Shop Fitting Advice from the Experts

With growing competition between online and shop-based sales, it is increasingly important that physical stores maintain their appeal. A shop should not only be a place that a customer needs to go but also a place that they want to visit. One of the major benefits a store has over a website is that it is able to showcase items to customers that may have otherwise not been considered. While enjoying the atmosphere and design of a shop, people are likely to associate positivity with a brand or pick up an unexpected item. This is why your store design is important and should serve to encourage new and maintained custom.

Consider how your displays are working with your products. Being able to showcase as many items as possible is important and it increases the likelihood of a supplementary sale. As such, it is wise to make use of all spaces. Empty walls may benefit from slatwall panels or wooden shelves, allowing you to highlight products or build a display that serves your brand identity. Better organisation of your floor space may support the display of more products without compromise to customer traffic flow. Many shelves, such as freestanding gondola shelves, are adjustable and manoeuvrable, making them ideal to occupy changing shop design.

Avoiding monotony is important since it has a strong impact on customer attention. Customers are inclined to restrict their attention if it is not tested. As such, using a repeating shop interior will lead to customers walking by certain products in order to get to where they want to. By changing displays and alternating retail shelving, you will keep your customer’s attention and increase the likelihood that they will discover something new. Many fitting suppliers, such as Crown Display, will be able to offer advice as well as custom products that fit your specific premises.

You may want to showcase the confidence of your brand by highlighting certain products. A major benefit to the shop experience is that customers can get up close or even hands-on with their considered product. You can make the most of this by displaying your product proudly on central displays, steering people through your store and among other products.

If your building has a certain innate aesthetic, such as a historical or rustic design, then consider integrating that theme into your store design instead of imposing your brand or concealing it. With a variety of handmade and rustic displays, you can maintain the practicality of your store’s display options while appealing to customers with a welcoming and complimentary image.

Finally, while the design is paramount, never lose focus on practicality. Many shops are able to draw in customers with an attractive design but quickly become stressful due to poor interior spacing. While a central display can be attractive, if it causes people to congregate it may be susceptible to becoming crowded, which may frustrate customers. Consider if certain areas require more space when customers are likely to stop and admire, such as at display units, or if the layout will require more efficiency. Whereas your shop design and displays may be appealing enough to bring in extra custom, if people feel crowded or disorientated then they will, often without realising why, feel the need to leave the shop quickly, more likely to shop online next time.