Tips for a Successful Retail Fit Out

In this day and age, the retail industry faces many challenges in providing the best shopping experience and store layout for their customers. One of the best ways to increase your sales and traffic around your in-store layout starts with delivering on customer requirements, convenience, variety and a positive shopping experience.  This is all achieved through your in-store layout and product presentation on store fixtures. Here are 5 tips for a successful retail fit out, which will ultimately lead to improved brand loyalty and returning customers.

Your Customers Come First:

As a brick and mortar shop, you must do whatever it takes to fulfill your customers' needs and ensure they have a pleasant shopping experience while finding exactly what they are looking for quickly and easily.  In order to continually grow, you must take a close look at your interior and make changes for the benefit of your customers.  All brick and mortar shops, at some point, need to upgrade and redesign a successful retail fit out to meet the needs of their customers. This is why this tip comes as #1 out of #5 tips for a successful retail fit out.

In order to know what store fit out upgrades are needed, you should pay attention to your customer traffic.  Is traffic on the decline? Are customers only glancing at your displays and then moving on?  If this is the case, it's time to change your store design and displays, making them more enticing to hold your customer's attention.

Understand What Your Competitors are Doing:

Like all brick and mortar stores, you must be involved with people to know what their needs are and by delivering excellent quality store arrangement. One of the most important steps is taking a closer look at your competitors and find out how these shopfitter connoisseurs are bringing in traffic every day.  In some cases, you might discover they have changed their retail shop layout and added quality displays that draw their customers to their products.

Are your competitors following the latest store layout trends and technologies leading to higher sales?  If the answer is yes, it's time to start investing in your retail shop floor plan by upgrading your displays and refreshing your interior store layout to make it easy for your customers to navigate.  Customer satisfaction must be at the top of your list.

Invest In Your Employees:

Your workforce should be one of the most valuable assets for your brick and mortar business.  Your employees are on the front line communicating with customers and addressing their needs.  Bringing in the right people who are customer-oriented will provide the very best service. Offer your employees up-to-date, quality training in the newest shopfitters methods and technologies and to help them succeed.

Training should include understanding the various styles of displays, how different designs and setups can highlight your products and draw the attention of your customers. Once your workforce has a firm understanding of proper displays and successful retail fit out, customers will, 9 times out of 10, purchase something before leaving your shop.  When customers can easily view your goods, they will find exactly what they are looking for and not spend their time just “thinking about it.”

Look To The Future:

Developing a vision for the future will help you focus on merchandising issues that exist and how to make positive changes to bring in and direct more traffic effectively around your business.  All brick and mortar stores are constantly competing with each other so you need a leg up to make sure you are providing the very best products and services at competitive prices.  Convenience is another plus for your customers' shopping experience.  People do not want to spend hours looking for a product they can't find in this “get it now – get it fast” day and age.  Providing well laid out displays will make sure your customers can find what they are looking for, quickly. 

Make Your Store Visible from Outside

Particularly if your store resides within a shopping centre or a busy street, it is important to make sure your store stands out from your neighbours and competitors frontages. Consider the area outside your store and how you can take advantage of the space. Use outdoor signs, a-boards, and brochure stands to promote your products and services to passers-by. If you don’t have space in front of your store, you should pay attention to how you use your window display and store entrance design to advertise your business.

Conclusion:

Keep in mind, this is your business and in order to keep growing, you need to consider positive changes that will bring more people to your shop.  Upgrade your operations, train your employees, invest in excellent displays that are enticing, and provide the very best customer service experience.  Customers remember establishments that provide what they need in a very timely manner and have gone beyond their highest expectations.