Simple Store Layout Hacks That Will Boost Sales

Many business owners have detailed reports of their customer demographics and psychographics, data-targeted loyalty programs, and use digital upselling strategies to move the customer from browsing to buying. But one key ingredient for influencing purchasing decisions, taps into our root impulses and subconscious, the store’s look and feel.

Your store layout is critical and when optimized, can boost sales. Here is how to optimize your store for driving revenue:

Before The Door

If you’re not quite a name brand, window displays can be necessary to drive new customers into your store. People are visual, thus showcasing your premium goods, in a clean and eye-catching way can influence foot traffic. With digital signage, you can showcase your goods against changing images, video, or even market your latest discounts. More and more, larger brands are deploying creative marketing strategies to catch the eye of passer byers.

In 2006, Apple used a sticker to make their window display look like shattered glass to promote the iPad Hi-Fi speaker system.

Photo via Flickr / by Roger Jones

The Layout

A study shows that when customers enter a store, they move counter clockwise. This means that the premium real estate for your highest profiting products should be just to the right of the door. The placement of your products can influence shoppers walking patterns, encourage them to fill up their carts and buy more. For instance, if your store sells essentials like milk and eggs at a grocery store, they should be placed in the back of the store. This encourages shoppers to pass rows of other products to get to the essentials and encourage them to fill their baskets on their way to the back of the store.

By placing your most profitable goods at eye-level, you will increase your chances that the shopper will choose that item by an additional 35%! Also, unclutter your space and keep your aisles wide to make customers feel comfortable and important. Avoid the dreaded butt brush, a term coined by top retail consultant Paco Underhill, which is when women and men avoid tight or crowded aisles where they might brush bottoms with other shoppers.

A great example of a minimalist store design is Apple, wide spaces and clean design evoke an air of exclusivity, making shoppers believe that the products are of very high value.

Atmosphere

Shopping is a full sensory experience. From the smell of fresh out of the oven cookies to the feel of a cozy sweater – every vertical can capitalize on the shoppers’ sensory experience to boost sales. Retail stores should deploy light, pleasant aromas around their stores while food establishments may use its bakery to pump the smell of fresh baked goods. For example, Panera Bread recently moved its baking time to daytime hours so that customers smell the bread all day long.

For retail stores, touch is incredibly important. For instance, Square Root showed that 65% of shoppers turn to stores for their holiday shopping so they can feel, touch, and see products before they purchase. Give your customers a tactile experience by having some of your goods on tables that can easily be touched or played with.

Lastly, don’t forget about the power of a great playlist. Curate music for your establishment that relates to your buyer demographic and gives your brand an audio identity. This will influence not just how a shopper perceives your brand, but will also influence how long they spend in your store and make lines feel much shorter.