Experiential retail design and its importance in today’s era
Each Retail outlet designed has a different style and mostly targets a different set of audience as per the nature of the
business. It is very essential to keep in mind what kind of a store experience you would like to offer your customers. The
interior layout of the store has to be designed in such a manner that first and foremost it attracts customers and secondly
it should reflect your brand personality in the most appropriate manner.
From crafting a brand story at an outlet to forming a shopping experience that is customer friendly, it is very important to
consider what could be that one thing that your potential customer would get attracted towards. Window displays, signage's,
shelves, mannequins all these put together ultimately give potential customers a reason to enter a store and finally
purchase any brands' offerings.
We all know that the physical appearance of a store largely contributes to the ultimate decision making and buying factor
in customers. It is crucial to keep in mind that from the minute somebody enters your store to the time they decide to
leave, smart as well as innovative design choices make a significant difference in regards to whether you make a sale or
not.
'Experiential retail' has become a famous term which describes the most preferred mode of shopping amongst the new
age generation. The ever evolving needs of a customer who look for hands –on and reliable experiences when in-store, has
started becoming the main factor influencing their purchase decision. While the art of experiential retailing may bring
to mind enjoyment, in-store electronic displays, interactive mirrors and creative ways of enhancing customer experience is
what really matters in order to make the visit of the potential customers fruitful.
There are various factors that contribute to an Ideal Retail Experiential Store:
Physical Appearance
Physical appearance refers to the overall look the store echoes. From the main brand banner, the window display to details
like the store layout, customer friendly product placements; all these factors contribute and enhance the overall physical
appearance of a store. The exterior of your store holds equal significance, when it comes to design, as the interiors. Not
overdoing things and keeping a minimalistic approach helps in achieving your ultimate objective of attracting more customers
eventually leading to sales.
Keep it uncluttered
As much as we focus on having all the necessary things in an experiential store, we tend to over crowd the space which
ultimately makes the store look cluttered and untidy. You should always believe in the phrase 'Less is More', as customers
like to have open space to walk around freely and experience what they would like to ultimately purchase.
Clear Sign boards and Product Description
Sign boards that guide customers in the store are very essential. Buyers do not prefer having someone around them all the
time. Customers nowadays like to be left on their own when they walk into a store and let them have the freedom to shop at
their own convenience and time.
Product description is also a must in any retail experiential store, especially when there are technology related products,
for instance, home appliances, mobile phones, cameras, etc. This also helps in saving cost of having more resources as
sales personnel’s to inform each customer walking in about the product and its features. If precise product descriptions
are kept on display, customers can self-educate themselves about a given product and ultimately make their purchasing
decision.
Attractive Window Display
The window display of any store is the first and foremost thing that catches the attention of a prospective buyer. We all
create a first impression about the store as well as the brand once we have a look at the window displays. It is very
important that our window display should reflect what our brand personality is and it should also somewhere subtly convey
the fact that an extravagant experience awaits the customer inside the store. Again, keep it simple and subtle but at the
same time ensure it is eye pleasing as well.
Relevant use of colours
A correct mix of colours is something that you should focus on while designing an experiential store as well. Reason being
that customers get attracted towards factors that compliments the store characteristics and they tend to be more inclined to
make a purchase when they are pleased with the overall aesthetics of the store. Colours used in the store should definitely
reflect your brands personality and also compliment other factors like furniture, counters, etc. in the store. When we talk
about a brand that is subtle in nature, for instance, a suiting and shirting brand, neutral colour or pastels colours tend
to look great but if are referring to a clothing brand that is funky and in vogue then bright and bold colours will help
create that magical look for your store.
We all live in this modern world where online shopping has also become a massive industry but there are majority of customers
who still prefer to visit a store, check a product, try on outfits, see the visual aesthetics, understand the product
features and then decide whether they want to purchase the product or not.
Therefore, it is very important, as a retail outlet owner, that we ensure we are offering the potential customers who are
walking into the store, an experience that influences their purchasing decision in a positive manner and also ensuring they
visit your store again in the near future!
In the clash to win resolute buyer faithfulness, one thing is definite that merely selling products to customers all the time
is not going to work these days and hence, we need to be in touch with customer demands and preferences in order to gain
profit for our business.