Trailheads

Color is often the most overlooked element of retail strategy, yet it’s frequently the first thing a customer is drawn to upon entering a store. To better understand how color impacts retail sales, we sat down with Carrie Hill, a color trend consultant for Rumpl and fashion design instructor at Central Michigan University. With 25 years in the industry, Hill explains how outdoor retailers can use color to drive sales today while sharing the trends that will define the market in 2026.

Trailheads: You mentioned that color is very emotional. How does color fundamentally affect a shopper’s decision-making process the moment they enter a store?

Carrie Hill: Color truly provides the first impression of any product. You’re usually drawn to a rack or display first by color. It’s the first thing consumers process, yet it’s often the last thing brands and even retailers strategize about, as they focus more on function and how the product is used.

Trailheads: Today’s shoppers are very cautious and deliberate with how they’re spending money due to the economy. How does this affect the types of colors they’ll find appealing?

Carrie Hill: When people worry more about spending, they return to “safety” colors. We always stock our unbreakable colors—like navy blues or dark teals—because they sell year after year. If you’re a retailer concerned about unsold items, keep big-ticket products—heavy jackets or expensive gear—in anchor colors that convey stability. Reserve bold trend colors for accessories. People are more likely to try a pop of color in a hat or pair of socks since the price is lower. This lets them embrace a trend without a risky investment. But don’t be afraid to be bold—although not everyone buys the brightest items right away, those colors add newness and excitement, encouraging customers to browse, explore, and keep them coming back to your store. 

Trailheads: Can you share a couple of tips for using color in visual merchandising to guide the customer in the store?

Carrie Hill: I think one of them is color blocking; it really can stop people in their tracks. You want these bold moments of contrasting color every few steps. Often, retailers default to merchandising monochromatically, arranging various products by shades of pink, blue, or green across a table. While this can catch a customer’s eye, it is often too blinding and overwhelming, regardless of the colors’ brightness or neutrality. Instead, I recommend starting with a “tension pair” of colors. Build from conflict—if the colors feel slightly uncomfortable together, it’s probably right. For example, pairing bold red with acid green creates a sense of energy and adrenaline, while the combination of mustard yellow and deep purple feels unexpected and playful.

Another approach is to build color stories on shelves where products promote one another. This color-blocking strategy draws attention to seasonal hero colors and highlights smaller products that are often overshadowed. For example, you could pair black and brown outerwear with aqua blue beanies. These displays also help bring together technical and everyday products in harmony. It is no longer unusual for consumers to wear highly technical running shoes to the grocery store or lounge pants on a hike. Displaying products across categories invites consumers to decide how they want to use them, while prioritizing color to draw them in first.

Trailheads: How does lighting play into how these colors actually perform on the sales floor?

Carrie Hill: You want to consider the fabrication and displays you have because color and light—and how the brain processes them—is a whole science. When you see a product in person, you might be under a light that is dead center on it, which can make shiny materials look white because the sheen comes across so strongly. It’s important to be aware of factors like track lighting and shadows to ensure the product is showcased effectively rather than obscured.

Trailheads: For 2026, what are the primary color trends outdoor retailers should be aware of?

Carrie Hill: I would say a lot of it is around stability—color stability. You should be thinking about grounded earth tones that are no longer just background colors but serve as anchor colors, letting brighter hits feel more intentional and less chaotic. Blues and greens are also stable colors with strong longevity, which feels right for the pulse of the world as we head further into 2026 and beyond.

Trailheads: You mentioned that green is becoming significant for the outdoor and wellness markets. Why is that?

Carrie Hill: Green is one of my favorite colors because it’s one of the best neutral colors; it’s the color most found in nature, and everything goes with green. When you walk outside, it’s hard to find a flower that you wish wasn’t sitting beside something green. Because of the wellness trend, people are prioritizing a healthier lifestyle and seeking an aesthetic that reflects it. Green plays a massive role in that lifestyle aesthetic.

Trailheads: How do people determine what the color trends are going to be for the year? What’s your process for forecasting?

Carrie Hill: I do it through a process called a “pulse check” twice a year, where I build a deck based on articles, pictures, and social media links that the Rumpl team shares. I start to pick up themes—like people going on night hikes because it’s getting too hot during the day—and roll those directly into insights for future products. It is a creative formula that balances intuition and gut feeling with the hard facts of how people are actually living their lives. For instance, if people are hiking at night, we start thinking about fireflies, reflective objects, or even stars, and we build a whole story around what that would look like for a product two years from now.

Trailheads: You’ll be speaking more on these topics at Switchback Spring in New Orleans this June. What can attendees expect that we haven’t covered here?

Carrie Hill: For more tips on how to execute this effectively, I’ll transition to the next merchandising strategy called “Weight & Percentage” during my presentation. I’m also holding back a few extra tips for the session, so I can’t unveil all my secrets too early!

Don’t miss the Switchback Spring session, “Color Stories: Shaping Consumer Connections to Products,” featuring Carrie Hill. She’ll dive deeper into the psychology of color and offer actionable steps to help brands and retailers leverage palette choices to drive sell-through in their marketplaces.

Click here to register and attend the Switchback Spring education program this June 16-18, in New Orleans, LA.