Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/658360
MARKET FOCUS SECTION { MERCHANDISING } April 2016 | Boating Industry | 35 www.BoatingIndustry.com have any new products that are launched, we like to make sure we have off-the-shelf displays for dealers so they can order right away, but ob- viously we want to make sure these marine deal- ers also have display fixtures that can be easily transitioned for each product launch." Garmin's in-house merchandising team has helped several dealers create customized displays for its showrooms and P&A depart- ments and is always open to discussing ideas with dealers. "With those displays, we're not only high- lighting the products, which are often live products that they can interact with, but we have also included iPads where you can go in and check out our mobile apps so they can see how the product works with the apps," said Radetic. "When we make any sort of merchan- dising decision, we work really closely with all of the departments here at Garmin." Part of communicating a message is offer- ing supplemental materials such as brochures, banners and more to help customers make confident and informed buying decisions, par- ticularly when the part or accessory is expen- sive. This ultimately helps drive sales. "We want to make sure our materials are compelling and, more importantly, informa- tive. A lot of these products are very high-end and we want to make sure we are telling our story in the best way possible," said Radetic. "When you have compelling material and an informative display, you're encouraging a buyer to come over and find out more, and making it easy for them to make a purchasing decision." Interactive merchandising displays have become a trend as they allow customers to ex- perience the product in the store before buying – a huge advantage a brick-and-mortar store has over an online retailer. Suppliers should do everything they can to provide displays for dealers that allow this interactive experience for customers in the P&A department. "Merchandising is a strategy and it's a com- munication tool, and if you're not merchan- dising, you're basically not communicating visually," said Robison. Suppliers also need to be sure the merchan- dising materials they offer dealers are adapt- able; obviously, not every dealer is the same and the space availability in a dealership varies widely from business to business. "We try and make sure the design of our fix- tures, displays and temporary POS materials can be applied in all retail environments, whether that's the physical application of the display or fixture, or it could even be the target marker we're speaking to: inland, coastal, cruising or sailing markets," said Radetic. "We just want to make sure that these are adaptable to either a market or a physical fixture in general." TIME FOR A REFRESH Dealers need to change things up regularly to keep customers interested. If the store looks exactly the same as last time a customer visited, they will get bored quickly. Robison suggests undergoing a major rede- sign in merchandising display setup annually, regardless of the size of the dealership. She also recommends changing end caps every couple of months with new products. "Maybe you put the lubricants on the other side of the counter, something to change it up to get people to do something differently in your store. Customers just want to see new stuff," Robison said. "You just don't want to keep the same old stuff all the time, unless it's really good, solid sellers that are absolutely es- sentials that your store can't live without." Garmin recommends updating on a quar- terly basis, particularly during the peak of the marine season, in the fourth quarter around the holidays during new spring product campaigns. "Any time a dealer is doing any sort of reset or is bringing in new materials, it's always kind of nice to be able to provide anew and fresh merchandising to support that," said Radetic. Not only does this help build sales by draw- ing attention to new products, but dealers can support these refreshes by sharing photos on the website or social media. After all, if most customers will visit your website or social media feed before they enter the store, why not entice them with the hot new products you have up for display? "If you recently reset the store, that's a good time to do it," said Robison. "You do yourself a huge disservice by not showing [off your P&A department] and updating it. Change it up once a year, talk about some of the brands you carry. I just want to know [if I am a customer] 'if I go [to the dealership], what am I going to see?'" DOUBLE PEG HOOKS HELP ATTRACTIVELY DISPLAY PRODUCT AND PROVIDE INFORMATION TO CUSTOMERS. INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS HELP ENGAGE THE CUSTOMER TO MAKE INFORMED PURCHASING DECISIONS. KELLER MARINE'S KWEB TOOL ALSO ALLOWS DEALERS TO SHOW CUSTOMERS ACCESSORIES IN USE THROUGH VIDEOS, WHICH MORROW CALLS "MERCHANDISING IN ACTION."