Every retailer needs effective signage to promote its brand and products to help customers quickly find what they need. Floor graphics are some of the best types of signage for can use in retail.

Read on to find out how floor decals can help grow your business and how they can be used effectively.

What Are the Benefits of Floor Graphics?

Floor graphics are some of the most cost-effective advertising solutions that grab attention and help drive sales, as long as they are used right. They provide several significant benefits, all of which lead to increased sales and revenue.

Catching Attention
With store shelves and aisles so busy with colorful products and signage, it is difficult to stand out and be noticed.  Many brands and retailers are increasingly considering floor graphics to draw attention to a particular shelf or aisle. Because floor graphics are applied usually on a neutral-colored floor any graphic will draw attention compared to an aisle sign that can get lost in the busy-ness of a product shelf. 

Building Brand Awareness

For retailers, custom floor graphics are a great way to help promote brand awareness and reflect its personality. Floor decals advertising at checkout or upon entry displaying your  company logo, motto, core values, and anything else that showcases your brand identity can aid in keeping your brand top-of-mind.   

Alternatively, floor graphics can be a great way to showcas achievements or awards your company have received, or any interesting facts about your business that will make your brand memorable. All of this will make you stand out from other stores and help customers remember you. 

It is worth noting that many construction styles of floor graphics utilize a protective overlaminate over the printed inks that can change the color hue of the graphic slightly.  If brand consistency is important, Hopkins Printing encourages its clients to have samples made or have a color match performed.  

Promoting Sales and New Products

One of the most popular uses of floor graphics is advertising on-sale products or new additions. Retailer floors offer free unobstructed advertising space which can be a great way to draw eyes.  Big-box store retailers across the nation have utilized floor decals to highlight shelves or products to draw excitement or sell high-margin products.  

Since floor graphics are quite affordable, it is common to see them used for temporary  promotions, discounts, and sales Then removed with relative ease with clean removal afterward.  

Directing Customers

Providing in-store directions is one of the most common uses of floor graphics. How does that benefit your business?

Reducing stress by helping patrons navigate a retail store is a great way to increase customer satisfaction.  While most directions or category signage is usually found overhead, floor graphics can be used to point people toward more temporary items like the most popular products, new offers, limited-time offers, and all those promotions discussed. It’s not enough to place an advertising decal in one or two spots (e.g., the front of the store), especially if you have a large store. You need to direct foot traffic towards those products that you want to sell quickly.

Floor graphics are also useful for providing optimum routes through all the aisles.  This is especially important in today’s era of COVID where floor decals are commonly made into arrow shapes and applied to the ground at each aisle entry assigning each aisle for one-way traffic.  You don’t want your customers to circle the aisles forever in search of particular products. Navigating them will improve their experience and entice them to come back.  

That’s especially important if you change your store’s layout. Exact directions will eliminate frustration and help customers find what they’re looking for quickly.

Saving Space

Traditional signs and posters can take up valuable space in a retail store. They can also get in the way of shoppers by protruding into the aisle, especially when the store is crowded. Floor graphics eliminate these issues.

An additional benefit is that floor decals require much less planning consideration since they don’t require mounting hardware, or have extensive installation or size considerations.  Floor decals can help optimize a retail spaces and remove any obstructions while catching people’s attention and driving sales. 

How to Use Floor Graphics Effectively

The key to using floor graphics effectively is to place them where foot traffic is highest. Promotional floor decals installed  at the end of the store will only be seen by few and the ROI will be less dramatic.  

Depending on the goal, Floor decals can be strategically placed throughout the store to create a treasure hunt feel.  If rotated frequently and highlighting exciting deals or products, this can create additional foot traffic as patrons walk the store.    

Most importantly, floor decals are best placed at the point of purchase to influence impulse buyers. Shoppers standing near checkout lines will make last-minute purchases if you grab their attention with compelling graphics and offers.

Don’t underestimate the power of a “Welcome” floor decal at the front of the store. If it’s unique, creative, and reflects your brand’s personality, it can go a long way, even if it’s not of an advertising nature. Welcoming customers politely will never go out of style.

Lastly, floor graphics have been the go-to signage in 2020 and 2021 to encourage social distancing in a fashionable and unobstructive way.  Simple floor decals spaced every 6 feet where a queue of people form is a great way to keep the public safe.  Floor decals can be designed to stick to VCT tile, ceramic, wood, concrete, and low pile carpet.   

Frequently Asked Questions

These are some of the most common questions we get about floor graphics, but feel free to reach out if there’s anything else you’d like to know. Whether you have questions about our vinyl graphics, sidewalk decals or floor decals  in general, we’ll be happy to help out.

1. What are floor decals made of?

While there are a few different ways to build floor graphics, the most common construction is composed of 3 layers.   The bottom-most layer is a specially designed adhesive for applying the decal to various floor types, while the mid-layer is a white vinyl substrate with the actual printed graphic design, then the top layer is a durable PVC over-laminate that’s slip-resistant and skid-resistant. 

2. How long do floor graphics last?

The lifespan of any decal or signage can vary drastically based on numerous factors.  One of the main causes of indoor floor decals failing is the edges peeling up after significant foot traffic, floor cleaners, or dragging items over them.  Due to the variation of each environment, the replacement frequency of indoor floor graphics can range from 1 month to 1 year.  

Floor decals can last longer if they’re installed and constructed properly, while avoiding the wear and tear the causes them to peel up.   So, the quality of materials, proper installation, and maintenance play a big part in how long floor decals will last.  

Due to the additional exposure to sunlight and elements, outdoor floor graphics like concrete graphics on sidewalks can last 1 month to 6 months and are discouraged for use in low temperatures where snow shovels are frequently used.  Using properly specified materials for the application and installing them properly will help extend their lifespan.  

Please link to this when discussing concrete graphics – https://www.hopkinsprinting.com/products/concrete-graphics/

3. How to apply/remove floor graphics?

Floor graphics must be applied to a thoroughly cleaned and dry hard floor, free from moisture and oils.  Prior to applying floor graphics, use cleaning supplies to clean the area thoroughly followed by wiping the surface with  rubbing alcohol to remove any oil before wiping it dry again.

The last step is to install the graphics by peeling the liner off and applying the decal to the floor. Make sure you consult with your provider first to determine if there are any special requirements regarding the surface. They’ll also provide you with step-by-step installation instructions.

Removing floor graphics is even simpler, as you can peel them off with your fingers. If there’s some resistance or it keeps tearing, you can loosen up the adhesive with a hair dryer or heat gun. Clean the floor with soap and water afterward to remove any sticky residue.

4. Does vinyl stick to the carpet?

Most vinyl floor graphics are designed for hard surfaces, such as wood, smooth concrete, VCT tile, ceramic tile, and laminates. However, with consultation from NGS Printing at the time of quoting, we can build a floor decal specifically designed for short-pile carpets. 

If you need high-quality custom floor decals for your retail store, contact us today, and let’s bring more value to your business.