Retail

A living room with a couch and a coffee table

According to retail studies, a prospective shopper’s decision to enter a store and make a purchase can happen very quickly.

  • A subconscious judgment about a retailer is generally made within 90 seconds of entering a store.
  • 93% of purchasing decisions are based on visual appearance.
  • 52% of shoppers will not return to a store if they don’t like the aesthetics.

The first challenge of retail design is to get people to cross the threshold and enter the store. Among all the factors influencing a person’s decision to enter a store, the following five concepts are the most immediately salient.

Color

The use of color is one of the most important considerations in creating a retail environment. The above-noted studies note that up to 90% of consumers’ first impressions are based on color, while 85% of shoppers say color is the primary reason for purchasing a product.

Lighting

Lighting is an important consideration in shaping consumer behavior.Good lighting design can create the proper feel and ambiance of your shop and merchandise. Lighting needs to be used strategically. Over-lit is just as bad as under-lit.

Flow

Retail design should create a flow pattern that lets customers experience the store in a natural and logical way. For example, most people are right-handed. So, when they enter a store, they typically turn right first. This is a great place to put core product offerings, and promotional items that will draw people in the door.

Flexibility

Color and lighting should be integrated, and paired with store fixtures that are the right size for the available space. This needs to be done in ways that allow cost-effective updates in the future.

Sustainability

Given the current state of our world, sustainability should be a major consideration of retail design and marketing. This affects not just materials and finishes, but also merchandising decisions. Environmentally-friendly materials and finishes, efficient energy solutions, and consideration of customer and community well-being are all important parts of this.