End Cap & In-Aisle Fixtures

What Should You Consider When Designing an End Cap Store Fixture?

Thanks to their prominent, front-of-aisle and end-of-aisle position, your end caps represent extremely valuable retail “real estate.” Therefore, it is important to give them some extra special attention when it comes to your merchandising and messaging strategy. It is also important to be aware that end cap design is not just about sales, but also about marketing — and that options include dedicating, or even leasing, some of this prime space to a brand that you’d like to showcase. Some of the key strategies to think about when planning and designing end cap store fixtures include:

• Have a theme in mind. Whether you’re using end cap space to feature your own products or those of a popular brand, focus on how you can use the space to curate an experience or tell a story.
• Be creative. The more imagination you put into your end cap designs, the more likely you are to engage shoppers by inspiring their imagination.
• Invite interaction. End cap displays that invite people to touch products or even try them out can be a great way to engage shoppers.
• Use illumination. End caps that feature lighting — such as lit shelves, brand headers or illuminated signware — serve to attract the eye with their brightness while also conveying key information.
• Go digital. Incorporating interactive technology (for example, integrated touchscreens) offers a proven way for shoppers make a deeper, more personal connection with a product or brand. Technology provides endless opportunities to engage shoppers by connecting them with product features and benefits, product finder and endless aisle functions, personalization and brand awareness with videos and product stories.
• Help shoppers navigate your store. End caps can be used to orient shoppers by offering wayfinding cues about what they’ll find within the department or aisle category.
• Be mindful of the season. Through seasonal planogram changes and the addition of seasonal graphics, end caps quickly transform the feel of an environment. Using end caps and creative aisle displays to feature sunglasses ahead of beach season is a great example of this.

What Should You Consider When Designing an In-Aisle Store Fixture?

Shoppers may think of the typical retail store aisles as consisting of long rows of shelves stocked with products, but behind the scenes a lot more thought goes into creating a positive and productive in-aisle experience. Whether using gondola systems or custom free-standing fixtures, retailers must be sure they are A) making it as easy as possible for people to find what they’re looking for, while also B) bringing some creativity into the experience to engage their shoppers. Some of the key factors to think keep in mind when planning and designing in-aisle store fixtures include:

• Signware. Basic in-aisle signware is essential to inform shoppers at this level of communications in-store.
• Organization. Another key to making the in-aisle experience easy for your shoppers is how you choose to organize product and brand offerings (for example, brand blocking vs. checkerboarding your product placement).
• Spacing. Creating positive disruption that features visuals or gives more space to stop the eye and showcase featured products within the aisle can provide a visual break to shoppers while drawing more attention to what you place there.
• Materials. Wood, metal and plastic are the most common materials used for in-aisle retail fixtures. However, there are many ways to make in-aisle features stand out with special touches like powder coated metal, 3D printing, acrylics, laser cutting, metal stamping and more.
• Custom in-aisle fixtures. Creating beautiful, eye-catching custom features is a great way to stand out in a crowd and draw shoppers’ attention directly to a product category or brand.

At VCI-Rose Displays, we specialize in collaborating with clients, including some of the nation’s best-known brands and retailers, to create custom end caps and in-aisle fixtures that attract and engage your shoppers. Reach out any time to start a conversation or exchange ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can VCI and Rose Displays help with end caps and in-aisle fixtures? We bring to the table four decades of retail experience and a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility equipped with all the capabilities our skilled craftsman need to create cost-effective, eye-catching fixtures and displays tailored to your unique retail merchandising needs. What are some examples of store fixture work VCI-Rose has done with retail clients? In additional to some of the end cap and in-aisle fixture projects depicted on this page, we also have a long history of working on special fixture projects with such clients as Rockport, Dicks Sporting Goods, Foster Grant, Staples and many more. What are some of the current trends in retail fixtures? We specialize in helping brands and retailers discover fresh strategies to enhance the shopping experience with custom store fixtures and displays. We also regularly share such ideas on our blog post: See “Custom Retail Fixtures and Store Displays that Engage Shoppers.”