To maximize your sales, you need to acquire knowledge of retail property design. You need to ensure that customer flows in your store leads to increased stock visibility and encourages sales. So, what are the main things you need to know about modern retail property design?
Keep reading for a complete guide to modern retail property design – including how to lay out your store and why retail property design is so important.
What Is Customer Flow, And Why Does It Matter?
Customer flow is essential to excellent property design for retail stores. Customer flow concerns the following details about who is in your store:
- The number of people visiting your store per hour and per day.
- What customers are buying when they enter your store (purchase data).
- Customer activity in your store (the areas they frequent and how long they spend there).
To estimate this information, it can be helpful to invest in security cameras that enable you to view a time-lapse of the day’s events. You can track each customer’s journey through your store to analyze the data.
But what can this data tell you?
Collecting and analyzing this data will highlight how successful your store layout is at converting browsers into customers. It can highlight the products and areas in your store that need more attention and the places where your store layout is working well.
Depending on your store type, different layouts will help you optimize your visual merchandising and encourage higher sales figures. Taking a look at how other retail stores in your industry are establishing their property design can be extremely helpful.
What Are The Main Types Of Store Layout?
Each type of store design has its advantages and disadvantages. To learn which is best for your store, read the information below.
Before considering different store layouts, however, you must also consider security. You need fail-secure security door locks to prevent entry into your store after closing hours. Fail-secure locks will ensure that should the power go out, the doors will stay locked to prevent a break-in.
You need to know that a security breach won’t compromise your store layout and that you won’t fall victim to the hefty cost of a robbery. You’ll also need to invest in security camera systems to ensure you have evidence of a theft to aid in a police investigation and insurance claim.
Grid
The grid store layout is most commonly seen in supermarkets and grocery stores. In this layout, there are parallel lines of displays, with aisles in between, allowing the customer to navigate through each corridor or skip aisles where necessary quickly.
To maximize product placement in this layout, you should place quick-buy or upselling items on the end of each aisle, ensuring they are in clear view as the shopper navigates the store. This encourages impulse buying.
Herringbone
The herringbone store layout is an excellent alternative to the grid layout for stores with minimal space. This layout has a single path through the store, leading to the checkout aisles. You might see this layout in small hardware stores, tuck shops, and bookstores.
Racetrack
The racetrack store layout is standard in stores like IKEA. The customer must pass through every piece of merchandise in a closed loop to get to the checkout. So, no matter whether they visit the store for a single item, they will be tempted to purchase something else when making their way to the checkout. Placing impulse purchase items at the start and exit is an excellent way to make these items stand out.
If you’re creating a vast store, you should consider whether this layout will cause customers to avoid your store due to the inconvenience. This layout is preferable for stores that stock visually appealing and exciting items, unlike stores where customers will be coming for a specific item – like a hardware store.
Free Flow
The free-flow layout does not have strict parameters or preferred paths for the customer. This layout encourages the customer to browse and meander through the store. Vintage or used item stores allow customers to engage more with their merchandise and take their time. You should make your displays visibly engaging and ensure that the customer journey through your store will be uninhibited.
Boutique
The boutique store layout is similar to the free-flow design, only it occurs in small alcoves. If your retail space has many different rooms and pockets, consider creating themes and visual motifs for each store section, encouraging the customer to explore every area closely. The boutique layout is ideal for stores selling multiple brands, as it allows you to section the store and create the feeling of various stores in one.
Spine
The spine layout is an excellent way to ensure customers explore your store. This layout has a single track that the customer can follow to the back of your store. However, avoid placing the checkout at the back of the store. If you position your cashier at the back of the store, introverted customers may not wish to go as deep into the store. By placing the checkout by the door, you can encourage sales by ensuring the customer has to pass the checkout to exit. If your store layout is small and slender, opt for the spine layout.
Summary
Engaging with customer habits can help you to maximize your store layout in terms of the customer experience. Ultimately, your design will depend on your retail space and what kind of products you sell. Think now of your current store layout and whether it is optimized to encourage sales and browsing.
