What’s Your Merchandising Vision

9. Use graphic aids to help the reader shop. Gooseberry Patch uses a lot of call-outs on its catalog pages for this purpose. “A big yellow gold star, for instance, is used to help point out items specially selected by Jo Ann and Vickie,” says Plotnick-Snay.

10. Present your products in unexpected ways that play to your brand’s personality. “Customers are bored, tired and pressed for time. Wake them up visually,” says Syverson. When you’re thinking of new designs, ask yourself: What’s your brand personality? Take a look through your catalog: Is your brand personality evident in your products and on the catalog’s pages? If not, you’ve got something to work on.