Your first and only shot at a positive first impression as a store begins with the retail design. If your shop design misses or the trade display designs fail to make an impact, you have missed your opportunity to grab the attention of shoppers.
It’s a hard fact to hear, and it can even be overwhelming, but the solution doesn’t have to be. Having smart retail displays and a shop design that is engineered to be engaging as well as functional is a possible reality for your store with smart retail design.
Retail space, window displays and brand identity can all tie together to create a store design that implements effective engagement tactics whilst boosting the overall customer experience. As a result, this implementation of smart retail design can boost your sales and build a larger shopper base, alongside a shop design your competitors will be envious of.
Here at Ripple, we can appreciate that the way this process works may seem overwhelming, so our experts have outlined everything you need to know about how smart retail can boost sales:
- What are retail designs?
- What are the most important aspects of an effective retail design strategy?
- Create an immersive experience
- Don’t put merchandise in the decompression zone
- Add breaks or speed bumps
- Make your retail display larger than life
- Set your layout based on the flow of traffic in-store
- How can you identify customer flow?
- How can Ripple support you in your retail design?
What is Retail Design?
Retail design is a fundamental part of any store that has been built to attract and retain shoppers and turn them into paying customers.
It involves the way in which the store itself is structured and put together, from the entrance right to the very back shelves of stock. Retail display and shop design fall underneath the umbrella term and nearly all retail design involves finding ways to keep shoppers engaged throughout their journey through the store and presenting them with products and services you want to sell.
The retail design includes the way in which these products and services are arranged and manipulated to have their best on show. This thoughtful approach to putting together a store goes beyond the visual aspects, which is why successful retail design includes implementing effective tactics.
What are the Most Important Aspects of an Effective Retail Design Strategy?
Having a retail design strategy isn’t enough these days. Shoppers are bombarded with brand new products with attention-grabbing designs to match, so the retail display and shop design strategy must be effective.
To have the greatest impact, the strategy must take into account shopper experience and get into the mind of a customer. It’s not just about highlighting specific products and display stands near point-of-sale areas. There’s plenty more you can begin to slot into your retail display and store design, including:
1. Create An Immersive Experience
You want your products to speak for themselves, but sometimes shoppers need a little push in the right direction. Shelves of products can be overwhelming or even fade into the background, and immersive displays are needed to allow them to shine.
By creating and fitting display stands that have a strong brand identity and enable shoppers to interact with the product and see them as a tangible, purchasable item, you will keep their attention for much longer and encourage them to buy the product.
These trade display designs can be interactive and have buttons, live demos or even include a showroom aspect. Whatever you choose for your store, include a retail display to create an immersive experience and boost the shopping experience.
2. Don’t Put Merchandise In The Decompression Zone
Shoppers need a moment to breathe, and without it, can quickly become fatigued with products, displays and other shop designs.
By implementing decompression zones, you create a space for shoppers to adjust to their new surroundings and take it all in. These should be at the entrance of your store and in any smaller entranceways throughout the rest of the shop.
But, do not add any signage, products or promotional material in these decompression zones. As customers begin to adjust, they are not prepared to receive any messages and any efforts made at this point could be wasted, or simply be too overwhelming and put shoppers off from exploring any more of your store.
3. Add Breaks Or Speed Bumps
Much like decompression zones, breaks and ‘speed bumps’ should be included in an effective and smart retail display and shop design. These fixtures can come in the form of an interactive display that asks a shopper a question, or display stands that require a shopper to acknowledge it and physically move around it to the next area.
These additions to a shop design allow shoppers to re-focus their attention on whatever you have highlighted, giving them the chance to fully engage with your products and begin to decide on a purchase.
4. Make Your Retail Display Design Larger Than Life
Bigger, bolder and brighter displays will take up more space in your store and more of your shoppers’ attention. It might feel extravagant and be a bit of a shock to the system at first, but having a large and engaging trade display design is what some stores need to keep shoppers around and turn them into paying customers.
Whether you opt for a life-sized installation, a showroom-style display or a short-term fixture that offers a unique experience, the bigger the better can sometimes be effective. This will entirely depend on your demographic and what you have to offer, but the investment can have huge returns if executed properly and effectively.
5. Set your layout based on the flow of traffic in-store.
One of the main focuses behind any retail display and shop design strategies balancing customer experience with . You want people to see your best and most enticing products or displays first, so you’ll need to know where they go or turn to when they enter your shop. Do they tend to move to the left or right? Where do their eyes go? These are just some of the questions you should ask when merchandising your store.
Fortunately, research offers some insights into retail traffic patterns. Studies have shown that the flow of traffic in-store may actually be influenced by vehicular patterns on the road. In the book Inside the Mind of the Shopper by Herb Sorensen, he notes:
How can you identify customer flow?
Customer flow is the route in which customers take around your store, and the movements they make throughout. The flow can impact how many products they see, the way they interact with them and how engaged they are to make a purchase.
By optimising the flow, you can spot any obstacles that disrupt it, and also make it a smoother experience up to the checkout counter. These actions alone will improve the chances of a shopper making a purchase and retail displays are fundamental in this process.
Having beautifully crafted product displays stationed tactically throughout the customer flow route will draw their attention. They can act as blockers, forcing a customer to interact with a display before moving on to the next thing. They can also be eye-catching and engaging, directing their attention to the high-price items you’re focusing on selling.
Retail designs in the form of signage are also vital to creating a customer flow that works for you. If you’re suffering from long lines or you find areas of your store aren’t visited as much as others, effective signage will direct shoppers around these areas.
Overall, customer flow must be optimised to ensure your store is getting as many eyes on it as possible, and retail designs are one of the best ways of doing so.
How Ripple Can Help With Your Retail Designs
The passionate experts that Ripple is made of are focused on curating innovative and effective retail designs that are tailor-made to your business needs.
It’s not easy to pinpoint where you need support, and it can take a long time to decide on a design you like. Manufacturing and installation are equally as exhaustive, and without the experts by your side, it can feel like an impossible task.
Ripple’s end-to-end project service and support is designed to ensure that we’re with you throughout the whole process. We will consult with you, identify solutions to your problems and then expertly produce and install the end result. Whether you require brand new signage, or you need a full showroom demonstration and installation, we’re with you and focused on creating something beautiful that will boost your profits and customers’ experience.
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