Over the past few years, online shopping has gained traction among a diverse number of people, offering several
benefits including competitive pricing and convenience. But while online retailers offer a wide array of products ranging
from tech gear to clothing, they can hardly approximate the experience of entering a brick-and-mortar shop to smell
the scent of a new book or to fit a shirt prior to purchase. Shopping, especially in retail outlets and shops, is not just
about the mere exchange of goods for money. Today, the challenge for owners of brick-and-mortar establishments is both
aesthetic and functional in nature - that is, enhancing customer experience.
Retail store design involves various factors including lighting, furnishings, window displays, store layout and even music and
Wi-Fi connection. In the same way that homeowners work with specialists in bespoke kitchens and other furniture, business
owners work with retail shop fitters to achieve optimal retail store design. Here are a few concepts to consider when building
a new shop or rebuilding your current one.
The primary goal in designing a retail space is accessibility. Simply put, there is a need to make it easier for potential shop
patrons to navigate the business premises in order for them to find and access the products they need. This will involve
thoughtful layout and placement of display shelves as well as marketing materials.
Business-owners should also remind themselves that it pays dividends to ensure that customers enjoy their stay in a shop. For
example, putting furniture in a bookshop with the help of retail shop fitters to give customers space to browse titles in an
unhurried pace can enhance their book buying experience.
Visual merchandising, inside and outside the shop, is also important. However, this is not just about posters and other marketing
displays. It can also be about the thoughtful use of colors and design to entice customers to have a look at products on a particular
display shelf.
With the aid of the Internet, today's customers can easily find information about the products they intend to purchase. What this
means for offline retailers is the elimination of the need to bombard prospective customers with numerous marketing materials.
Rather, their goal should be to make it easier for customers to find the items they wish to purchase.
Retail shop design is part science and part art. In order to reap the benefits of enhanced customer experience, it is best to seek an
experienced retail shop fitter that gives sound and appropriate advice that will enable the achievement of the business's short and
long-term goals.