Is Your Shop Fit for Profit ?

You may not realise just what a difference a professionally designed shop fit-out can make to your customers, your image and your bottom line.

How many customers have you watched pass your store? How many customers have walked into your store, browsed around and left empty-handed? Stand back and take a good hard look at your shop design and fit-out. Could it use an update? How does it compare to surrounding shops? If you were a customer would you be enticed to enter and browse through your store?

Having your shop professionally planned and expertly designed can make a tremendous difference to your store traffic and turnover. Think about what you are currently achieving and set yourself a realistic target of where you would like to be. Of course, you have to take your budget into account, but with the right advice and clever planning you will be attracting new customers daily and you will see what an improvement it is making to your takings.

Impact is crucial, you want to catch your customer’s eye starting with their first glimpse of your store. A bold entry statement will catch their curiosity, once inside the store it is time to keep them there as long as possible by enticing them to discover more through a carefully planned floorplan. Think about a store like Ikea, its maze-like zig-zag trail draws the customer through every nook and cranny, enticing impulse buying along the way. But how can you apply the same buying reactions from your customers?

There are so many options when it comes to fit-out. How are your products displayed? On shelves – think about shelf-screens to grab your customer’s interest on particular products that explain the benefits right then and there. What about interactive tablets mounted near your product displays that will guide customers to what they are looking for?

As they journey through your store it is important to attract their interest to other products, you may have a bin of specials you are relying on for impulse purchase. You need to ensure it is eye-catching and in exactly the right place traffic-wise to catch the customer’s eye, and then convince them they need it now.

Colours play a big role. Depending on the nature of your business, you may go for crazy bold colours or perhaps a soothing and calming atmosphere would be more suited. Whatever type of retail you are in, getting professional advice on improving your store’s layout, attractivity and therefore traffic, is going to pay-off in the long-run. Samico retail and commercial fit-out professionals can advise you on all aspects of shop fit-out and will also talk to you about your long-term goals and any plans for future expansion. All of this will be taken into account when re-designing your store.

Bottom line? You want to create a welcoming environment - a shop design and fit-out that will keep attracting customers for many years and will allow for minor modifications, special promotions and most importantly, ensure that cash register is singing your favourite tune.