Many will be looking at 2010 as the turning point for the UK’s high streets, as those companies that have weathered the economic storm look to take advantage of the first few shoots of economic recovery. What can we expect from the retail environment in 2010 and beyond?
As employees head into their work places a little worse for wear on January 1st to return VAT to 17.5% there will still be a big emphasis on price and making the most out of budgets for at least the first half of the year. An air of uncertainty surrounding the state of the economy is set to linger on, resulting in stores still looking to save as much money as they can on the likes of shop refits or taking on new overheads.
With cost kept to minimum, any new display equipment that is purchased to exhibit products will need to be adaptable and have a dual purpose. Stores will be turning away from bespoke shop fitting designs to adaptable off the shelf solutions that can be moved, changed and rearranged to suit the varieties of products that could ever possibly be displayed.
Although the majority of retailers may start turning towards simpler display solutions such as wire chrome shelving units, this does not mean that store fronts will become unappealing and bland. Stores will increasingly be competing with and complementing the growing trend of online shopping by bringing computers in store to replace catalogues as well as offering shopping applications for mobile phones to enhance the in store experience.
Retailers are, now, understanding that space is a premium and will be looking to make the most out of every inch of space that is available to them. The adaptability of retail displays play a big role in being able to make the most out of this space but others may go to more extreme lengths. Rather than spend thousands on new display equipment, large open plan retail spaces may be cut in half, resulting in the same amount of products on sale, but freeing up shop floor space to new opportunities such as product extensions or completely new business ventures, to ensure they can offer more to their customers. Grocers such as Tesco and Sainsbury have shown their growth by moving more into the non-food market, and their sales are set to increase by 40% to £16.2bn in 2014, according to a recent report from the grocery trade body IGD.
As the headache of the recession starts to clear towards the tail end of the year, retailers and customers alike will begin to reprioritise what is important to them, resulting in a return to form of the environmentally friendly product. Not only will the shelves be full of more and more premium recyclable goods, but the displays used in store will also follow suit, with more shelving displays, coat stands and counters made of wood and biodegradable plastics.
The big question is, will the lessons learnt from this recession be quickly forgotten as we head into the next golden age of the high street? Or will retailers become better prepared and ensure they can ride such storms again?
Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/sales-articles/look-to-the-future-retail-display-2010-and-beyond-1554932.html
