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When the ancient philosopher Heraclitus said that all things flow and nothing stands still, he might just as well have been speaking of the ever-changing realm of retail display, a world in which each season brings waves of new gadgets, fashions and merchandising schemes.

But as retail consultant Natalie Tan points out, there's more to catching a shopper's eye (and making a sale) than mere novelty. "No matter how time changes the trends, the strategies are the same because our basic instincts as human beings are the same," says Tan, owner of Retail Excellence in Burnaby, B.C.

We asked Tan, along with a couple of other retail experts, for some pointers on smart display strategies.

DO entice potential customers with a catchy, informative storefront. "When a customer walks by and—please, God—gives your store a couple of seconds, everything they see has got to be able to convey information: your target market, your price point and your product assortment," says Tan.

DON'T crowd the front of your shop with merchandise. "People need breathing room when they enter a store, so they can get their bearings," says consultant Melanie McIntosh of Vancouver's Inspire Retail Solutions. Researchers say it takes a shopper from five to 15 paces to slow down and adjust to the light when entering a store. Do remember the right-hand rule. "People turn to the right about 80% of the time when entering a store," says McIntosh, "so it's a good place to put things that you want to sell quickly, like seasonal items."

DON'T obscure sightlines between different parts of your store. "Sometimes a space will have a great display near the back that's blocked by signage farther up," says McIntosh. "You want people to be able to see all the way through your store and have a reason to go deeper into it." Clear sightlines also allow staff to keep an eye on customers (as well as potential thieves).

DO create "story" and "power" walls to entice shoppers to move around. "It's all about drawing the eye from place to place," says Tan. Seasonal products that need to move quickly should go on a story wall near the front. Erect a power wall—a big, striking display of a single product (like jeans at the back of every Gap outlet) to draw shoppers to areas where they normally wouldn't go.

DO use signs to help people navigate. "Graphics are very cheap to produce now, thanks to digital printing," says McIntosh. "Signs help people get oriented that much faster; they can also provide useful details about specific products."

DO organize your store into sub-stores for different types of products. "Even smaller retailers can use the concept of the 'store within a store,'" says Tan. A home accessories outlet, for instance, might be divided according to rooms—living room, dining room, etc. Don't forget to put a focal point or two in each area to draw customers' attention.

DON'T let things get messy or disorganized. "There are labour costs involved in keeping a store clean, but it's so important," says David Gray, head of Vancouver-based Sixth Line Solutions. "It sounds simple, but it's the place where small retailers often drop the ball."