 In the floral industry, retailers
are no strangers to design. Florists are experts in arranging blooms
and have a trained eye for colour and texture. Why not use this talent
and knowledge and apply it your store? Visual design expert Linda Cahan
recently presented the following tips for store design during a seminar
at the August Independent Garden Center Show in Chicago.
Here are Cahan’s “Top 10 Rules for Fabulous Store Design.”
1. Figure out what you want. Create a wish list and write down everything you’d want to include in your ideal store. Pull out pictures from magazines, include fabrics and colours, and glue them onto a dreamboard. “Get a big board and fill it out. Give yourself a sense of what you want to do,” Cahan says. You also need to look at how much you want to spend and figure out what your ideal store design will cost you.
2. Be unique! Cahan encourages retailers to think outside the box and try to look at your store features in a whole new way. Create original eye-catching original signage that is whimsical and colourful and be consistent throughout the entire store. Incorporate texture into the shop through materials like wood to create warmth and value. Cahan says “displays actually define your store” and are what the customer remember when they try to place the flowers or product in their home.
3. Create a sensory experience. “Emotion is at the foundation of why people buy things they don’t need,” says Cahan. Establishing an experience that appeals to the senses generates positive emotions and this is what brings people back to your store. Create your own store smell, colours or offer a signature candy when people first enter the store so the taste reminds them specifically of your shop. “People look for the joy of discovery and adventure – they want to turn the corner and find something exciting,” says Cahan.
4. Don’t skimp. Budget properly for your design. In the seminar, Cahan provides some specific numbers as to what you should be spending per square foot. She says for small budgets, expect to spend $20 to $30/square foot, $35 to $45/square foot with a medium budget and $46 to $57/square foot if you have a big budget.
5. Define your store through fixtures. Fixtures help to showcase your product. If you have white walls, make sure you use strong build-out displays to spice up the area. Cahan says round tables make it easier for customers to walk around the store and are a big trend right now.
6. Design on the curve. Set up your shop so that customers can explore the shop on a curved pathway. Sharp corners hide products and can interrupt the customer’s shopping experience.
7. Prepare a timeline plan. Set installation dates with contractors and devise a schedule for each part of the redesign. Pinpoint any areas that might cause delays so you won’t be caught off guard.
8. Get all your permits in order. If you’re planning to expand the shop in any way, check to see what permits you will need from your town or city and get them before you start anything. Hire someone to help you if you are unfamiliar with the process or do some research before you begin.
9. Create excitement around the new store. Have a renovation sale. This will leave you less merchandise to move around while you are redoing the store and also let your customers know that change is on the way. Advertise your reopening day and let customers know about the new look. If you have a website or e-newsletter keep your customers informed online as well.
10. Remember Murphy’s Law. Keep in mind that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong, and plan accordingly.
Read our web-exclusive feature, Colour-ology .
|
