The 9 Types of Retail Signage You Need to Know

Understanding the types of retail signage and their use cases is an important aspect of generating new business, increasing average purchase size, and driving lift. As time goes on signage becomes more technology forward, disrupting everything from retail customer analytics to indoor navigation. Though there are some tried and true methods to take into account, store managers need to understand the latest advancements to maximize their business’ potential. Here are the types of retail signage and how best to use them.

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Types of exterior retail signage

Storefront signage

Outdoor signage

Billboards

Types of interior retail signage

Demo stations

Directional and informational signage

Promotional signage

Electronic Signage

Digital Displays

Smart mirrors

Augmented reality

Looking to drive more traffic to your building? Our article Retail Store Signs: The Ultimate Guide can help, while our Guide to the New Digital Infrastructure for Malls & Retail Properties ebook will show you how to impress customers and tenants.

Types of exterior retail signage

External signage is about drawing attention to your building and driving valuable foot traffic past your lease line. It should clearly and concisely advertise what your business is and what it’s offering while leveraging every bit of brand equity at your disposal. These types of exterior retail signage can help.

Storefront signage

The difficult part of storefront signage is nailing the design. It needs to be evocative of your brand, easily recognizable, and inform new customers what your business is. Notably, 60% of stores report 10% increases in sales from large signage, so expact a tangible ROI. If you have an established brand, you’ve likely refined your storefront signage to the point of perfection. For smaller businesses and buildings, it’s worth surveying to see how appealing your logo and/or name is and applying that feedback to your design, as it will likely end up as your storefront sign. 

Outdoor signage

Sandwich boards, murals, and directional signs; all of these count as outdoor signage. Outdoor signage is primarily intended to attract walk-in customers to your business, and they’re effective.  A 2012 survey found that 76% of Americans will enter a new business based on their signage. The humble sandwich board is a cheap and efficient way to advertise deals, events, and other promotions. A lighthearted sandwich board joke also helps connect with potential customers before they enter your business. Meanwhile, murals and directional signage increase awareness of your business.

Billboards

Studies have shown that 71% of people aged 18 or older notice roadside advertising and billboards each time they appear. With more than 340,000 billboards in the US alone, 9,600 of those being digital, billboards aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they’re evolving. Retailers can use billboards to drive traffic to their store, showing off limited-time promotions, experiences, or new products to attract more business.

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Types of interior retail signage

Interior signage helps consumers find their way through large buildings, shopping centers, and commercial retail properties while priming customers for key products and experiences. Here are some examples.

Demo stations

Increasingly, consumers are researching products online and then visiting stores to make their final considerations before completing a purchase. New types of retail signage have been explicitly developed to address this growing consumer trend, including interactive demo stations. Demo stations can provide resonant, meaningful brand experiences for customers, while also allowing them to play around with the products they’re considering purchasing. Google and Amazon have nailed the concept with connected home displays, which feature Google Home and Amazon Alexa speakers as well as a range of accessories like smart plugs, light bulbs, and connected thermostats.

Directional and informational signage

Whether it’s to find a product display or a new store, directional and information signage assists shoppers in getting where they want to go. These signs should be placed throughout your building, as well as in front of certain locations like bathrooms, food courts, childcare stations, and anything else that one might specifically search for. These signs don’t contribute directly to sales, but indoor navigation systems do contribute to positive brand experiences, which 73% of consumers say affects their brand loyalty.

Promotional signage

Promotional material is what most business owners will leap to when they think of types of retail signage. These signs will clearly advertise discount prices, bundles, and other types of products and services. They’re often used for advertising specific stores, upcoming events, and giveaways in larger buildings. Research has even found that introducing “low price” signage can generate a material increase in sales, despite the product retailing for the same price as an unmarked version. It’s an inexpensive method for a significant boost, costing nothing more than a few pieces of paper and some ink.

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Electronic signage

Augmented reality, personalized recommendations in-store, and digital displays. These new forms of signage are changing the way businesses engage with shoppers by turning facilities into digital ecosystems.

Digital displays

Digital signage has asserted itself as one of the most effective types of contemporary advertising. It attracts more attention than static signage and can be dynamically updated to fit consumers’ personal tastes, allowing for finer control over the experience guests have in your facility. These signs also help gather valuable data about your consumers, such as the products they spend the most time looking at and which ads prompt the most queries. Digital signage has become common in retail locations, with 94% of retailers stating they’ve used digital signage to enhance the customer experience.

Smart mirrors

Smart mirrors are similar to other digital displays, but they take things a step further. In addition to displaying advertisements and promotions, smart mirrors are also capable of virtual try-on, allowing shoppers to see what they would look like in new clothing without having to physically wear it. Smart mirrors have been found to boost sales, and major retailers like H&M are adding them to stores.

Augmented reality

Some of the most significant types of retail signage currently available are accessible through augmented reality. AR technology unlocks new ad categories for retailers to tap into, like digital media units, AR games, and various forms of personalized brand promotion. Consumers have embraced the technology too, with over 70% saying that they’d shop more frequently if AR were part of the experience. Resonai’s Vera platform provides these AR experiences in accessible ways, adding an exciting digital layer to your building.

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Are you ready to learn more? Get in touch with Resonai today and set up a free demonstration.