22 Mar Retail Banners for Vancouver Street-Facing Stores, Part 2 – Types of Retail Banners
In part 1 of this 2-part series on banners for Vancouver street-facing retail stores, we discussed what a banner is and detailed the pros and cons of vinyl banners vs. cloth banners. This month, we’ll discuss typical usage scenarios for street-facing stores and provide some quick banner design planning tips.
Sandbox Signs + Graphics has been creating attractive, competitively priced hanging and display banners for retailers for 25 year. Our signs can be seen inside and outside retail stores across the Lower Mainland.
Street-Facing Retail Usage Scenarios
Banners are typically used in the following ways for street-facing Vancouver retail stores:
- Main store signage.
- Street-facing hanging window banners.
- Freestanding sale banners.
- Loss-leader signage.
Main signage (outdoor)
Many retailers don’t consider banners for their Vancouver retail company main signage, but they should! Outdoor vinyl scrim banners are attractive and reasonably priced (compared to wood or metal signs). Banners can be cut into a variety of shapes (though rectangular is most common) and attached to the building with attractive metal or wrought iron hangers as shown below. Banners as main signage look elegant and sophisticated. They can be branded with your company logo, letters appear crisp, and the background can be plain (as in the examples below) or contain other design elements and multiple colours.
Two example Vancouver banner signs used for main retail signage.
Street-facing hanging window banners (indoor that face outdoors)
Window banners provide Vancouver stores a flexible, portable option. Used as standalone sales banners or as part of window displays, street-facing window banners are a great way to advertise sales, events and products. You can create generic sales banners (that don’t mention specific products or prices) so they can be re-used for any sale (as in the example below), or, we can create product-specific banners.
Hanging sales banners demand attention and help get consumers into the store.
Freestanding sale banners (indoor and outdoor)
Banners offer Vancouver retailers many display options. Although they are usually hanging signs, they can also be freestanding. Freestanding display banners are usually used indoors (for sales or at events) but they can also be used outdoors to promote sales (typically annual or seasonal sales).
Examples of freestanding banners.
Loss-leader banners (outdoor and indoor)
Vancouver retailers also use display banners as “loss-leader” signage. For the uninitiated, “loss leader” is a marketing term that describes the strategy of putting items on sale (frequently at or below wholesale cost) to encourage purchases of other items. The point of a loss leader is to get the consumer into your store. While they are purchasing the loss-leader, they may purchase other items that have higher profit margins.
Loss-leader banners are usually used outside your Vancouver store or they are often placed inside the store on or near a window, facing the sidewalk and street traffic.
Quick Banner Design Planning Tips
1) Less is more.
It’s important to have a central focus in your banner. For main business signage, the company logo and tagline should be the central focus. Secondary items – such as a phone number or sale dates – should have less prominence. A mistake many business owners make is putting too much information on a banner and then giving everything equal emphasis. If there is too much emphasis, the result is no emphasis.
2) Use maximum tonal contrast
Design your banners with high contrast between backgrounds and lettering. This will make words like “SALE”, a product name or price more legible. While tone on tone may look “designerly” it’s difficult to read at a distance or under poor lighting conditions. Use tones that have high contrast. For example, dark red background, white lettering (as shown in the sale sign example above).
3) Group signs by sale
For example, use multiple signs that advertise a single sale on one window or window display (as in the Agilis Sale example above). Placing too many sale signs for different products near one another makes it more difficult for passers-by to focus.
4) Size and position matters
The main message of the sign, such as the word “SALE” or the product name should be the largest textual element and placed at eye level. Place less important information below or above eye level using smaller font.
Have Questions about Banners for Vancouver Retail Storefronts?
If you have questions about the right choice or combination of banners for your Vancouver or BC retail storefront, contact us or submit a quote request form. Sandbox Signs + Graphics has provided banner and signage solutions to Vancouver and BC retailers since 1994!