Top 5 Shopfitting Tips To Boost Sales
Some shop owners are unaware of the factors that could be hampering their sales. If you’re considering redesigning your shop, then these simple tips will help you to maximise your turnover in the coming year.
Getting the layout, signs, and displays right in your shop is crucial. With many years experience helping our clients to make the most of the space they have, we are well aware of how big an impact making the wrong shopfitting choices can have.
Maximise your space
When designing your shop fitout, the aim is create a feeling of space and openness, while displaying as many products as possible. This requires more than simply optimising your space in a logical way, and when done properly, can maximise the amount your customers spend.
Over cramming products into a space can be too busy visually, and reduce the amount of products your customers notice. The same happens when your shopfitter lays out your store so it’s cramped for customers. Now they can’t see the products, and will leave your shop with a memory of awkwardness.
Creating this balance takes shopfitting experience and expert knowledge, but must also factor in the type of products you sell, and what the customer expects from their shopping experience.
Practical shopfitting considerations
There are many simple shopfitting tricks you can use to make it easier for your customers. They may seem like common sense, but we see them ignored time and again. An example of one of these would be to always display products aimed at elderly customers at a comfortable height. Not many pensioners want to have to squat or bend to pick up a product. Placing them between belly button and chest height makes it easier for them to browse. They probably won’t even notice the convenience built in to your shopfitting, but they will notice if you don’t.
Product accessibility
Locked display cases may be great to deter shoplifters, especially when dealing with high value items, but the more open and accessible you can make your products the better. People naturally make a stronger connection to products when they can touch and feel them. Even in cases where security is required to be really tight, you can incorporate a process into your shopfitting that allows potential purchasers to interact with the products. Often these can be safer than simply unlocking a cabinet when someone asks to see a product.
Clear signs and labels
The bigger the shop, the more critical this becomes. If product categories or placement isn’t clearly labeled, then customers may not stick around long enough to find what they were looking for. The occasional shopper may ask for help finding an item, but many won’t bother. Placing signs in logical locations and using clear language will help customers to quickly build a mental picture of your layout, and easily navigate to the products they are looking for.
Even your products themselves can be used to signify that an area is home to a certain type of product. Careful placement on the end of an aisle will signify to shoppers what category the rest of the aisle’s products fall into.
Lighting
Lighting can be used to highlight certain areas, create a mood/feel, or direct a customer’s attention. LED lighting can be more effective and practical. The large array of options allows you to create a tailored solution for your shop. They also have less of an impact on the environment, require less maintenance, and will save you money on your energy bills.
Lighting plays a bigger role in our perception of a space than most of us are aware. Nearly any place, movie, or picture we would describe as atmospheric has very good lighting that fits the décor and feel of the interior. Lighting can be used to create a bright and welcoming atmosphere, or a feeling of increased privacy. Uplighters and spotlights can be used to highlight special features or displays, or even add a touch of class to the whole look of your store.
Other considerations
There are many other less obvious factors that should not be forgotten when tackling shopfitting, and designing your shop interior.
Shopfitting materials
Your choice of materials will say a lot about your business. If you’re entering a children friendly shop you would expect to see a tough floor covering, plastic furniture, and it should be well lit. However, if you were entering a high-class establishment you’d expect more luxurious materials. Your shop isn’t just somewhere you store your stock while you wait for it to sell; it provides the customer’s experience of your business.
Using raw materials in the correct way can add luxury and create a calming atmosphere, which will appeal to customers on a base level, and can feel like a little haven in the middle of a busy shopping day.
Unfortunately, detailing the right materials for each purpose would require a lot more than a single blog, as would the countless other small items we have learnt over the years. We think the cumulative affect of all this knowledge creates an attention to detail that’s hard to match.
Does your shop need a new look?
Whether you’re starting a new business, or refreshing the interior of an existing one, getting the right guidance can make all the difference. Our professional team will provide you with the best options for every aspect of your shop. With more than 35 years experience, Storebest are Ireland’s leading shop fitters, and we know how to make the most of your space.
We can help you with every aspect of shop fitting, from the earliest part of the planning stage through to a complete turnkey solution. Call us today on 01 539 4612, use our contact form, or e-mail info@storebest.ie to see what how we can help you.