Retail signage is a visual display promoting a particular advertisement or message for a retail business or shopfront. It is the most traditional way to reach potential customers and make them aware of your shop and the products it sells.

For thousands of years, retail shopfronts have been using signage to attract people’s attention as they pass by on foot and while riding in moving carriages. The Ancient Greek and Roman merchants used primitive signage to draw people to their outdoor shops and markets. A few thousand years later, shopfronts continue to use modernised versions of the same signage concepts to fulfil a similar purpose.

Here are some of the bespoke signage options you can use in today’s retail industry:

• Digital Signage (e.g., Wall-Mounted, Outdoor, Touch-Screen, LCD Hand Sanitiser)
• Outdoor Signage (e.g., Banners, Billboards, Doors, Safety, Posts, Traffic)
• Illuminated Signage (e.g., Neon, Sign Lighting, 3D Letters, and Logos)
• Indoor Signage (e.g., Notice Boards, Office, Floor Graphics, Doors, Windows)

As you can see, retail signage has become more technologically sophisticated over the last one hundred years. Shopfronts can now use illuminated, digital, and vibrant signage with high-resolution colours and tones. In addition, there are virtually unlimited signage options in terms of the artistic designs and styles available.

Signage creation companies like Hardy Signs specialise in designing and developing bespoke retail signage in over a dozen different styles. As a result, it has never been easier for a small or big retail business to get high-quality signage made for their shopfronts.

How Retail Signage Works

Effective retail signage requires you to incorporate a series of essential elements into it. Here are five tips for creating retail signage that can work well for your shopfront.

1) An Original Colour Scheme

When people look at signage for the first time, they will notice its colours before anything else. So if you use an original colour scheme on all your retail signage, people will have a much easier time remembering your retail brand and its products.

An original colour scheme creates a visual identity for your retail shop. If you use the same colours in all your retail signage, it will be easier to reach people with new messaging in the future.

2) Powerful Signwriting and Call to Action

Retail signs shouldn’t have an abundance of texts and words, but the few words they do have should be compelling and engaging. That is why you need to focus on your signwriting by choosing your words carefully.

Write a simple but effective headline that summarises your shop and message. Leave out all fluff and extra words because they take up unnecessary space on your signage. Keeping it simple is the best way to go.

The average retail sign will have a headline followed by brief explanatory text. Then, at the bottom, you will have a call to action that encourages potential customers to come to your shop or contact its staff.

3) Branded Material

Keep your brand name, logo, slogans, and colour scheme on all retail signage and promotional materials. It is crucial to remain consistent with your branding material so your shop will continue to be recognized wherever its brand elements are promoted.

4) Suitable Environment with Excellent Visibility

It is not enough to create attractive retail signage. You must also put the signage in a suitable environment with the most visibility possible. There should be no obstructions or distractions within the environment to draw attention away from the signage.

5) Professionalism

Retail signage allows you to showcase the professionalism of your shop. If you can display vibrant visuals and legible text, people will assume your shop is professional and upscale. Small retail storefront owners need to give this impression to customers because it’s the best chance they’ll have of growing their companies.

Why You Should Care

If you own a retail shopfront, you have every reason in the world to care about retail signage. Since most shoppers are impulsive, they are more likely to visit shopfronts by simply passing by them accidentally. But the one thing that will get them through the doors is if the signage attracts them.

You may use other forms of advertising to promote your business, such as internet and newspaper ads, but these advertising methods aren’t as effective as retail signage. The reason is that most retail customers visit shops by simply looking at the signage as they pass by them.

Below are the top 4 reasons why you should care about retail signage for your shopfront.

1) Raises Awareness of Your Shop

A new retail shopfront cannot get off the ground unless it raises awareness of its existence. The best way to do that is by posting retail signage in several different locations inside and outside the shop.

Even though your goal is to reach your target audience, you may also attract new people you never thought would be interested in your products. In fact, anyone could respond to your signage because it is out in the world for everyone to see.

2) Informs Your Target Audiences

Your target audience may already be aware of your retail shop and its products. However, signage can inform your target audience about new products, company updates, coupons, sales, or other vital information they need to know about your shop.

3) Cost-Effective Advertising

A retail sign is a physical asset that you own. Only a one-time investment is required to produce each sign. After that, you can put your signs wherever you want for as long as you want. There are no recurring fees or subscriptions when promoting your signage on your shopfront property.

4) Increases Sales

Every retail business must increase sales and profits to survive. Retail signage enables sales from every point of the customer interaction process.

For example, outside signage attracts customers into the shop and makes them aware of its existence. When customers come into the shop, wayfinding signage assists them in navigating around your shop to find what they need.

A successful sale is only possible in many cases because signage helps customers through the sales process.

Contact Us

Would you like to learn how our retail signage creation services can work for your shop? Hardy Signs can be reached at +44 (0) 1283 569 102 if you have questions or inquiries about our services.