The Point of Sale Centre marketing manager Mandy Webb offers top tips on merchandising tiles and tiling products effectively in store. Despite the fact that the UK's sluggish housing market is now starting to pick up, there has been a shift in attitudes towards home ownership in recent years that for the time being will remain.

Rather than taking the quick-fix approach to home improvements to sell up for a profit and take the next step up the housing ladder, consumers are staying put for longer and investing in better quality products to make their home their own. For the tiling category this means that, while basic white tiles still have their place, more design-led, aspirational products are becoming real profit drivers.

Therefore, what shoppers need to see in store is inspiration combined with quality and heritage messages to give them that extra reassurance that trading up to more prestigious ranges is a good investment. Like wallpaper, tiles can be tricky to visualise in situ. Bathrooms, especially, can be cause for much nervousness - while the use of tiles is fairly limited in kitchens, whole bathrooms can be tiled from floor to ceiling, so being able to picture how different colours, patterns and styles will look is extremely useful.

Even where space is limited tiles can be presented on large boards over the main fixture, showing how they look on a larger surface area and also possibly incorporating other styles as borders and accents. Large stores can go to town with this idea but smaller stores can also benefit by focusing on current colour and styles trends to inspire shoppers.

Another effective way of giving consumers a good idea of what different tiles can add to their kitchen or bathroom is through aspirational room shots. These can be presented in a number of ways - either blown up as impactful visuals, within small brochures merchandised in the tiles and tiling aisle or as content on digital screens. Stores that do not have a lot of spare space can especially benefit from using digital POS, as screens are available in a number of sizes. Also content can be updated quickly and easily in line with changing ranges, promotions and trends.

If customers are spending more on tiles, they will also want to ensure that they are using good quality adhesive, grout and accessories. Therefore it's a good idea to highlight premium options to them through the use of aisle and shelf signage and also parasite units located on tile fixtures. This will create 'stand out' and educate shoppers about how spending a little more can help them to keep their newly revamped kitchen or bathroom looking good for longer.