Consulting a Retail Signage Professional

If you’re considering opening a retail store, you already know that you have many things to consider. Of course, there are the major items, such as product lines and leasing a space. When you’re ready to begin considering the smaller details, make sure that retail signage is at the top of your list. Not only will you have to consider how you want to use signage and what you want it to look like, but also how much of it you need, the material you want it printed on, how you plan on displaying it, and how frequently you intend to swap it out for new, updated signage. With so many things to consider, it is in your best interest as a retail store owner to consult with a professional signage company that can help you determine what signage options are best for your store.

You’ve probably assumed that retail signage was all basically the same, printed on the same materials, and hung in the same fashion. Well, you could not be more wrong! A consultant from a retail signage company can sit down with you and go over all of your options. First of all, you will have to decide what type of material you would like your retail signage printed on. Regular or heavy paper stock? Card stock? Canvas? A plastic-based material? Would you like the finish matte, glossy, metallic, or somewhere in between? You will also have to decide upon an appropriate thickness for the signage and whether you would like it printed double sided. You are probably feeling pretty overwhelmed by now, and that is precisely why you should consult with a printing professional.

You also must consider how you want to mount your retail signage; it will affect how the signage is constructed. Once again, you will have several options to choose from. You can place your signs on an easel, hang them in a frame, suspend it from wires, or display them in stands on your shelves. Some of these display methods will require that you use specific materials; others will be more flexible. Each display method requires certain fixtures as well, such as frames, wires, tracks, and rods. Consult with your signage company to find out what you will need for each type of signage. They might even be able to provide and install the fixtures for you. If not, they will at least be able to refer you to someone who can, and they help you to work out the dimensions of the fixtures based on the size of the signage you have selected.

Another consideration is what you will be putting on the signs. Now, that one sounds obvious. Of course, you have to know what will be printed on them. Why would you be getting retail signage printed if you didn’t know what you were going to be putting on it? What you need to realize, though, is that it goes beyond simply deciding what the content will be. You must decide how the content and colors will affect what type of signage you choose. Will you need embossing or debossing on any of the images or letterings? Will the design fit a standard shape and size, or will you have to get it custom cut? Are there cutouts anywhere in the middle? The variety of colors you choose and the intricacy of any images or patterns will affect the method of rendering the printing (for example, whether you use digital or offset printing), which in turn will affect the type of material you print on. The size of the design will also affect your choice of materials. Very large signs won’t do well with thin paper, and small signage to be inserted in shelf stands won’t work well in heavy canvas. Many people print their retail signage in a variety of sizes, so there is always a chance that you will have to print on a variety of materials. Consult with your print specialist to determine the best plan for you.

Most of all you must consider the safety of your patrons and employees.  Overhead hanging signage is dangerous if improperly installed and without a safety signage system in place, your employees are at risk for serious injury if you use ladders to change your overhead signs.  Strongly consider the pulley-type system of retail signage to protect the safety of those in the store and to create a uniform, level, professional look.

How Safe and Consistent Retail Signage Can Increase Profits and Reduce Risk?

In the current economic climate, the retail industry continues to be one of the largest and most profitable in North America, as well as in many countries around the world. In spite of an economic downturn in other markets, the retail industry has maintained its profit margins surprisingly well.  Despite the success of the industry as a whole, retailers must take great care to protect their customers, employees and their brand. Having the proper retail signage that maintains the viability of a businesses’ image is imperative to maintaining a profit margin in this sector.

The hefty presence of the retail industry to the U.S market need only be evidenced by the fact that it was worth 3.7 trillion in terms of employment and revenue to the U.S economy in 2010. The retail industry is vitally important to every western economy, as consumerism is constant and the labor requirements of the retail industry stimulate domestic employment and further facilitate spending behavior. The profitability of this industry does come with a substantial amount of risk in terms of customer and employee safety; liability for the safety of everybody on retail premises is something every business must accept.

As previously stated, retail is a labor-intensive industry; for every added employee and customer there comes added risk of injury and company liability.  Although the industry as a whole is substantial, the costs to protect a business from injury liability can make quite the dent in profit margins. On average, the costs of employee and customer liability and risk total 0.6% of total sales, which comes to a $ 21 billion price tag to retailers as a whole in the United States. This is a substantial amount of any retail business, big or small, franchised or not. It is, therefore, imperative to maintain the safety standards of the physical retail space for both employees and customers. Something as seemingly simple as retail signage that has been mounted improperly could cost a business a hefty amount in injury claims, not to mention tarnish the reputation of an establishment.

Apart from the safety risk that comes with having inadequate equipment and signage, the consistency and reliability of a brand is also on the line. For any retail space, particularly those that represent a larger company, an image that customers anticipate and respect is important to maintain a consumer base. Branding a retail space is an important step in this market; customers can likely get basic supplies from a myriad of large or small businesses, but what leads them to a certain space is familiarity and trust. Making large or small changes to a physical retail space may very well turn customers away and lead them to a competitor. A large part of maintaining an image is having the proper retail signage in and around the physical retail space. Effective signage will be hung at an appropriate level, easily changed to accommodate rotating stock, safely secured, and be readily recognized as presenting the brand of that particular retail space.

Branding a space with retail signage is not simply about making customers aware of prices and availability of stock, but creating a recognizable design and color scheme that is familiar. Psychologically speaking, humans respond in a positive manner to that which they find familiar, due to the automatic association with comfort and trust. Signs that are consistent and appealing are far more likely to be read and paid attention to than confusing or inconsistent signs.  This same rationale is the basis for every television or Internet advertisement; with enough repetition and consistency, an image will be imprinted on some level in the minds of consumers.  The priming effect of advertisements is readily known in all industries, which is why businesses invest in commercials and signs. Having brand or product recognition on any level undoubtedly gives a company a competitive edge that can boost profits substantially.