5 Best Retail Digital Signage Tools [+Setup Guide]
Visual merchandising helps catch a customer's attention and attract them to your brick-and-mortar store.
Retail accounts for almost half of the entire digital signage network, and 94% of retailers use or have used digital signs. Static content is out. Interactive and entertaining content is in.
To keep that competitive edge and engage consumers, digital signs are a must.
In this guide, we discuss signage for retail stores and how to get your own signage up and running. We also offer some tools, ideas, and examples to get your creative juices flowing so you can get the most out of your new digital signs.
What is retail digital signage?
Retail digital signage is an electronic display of programmed content designed to inform and engage your retail customers.
These digital displays utilize smart TVs, computers, tablets, or other digital screens in combination with digital signage software to generate custom content tailored to your retail store.
Some use cases include product promotions, sale announcements, new product announcements, brand building, product upselling, store guides, and product information.
The benefits of digital signage for retail stores
Some of the key benefits of digital signage displays for retail stores include:
- Generate prospective customers - Placed in a storefront, digital signage can engage people passing by the store and convert them into prospective customers.
- Brand recall - Communicating your brand identity through engaging videos on digital signs is more memorable than facts and figures and maintains top-of-the-mind recall.
- Marketing - Adding digital retail signs extends your marketing channel and allows you to make announcements, promote sales and new products, etc.
- Improved customer service - Be it wayfinding, product listing, or the availability of changing rooms, digital signs can improve your communication with your customers.
- Customer education - Running videos showcasing how to use or use cases of specific products can answer common questions and increase the customer’s confidence in the product.
- Increased sales - Appropriately placed retail signs can enhance the visibility of particular products, encourage upgrading, and highlight cross-sell opportunities. All of which can increase sales while enhancing the customer experience.
- Sustainability - Digital signage is changeable and updatable. This produces less waste than printed signs.
- Cost-effective advertising - The ability to change the signage without reprinting reduces costs while also allowing you to target your ads at different days/times for the appropriate audiences.
- Real-time updates - Keeping your information up to date improves the customer experience and keeps everyone on the same page.
3 examples of retail digital signage
1. Tamagotchi Uni product launch
The Tamagotchi Uni was one of the top toys during the 2023 holiday season. The digital sign shown in this example was created for the product's launch. In addition to being an entertaining and eye-catching display, the video incorporates campaign footage of the famous influencer Chali D’Amelio.
Check out this digital sign on YouTube.
2. Nike’s video signage in San Francisco
Nike utilizes digital signage for branding and wayfinding throughout its stores. Here, we can see a creative application of wayfinding: The engaging video identifies the section of the store you are in.
Check out this digital sign on YouTube.
3. Sephora’s attention-grabbing digital totem signs
In this example, Sephora has utilized tall column-style digital signage outside its storefront in a mall. The videos' totem-style format and editing style clearly highlight Sephora’s brand identity. These highly engaging displays grab the attention of anyone passing by and definitely generate prospective customers.
Check out this digital signage on YouTube.
How to set up a digital display in your store
Setting up a digital display depends on what you want to achieve. It can be as simple as setting up a smart TV, or as complicated as integrating touchscreen displays into your shelving. Understanding the costs associated with digital signage is essential for deciding the route you want to take.
Simple digital display setup
If you want a simple straightforward process to get your digital displays setup, you’ll need:
- Internet - A WiFi connection to the internet.
- Hardware - A smart TV with a web browser.
- Software - A subscription to an online digital signage app that is accessible through a web browser.
After obtaining the supplies, set up your content on your digital signage app, connect the smart TV to the internet, and launch the content through your web browser.
As you create more content, you can schedule what content is played when, and your TV will automatically play the right content at the right time.
This simple, cost-effective method is ideal for small and medium-sized retail stores.
Enterprise-level display setup
If you’re an enterprise retail business, you’ll probably want more features included with your signage. The more features you need the more complicated the setup will be.
In these instances, the best plan of action is to find the software that meets your needs and then talk to the sales team about the hardware and setup. Leveraging the successful setup of your digital displays is in their best interest.
Top 5 store signage tools
Here are the top store signage tools for you to consider.
1. Juuno
Juuno is an affordable, versatile, and incredibly easy-to-use digital signage software. With Juuno, setting up your retail signs only requires three simple steps: (1) Make your playlists, (2) set your schedule, and (3) curate your content. Within your playlists, you can add images, videos, and also Canva designs (which is a plus for simplifying the design of your digital sign boards).
In addition to its ease of use, Juuno is a browser-based signage solution, meaning that there is no hardware. All you need is WiFi and a web browser on your display device. The simple pay-per-screen pricing format makes Juuno easily scalable to your needs.
Pricing: Juuno costs $5 per screen per month
2. Raydiant
Designed for enterprises with a lot of brick-and-mortar stores, Raydiant is definitely an option worth considering for retailers. In addition to their library of content templates and ability to personalize the signage experience by location, the software allows you to create different user roles and permissions. This allows the management of your digital signage to align with your existing employee system.
Pricing: Raydiant doesn’t publish their pricing information online. You’ll have to reach out to them directly.
3. Userful
Userful is another enterprise-level platform that offers data dashboard distribution, video walls for corporate meetings, and streaming in addition to digital signage. Userful emphasizes security and enterprise management services on their platform. They have an API, allow for both cloud and on-premise deployments, include automated failover options, and more. If you are looking for a highly advanced and secure platform for your digital signage, then Userful may be the right option for you.
Pricing: Being an enterprise-only platform, they do not publish their pricing online. Contact sales to find out.
4. Viewneo
If you want some really advanced signage in your retail stores then Viewneo is worth checking out. With their smart clothing hooks and other hardware your digital signage can play customized content based upon the items selected by your customers. They also offer touchscreen interactions, live broadcasting and Zapier integration as well.
If you are looking for a simpler (and more cost-effective) digital signage solution for your retail store, then consider another super easy to use option like Juuno.
Pricing: Viewneo’s base plan is $21 per screen per month. If you’re wanting the smart clothing hooks and other hardware you’ll need the enterprise plan. That costs $280 per month plus an additional $17 per screen per month.
5. QuickESign
QuickESign provides straightforward digital signage software that allows you to display images, slide shows, videos, Canva creations, social media integrations, and more. They also offer several templates and design tools which make it easy to get started.
With QuickESign you do have to have an HDMI port or a streaming device such as FireTV, Roku, or Android TV. This makes it more limiting than just needing a web browser, but if you are only using smart TVs for your signage it shouldn't be a problem.
Pricing: If you are at all interested in social media feeds or multiple layouts per device, you’ll have to sign up for the pro plan at $15 per screen per month or the enterprise plan at $20 per screen per month.
4 ideas for in-store digital displays
In case you need a little inspiration on what to display with your new retail signs, here are some ideas.
1. Digital product catalogs
A digital catalog of products is a great utilization of in-store digital signage for retail businesses—especially when you have many small items or condensed shelving. These catalogs can act as both an in-store ad promoting unplanned purchases and a wayfinding mechanism for those who know what they want. Either way the customer experience is improved which is a definite plus.
2. Product updates and announcements
Whether it’s a new product or an improvement to an existing one, you’ll want to let your customers know about it. Digital signage allows you to share those updates as soon as they happen. Inside or outside your store, share your updates and get your customers excited.
3. Product hacks
Use your retail signage to share new applications of existing products, or how to combine different products. Sharing tips and tricks can generate more sales and cross-selling as people learn new uses and ways to combine your products. For example, highlighting the in-stock patio umbrellas that provide just the right amount of shade for the patio furniture that is on sale.
4. Sales and promotions
Do you have an upcoming sales or promotion event? If so, you’ll want to get the word out and get people excited. Use your digital signage to generate awareness of the event and attract foot traffic during it. The programmable nature of digital signs also allows you to create flash sales and other limited-time offers that can draw customers in.
Get started with retail digital signage
Digital signage is a proven method to improve the customer experience and increase revenue. Getting started doesn’t have to be complicated or overly expensive, and with the right software (like Juuno), you’ll gain the versatility to meet your current and future needs.