Garment Rails Vs. Display Units for Retail Environments

Retailers are often faced with a tricky task; that is, fitting all of their products into a limited space, whilst displaying them effectively and making sure their shop looks good. Your merchandise needs to be easy to browse and it’s important to maximise the space you have available. Which is why garment rails and display units are essential to virtually all retail stores. As one of the UK’s leading providers of high-quality shop fittings, we are regularly approached by small start-up businesses and we often get asked – should I choose garment rails or display units for my new store?

Of course, the answer to that question varies depending upon your exact needs and requirements; however, generally speaking, we recommend a mixture of both for most clothing retail environments. Here we take a look at the advantages of garment rails and display units in turn and offer some top tips, hopefully helping you to come up with the perfect solution for your new shop.

Garment Rails:

Many of today’s man-made fabrics are crease resistant, thus allowing for easy folding and marketing on a display unit; however, there are still perfectly good reasons to use garment rails for men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel and this type of shop fitting has a number of useful benefits.

One such benefit includes their aesthetic appeal. Whatever the size of your shop, a garment rail will display your products in the best possible light. Rather than being folded away on a shelf, the clothes will be on full display for all customers to see and there’s much more chance of a particular garment catching somebody’s eye. Items designed to be worn together – such as a skirt and blouse or a blazer and suit trousers – can be displayed side-by-side, thus encouraging the customer to buy the overall outfit rather than individual items. Clothes can even be organised in size order, from smallest to largest. It’s all about making the shopping experience as easy and as pleasant as possible for the customer and this is definitely where high-quality garment rails come into their own.

What Garment Rails are Available at UK Shopfittings?

Here at UK Shopfittings, our garment rails are available in a range of sizes and they can be portable (fitted with castors), self-standing, fitted to walls, revolving, or on a fixed ring stand. Of course, the size of the premises and the products you intend to market will have a bearing on the number and types of rails required. Make sure to think about it first and make your decisions carefully!

Display Units:

When used in conjunction with mannequins, display units are an ideal way to show off a large range of casual clothing, including everything from men’s t-shirts and polos to lady’s underwear sets and briefs. An example of each type of clothing can be placed on either a half- or full-sized mannequin – thus allowing them to be easily seen by customers – and the full range of colours, styles and sizes can then be folded neatly onto a nearby display unit or gondola. For this reason, display units are an incredibly effective space-saving solution and they are used by the biggest of all retail superstores.

Another advantage of display units, particularly over garment rails, is versatility. So many products today arrive in individual cellophane wrappers and packaging; however, thanks to the diverse range of slatwall accessories available, a display unit can be adapted to meet the needs of such merchandise. Slatwall arms and display prongs can be clipped into the gondola’s wooden backing, shelves can be added and – when used to their full advantage – display units can be used to present a diverse range of different products in a highly interesting and unusual way. They can also be placed anywhere in the shop that receives high traffic and additional display units can be added for seasonal product displays, promotions, and special sales.

Are Display Units Available at UK Shopfittings?

Quite simply, the answer is yes – we offer a fully comprehensive range of budget display units and quality gondolas. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a cost-effective and practical option or something a little more high-quality and unique, we have it all. Our display units are currently available in a choice of maple and white and they are the perfect solution for a wide range of stores.

Top Tips for Choosing Garment Rails and Display Units

Deciding on the right garment rails and display units for your business can be difficult and it’s incredibly important to think about your individual needs and do your research before buying. One piece of advice is to take stock of your product range. Whether your intention is to open a shop specialising in occasion wear or a store focused on casual apparel, having an idea of what you will be selling will help you to choose the right garment rails and display units for you. As a general rule, anything that hangs from the shoulder or waist to the knees or below will be better displayed on garment rails, whilst anything shoulder to waist length can be easily folded on a display unit.

Secondly, it’s important to take your intended audience into consideration. Whilst some people may be used to visiting the large stores and searching through display units for the size or colour they want; other people may be much more comfortable with a simple garment rail system. Customer experience is more important than ever and, ultimately, you need to make the shopping experience as easy as possible for your target customers.

Contact UK Shopfittings for Further Advice

If you’re still unsure about which garment rails and display units would be best for your retail environment, please feel free to get in touch. Our team of experts here at UK Shopfittings have over 15 years’ experience in the industry and, when it comes to different types of shop fittings and display solutions, they demonstrate a wealth of knowledge. Simply give us a call on 01704 565341 or send a quick message to [email protected]. We’re always on hand and happy to help and, we guarantee, we will select the perfect garment rails and display units for your new shop!