Color is an important tool in the marketer’s kit, but it isn’t a cure-all. Effective retail design uses color to augment other visual sales tactics such as logos, store layout and typography.
Misconceptions about the power of color in retail design
Using one color over another isn’t a magic cure for lagging sales. If your store uses sky blue to promote a feeling of productivity, switching to a soft moss green won’t automatically make your shop feel peaceful.
Much depends upon each shopper’s personal connotations, noted marketing strategist Gregory Ciotti, writing in Entrepreneur Magazine. Developing a consistent brand aesthetic will have a much more noticeable impact on consumer habits.
For example, brown might seem like a dull, drab color – yet outdoor clothing stores, coffee shops and bakeries have used it to great effect. Shipping company UPS has developed a strong, worldwide brand with their familiar brown trucks.
Brand colors build familiarity and loyalty
The colors you choose for your brand logos and promotional materials will influence how shoppers think of your store. Specifically, when shoppers see your logo, they’ll be reminded of previous experiences they have had with your brand, a key step toward building loyalty.
You can’t rely on customers stumbling upon your logo outside of visiting your store, however. You need to develop a tactic for getting your logo out into the world. Furniture store IKEA has a great strategy for circulating their brand logo: reusable shopping bags. MarketWatch noted IKEA’s eco-friendly bags accomplish a few goals – they establish the brand’s logo and colors, promote an environmentally conscious mindset and give shoppers a void to fill, with merchandise!
Color consistency creates a coherent store environment
A consistent color palette will create a sense of purpose within your store. That coherency is key to effective retail design. Stores that use too many styles of clothing racks and displays run the risk of looking like thrift stores. Unless that’s your brand’s style, keep things consistent!
Our C3 custom color mannequins and racks can add a through-line of your brand’s signature color across the show floor. Add a few pops of contrasting colors, and your store will feel much more visually interesting to passersby.
Red really can boost your sales
Many successful retail brands use the color red when promoting a sale. But this tactic only works if red isn’t among your primary brand colors. For instance, if Coca Cola was attempting to catch your attention with bold red text on their soda cans, it would simply blend into their familiar designs.
If your store uses cool colors like blue and green, a bright flash of red will instantly catch a shopper’s eye.
Are you designing or re-designing your retail store? Give our retail design experts a call today for tips and tricks to make your shop more appealing to customers.
