SCUBA Fixtures Blog | Retail Display Trends

The Buying Cycle - Everything You Need to Know

Written by Lili Walker | Jul 1, 2025 3:22:18 PM

As a retailer, knowing everything about your store is beneficial, including the buying cycle. No matter what kind of store you run or own, you’ll want to get the full scoop. In order to do this, understanding the three stages of the buying cycle is key: awareness, consideration, and decision. This can all align with what your customers prefer when they enter your retail space as long as you’re doing it right. Read on for more on the full breakdown of the buying cycle and how you can address common challenges with the help of companies like S-Cube Fixtures! 

Awareness Stage: Being Seen by the Right Customers 

It’s all about targeting the right audience. If you end up marketing to the wrong demographic, you’re wasting time and losing money. It’s essential to get your store on the radar of the type of customers you know will buy. Some challenges with this stage are often trying to be unique in the competitive market and stand out. To fix this, you’ll want to stay ahead of trends by following influencers, popular social media, and more. Then, you’re able to capture this trend through compelling storefront displays or signage that will attract attention.  

Consider Point of Purchase Displays 

Point of purchase displays or POP displays are great conversation starters. If they’re well-designed, you’re able to use them to showcase these trends or new products immediately stopping customers in their tracks. These displays create a clear and focused message about your brand’s unique style, leaving customers curious and wanting to step inside. 

Consideration Stage: Turning Interest into Intention 

Now that you’ve got your customers' attention, it’s time for the consideration stage. This is where customers are weighing their options and comparing your products. They start to visualize this product or piece in their own lives and see if it’ll work. A big challenge in this stage is budgeting. If products are too pricey, customers will walk away without considering the quality. To help with this, make sure you compare your prices to other competitors and highlight why your product is better than others through creative signage.  

Try Creative Displays and Fixtures to Get Your Message Across 

Having custom displays to elevate your products is a sure way to get your customers' attention as well as keeping them informed on features, benefits, and what makes your brand stick out. Modular merchandising systems, for example, allow you to present clothing in a way that’s not just organized but enticing. Well-lit displays and mannequins can highlight premium pieces and elevate perceived value. 

Decision Stage: Closing the Sale 

The final stage of the buying cycle is obviously the most important because it’s the point at which the customer is committed to purchasing the product or not. The big challenge here is making sure you don’t run out of the product or deal with unsatisfying checkout experiences. To help with this, you’ll want to make sure your impulse buy section is organized, has complementary items, and can encourage customers to buy more. Also, just making sure the checkout process is streamlined can leave a lasting impression.  

Focus on Impulse Buy Items 

Consider S-Cube Fixture’s point-of-purchase displays to help with high-traffic areas, such as checkout counters, to place similar or impulse-buy items within arm’s reach. Customers have already made the decision to buy one product mentally, so try to convince them to buy additional ones at the last minute.  

Related Articles: See How Custom POP Displays Work

Summary 

Knowing every stage of the buying cycle can help you be a better retailer. It isn’t just about watching customers come in and leave with a product. It’s understanding the mental stages that an individual customer goes through and how you can make it the most efficient process possible. You can do this by using custom displays, point of purchase fixtures, and more. If you end up working with a company like S-Cube Fixtures, you can get all these fixtures exactly how you want them and eventually improve your customers’ buying cycle. Contact us today to learn how we can help your small or big store thrive in tons of ways.