Stock and trade design: merchandising furniture so the core range sells

Stock and trade design, also called furniture merchandising design, is the way a retailer displays its core range. It covers the store layout, room-set vignettes, display units, lighting and styling that turn a collection of furniture into rooms a customer can imagine living in.

This guide is for furniture retailers and the designers who help them. It's part of the trade furniture series. For choosing what to stock, see stock-and-trade practices.

Which furniture display techniques work best?

Room settings work best for furniture, because customers buy rooms, not single items. Four techniques do most of the work:

How should a retail furniture floor be planned?

Plan a clear loop that takes customers past every room set, with the most profitable pieces on the main path. Keep the first few metres inside the door uncluttered so customers can orient themselves. Leave generous aisles so large items can be seen from a distance, and refresh the front of the store most often.

How do you choose designs for a display?

Choose designs that work together in material and colour, cover a range of price points and suit your customers' homes. Mixing finishes from one material family, such as solid wood in several tones, keeps displays cohesive. A mood board for each room set helps before you buy.

When does custom furniture help merchandising?

It helps when a stock piece almost fits but not quite: the wrong finish for a scheme, or a size that doesn't suit the space. Artisan offers custom finishes and sizes on its handmade range, which lets retailers present cohesive sets and offer customers made-to-order options.

How do retail fixtures and lighting support stock?

Fixtures such as plinths, shelving and wall panels lift smaller pieces into view; lighting makes wood grain and finish visible. Warm, focused lighting on room sets sells solid wood far better than flat overhead light.

How does merchandising raise order value?

Room sets suggest complete purchases: the table, the chairs, the sideboard and the lamp. Staff can sell the room rather than the item, and price tickets can show the room total alongside individual prices.

How do trade show stands use the same ideas?

Event stands borrow the same principles for a few days instead of a season: a hero piece, a room set, clear sightlines and warm light. See trade show displays.

Which checklists and templates help?

Use the stock and trade display checklist, the troubleshooting guide for stock display designs and the exhibit layout template. The National Retail Federation and ASID publish retail and design guidance.

Online merchandising instead?

Online stores merchandise with photographs instead of floor space: room-set images, "complete the look" bundles and style collections. See marketing dropship home goods online.