Get The Right Fit!!!
When preparing for a new fit out think carefully about how you want the store to look and feel, consider the space you have to work with and look around for inspiration. Plan your shop and really focus on your stock, and how best to show it, Lots of stores use the wrong fittings for their products!! Ensure you have enough room to create display areas or locations for visual merchandising that will attract attention, without detracting customers from exploring the rest of the store.
Do customers really notice the difference though? Yes.
They’re never sure why, but they can sense that the shop may feel bigger and suddenly they see items they may have missed before. In my experience I have seen huge reaction to customer’s behaviour once thought and careful consideration has been put into the layout and fit of a shop. Customers want value and choice but they also want it shown to them in a nice environment free from clutter and excess. It’s all about balance.
As soon as you open the door to any business you are inadvertently conducting visual merchandising of some kind, as it’s about the experience you offer your customers. All retailers should look at the way they merchandise; they should have their staff trained in this area so they can give consumers the best service. From shop stores, to fashion to hardware, to even bakery, they all involve visual merchandising techniques of some kind as merchandising is about the whole experience of the store even down to your price signs
SFD is one of the largest shop fitting companies in Europe and Steve Kemp, the Sales Director, has seen his fair share of successful fit outs and some less so.
“Understanding the time the project can take, the preparation is very important to ensure that the store is launched with the best timing at the opportune moment and with maximum impact, it’s imperative that all the building regulations and inspections are carried out at the earliest opportunity before committing to new premises and remember that the right product has to be in for the launch,” warns Steve.
This year SFD designed, produced and installed a groundbreaking new lifestyle store called Iconic in Dubai, and at 70,000sq ft it is completely different from any other stores in the in the Dubai retail scene, aimed at a younger market with high levels of visual merchandising throughout the store.
In terms of favourites, Steve has a few: “There are lots of stores that we think get it right such as the new Luxury department at Brown Thomas & the New Levis Store in Regent Street London, stores that we love are those that push the boundaries such as Anthropologie and a new store called Acne on Dover Street London.
Stores can get it wrong when they become complacent and don’t continually strive to improve; it’s all about delivering the best experience to customer whilst matching the brand expectations to the retail journey to achieve the best results,” he says.
Pop us a question anytime @ Rowena@visualsense.ie
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