Coat hangers are one of the most neglected shop fittings among retailers, with many simply opting for the easiest or cheapest option. But investing in matching wooden hangers could make more of a difference than you may at first think.

You may be surprised by the difference that opting for hangers made of wood - rather than those manufactured from plastic or metal - makes to the overall appearance of your shop.

So, the first thing to decide is what kind of coat hangers you need in order to showcase your products to their best effect.

As with all such fittings, wooden hangers come in a range of shapes and sizes, from ones that are designed specifically for skirts and trousers to others that are more versatile and can be used for T-shirts, cardigans, jackets or jeans.

Many feature a trouser bar across the bottom, allowing you to drape such garments through the hanger and still display a jacket alongside them if you wish. While these can be a great option for things such as suits that clearly have two parts, they may not be ideal if you are hoping to draw shoppers towards your latest pair of jeans.

Clip hangers are more suited to this purpose, allowing trousers and skirts to hang naturally and enabling customers to get a better idea of how such garments may look once they are on.

You might decide that such fixtures are also good for displaying strapless dresses, as they will not be stretched by trying to fit them around a hanger that is not the right shape.

Of course, there are also hangers designed to hold coats and jackets, with shaped ends to fit shoulders and ensure the garment does not look limp when it is on show.

These are also made to hold heavier weights than other hangers, so you need not worry about them breaking under a particularly bulky winter coat, for instance.

But you can of course buy such fittings in metal and plastic, as well as wood, so what makes the latter material so special?

Well, it is all about how customers see your shop and consequently the products that you stock, so if you want to make the right impression it is important to consider how your hangers effect the appearance of your outlet.

Firstly, wood is a more expensive material than the other options, so the fact that you have splashed out on wooden coat hangers suggests that you really care about the garments you sell, as well as the overall ambience in your store.

Shoppers will pick up on signs like this from the outset, although they may not recognise it consciously.

When someone enters your outlet for the first time, they will look around and judge whether the items on display are expensive, cheap or somewhere in between.

The type of shop fittings you have installed - from every garment rail to your hangers - will all play a part in this appraisal and if you have gone for more expensive options you may discover that customers value your goods more highly as a result.

Wooden hangers lend a touch of luxury to a store and will give it a more upmarket feel than plastic or metal ones are able to.

Of course, if you intend to give your hangers away to customers who make a purchase, you may decide that metal or plastic is a more cost-effective option, but if you intend to retain such fittings for the long term, wood is definitely a better choice.

Such hangers are generally thicker and bulkier than their counterparts, which can mean they are more durable.

Garments will also stay on wooden ones more easily, as the chunkier frame makes it more difficult for clothes to slip off.

With such a range of advantages, you may want to consider the benefits of using wooden hangers in your store. It could make more of a difference than you think to how your customers perceive your outlet, which in turn could help boost sales or encourage them to pay a premium for your high-quality products.