by Michelle Amster

There are several key things to remember when planning an endcap display, which, when applied, will cause a noticeable increase in sales of products positioned there.

First, if your current book island units do not have slatwall end panels, you need to have them installed. You can either contact a fixture company or have them made by a local builder. Make sure that they are finished with molding all around the slatwall so that it doesn't look like an afterthought.

Next, make sure that you have the correct shelves and tools so that you can put all kinds of product on the slatwall end panels. You can either use acrylic or metal endcap shelves, which are available from several display companies.

Book displays: End panels can highlight smaller book categories that can easily be overlooked. Consider categories such as audiobooks, large print books, books for senior adults or Bible software, as they are normally smaller categories in small- and medium-sized stores.

The other main way to take advantage of slatwall end panels is to highlight new books or best-selling books, or feature an author or a category.

The most effective way to catch shoppers' attention is to use a striping display pattern with the same title on two or three shelves in a vertical position. You should put three or four different books across the top shelf and then repeat in the same order on the shelves below.

Vendor displays: If you don't have the space for the entire unit, use the graphic panels to draw attention to the new or featured title.

You can also use this idea when a temporary display starts to get empty, but is still selling well. Take the remaining product and the header, and put them on your existing slatwall endcap. If you don't have enough product left to make a real statement, you can add some titles by the same author or on the same subject.

Permanent fixtures: This mostly works for Bible studies, bookmarks or Bible covers. Don't use too many vendor displays or spinners on endcaps because these units are normally taller than the shelves, and they can create a visual wall if you have too many of them in a row.

A final thought—move your endcaps around. You will be amazed at how many people think that you are displaying new product after you have moved the product from one endcap to another.

-Michelle Amster is president of IntegraGP and has more than 20 years of experience in designing church and Christian retail stores.

-Click here to read the complete article: http://www.thechurchbookstore.com/a.php?ArticleID=16857.