Effective merchandising taps into the psychology of how people shop—because we rarely make purchases based on logic alone. Instead, our buying decisions are often driven by emotion, visual cues, and how a product makes us feel. Good merchandising creates a sensory experience that captures attention, tells a story, and subtly guides customer behaviour. From the moment someone walks into your store, your displays should spark curiosity, build desire, and help them imagine your products in their own life. When done right, merchandising doesn't just show what you sell, it creates a mood, builds trust, and makes buying feel natural and exciting.

Is Your Business a Good Fit for Elgin County? The Role of Market Research in a Smart Start
Launching a new business—or growing an existing one—can be exciting, especially in a community as dynamic as Elgin County and St. Thomas. But with any business idea, success doesn't start with your product or service. It begins with understanding your market.
At the Elgin/St. Thomas Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC), we meet passionate entrepreneurs every day who are eager to launch—but sometimes skip a critical first step: market research.

It's not all that uncommon for businesses to struggle with their bottom line as they are getting started, and marketing can often be a part of the success equation that's missing. 

When I meet with clients looking for reasons why they aren't connecting with their customers and making sales, I first look for clues in their digital marketing - their social media, website, and Google; often turning up a few ways to make easy improvements to help support the goals of the business. But I am also frequently met with "Oh, I don't like using social media" or "I don't know how to use that" when it comes to making the most of free (save your time) social engagement.