your gift shop and feature some of the products that you sell?

Three Tips for Trend Walls

1. If you have a hip line of stationery or writing instruments, then create a trend wall about the latest in home office design. Feature pictures and information about the new stand-up desks and why they are good for your health, or the benefits of Herman Miller’s latest line of ergonomic chairs. Push a table up to the wall and deck it out with cool desk accessories and an artsy task lamp. Your customers will see your line of paper and office related products in a whole new light!
2. Have a line of hand-made scarves, hats, or sweaters? Then a backdrop showing the latest in fashionable fabrics and popular patterns would be an attractive and attention getting backdrop. Hang some patterned fabrics off wood dowels or decorative curtain rods. Post a sign that describes one or two of today’s most popular fashion designers, noting the trend in patterns being used on fabrics, i.e. florals, abstracts, stripes. Bring in a prop or two to accentuate the design elements of the trend.
3. Do you have products associated with kitchens, cooking and/or entertaining? If you carry tableware, linens, glassware or cookbooks, create a trend wall about the latest happenings in the world of gastronomy. Print a recipe for a trendy soup, dessert or small plate entrée on a large poster board or banner, and have postcards of the recipe printed for takeaways. Use some of the packaged ingredients as props throughout the display. And if the food item is something that is easy to eat without a mess, then having a plate of samples out will really engage your customers!

Museum gift store patrons tend to seek out information—more so than other types of retail store patrons—so fill their minds with the latest and greatest trends. You pick the field based on your product offerings. Educate your customers and watch your sales grow!

What trends are you seeing that could be incorporated into a trend wall?

Lyn Falk is the owner and president of Retailworks, Inc.