208 RETAIL MERCHANDISING TERMS
- Nov 17, 2020
- 20 min read
Updated: May 27
Have you ever walked through a store and wondered what to call that small merchandiser?
It’s on the tip of your tongue, but can’t quite remember.
___________
We’re sharing 208 retail merchandising terms to use as a reference. Whether you’re new to retail or a veteran, you might find a term or 2 that can up your retail game.
Acrylic Display
A clear or tinted plastic fixture with sleek, modern appearance and used to showcase product without visual clutter.
Action alley
The main store aisle, usually with open space. Ideal display location for impulse purchases. Also known as the racetrack.
Aisle Display
A display located within the main shopping aisles, either integrated into existing shelving or freestanding in the middle of the aisle.
Aisle Violator
A small perpendicular sign or attachment that extends into the aisle from a shelf or fixture.
Aluminum Extrusion Display
A modular framing system used for structural rigidity.
Ambient Lighting
Overall lighting that sets the mood of the store environment.
Anchor Display
A large, central display that defines a section or draws store traffic.
Archway Display
A freestanding overhead structure forming an arch or gateway, often positioned over aisles or category entrances.
Art
The visual artwork (typically digital) used for retail advertising and display graphics, also called artwork.
Assortment Planning
Strategic mix of products featured within a display.
Audit
Inspection of displays in-store to ensure compliance and condition.
Augmented Reality (AR)
Overlays digital content onto the physical world through a smartphone or display screen.
Awareness Display
Displays designed primarily to educate, not sell.
Backer Panel
The rear vertical surface of a display, often branded or graphic-heavy.
Backlit Frame Display
A slim illuminated panel or enclosure designed to enhance graphic and product visibility using LED backlighting.
Bamboo
A sustainable, renewable material used for eco-conscious display programs.
Banner Stands
Banner stands are standalone signage that brands can place throughout the store to feature their product or announce a promotion.
Base Deck
The bottom shelf or foundation of a display.
Bay
A single section of retail shelving or fixture space, typically defined by vertical dividers within a gondola or wall system. It serves as a standardized unit for organizing products, planograms, and branded displays within a larger retail layout.
Beacons
Devices powered by Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) that can transmit messages to other Bluetooth-enabled gizmos, such as smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches. enables retailers to send tailored notifications to shoppers depending on where they are in the store or what type of customer they are.
Big Box Store
A large establishment (often in a square or rectangular-shaped building) that’s usually part of a major retail chain, for example Target, Home Depot, and Best Buy.
Bin Stack Display
Nested bins for seasonal or impulse goods.
BOPIS
Buy Online, Pick Up In Store, is a fulfillment model where customers purchase products online and retrieve them at a physical retail location.
Brand Guidelines
A set of standards that define how a brand should be visually and verbally represented across retail displays, including colors, fonts, imagery, and messaging.
Bridge Display
An overhead structural element that spans across an aisle or connects fixtures, creating a defined branded zone within the retail environment.
Built-In Fixture
Custom millwork display built directly into store architecture.
Built-to-Order Displays
A fully customizable modular display program, designed to expand and adapt to different retailers.
These display programs focus on to streamlining the fulfillment process by digitally managing orders, inventory, and logistics.
Display components are stored unassembled, allowing universal parts to be reconfigured and built on-demand as online orders are received and synced with Benchmarc’s in-house fulfillment team.
Built-to-order displays help brands adapt to different retailers needs with a modular components and in-house fulfillment team ready to pick, assemble, and pack on-demand.
Cabinet Display
An enclosed or partially enclosed retail fixture designed to store and showcase products in an organized, secure, and often elevated presentation. It is commonly used for higher-value or specialty items, combining shelving, doors, or drawers to balance visibility, protection, and a more premium in-store experience.
Campaign
A coordinated, time-bound effort that uses in-store fixtures, graphics, and messaging to promote a specific product, launch, or seasonal initiative.
Carded Product
A retail fixture designed to merchandise products packaged on blister cards or backing cards, typically hung on peg hooks for easy visibility and access.
Carousel Display
A rotating, multi-sided fixture that allows 360° product access. These displays optimize small spaces by presenting multiple product lines in a compact footprint. Ideal for accessories, small packaged goods, or samples.
Cashwrap
The main checkout area of a retail store, a prime area for impulse purchases, sample size products, last minute buys.
Category Display
A merchandising fixture or area designed to showcase a complete group of related products within a single category, helping shoppers easily compare options and make informed decisions.
Ceiling Display
Suspended from above, these displays use hanging signs, banners, or structures to attract attention from a distance, navigate large spaces and reinforce brand presence.
Chip Pocket
A built-in holder within a display designed to store and present sample cards, such as paint color chips or material swatches.
Clip strip
Plastic or metal with clips or hooks, used to hang products or promotions.
CNC
Computer Numerical Control is a manufacturing process that uses computer-programmed machines to precisely cut, drill, and shape materials like wood, metal, and plastic for retail display components.
Color Break
A visual merchandising tactic when products with contrasting packaging colors are put next to each other to make them stand out more.
Column Wrap Display
A custom-branded wrap or cladding system that transforms existing structural columns into marketing surfaces. They can include printed graphics, shelving, or digital components, and they often serve as wayfinding or cross-promotion touchpoints.
Corrugated Display
A temporary display constructed from corrugated cardboard. Common styles include floorstands, pallet skirts, and dump bins, making them ideal for high-volume, short-run campaigns in grocery, mass, and club retail.
Counter(top) Display
A compact display unit designed to sit on counters, checkouts, or service desks where shopper dwell time is high. Ideal for limited spaces, countertop displays rely on bold branding, concise messaging, and premium finishes to capture quick attention.
Cross Merchandising
A display that groups complementary products from different categories to encourage combined purchases, such as paint brushes displayed alongside paint cans.
Cube Display
A modular box-shaped structure that can be stacked and rearranged, often seen in as pedestals, risers, or storage elements.
Custom Display
A retail fixture designed and engineered specifically for a brand’s product, goals, and retail environment, rather than using a standard or off-the-shelf solution. It allows for complete control over structure, materials, branding, and functionality to create a unique in-store presence that enhances shopper engagement and drives performance.
Dealer Display
A branded fixture provided to authorized resellers or specialty dealers to maintain consistent merchandising across independently operated retail environments.
Design Brief
A document that outlines the goals, requirements, and constraints for a retail display project, including target audience, product details, budget, and timeline. It serves as the foundation for design and engineering, ensuring all stakeholders are aligned before development begins.
Die Cutting
A stamping process used primarily for corrugated or paperboard displays, where a custom die cuts shapes in high volume.
Dieline
Outline around artwork for cutting or die-line reference.
Digital Kiosk Display
A self-contained, screen-based retail display that provides interactive content such as product information, wayfinding, or purchasing options. It enhances the shopper experience by combining physical merchandising with digital engagement, allowing customers to explore, compare, and make decisions in real time
Digital Signage
Screens (LCD or LED) to display dynamic content such as videos, promotions, or product information.
Dispenser Display
Fixture designed to release one product at a time.
Display
A physical or digital presentation used in retail to showcase products and communicate key brand messages to shoppers.
Display Cases
A type of standalone display that is closed in on all sides by glass or clear plastic.
Display Compliance
The degree to which a retail display is installed, merchandised, and maintained according to the approved design, planogram, and brand standards.
Display Footprint
The total amount of floor space a retail display occupies within a store, including its width, depth, and any required clearance around it.
Display Header
Branded top panel used for messaging and visibility.
Display Hook
Metal arm used for hanging merchandise.
Display Lifecycle
The total duration a POP unit remains active in the field.
Display Shipper
A dual-purpose display carton that functions both as a shipping container and as an in store display.
Display Wall
These displays anchors a product category or creates a dedicated brand presence along a store perimeter. These walls typically integrate shelving, lighting, graphics, and demo components to create a complete brand experience.
Drop Shipping
This refers to an arrangement between a retailer and a manufacturer/distributor in which the former transfers customer orders to the latter, who then ships the merchandise directly to the consumer.
Dump Bin
A flat, open display used to hold large quantities of merchandise for easy browsing. It’s commonly used for promotions or clearance to drive quick, impulse purchases.
Dump Table Display
Temporary table-style display for clearance or bulk sales.
ECO-DISPLAY
A retail fixture made from sustainable materials and designed to reduce environmental impact. It prioritizes minimal waste while maintaining durability and visual appeal.
Edge Strip
A narrow branded or informational strip attached to the front edge of a retail shelf. It highlights pricing, product features, or promotions.
Endcap
A retail display located at the end of an aisle, positioned to capture high shopper traffic from main walkways. It is one of the most visible and valuable placements in a store, often used for promotions, new product launches, or featured items. Effective endcaps combine strong visuals, clear messaging, and easy product access to drive impulse purchases and increase sales.
Endless Aisle
An endless aisle is a feature of brick-and-mortar stores that enables customers to browse and shop the retailer’s entire catalog of products on devices like touch screens and iPads.
Engagement Time
The amount of time a shopper spends interacting with a display, product, or in-store experience. Longer engagement time typically indicates higher interest and increases the likelihood of purchase.
Environment/Décor
The surrounding objects and space with which a shopper comes in contact. It involves all the senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.
ESL
Electronic shelf labeling; digital shelf labels used to update pricing and item information in store, remotely.
Exterior Display
Built for outdoor exposure, these displays are made from weather-resistant materials like powder-coated steel, treated wood, or UV-protected plastics.
Eye-Level Zone
The area of a display at a shopper’s natural line of sight. Products placed here get the most visibility and are most likely to sell.
Fabric (Tension Fabric)
Printed textile stretched over frames to create seamless, high-impact graphics. Fabric displays are lightweight, portable, and commonly used in showrooms and events.
Facing
The number of identical products (or same SKU) facing out toward the customer.
Feature Display
A retail display used to highlight a specific product, promotion, or seasonal item in a high-visibility location. It is designed to draw attention and drive sales by giving select products prominent placement and clear messaging.
Fixture
Any piece of furniture or equipment that is fixed in position and displays or presents products. Fixtures are strategically arranged within the store to streamline the shopping experience and entice customers to buy.
Flag Sign
A small, side-mounted sign that protrudes perpendicularly from a shelf or fixture to catch a shopper’s attention as they walk down an aisle.
Flip-Book Display
A multi-page, hinged or rotating panel system that allows shoppers to browse different product finishes, colors, or configurations in a compact footprint.
Foam Board (Foamcore)
A lightweight board with a foam center and paper surface, commonly used for signage and graphics. It is ideal for short-term displays due to its low cost and ease of printing.
Forecast
An estimation of the future demand for goods or services.
Franchise Display
A standardized merchandising solution used across all franchise locations to ensure uniformity in visual presentation, product assortment, and brand experience.
Free-Standing Display
A stand-alone retail fixture placed directly on the sales floor, independent of existing shelving or walls. It’s used to highlight products in high-traffic areas, offering strong visibility and flexible placement to drive shopper engagement and sales.
Garment Racks
One of the most common types of clothing displays. Some are circular, some have multiple levels to hang items on, and some include shelves with them as well.
Gloss Laminate
Shiny protective film applied to printed graphics.
Gondolas
The standard retail shelving fixture, usually double-sided with adjustable shelves and pegboard backing. Branded gondola bays often include header graphics, shelf-edge labels, and lighting to differentiate the brand within the aisle.
Graphics Package
The complete set of printed or digital visual elements that accompany a display, such as headers, shelf strips, lifestyle imagery, instructional panels, and promotional messaging.
Gravity Feed Display
Slanted tray system that automatically refills the front.
Grommet
A reinforced ring, typically made of metal or plastic, inserted into holes in signage or display materials to prevent tearing. It allows graphics, banners, or panels to be securely mounted or hung using hooks, cables, or fasteners.
Hang Tab
A small adhesive or heat-sealed plastic attachment that allows lightweight products to hang from peg hooks rather than sit on shelves.
Header Cards
These signs usually appear on the shelf tag, next to a product’s price. Similar to shelf talkers, brands can use these cards to educate the buyer, point out promotions, or even suggest a way to use the product.
Honeycomb Board
A lightweight structural panel with a honeycomb core, offering strength with reduced weight.
Horizontal Merchandising
The arrangement of products side by side across a shelf or display, typically grouped by brand, category, or variant.
Hybrid Display
A retail fixture that combines multiple materials, formats, or technologies such as physical product displays with digital screens or interactive elements—into a single unit.
Illuminated Display
A display lit by low-voltage (usually 12 or 24 volts) highly efficient light sources with very long lifespan to draw attention and elevate presentation of the display.
Impact Zone
Visual area that grabs shopper attention first.
Impulse Display
A retail fixture strategically placed in high-traffic or decision-point areas, (such as checkout lanes, aisle intersections, or endcaps) to encourage unplanned purchases.
In-Store Execution
How accurately and effectively a display or merchandising program is installed and maintained in retail locations. Strong execution ensures that displays look as intended, are stocked correctly, and deliver the expected shopper experience.
In-Store Media
All brand communications within the retail environment such as; digital screens, printed signage, interactive displays, audio messaging, QR experiences, and more.
In-Store Visibility
Degree to which shoppers can notice a display.
Information Panel
A designated area on a retail display that communicates key product details, features, or usage guidance to shoppers at the point of decision.
Injection-Molded (Plastic) Display
A retail fixture or component made by injecting molten plastic into a custom mold to create precise, durable, and repeatable parts. It’s ideal for high-volume programs, allowing for consistent quality, integrated features, and a clean, branded finish.
Inline Display
A merchandising unit integrated directly into standard retail shelving, designed to make products stand out within the aisle.
Interactive (Demo) Display
An interactive display invites shopper participation through physical, sensory, or digital engagement, transforming the act of browsing into an active brand experience.
Inventory
The merchandise a retail store has on hand. The term also refers to the act of counting, itemizing and recording in-stock merchandise or supplies.
Inventory Turnover
A measure of the number of times inventory is sold or used in a time period such as a year. Inventory turnover is also known as inventory turns, merchandise turnover, stockturn, stock turns, turns, and stock turnover.
Island(er) Display
An independent display positioned on the floor in a store’s main aisleway or racetrack. Also known as a quad.
Kickplate
The durable panel located at the base of a retail display or fixture, designed to protect it from impacts caused by feet, carts, or cleaning equipment. It helps maintain the display’s appearance over time while adding structural reinforcement and a clean, finished look at floor level.
Kiosk
Small booth or structure for interactive or staffed promotions.
Kitting
Packaging all parts and graphics of a display together for shipment.
Knock-Down Display (K/D)
A display engineered to ship flat and be assembled on-site, reducing freight and storage costs.
Knowledge Panel
Informational board educating shoppers on product use.
Kraftboard
Durable brown paperboard often used in eco displays. Also known as craftboard.
Lamination (Litho-Lam)
The process when printed graphics are laminated onto corrugated board for enhanced durability and premium appearance. Common in retail-ready displays and temporary floorstands.
Laser Cutting
A manufacturing process that uses a high-powered laser to cut or engrave materials like acrylic, metal, or thin wood with extreme accuracy. Ideal for intricate patterns, branding details, and clean edges.
Lead Time
The time between order and delivery.
Lifestyle Imagery
Photos showing product in use, evoking emotion.
Lobby Display
Placed in store foyers, vestibules, or high-traffic common areas, lobby displays serve as brand introductions or promotional showcases.
Locking Cabinet
Secure section of display for high-value merchandise.
Look & Feel
Visual tone or brand aesthetic of display design.
Magnetic Graphic
Interchangeable printed panels that attach to metal surfaces on retail displays using embedded magnets, allowing for quick and tool-free updates. They enable brands to easily refresh messaging, promotions, or seasonal content without replacing the entire fixture, improving flexibility and reducing long-term costs.
Mannequins
Life-sized or stylized human forms used in retail displays to showcase apparel, accessories, or wearable products in a realistic, styled context. They help shoppers visualize fit, proportion, and complete looks, making them a powerful tool for storytelling, trend presentation, and driving purchase decisions.
MDF Display
Medium - Density Fiberboard, a composite wood display material made from fine wood fibers and resin, offering a smooth, uniform surface that’s ideal for paint, laminate, or vinyl graphics.
Merchandising
The embellishments which a retailer adds to a basic product, such as price, packaging, special offers, ticketing/labeling, couponing, product-with-purchase, etc.
Metal (Frame) Display
A structural display fabricated from aluminum, steel, or other metals, valued for strength, stability, and longevity. Ideal for permanent or semi-permanent retail environments, especially where durability and clean aesthetics are priorities.
Metal Fabrication
Includes cutting, bending, and welding steel or aluminum to create durable frames and structures. Critical for heavy-duty, permanent fixtures.
Mobile (Nomadic) Display
A portable retail fixture designed to be easily moved, repositioned, or redeployed across different locations within a store or across multiple retail environments. They are typically lightweight or equipped with casters, allowing brands to adapt quickly to promotions, seasonal campaigns.
Modular Displays
Modular displays are flexible fixture systems designed with interchangeable components that can be reconfigured, scaled, or adapted to fit multiple retail environments.
Motion Sensor Display
Activates lights or sound when a shopper approaches.
Navigation Display
A visual merchandising element designed to help shoppers orient themselves and move efficiently through a store. It uses signage, graphics, or structural cues to highlight categories, direct traffic flow, and guide customers to key products or departments.
Neon Display
A retail fixture or signage element that uses illuminated neon or LED neon tubing to create bold, eye-catching visuals within a store environment.
Nesting Display
A set of display units designed to stack, collapse, or fit within one another for efficient storage, shipping, and space optimization.
NFC (Near Field Communication)
A short-range wireless technology embedded in retail displays that allows shoppers to instantly access digital content by tapping their smartphone on a designated point. In-store, NFC enables seamless interactions such as product demos, how-to videos, reviews, or purchase links, merging physical displays and digital experiences.
Off-Shelf
Any display or promotion that is not part of the regular store, e.g. cardboard POP displays or beverage towers.
Omni-Channel Retailing (Merchandising)
Consider this as the next generation of cross-channel and multi-channel retail. Omni-channel means establishing a presence on several channels and platforms (i.e. brick-and-mortar, mobile, online, catalog etc) and enabling customers to transact, interact, and engage across these channels simultaneously or even interchangeably.
On-Shelf Display
Point-of-purchase (POP) materials directly attached to retail shelving.
Outpost Display
A secondary placement located away from the product’s main category, such as a beverage display near snacks or a sunscreen rack near outdoor furniture. Often seen in cross merchandising
Overseas manufacturing
The production of fixtures and merchandising units in international facilities to leverage cost efficiencies, specialized capabilities, and scalable production. It enables brands to achieve competitive pricing and faster rollout timelines while maintaining quality through coordinated global sourcing, engineering, and quality control processes.
Pack out
The total number of packages of an item for the shelf to be at capacity or fully stocked.
Pallet
A wooden structure used to support goods while they’re being moved.
Pallet Display
A large pre-assembled merchandising unit that ships and sits directly on a retail pallet. They dominate in warehouse clubs, grocery, and mass retail, where fast floor turnover and bulk sales are priorities. Pallet displays can be full, half, or quarter size, often with protective shrouds or skirts branded to attract shoppers from multiple angles.
Pantone Matching System (PMS)
PMS, A standardized color system used to ensure consistent, accurate color reproduction across all elements of a retail display, from printed graphics to painted or coated components. In store displays, PMS helps maintain brand integrity by ensuring colors match precisely across different materials, vendors, and production runs.
PDQ
“Pretty Darn Quick” or “Product Displayed Quickly” is a retail-ready, corregated cardboard container designed for rapid, easy placement on shelves, countertops or endcaps.
Pedestal Display
A single elevated platform or plinth used to showcase hero or premium products. focus shopper attention by isolating a product as an object of importance, ideal for launches, prototypes, or luxury items.
Pegboard Display (fixture)
A display panel with a grid of evenly spaced perforations, allowing flexible arrangement of hooks, baskets, or shelves.
Permanent Display
A durable retail fixture designed to remain in-store for an extended period, typically one to five years, serving as a long-term merchandising solution for a product category or brand. Built from materials like metal, wood, or high-grade plastics, it is engineered for strength, consistent brand presentation, and the ability to be refreshed or updated over time.
PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol
A transparent plastic that combines clarity with flexibility and impact resistance. It is often used for thermoformed trays, covers, and protective display elements.
PlanoGram (POG)
Visual diagram that specifies the exact placement, spacing, and facings of products on shelves or within a display. It ensures consistent merchandising across stores, optimizing visibility, shopper flow, and sales performance.
Plywood
A layered wood panel made by bonding thin sheets of veneer together. It provides greater structural strength than MDF and is often used for durable, load-bearing display components.
Point of Purchase (POP)
Point-of-purchase displays, or POP displays, are marketing materials or advertising placed next to the merchandise it is promoting. These items are generally located at the checkout area or other location where the purchase decision is made.
Point-of-Sale (POS) Display
Positioned near registers or self-checkout areas to stimulate impulse purchases.
Polycarbonate
A highly durable, impact-resistant thermoplastic commonly used in retail displays for panels, guards, and protective covers. It offers excellent clarity similar to acrylic but with greater strength and heat resistance, making it ideal for high-traffic environments where safety and longevity are critical.
Pop-Up Store
A temporary retail environment designed to showcase products, test concepts, or create brand experiences for a limited time.
Powder coating
A finishing process where dry powder is electrostatically applied and cured to create a durable, uniform surface. Provides scratch resistance and clean brand color finishes on metal.
Power Wing (Sidekick)
A side-mounted display attached to the side of a gondola, endcap, or main-aisle fixture. Power wings are perfect for impulse or add-on items tied to the adjacent category.
Projection Display
A display that uses projected imagery on surfaces or product areas.
Prototyping
Building a test unit to validate design and function.
PVC
A versatile plastic material used for signage, panels, and lightweight structural components.
QR Code Display
A display featuring scannable links to online content. Printed display linking to online content via scannable code.
Quad
A display with four sides of merchandise.
Quantity on hand
This describes the physical inventory that a retailer has in possession at the store.
Quarter Pallet Display
A compact version of a full pallet, occupying roughly one-quarter of the standard footprint.
rack display
A structural fixture made of bars, arms, or frames designed to hold and organize products by hanging, stacking, or draping, commonly used for apparel, accessories, or large items.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
A method for embedded tag to communicate SKU and other information from a product to a receiver.
Recycled Plastics
Materials made from post-consumer or industrial waste, used in sustainable display solutions.
Refillable Display
A display designed for ongoing restocking.
Return on Investment (ROI)
A financial measure of display effectiveness.
Riser
A small platform that elevates product within a display.
Rollout
Coordinated national or regional deployment of displays.
Rotating Display
A unit with a turntable or motor for 360° viewing.
Sample (finish) Display
A retail fixture designed to showcase physical material or color samples (such as wood, stone, metal, or coatings) so customers can see and feel product finishes firsthand.
Self-Facing Tray
A shelf management solution that pushes new product forward each time a product is removed.
Semi-Permanent Display
A durable but replaceable display (6–12 months).
Shelf Edge Display
A shelf edge display is a point-of-purchase element attached to the front lip of retail shelving, designed to highlight products directly at the point of decision. It typically includes components like shelf talkers, price strips, or small branded callouts that enhance visibility without taking up additional shelf space.
Shelf Tag
A product's price tag, affixed to the shelf it sits on.
Shelf Talker
A sign attached to a shelf to attract a customer's attention to a certain product or promotion.
Shop-in-Shop
A branded micro-environment within a larger retail space that dedicates brand space within a larger retailer.
Shopper Journey
The full path from store entry to purchase decision.
Showroom Display
A showroom display is a premium, highly curated presentation designed to highlight products in their best possible context, mirroring real-world usage and emphasizing design, materiality, and craftsmanship.
Shrinkage
The difference between the stock you actually have and what you have on paper.
Sintra (PVC) Display
A lightweight, affordable plastic display material commonly used for semi-permanent programs. Often printed or heat formed into a display structure.
SKU Density
The number of unique products per display footprint.
Slat Wall Display
A building material used in shopfitting for wall coverings or display fixtures. It consists of panels, made with horizontal grooves that are configured to accept a variety of merchandising accessories.
Smart Display
A fixture with sensors or data connectivity.
Smart shelves
Shelves use sensors or weight detection to monitor product availability and shopper engagement in real time. They can alert staff to restock items and provide data on which products are being picked up or ignored.
Stacking Bin
A tiered version of a dump bin with multiple levels.
steel
Strong, durable metal used for frames, brackets, and heavy-duty fixtures. Steel provides long-term structural integrity and is often finished with powder coating for durability and aesthetics.
Stock display
Pre-designed, off-the-shelf retail fixtures that are readily available and used across multiple brands or categories with minimal customization. In contrast, custom retail displays are purpose-built solutions tailored to a brand’s specific product, environment, and objectives, offering greater flexibility, differentiation, and performance in-store.
store refresh
The process of updating an existing retail environment through changes to displays, signage, merchandising, or fixtures without a full remodel. It is typically used to keep the store current, improve shopper engagement, and align with new campaigns, products, or brand strategies.
T-Stand
A retail apparel fixture with a T shape for hanging garments.
Temporary Display
A short-term promotional fixture, typically made from lightweight materials such as corrugated cardboard, foam board, or thin plastic.
tiered display
A retail fixture with multiple levels or shelves arranged vertically to showcase products at different heights for improved visibility.
Touch Screen Display
An interactive screen embedded into a display that encourages user’s input or guided exploration.
Tower Display
A vertical retail fixture designed to maximize product visibility within a compact footprint, typically featuring multiple stacked merchandising zones.
Turnkey Program
Full-service display solution from design to install.
Two-Sided Display
A fixture viewable from both directions, commonly used in aisles or open floor areas to maximize visibility, improve traffic flow, and increase product exposure within a limited footprint.
Vacuum Forming
A manufacturing process where heated plastic sheets are molded over a form using vacuum pressure, commonly used to create lightweight, contoured components for retail displays such as product trays, housings, and signage elements. Also known as thermoforming.
Value Engineering
The strategic process of optimizing a display’s design, materials, and production methods to achieve maximum performance at the lowest total cost, without sacrificing quality or aesthetics.
At Benchmarc, value engineering starts early in the design phase, identifying where efficiencies can be gained through smarter materials, modular construction, and simplified assembly. It’s not about cutting corners, it’s about designing intelligently.
Vinyl Graphics
Flexible printed material applied to surfaces for branding and messaging. Vinyl is used for wraps, decals, and overlays, offering vibrant color and easy replacement.
Visual Merchandising
The strategic presentation of products, displays, and store environments to attract shoppers and influence purchasing behavior. It combines design, layout, lighting, and storytelling to create a cohesive, engaging experience that guides customers from discovery to decision.
Volume
The gross amount of business a store does in a period of time. The difference between volume and the cost of doing business is profit.
Wall Display
A vertically mounted system positioned along perimeter walls or category backdrops. Wall displays are often used for lifestyle or premium presentations, allowing for large-scale graphics, integrated lighting, and deeper storytelling. They are ideal for larger or heavier products that benefit from a stable mounting surface, such as tools, home décor, or apparel.
Wayfinding Display
A visual signage element within a store designed to guide shoppers through the space and help them easily locate products, departments, or services.
Wide Format Printing
Large-scale printing used to produce high-impact graphics such as banners, backlit panels, wall murals, and display signage. It enables vibrant, high-resolution visuals on a variety of substrates, helping brands create bold, attention-grabbing displays.
Window Cling
A removable graphic made from static-cling vinyl that adheres to glass surfaces without adhesive, commonly used on storefront windows or glass display panels.
Window Displays
Positioned at the storefront to capture street or mall traffic. They serve as both advertisement and art installation, combining lighting, props, and thematic elements to entice passersby.
Wire Grid Display
A lightweight, open-frame structure made from welded wire grids or rods. The grid pattern allows for flexible use of hooks, baskets, and shelves. Because of their portability and minimal visual bulk.
Wood (Solid) Display
Natural wood used for premium or high-end displays, offering rich texture and durability.
Wood (Veneer) Display
Displays using thin sheets of real wood applied over a substrate like MDF or plywood. Also known as HPL or Melamine.
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New merchandising terms are emerging as retail transforms to meet the demands of todays’ and tomorrow’s shoppers.
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