Introduction

According to Nielsen, around 30% of annual sales in certain categories take place during the summer, making this season a strategic one for the retail sector. Indeed, the summer period brings a rapid evolution in consumer habits due to weather conditions, seasonal trends, and specific events - this year it will be the Olympics for France. This crucial period offers merchandising professionals unique opportunities, but also considerable challenges, requiring effective adaptation of in-store strategies. To anticipate these summer trends and optimize merchandising, the use of advanced technologies is essential.

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Understand summer consumer trends:

Summer is synonymous with changes in consumer habits. Consumers are looking for products that match the season and their summer activities. Weather conditions play a crucial role in purchasing decisions, influencing up to 70% of consumers' in-store behavior, according to RetailNext. This includes light and colorful clothing, outdoor equipment such as barbecues and camping gear, sports and leisure goods, as well as beauty products adapted to heat and humidity. For retailers, this means showcasing these items and creating displays that inspire a summer lifestyle.

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Adapt merchandising to maximize in-store impact:

To maximize the impact of your merchandising during the summer season, focus on staging and organizing your products. Use summer themes in your displays and windows to create an atmosphere that captures consumers' imaginations. For example, use bright colors and decorative elements that evoke the beach, sun and vacations. Create themed areas where customers can discover and explore different products related to their specific summer needs, such as sections dedicated to outdoor activities or summer skin care products.

Personalizing in-store layouts can significantly influence sales. Harvard Business Review reports a potential increase of 25% thanks to layouts adapted to customers' seasonal needs. 3D merchandising tools, such as those analyzed by Retail Dive, have demonstrated a 35% improvement in efficiency for promotional campaigns thanks to their ability to simulate and optimize product layouts.

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Using technological solutions for summer merchandising

Merchandising is no longer limited to basic visual adjustments. With Retail VR, you can revolutionize your approach by using 3D merchandising to virtually plan and simulate layouts. This not only allows you to visualize how products will be arranged in the space, but also to optimize operational efficiency. You can test different configurations and iterations before implementing them physically, reducing errors and associated costs.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, to capture the imagination of consumers and maximize the impact of summer sales, merchandising professionals need to integrate technological solutions that enable them to simulate, analyze and adapt their in-store strategies more agilely and efficiently. This helps them respond to the changing needs of summer shoppers while boosting their operational performance.

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