Your store may be well equipped with high-quality retail furniture and shelving. The shelves may be full of desirable stock too, assuring several sales through popularity alone. There may be plenty of customers wandering your aisles. However, on top of these great foundations, there are often pitfalls to be encountered, mistakes that compromise a certain number of sales. It’s simple to overlook small flaws in your store. So, to help you avoid them, here are five ways to consider your merchandising store layout and shop styling to make sure you’re bringing out the best in your stock.
Lighting
Stacking your new central gondolas full of pristine stock, arranged in well-organised batches, is appealing to customers. But this can easily be undone with poor lighting. If your overhead lights are too harsh, shadows are likely being caused. Shadows obscure items, especially on lower shelves, and cause them to be easily overlooked. Strong light can also cause reflections in glass, which can be distracting or highlight blemishes.
Keep in mind that shelves should be evenly illuminated to keep your customers from dismissing or missing certain stock.
Spacing
A classic pitfall of the zealous retailer is the overcrowding of shop shelving and floor space. While it may be intuitive to offer as much stock as possible, it can have an adverse effect on sales. This is especially apparent during busier periods, such as holidays, and the added customer congestion is likely to drive some away.
Manoeuvrable and versatile shelving is a great option since you can quickly adjust or remove it depending on the likely crowd.
Displays
The stock’s quality may often speak for itself. However, remember that you don’t sell the steak, you sell the sizzle. Make sure some of your retail space is dedicated to excellent merchandising, such as displays or posters. Creating a positive image instore, even showing the products in use, is a great way of promoting your stock and brand.
Orientation
You likely know your store in and out but new customers will take some time to become familiar. If your store isn’t easy to navigate, it becomes stressful. Avoiding too much vertical height is a good way to maintain visibility. Don’t go overboard with directions though, since information overload is just as frustrating for shoppers.
It’s an important balance to master. An easy way to assure it isn’t a problem is to have visible checkouts and staffing areas so that customers can always seek help should they need it.
Cleanliness
It may sound basic and you may be confident in the cleanliness of your shop. However, time and time again, certain shelves or displays are neglected. This leads to a continuous negative impact on your customers who may be peering through tarnished glass or picking up items from dusty shelves.
It is very easy to develop blinkers to your own space, so make sure that you and your employees are constantly prompted to check everything from a customer’s perspective. You may discover something fallen behind a shelf or some damage you hadn’t previously noticed.
