How To Create Retail Store Interiors That Get People To Purchase
Your Products
Retail has been around for a mighty long time and one thing we
know is that there are a lot of different approaches when it comes to designing
the interior layout of your store. However, there are also some common design
strategies that all retailers can employ that lead to generating more sales for
your business.
Designing your retail store's interior is a topic that we've been
looking at recently in an effort to help boutique merchants be more successful
and thrive in today's digital era. From telling your brand's story and creating
immersive experiences, to putting together head-turning window displays and
signage essentials, when it comes to retail, the devil really is in the
details, and we want you to get the basics down pat.
Which is why in this post, I'll be looking at some of the basics
when it comes to creating effective retail interiors that attract more
customers to your store, get them browsing more products, and get them heading
towards the checkout. It's vital to keep in mind that from the moment someone
steps into your store to the time they decide to checkout (or not checkout),
smart design decisions make a significant difference in regards to whether you
make a sale or not.
Enter the
Threshold
The threshold area, also known as the "decompression
zone", is the very first space that prospective customers step into when
they enter your store and typically consists of the first five to fifteen feet
worth of space, depending on how big your store is. It's also the space where
your customers make the transition from the outside world and first experience
what you have to offer. They also make critical judgements like how cheap or
expensive your store is likely to be and how well coordinated your lighting,
fixtures, displays, and colors are. Since they're in a transition mode,
customers are more likely to miss any product, signage, or carts you place
there.
Then, Off To
the Right
It's a well known fact in the retail community that in North
America, 90 percent of consumers upon entering a store will turn right
unconsciously. The first wall they see is often referred to as a "power
wall", and acts as a high-impact first impression vehicle your
merchandise, so be sure to give it extra special attention in terms of what you
choose to display and how you display it.
You'll want to make sure you entice and arouse your customer's
attention with the products you put on display, whether it's your new or
seasonal items, high profit or high demand products, or a place you design to
tell your product's stories and create vignettes.
Have Them
Walk a Path
This will vary greatly depending on the size and general layout of
your store, but knowing that your customers want to turn right, your next job
is to make sure that as they do that, they also continue walking throughout
your store to gain the maximum exposure to your products. This not only
increases the chances of them making a purchase, but a well thought-out path
can be a great way to strategically control the ebb and flow of the traffic in
your store.
Most stores use a circular path to the right to get customers to
walk through to the back of the store and come to the front again. Some will
make it even easier by covering the path with a different texture or look from
the general flooring, paying homage to the old saying "where the eyes go,
the feet will follow."
Another thing to keep in mind is that you want to use the path to
lead your customers somewhere, which often means putting a eye-catching and
attention-grabbing display at the end of an aisle for example.
But, Slow
Them Down
With all the effort and time you've put into properly
merchandising your products, the last thing you want to happen is for incoming
customers to promptly hurry past them, ultimately limiting the number of
products they'll purchase. One way retailers combat this is through creating
breaks or what are sometimes referred to as "speed bumps."
Essentially, this can be anything that gives customers a visual break and can
be achieved through signage, and special or seasonal displays.
Most retailers effectively deploy the usage of what's referred to
as "merchandise outposts," which are special display fixtures
featuring products near the end of or in between aisles that encourage impulse
purchases while complementing products on display in close proximity. However,
since it's not likely that you'll have "aisles" per say in your
store, it's still important to think about grouping products in a way that
makes it easy to see what goes well together from a shopper's perspective.
Also, remembering to keep "higher-demand" products displayed at
eye-level is important while placing lower grossing products at the bottom or
higher-up. Lastly, It's recommended to change up these speed bumps weekly or
regularly enough to create a continued sense of novelty for repeat visitors.
Also, Make
Sure They're Comfortable
You may or may not already be aware of something known as the
"butt-brush effect," coined by consumer behaviour expert Paco
Underhill who discovered that a typical customer, especially women, will avoid
going after merchandise in an aisle where they could potentially brush another
customer's backside or have their backside brushed. This holds true even if the
customer is very interested in a given product. An easy way to avoid this
problem is to ensure that your aisle, floor, and displays allow customers to
have more than adequate personal space when browsing your products.
You can also make your store comfortable by incorporating some
type of waiting area with comfy seats and benches which will encourage
customers to spend more time in your store. Especially, if a shopper is
accompanied by someone not interested in making a purchase or kids for that
matter. A small tip to keep in mind is to keep the seats or benches facing the
merchandise, so that they're still top of mind for those lounging around in
your store.
Lastly, Check
Them Out (Not Literally)
Where you place your check-out counter and your POS in a physical
retail store is a question you can ask yourself for days and generate pros and
cons for multiple options and still end up confused. However, a good rule of
thumb to remember is that the checkout should be located at a natural stopping
point in the shopping experience or path that you've purposefully created and
designed.
So if customers naturally turn right when they enter, and you've
managed to have them go through and circle all the way around, you'll realize
that the left-hand side at the front is probably the ideal location for your
checkout counter. However, this decision also depends on the size and layout of
the store itself, which means you'll have to use your best gut judgement on
what's the most natural point to have that check-out counter.
You'll also want to keep in mind that if you're a one-person show
or don't have staff wondering the store, it'll be important to be able to keep
an eye and see everything from where you'll be set-up from a loss-prevention
perspective. Other tips to keep in mind when designing your checkout counter
are:
·
Have a counter that's big enough for shoppers
to place their bags and/or personal belongings
·
Take advantage of the wall behind the counter
to create interesting and engaging displays
·
Encourage impulse or "last-minute"
purchases by stocking items customers crave or commonly need close-by
·
Be polite in person by asking questions like
"Were you able to find everything you were looking for?" and in
signage regarding your exchange or refund policies
Designing your retail interior is a never ending process, where
you can always be switching up, tweaking, adding, or taking away to create a
resonating customer journey and experience. At the end of the day though,
that's exactly what you want to focus on, the customer journey, which you'll
want to to test out and optimize for constantly. Have a walk-through yourself
and see where the visual cues guide you, or get your staff, friends, or family
to do the same and give you honest feedback. Lastly, observe your customers and
see what they're drawn to, what they avoid, and how they move, then match that
with your intended design. If you keep resilient and keep your eyes and ears
open, you'll be sure to create a retail environment that is a win-win for both
you and your customers.
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