9 Tips For Setting Up A Salon Retail Display When You're Short On Space
Find what salon retail display ideas will fit your unique workspace
So many items, so little space! You want your tools accessible, yet you want your retail to be front and center. As a salon owner, you’re no stranger to the headache of making all your tools, products, and retail organized.
Creating a retail display doesn’t have to take up too much of your valuable space. Or cost lots of money. Whether you’re running a salon that sells cosmetic retail products or sells specific hair care products, setting up the perfect retail display doesn’t have to be tricky.
All you need are these tips and some creativity.
Here are 9 salon retail display ideas to get you started.
1. Take advantage of narrow surfaces and wall space
Your surfaces don't all have to be wide. Wide counters and shelves have a huge footprint, unnecessarily wasting lots of space. Using narrow surfaces give you the same display benefits of traditional surfaces, but with more space for you and your clients.
Wall space is also an under-utilized goldmine of real estate. It’s ideal for creating narrow surfaces that don’t overwhelm a space, especially if you’re a single-chair studio salon.
An easy way to display your retail in a small space is to use narrow entryway tables and shelves. Keep an eye out for ways to use narrow solutions on the vertical space as well, like hanging low-profile salon retail displays from ceilings or walls.
2. Design around what's available
Before you go buying new displays, start with what you have. You may already have some easy-to-repurpose items that fit the bill for displaying merchandise in a small space. Cake stands, decorative trays, vases, stemware, sleek office supply caddies, and more make festive and practical displays.
Boxes from packaging can also be upgraded to professional-looking storage. Transforming humble boxes isn’t just super affordable and eco-friendly. It’s also easy to match them to your retail environments. Simply cover them in a high-quality paper or fabric that goes with your salon’s style.
3. Consider non-permanent shelving if you’re renting
Want to use wall space—but can’t put holes in the walls? Figuring out wall shelves without nails or screws seems tough, but all you need is some creativity.
Would any of these solutions fit your salon?
Renter-friendly adhesives
If your retail isn’t too heavy, this non-wall-damaging tip will change the game for your displays. Command strips come in a variety of storage solutions, like hooks and caddies. You can apply them in a few seconds! If you ever move out of the rented space, you can take them off the wall without damaging it.
A garment rack
Interested in hanging displays? A garment rack can maximize your retail real estate without taking up lots of space. They’re not just super affordable. Many can be adjusted to be extra tall (especially industrial ones), elevating your space’s look by keeping visual clutter away from the floor.
A decorative ladder
Decorative ladders have come into style as home decor for blanket and small-item storage. So why not bring one into the salon? Narrow containers can be placed on the rungs of a ladder leaned against the wall.
Narrow shelves
Need a small-space retail display solution that can handle lots of weight? A narrow shelf or bookcase will go the distance for your inventory!
A corner bookcase
Like narrow shelving, this solution can take lots of weighty inventory. It’s also one of the most space-friendly options. Not only does a corner bookcase let you use an often-wasted space—depending on the bookcase’s height, you can gain lots of vertical space.
A large magnetic whiteboard
A whiteboard gives you lots of customizable space to put up magnetic hooks and caddies. It can be mounted with removable hooks or simply rest on a counter surface. Plus, you can add labels, prices, and commentary, with a dry-erase marker, next to your products.
A corkboard
Similar to the whiteboard, you’ve got a ton of easy-to-rearrange space using a corkboard. You can mount hooks, baskets, and even individual products.
4. Optimize your space according to workflow
Once the tools and products of your trade are squared away, you'll have a better idea of where your retail can live. It's easier to create order if you know what your workflow is.
Your main counter makes for a great storage area for frequently-used items. It’s not always the best place to display retail. You risk mixing your retail and your salon supplies—and having a cluttered work surface. After all, your clients have come for your services first!
Remember: ease of keeping things clean always trumps ease of access. If it's easy to keep tidy, then it's inherently easy to access.
5. Don't stock too much inventory
While stocking a larger inventory might seem like a good idea, it usually causes more of a headache. To prevent your small retail space from getting overwhelmed, limit your inventory to those items you believe will perform best in sales.
You don’t have to have a wide variety to offer just what your clients want. A limited stock tells your clients that you only stock your favorite and most-recommended products.
If you find that your salon retail display isn’t performing well, then go back and re-evaluate which products are needed.
6. Display the retail, conceal the supplies
Everything doesn't need to live in plain view. Things get too cluttered, taking away from your professional look.
Open shelving is great for what you want to sell (or what's aesthetically pleasing, like a nail polish rack). Use closed storage for your regularly used supplies.
If you have any cabinets or drawers, don't be afraid to use them for your less-organized non-retail products! It looks much more put together than having everything out in plain sight.
7. Make it clear what's for sale
Your customer won't know the difference between your daily supplies and what's for sale if you don't make it clear.
Add a sign, and put the retail at the client's eye level. It will help them see what's available to purchase. Use your signage to label your products and post the cost.
8. Display one of each product (and hide the rest)
Have room for bulk storage--but not for putting things on display? Only display a single product, then put the copies out of sight. Restock when needed.
This method helps elevate the items you offer. It makes them feel curated, exclusive, and fast-selling. It’s also perfect for when you have limited stock to sell or even if you have a product that is just coming out on market.
9. Get professional, product-specific, space-conscious displays
Sure, you can display products on tables or even hang them from walls, but that approach isn’t going to work for everyone—and it’s especially not going to work if you’re too busy. You don't have to DIY every display.
Plus, pre-made retail displays are a lifesaver if you’re worried a DIY display will take away from your salon’s professional look.
That’s why commercial salon retail displays are such a valuable option. If your product comes with a display, or one is available to buy, try it out.
Product displays for blinc retail have a small footprint and a professional look. The largest display has room for over 60 products yet a mere 12 x 13.5 inch footprint.
If you’re looking for wholesale cosmetics tailored especially for sensitive eyes, oily skin, and corrective lens wearers, then look into blinc’s b2b cosmetics. Your clients will be thrilled to source high-quality, top-performing cosmetics that don’t cause eye or skin irritation from your salon.
