Store Aisle Signs Over the Years

 

Store aisle signs are an unsung hero in supermarkets and retail stores. They simplify navigation and improve the customer experience. 

Store aisle signs have changed significantly over the years. Each decade brings a new era of retail store layouts and design trends that call for improving upon the simple concept of signage.

Today, store aisle signage is aesthetically appealing and focuses on creating an immersive shopping experience for customers, making them more engaged and excited about shopping at a particular store. Understanding the evolution of retail aisle signs ensures stores keep up with the latest technology, which helps improve the bottom line. Let’s look at the evolution of aisle signs over the last several decades, from the 1950s to the 2000s. 

Common Types of Store Signage

Store signage includes exterior and interior posts plastered outside and throughout a store to relay information and messages. Here are some of the most common examples of store signage and their respective purposes: 

• Promotional signs: These help draw customers into a store or to specific items by enticing them with persuasive language about special offers, discounts and sales events. 
• Directional signs: Also known as wayfinding signage, these signs help customers navigate the store by directing them to specific sections, such as the cashier, customer service desk and fitting rooms. 
• Outdoor signs: These typically include the store’s name and logo and are placed at the storefront to attract customers. Other examples of exterior signage include sidewalk signs, sandwich boards and window graphics.
• Informational signs: These signs relay important details and encourage customers to take action. They’re often used to convey detailed information, such as how to apply for membership cards, follow a brand on social media or join a mailing list. 
• Branded signs: Retail stores can use signs that highlight popular brands in their inventory. Branded signs include the brand’s colors, logos and marketing slogans to increase recognition and foster customer familiarity. 
• Digital Signs: These electronic displays use high-definition LED screens to showcase dynamic content, such as real-time promotions, advertisements and product videos. They are interactive and effective at engaging customers by creating memorable experiences. 

How Signage Has Changed: 1950s to Present

Below, discover the ways store aisle signage has evolved since the 1950s. 

1950s: Bold and Simple

The 1950s, right after World War II, were a revolutionary time characterized by an economic boom. Signage became essential for businesses in various industries, including travel and commerce. It helped businesses announce and promote their products in a growing marketplace. Another huge influence on signage in the 1950s was the growing availability of plastics. Plastic became a preferred material for store signage because it was affordable, malleable and durable. 

Supermarkets used simple and bold signs to mark aisles, creating an organized and cohesive design. However, the signs in this era were often handpainted and typically quite basic, limited to a few colors. 

Free-standing road signs and wayfinding signs also became popular during the 1950s because more people owned cars. These signs improved motorist safety by making traveling from one point to another easier and more convenient. 

1960s: Fresh and Colorful

By the 1960s, plastic or acrylic signage was everywhere. At this point, almost every retail store had a customized sign at its storefront. To make them more colorful and immersive than ever before, stores combined signs with fluorescent tubes and lightbulbs to make them light up at night. Color televisions also became more popular during this decade, which inspired the emergence of more colorful signage.

1970s: Experimenting With Designs

By the 1970s, wayfinding signage had been implemented in airports worldwide thanks to globalized air travel. Store signage also became more sophisticated during the 1970s. Stores and signage manufacturers combined different materials and integrated graphic design elements like logos, cartoon characters and numbers. They also experimented with various colored lights, mascots and old-school cursive lettering. 

1980s: New Electronic Capabilities

During the 1980s, retail signs had to stand out, and stores were keen on attracting more customers than competing stores. Thanks to the growing adoption of new printing technology, neon and electric signage became possible. Retailers embraced neon and electric signage to help them stand out from the competition. The 1980s was also when the first “digital signage” was adopted in the form of TVs playing VHS or DVD advertisements in store windows. 

1990s: The Birth of Current Designs

Signage in the 1990s still influences the signage we see today. For example, when you walk into a grocery store, you likely see each aisle labeled with a number, as well as mini signs underneath indicating what you’ll find there — that’s an innovation straight from the ’90s. 

Biodegradable plastics also became more widely used during this decade, which opened up a world of possibilities. And, of course, the use of digital signage continued to rise. 

2000s: The Digital Era

With advancements in technology, signage became more sophisticated than ever before during the early 2000s. Retail store signs became more complex, colorful and bold.

Digital displays grew in popularity because they’re easily customizable and versatile. Stores can update their digital signs to showcase new promotions and product placements. They’re also reliable and long-lasting. 

2010s: The Growing Importance of Sustainability

During the 2010s, many people became more aware of their impact on the environment, and sustainability efforts became extremely important. As a result, signage changed. Digital signage incorporated energy-saving LEDs, and paints low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) became preferred. 

Corrugated cardboard signage also helps meet the growing need for sustainability. Corrugated cardboard can be recycled and reused several times over, and using it can help your business build trust with an audience increasingly focused on environmental friendliness. 

Order Interactive Retail Signage From Creative Displays Now

Are you looking for modern and up-to-date store aisle signs? Creative Displays Now can help! We manufacture custom corrugated cardboard retail display signs that deliver important messages to customers. All of our displays are custom-designed and manufactured, and we handle everything under one roof — from prototyping and design to printing, manufacturing and distributing. That also means that we are the fastest partner in the industry. 

At Creative Displays Now, we leverage more than 60 years of experience to ensure 100% customer satisfaction. Whether you’re looking for hanging ceiling signs, shelf signs or floor signs, you can rely on us for high-quality display structures. Contact us today for more information about how we can help you create interactive custom retail signage displays!