Are you looking for ways to enhance the in-store customer experience and boost merchandise visibility and overall sales for your shop? You can achieve these objectives by carefully planning your floor plan. Adopting effective fixture and window layout strategies, you improve navigation, maximize space usage, and boost revenue.
By implementing the ideal store layout, you direct customers to specific merchandise. In addition, you should leverage insights into customer behavior to drive impulse purchases. To correctly handle the store layout design process, focus on your target market's needs and behaviors. Also, take into account the available space and your store's product range.
In this guide, you'll learn about customer behaviors, types of retail store layouts, merchandising strategies, and effective design planning. You'll also discover the importance of managing your shop's finances with Skynova's template-based software.
What Are the Components of a Retail Store Layout?
A retail store layout comes with two key components that you need to know. These components form part of the retail principles embraced by experts, including psychologist Paco Underhill.
Here are the two components:
- Customer flow: This component relates to shoppers' behavioral patterns and in-store navigation trends. Understanding customer traffic flow is vital to your overall retail management strategy. It's no surprise that retailers are increasingly tapping into insights generated by in-store customer tracking software, which relies on video footage and sensors. If you're an e-commerce merchant, you can rely on cookies and other user tracking software to glean vital insights.
- Store design: When it comes to design, you can enhance customer experience by improving space management. It's vital to adopt strategic floor plans that accommodate fixtures, furniture, and displays more effectively. For e-commerce platforms, developers optimize retail store design by implementing specific web design principles.
Types of Store Layouts and Designs
Store layouts and designs determine shoppers' experience in your retail space. There's a wide variety of layout types from which to choose.
Examples of retail store layouts include:
- Forced-path store layout
- Geometric layout
- Mixed layout
- Grid layout
- Racetrack or loop layout
- Loop layout
- Diagonal layout
- Straight layout
- Angular layout
Additional variants include herringbone, boutique, and free-flow layout. The ideal option depends on your merchandising strategy, floor space, fixtures, and target market.
Racetrack Layout
The racetrack or loop layout makes it easier to control the path taken by shoppers before they reach the checkout. It focuses on the perimeter track in a way that increases product exposure. As you design the layout, you can get creative with the look and feel of the store's central area.
This layout allows you to create a feeder aisle that starts at the shop's entrance and loops into inner sections. It's possible to design a circular, rectangular, or square-shaped racetrack layout.
Forced-Path Store Layout
With the forced-path layout, you can direct shoppers on a particular path starting from the entrance to the back of the store. This design provides a practical way to highlight new products or other priority merchandise. Benefits of this layout include uniform and efficient foot traffic flow.
The forced-path layout is ideal for various types of retail establishments, including convenience stores and grocery stores. Benefits of this approach include maximizing aisle space and promoting impulse purchases.
Grid Store Layout
This layout is ideal for drugstores, hardware stores, and other retail establishments looking to streamline inventory control. A grid design allows shoppers to move in an efficient traffic pattern, thanks to the improved organization of product displays and fixtures.
Straight Store Layout
If you're looking for a straightforward and efficient design, opt for a straight store layout. This variant helps you create separate spaces for the shoppers. When implemented correctly, a straight layout drives shoppers from the front of the store to the back.
Shoppers keep moving after entering your shop, thanks to the strategic placement of visual merchandising displays and fixtures. Convenience stores and liquor stores typically use this layout.
Diagonal Store Layout
The diagonal layout makes it easier to increase shoppers' sightlines and highlight new products. You can simply position aisles at an angle across the sales floor.
This layout is ideal for small spaces and directs traffic flow toward the checkout point. It's a practical option for self-service outlets and small stores. Benefits include improved security and customer flow.
Angular Store Layout
With the angular layout, you manage traffic flow using curved power walls, rounded visual merchandising signage, and shelving. High-end retail outlets rely on this layout to maximize product visibility. However, the design isn't ideal for small stores. On the upside, it creates a perception of higher quality products.
Geometric Store Layout
Consider the geometric store layout if you're looking for a design to target Gen Z customers and trendy millennials. This design appeals to shoppers with artistic interior design and merchandising elements. In addition, it works well with a wide selection of ceiling styles, support columns, and power wall angles.
Mixed Store Layout
A mixed layout provides more flexibility in the design elements. It employs the best characteristics drawn from several layouts to create an effective visual merchandising effect.
This variant employs a combination of angular, diagonal, straight, and other concepts. You can opt for the mixed store layout if you aim to achieve a dynamic customer flow.
Planning Phase: Key Considerations
The planning phase helps create a clearer picture of your store design. You'll easily identify potential issues before making the final layout decision. As you assess your options, it's possible to discover that a combination of layout styles and floor plans can produce the desired result.
For instance, your building, the available floor space, fixtures, displays, and other factors may favor a mix of grid-style aisles, loop layout, and free-flow displays.
The planning phase can reveal the right solution for your store. Consider using your shop's blueprint or create a schematic for the sales floor. If you decide to draft a schematic, use a grid paper or digital design tools.
Consider Customer Behaviors and Traffic Flow
As you weigh the pros and cons of different store layouts, keep in mind customer behaviors associated with your target market. To get things done correctly, put yourself in shoppers' shoes. The aim is to achieve a logical flow and ensure a good customer experience.
It's vital to consider customer behaviors during the designing and implementation phases. For instance, shoppers typically decompress upon entry into your shop, and they need personal space. Also, shoppers tend to turn right and move up ahead.
Always provide a decompression zone to satisfy shoppers' need for a transition space. This area helps customers mentally adjust to your store's environment as they enter. For this reason, avoid cluttering areas closer to the store entrance. Ideally, the decompression or transition zone should be open and inviting.
Pick the Right Layout
Once you familiarize yourself with different store layouts, it's important to select the right option. The ideal layout fits your space and meets your customers' expectations. Key considerations include your product range, floor space, and your customer base. If you want to highlight less popular products, opt for a layout that includes speed bumps. A shelf stopper or talker works well as an in-store speed bump.
Ensure Adequate Spacing Between Fixtures and Merchandise
Depending on the floor space in your store, you should ensure optimal spacing between fixtures and products. Providing sufficient space between fixtures is a surefire way to ensure free movement. This approach also allows customers to have personal space while shopping.
Carefully Position the Store Checkout Area
The checkout point is an essential feature that requires strategic placement. This aspect makes a difference in the overall impact of your layout. To pick the right location, consider customer behaviors. For instance, shoppers typically drift to the right after entering and to the left as they exit. Thus, placing the checkout on the front left is a viable option.
Leverage Zone Design Strategies
Zone design is a concept that bolsters merchandising strategies by enabling shoppers to find related items. This approach helps you increase sales while ensuring convenience for customers. Zoning groups products that complement each other (e.g., placing battery packs in the same zone as flashlights).
What Makes a Good Store Layout?
The right layout combines an effective fixture design with an eye-catching window display and communal design strategy. Fixture strategies play an integral role in enhancing customer interactions and flow. Thus, you should carefully arrange your shelving units, counters, checkout points, and bench seating.
The window strategy provides a welcoming display from the outside. When implemented correctly, the visual merchandising elements draw shoppers into your store. You can achieve the desired objective by carefully choosing display units, lighting units, props, and featured merchandise.
When it comes to the communal design strategy, your chosen layout promotes engagement and a sense of community. For instance, display art pieces and play music produced by popular local artists and musicians. This approach instills pride in shoppers.
Manage Business Finances Efficiently With Skynova
You need to consider improving accounting processes with easy-to-use software as you plan to transform your store with a dynamic visual merchandising display and layout. Thankfully, you can count on Skynova's software products. We offer a variety of products, including reliable accounting software and a professional invoice template.
With Skynova's accounting software, you're sure to maintain up-to-date financial records. Our software automatically records a wide selection of transactions and other events. As a result, you'll find it easier to ensure accuracy and reduce time spent handling routine bookkeeping tasks.
If you want to try our templates or accounting software, visit our website today.
Notice to the Reader
This article contains information meant to provide you with a basic idea about the topic. However, it may not apply to your specific situation or requirements. Therefore, we recommend consulting with an expert to ensure that you adhere to minimum quality standards.