The digital era has allowed more and more stores to focus on their online presence and in many cases, eliminate their real-world presence altogether by focusing on using professional movers to handle their large item deliveries. there are still countless consumers who prefer to shop in person. That being said, whether you’re a furniture store, or clothing shop, the competition for consumers’ attention is fierce, and brick and mortar stores need to take a look at their design if they want their business to stand out. Below are several tips to have the best brick and mortar store design in the biz.
Remember that the outside of your store matters just as much as the inside. Considering it’s the first thing customers see, it often determines whether or not they actually decide to enter. Make sure your signage is clear so passersby know what your store is, and set up a unique window display to draw attention.
Don’t be afraid to be bold with your exterior design, but make sure you stay on brand to give customers a true taste of what to expect when they walk in. There’s nothing worse than thinking you’re walking into a funky furniture store, and then finding out it’s actually a coffee shop. Well, unless the coffee is really good!
There’s obviously value in lighting so your customers can see while they’re shopping, but there are a lot of additional benefits to consider when designing your store’s lighting.
Your main lighting source should reach every corner of your store. But consider the tone of light you choose as well as its level of warmth. This could drastically alter the atmosphere of your store.
Use accent lighting to spotlight specific products or areas of your store. This will draw your customers’ attention by increasing visibility.
Decorative lighting serves less of a utilitarian purpose, but will allow you to improve the aesthetics of your space. Make sure any decorative light chosen sticks to your store’s theme and conveys the message you’re trying to communicate to customers.
Use natural lighting as much as possible. Scientifically speaking, sunlight causes our brains to produce serotonin, which improves our mood, and endorphins, otherwise known as the “feel-good hormone”. If your customers can walk around your shop with an extra dose of serotonin and endorphins, it’s likely they'll be more likely to make a purchase. Plus natural light has a tendency to make products look nicer.
In other words, try to avoid blocking windows with large displays or unnecessary signage.
In this day and age, companies who support the fight against social justice issues and who attempt to better their communities are being recognized. Showcasing members of your community is a great way to demonstrate to your customer base that you care about them and want to connect.
First, think about the demographics of your customers and how you can appeal to them. Then, decide how you want to represent your community in your store. It could be through a section of locally curated products, custom wall art, or other local pieces to display as store decor. These small touches will make your space more warm and welcoming, help your shoppers feel connected to the community, and create a unique shopping experience.
Pro tip: hire local professional movers to handle your large item deliveries!
As I’m sure your business has already committed to building your online presence, you likely understand the power of social media. Although posting on your own social media accounts is a great way to build brand awareness and increase exposure, if you want to take your social media marketing efforts to the next level, you need online engagement.
By creating photo-op spots in your store, you can encourage customers to share their shopping experience online, thereby creating organic promotions. If the world of influencer marketing has taught us anything, it’s that an organic recommendation of a product is way more likely to encourage purchase than a paid sponsorship or ad. Consumers want to know that the people they trust genuinely like a product or brand before they commit. That’s why we ask our friends and family for advice. We care about what others think, and as a business you should take advantage of that.
Here are some ideas:
Whatever you do, make sure you stay on theme with your store’s design. And don’t forget to think about the location of your photo area when designing your store layout. You’ll want to place it near the back of your store so customers have to walk by all your products to get to it. Also make sure you have enough space around it so instagrammers don’t get in the way of your browsing customers.
If you’re not a furniture store with dozens of couches on display, add seating to create a comfortable space for your customers and those accompanying them who may want a place to sit.
Resting = more energy for shopping
If you thrift a vintage couch like the one above, you can always hire local movers to handle the furniture delivery to your shop.
We are still in the age of minimalism, where customers can be easily overwhelmed by too many colours, too many displays, and too many products.
When it comes to colour, try to stick to one theme, but remember to consider the psychology behind the colour(s) you choose. For example, black is associated with power and class, so it’s often used for men’s clothing stores. Red is perfect for grabbing attention (like a stop sign) and encourages impulse buying. Blue is seen as a very calm colour (think ocean), which is why it’s used by many banks to encourage trust. As minimalism implies, less is almost always more, so try to avoid adding additional colours in your decor, flooring, paint, and signage if your products are already quite colourful.
Another good tip is to focus on one or two effective displays instead of filling your store with them. Use too many, and the impact will be lost on your customers. That means you need to use your displays strategically: try to showcase your newest products that follow current trends. You’ll have to update them regularly, but that will encourage repeat customers.
If your store doubles as a showroom, for example a furniture store, consider not displaying every size and colour of every large item available. This will free up space and help you avoid overwhelming your customers. If you have an online shop featuring all your products and you offer furniture delivery to your customers’ doors, there’s really no need to fill your store with every colour combo available.
That being said, “delivering large items” may seem straightforward, but there is a lot of work that goes into the logistics of ensuring your products are delivered efficiently and on schedule.
If you’d like to offload that responsibility so you can focus on other important aspects of your business, consider choosing MoveMate to handle your furniture delivery service for you. Our expert movers are equipped to handle any size of order at any distance, and our logistics team is dedicated to ensuring your deliveries run smoothly and your customers are happy.
Talk to our support team to see if MoveMate is the right large item delivery service for your business.
