Create lifestyle themes

By Natalie Tan

Bring lifestyle stories to life inside your store.

Planning a display that excites customers into buying? Bring lifestyle stories to life by taking customers on a journey. From the sea caves, tidepools and beachcombing delights of the West Coast to the nostalgic and nautically historic beaches of the East, displays can bring daydreams to life. If you can capture the soul of your store’s special location, you’ll lure customers to merchandise that gives them a sentimental feeling.

Stories bring people closer to products. They bring life to an otherwise ordinary item. Stories make up people’s memories — of a loved one, a visit to a place or a unique experience. Products displayed as part of stories invite shoppers to touch and view the products for closer inspection.

Enhancing people’s perception of product values is a vital role of storytelling themes. It elevates a functional item into a memento that brings about a precious memory. A fridge magnet holds daily reminders up on a metal surface. But a fridge magnet that depicts a lighthouse is a reminder of a wonderful vacation. And people are willing to pay more for it. That plain fridge magnet might go for $2, but add a symbol of a beach trip, you’ll easily fetch $5 or more. It all goes back to the power of storytelling.

Enhancing people’s perception of product values is a vital role of storytelling themes.

Stories are made up of products that depict the story theme. It can include gourmet food products, confectionery, baked goods, toys (plush or otherwise), clothing, fashion accessories, footwear, kitchen accessories, dinnerware, glassware, home fashions, vases, stationery, bedding or bath accessories. The list is endless as long as the colors and print or design conform to the story theme.

Here are some ideas you may develop for your own display story. I am sure you can add more to these.

  • Tidepools: Anemones, sea stars, sea urchins, baby octopuses, sea cucumbers, shells, snails, seaweed, small fish and crustaceans.
  • Beach finds: Sea glass, shells, colored stones, driftwood, starfish, sand dollars and shark teeth.
  • Historic memories: Landmark icons, vintage posters and postcards, antiques or items that have been treated with an aged finish and old maps.
  • Rustic pleasures: Items with raw wood finish, shabby but chic products, live edge wood pieces, vintage boat paddles, old kettles and other kitchen wares, dried preserved fruits and floral bouquets.

If you do not have enough products to create your story, you can use neutral items such as glass vases filled with colored water to blend in with your theme. These can also be filled with flowers, feathers and fabric pieces within the same color family. Wicker baskets, cork and wood products and items fabricated in metal can also be included.