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The most important advertising tool for every retailer is his own store. A large store as well as a small shop must be unmistakable to the customers. That’s why store design can not be left to chance. New stores can set a new course, while renovations are often more difficult. More and more the store is staged like a brand.
Shopfitters don’t get their most orders for new construction, but rather for the redesign of existing stores. “A thorough analysis of the current state is the starting point“, says Reinhard Peneder, Marketing Director of shopfitter Umdasch. He warns against precipitous modifications. “There is far too much investment done without previous deliberations.“ Peneder states the right sequence: “store check“, ”store branding“ and only after this comes the planning of any store modifications. “Store Branding“, he points out, is not just a topic for the large chain stores, but also for small specialty retailers, even bakeries and hair salons. Store Branding means: the store is supposed to become an unmistakable brand.
The store as a brand – there is no panacea for it. You analyze the sales figures, take a look at the current store condition, analyze the local competitive situation and then determine the future assortment of goods. Finally, interior decorators and designers can use this to develop the proper optical appearance. They want to “tell a story” to the consumer and evoke emotions.
Store design is counting on psychology
A good store design leads the customer to the desired product virtually by itself. However, you need to consider several issues during the planning stage – from the floor plan to psychology all the way to day-to-day sales. The store layout – the partition of the store’s floor space – needs to first and foremost appeal to the customer. They are supposed to feel good.
The arrangement of shelves and merchandise fixtures should incorporate the insights of cognitive psychology. Nonverbal stimuli work best. Without any previous notional control, they automatically trigger emotional experiences. By comparison, language is more deliberately absorbed and with cognitive control. Among nonverbal stimuli are images, colors, light and smells. Verbal messages for instance are advertising messages or price tags. This is why it is ideal, if the walking route comes about automatically, without the customer feeling constricted.