The layout of your store is about more than visual appeal and promoting the items you’re most eager to sell. The way you arrange your store fixtures has an effect on how your customers move through the space and ultimately it can influence their purchasing behavior.
For the ideal store setup, you must strike a balance. There needs to be an appropriate amount of space between shelving, an effective dispersal of various merchandise and number of product rearrangements.
Put that here or there?
According to Specialty Retail Collective, 90 percent of shoppers turn right upon entering a store, then browse in a counterclockwise fashion. It’s facts like these that should be at the forefront of your mind as you design a floor layout. BoardRetailers.org recommended drawing a blueprint to truly visualize the resulting traffic flow, inconvenient displays and money-making corners.
Your end goal is probably to have each patron look at everything in the store to increase the potential for sales. To increase the odds of this, BoardRetailer.com suggested placing your most popular or expensive items in the back to force customers through the store. You can also make the back area your clearance or sale section. The display fixtures should be visible from the front of the store so people know where they need to head. According to the source, you should allow for a – foot transition zone right inside the door before you begin promoting merchandise. Arrange your middle-of-the-line products in the area immediately after.
When you’re planning aisles to optimize browsing, pay attention to the width. Special Retail Collective explained that wide aisles lead customers to breeze past merchandise whereas crowded walkways push customers to leave without making any purchases. However, compact aisles that don’t create traffic jams can promote the type of perusing you’re hoping for. As far as store fixtures go, there is again a balance to strike. BoardRetailer.com advised store owners to consider display fixtures that are large enough to make an impact yet not too cumbersome or overbearing in the space.
Assuming customers are moving around the store from right to left, it may be best to put your cash wrap toward the front left corner. Stay away from crowded countertops near checkout but don’t forget to place impulse buys and add-on items within reach of paying customers.
Free flow or no?
A free-flow floor plan is exactly what it sounds like – a more spacious way of arranging your store to promote sales. The merchandise is typically displayed around the edges of the space, leaving the center of the store mainly open. It’s appropriate to put a few display tables or clothing racks in the center if they encourage patrons to walk past more products. However, JobMating.com warned against a layout that looks haphazard when you consider which fixtures to place directly on the sales floor.
Regardless of what layout you go with initially, it’s important to rotate your fixtures regularly. This is especially key if your business experiences a lot of repeat customers. According to BoardRetailer.com, people likely won’t notice that you’ve released new merchandise if it’s the same place and looks similar to the products that were there before.
