Thursday, April 28, 2011

Fundamental Concepts In Retail Design

By Samuel Wilson


The core objective of a retail space is to offer an environment in which the retailer can effectively promote and sell products to the consumers, and where the customers can buy those products with convenience. Because of this purpose, retail design involves taking into account several considerations of promotion, graphic design and ergonomics, in addition to the usual ones relating to architecture and interior design.

It is essential for a retail space to be designed keeping in mind the particular requirements it is meant to cater to. For example, the design requirements for a supermarket would differ radically from those for an art gallery. A number of aspects have to be considered while working on the design, such as the kind of products being put on sale, the level of involvement of shop assistants in the purchasing process, the number of goods that need to be put on display, and so on. Certain retail spaces only have to display some samples of merchandise, whereas, others allow trial of the goods by the buyers prior to sale. Depending on such requirements, the retail design will have to be customised.

Apart from the utilitarian features of retail design, the appeal of the retail space to the customer is also highly important. It is essential that buyers feel welcome in the store once they enter, and are prompted to buy before leaving. The retail design plays a significant role in this. The store should also have promotions inside the shop that encourages the customers to buy the items displayed in the store.

Moreover, the retail store must impress the customers so much that they are compelled to visit the store in future for more shopping. A good retail designer will therefore give extra attention to the ambiance of the store and make sure that the customers have a pleasant and comfortable experience.

To create a good retail design, it is important to have a fair understanding of marketing basics, space planning and knowledge of buyers' psychology, among other things. These factors have to be understood both by the owner of the retail space, so that the precise requirements can be communicated in an efficient manner, and by the retail designers, so that the design efficaciously fulfills those needs.

Lastly, it is not simply the interior of the store that must be carefully designed. The outside design and appearance of the shop should also be attractive to draw buyers to the shop so that they enter and look at the merchandise.




About the Author:



0 comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive