We’ve already explored the basic rules for good retail design. Below, we’ll try to summarize some key points, which offer some interesting ideas. However, these should always be contextualized based on the type of business, its geographic location, its target customer, and the information explained in the article “Shop Design: Everything You Need to Know.”
1 – Think about the window display
We’ve already said that the window display is a store’s calling card; it provides a glimpse of the type of products sold and should entice passersby to enter.
Backdrops can be used to draw attention to each window display, masking what’s hidden inside the store, thus highlighting the item on display and increasing curiosity to discover what’s behind the window display.
Order prevails, so it’s best to opt for a few products on display, or even just one to focus attention on. Displaying as many products as possible, filling all the available space, doesn’t guarantee that everything on display will be sold or even seen. Imagine an average person walking past the shop windows, often distracted by their phone: having a striking window display with just a few products on display ensures that everyone, more or less distracted, can actually see the products at a glance, while an indefinite number of products scattered throughout the window display isn’t guaranteed to be appreciated or even seen.
You can use color palettes that reflect the season or highlight the type of product displayed;
You can consider nighttime lighting;
You can contextualize the window display with the time of year or the upcoming holiday, but without falling into clichés. Displaying a Christmas tree in December doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve created a functional window display. Instead, choosing a theme—such as a snowy landscape—that’s appropriate for showcasing the products being sold can be more effective.
2 – Choosing the right furniture
Store decor, of course, cannot depend solely on personal taste, but must also be tailored to the target audience and the type of product sold. Therefore, in addition to the need for a style consistent with the target audience and product, practical considerations must also be considered: the amount of space required to store packaged goods, ready for retrieval when needed, the need for shelves to display various products to customers, or even the provision of comfortable seating, if the business is likely to host a customer for a significant period of time.
3 – Design the lighting
The choice of lighting is also determined by the type of business being considered: you might consider warm, soft, and focused lighting, focused primarily on the table in the case of a lounge bar, or a more impactful light with distinctly different areas illuminated in the case of a specific clothing brand. It’s important that the lighting always enhances the product the business is trying to sell, whether it’s a physical product or an experience, such as dinner or an aperitif. The lighting shouldn’t blind the customer, but rather guide them and help them focus on the reason they came to the store, creating the right atmosphere.
4 – Create the atmosphere
Continuing with what we’ve just said, we can affirm that lighting undoubtedly plays a fundamental role in creating an atmosphere, in conjunction with the overall design of the business, including the furnishings and style chosen. The purchasing decision is largely influenced by the location of the shopper, which is why it’s crucial to create an environment that stimulates and promotes well-being. Aesthetic choices aren’t merely aesthetic preferences, but are always designed for marketing purposes, so much so that professionals can guide us in making the right choices.
5 – Don’t forget versatility
All four of the previous points and all the ideas mentioned should share a common factor: versatility. This allows for periodic changes, reorientations of the entire retail space, and the cleaning and sanitization of the environment. Moving away from aesthetic changes, which are certainly important, the current period, which has forced us to confront a pandemic, dramatically forces us to reflect on the need for versatility, allowing us to adapt the space to current needs. Versatility means being able to use more or less space based on the flow of people in the clothing store. For a restaurant, it means being able to move tables while ensuring minimum distancing. For a beauty salon, it means being able to seat the next customer in an adjacent area while the previous one finishes and prepares to leave. And these are just a few of countless examples. Versatility guarantees greater resources.