Visual Display Creation: Merchandising Similar Product Together.

Merchandising similar product together can create a dramatic impact, while quickly educating a customer to the depth of product you carry within a given category. This type of merchandising presents a visually clean image and makes the best use of the customers' time in your store by making it easy to identify where the product is located.

Displaying similar products together in a window is called creating an impact window. This type of presentation is dramatic and creates an awareness of the variety of a particular selection inside the store.
For example:

• If you carry an extensive line of mugs, you could create a dramatic presentation by simply stacking your product in the window. 
• A store like Williams Sonoma might construct a display incorporating every variety of flavored vinegar they carry. 

Placing similar products together inside the store is called creating a shop interior anchor area or niche. This is sometimes called creating a store within a store. These areas are the basic building blocks of your store and this type of interior organization is most commonly used by retailers. When you create an anchor area, merchandise is usually placed together with similar product, brand, color or texture. For instance, all of your lamps will be in one section, perhaps organized by brand, while all of your stationery will be in another. This product grouping works especially well for demand items. It allows your customers to quickly find what they are looking for and to see the breadth of product you offer within any given category. You may want to create a focal point which incorporates cross-mix merchandising within each area.