How to Create an Unforgettable Shopping Experience: Insights from a Small Concept Store

Dear fellow store owner,

Running a small concept store is an exciting journey with its ups and downs. Just over two years ago, I moved my studio into the back room of a small concept store called WILLA in Berlin-Kreuzberg. Alongside the studio, I got a shelf and some space to present OBAstudios products. I quickly learned how to showcase them effectively. To this day, I still spend one day a week behind the counter, chatting with customers.

Over time, I’ve picked up a few tips and tricks that I’d love to share – hopefully, they’ll help you create a special shopping experience for your customers.

1. Designing the Perfect Display for OBAstudios Products

Why it matters: OBAstudios products are not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing. With the right presentation, you can highlight their unique qualities and spark customer curiosity.

Tips for display design:

• Create dedicated areas: A clean shelf, a table, or a corner that reflects the brand’s minimalist and elegant style can turn each product into a highlight. Sometimes less is more. I’ve found that customers remember the products better when they're not surrounded by too many other things.
• Use natural materials: Wood, stone, and other organic elements are perfect for displays. The ROCKY M. soap dish, for example, looks especially appealing on a marble or wooden tray.
• Lighting is everything: Soft, targeted lighting can highlight your best products beautifully. Light has a big impact on how customers perceive texture, color, and detail. Use a spotlight to draw attention to the elegant design of the CIDRA citrus juicer, for example.

How OBAstudios can support you: We’re happy to provide printed display cards for some of our products, as well as digital materials to download and print.

2. Combine OBAstudios Products to Boost Sales

Why it matters: Pairing OBAstudios products with complementary items can inspire multiple purchases and create attractive displays that show how items work together in everyday life.

Some ideas for combinations:

• ROCKY M. Soap Dish + Artisan Soaps: Combine ROCKY M. with handmade soaps. A bundle offer with a slight discount could boost sales.
• CIDRA + Bar Tools or Cookbooks: Present CIDRA alongside high-quality bar tools or citrus-themed cookbooks. It shows the versatility of this tool and inspires customers to create their own cocktail or cooking moments.
• STELLA Aroma Diffuser + Essential Oils + Candles: Combine STELLA with essential oils and candles to create a spa-like display. Gift sets like these are especially popular during the holidays.

How OBAstudios can support you: We’ll happily provide a list of complementary products to create appealing and sales-driving displays.

3. Use Storytelling Techniques to Bring Your Displays to Life

Why it matters: Stories create emotional connections. They help customers understand the product, discover its background, and imagine how it fits into their lives – making them more likely to buy and stay loyal.

Examples of storytelling in displays:

• Product origin stories: Every OBAstudios product has a story – the inspiration, the materials, or how it’s made. Share these stories with small signs or cards next to the items. For example, you could add a note next to ROCKY M. explaining that its zigzag shape was inspired by the Rocky Mountains.
• Themed displays: Create displays around themes or lifestyles your customers relate to. A “Morning Ritual” corner with CIDRA, lemons, and ginger shows how it fits into a self-care moment. Simple signage can explain how this small ritual turns a dull morning into something mindful.

How OBAstudios can support you: We’ll provide you with background info and product stories to bring your displays to life.

4. The Challenges of Online Sales: Why we only do limited time based discounts

Why it matters: As a small business, I understand how tough it is to stay afloat. Online retail has transformed the industry, but we should also acknowledge its downsides – especially when dealing with handmade products from independent makers.

Here’s the reality:

• Craftsmanship loses value: When products are sold online with discounts, they can become just another object on a digital shelf – stripped of their story, care, and craftsmanship.
• Price wars & devaluation: Online platforms often encourage price wars where the lowest price wins. This can be damaging for artisans who rely on fair pricing.
• Loss of connection: Shopping online lacks the personal connection between product, customer, and shopkeeper. You lose the feel, story, and atmosphere – especially when discounts dominate the message.

Our approach:
At OBAstudios, we preserve the integrity of our products by not offering discounts online. In-store, sales events allow items to retain their value and exclusivity, celebrating the craftsmanship behind them.

Have you considered volume or bundle offers instead of discounts? Many customers buy OBA products as gifts and would gladly keep one for themselves.

In Summary:
Displaying OBAstudios products isn’t just about placing them on a shelf – it’s about creating an experience your customers will love. By combining them with complementary items, using natural materials, and telling compelling stories, you can create a space that draws people in and encourages multiple purchases.

OBAstudios is here to support you with product info, display ideas, and storytelling strategies – so you can get the most out of these beautiful objects. Together, we can create retail experiences that reflect the best of OBAstudios, increase your sales, and build lasting customer relationships.

Barbara
(from behind the counter and in the studio)