Store Design and Layout

Need for store planning

Allocating Space

Types of space needed

-Back room -Office and other functional spaces -Aisles, services areas, and other non-selling areas of the main sales floor. -Wall merchandise space. -Floor merchandise space. Circulation Shrinkage Prevention

Impact of physical environmental factors on shopping behavior

Physical environment
Emotions Store layout & design Merchandise display Music Aroma Customer Senses Shopping Behaviour

Store Image

Customers perception of the store and its attributes.

Atmospherics : a store's physical characteristics that are used to develop a retail units image and draw customers.
Describes the physical elements in a store's design that appeals to consumers and encourages them to buy. Classified in terms of exterior and interior atmospherics

Importance of Atmospherics Planning

Enhances the image of the retail outlet. Attracts new customers. Creates a definite USP. Facilitates easy movement inside the store. Facilitates access to merchandise inside the store. Ensures optimum utilization of retail space. Facilitates better organization of the store and its merchandise. Reduces product search time for the customer. Influences the service quality experience.

Components of retail atmospherics

Exterior atmospherics Interior atmospherics Store layout Visual merchandising

External atmospherics

All aspects of the physical environment found outside the store are external atmospherics. Significantly affects store traffic and sales generated. Store exterior includes store entrances, main board, marquee, windows display and lighting, height and size of the building, parking facilities, surroundings

etc...

Interior atmospherics

All aspects of physical environment found inside the store. Affects sales, time spent in the store and approach/avoidance behavior of the target segment.

The retail unit environment presents various stimuli that are

perceived by the customer's senses. Each stimulus offers many options with regard to shopping

behavior.

Store layout

Is the interior retail store arrangement of departments or groupings of merchandise. Store arrangement:

- pays adequate attention to the expected movement of the

customers visiting the store. - space allotted to customers to shop.

- adequate facilities for merchandise display.

Free-Flow Layout

is a type of store layout in which fixtures and merchandise are grouped into free-flowing patterns on the sales floor.

Free-Flow Layout

Advantages Allowance for browsing and wandering freely. Increased impulse purchases Visual appeal Flexibility

Disadvantages Loitering encouraged. Possible confusion. Waste of floor space. Cost. Difficulty of cleaning.

Grid Layout

is a type of store layout in which counters and fixtures are placed in long rows or runs, usually at right angles, throughout the store.

Advantages Low cost. Customer familiarity. Merchandise exposure. Ease of cleaning. Simplified security. Possibility of selfservice.

Disadvantages Plain and uninteresting. Limited browsing. Stimulation of rushed shopping behavior. Limited creativity in dcor.

Loop Layout/ Racetrack layout

is a type of store layout in which a major customer aisle begins at the entrance, loops through the store, usually in the shape of a circle, square or rectangle, and then returns the customer to the front of the store. Advantages Exposes customers to the greatest amount of merchandise

Entry

Exit

Spine Layout

is a type of store layout in which a single main aisle runs from the front to the back of the store, transporting customers in both directions, and where on either side of this spine, merchandise departments using either a free-flow or grid pattern branch off toward the back aisle walls.

Exterior Atmospherics Interior Atmospherics

Storefront Accessibility Marquee Entrances Visibility Parking Size of building Display windows Adjoining Stores Flooring Dead area Lighting Personnel Temperature Fixtures Wall Trial room Aisles Odour Cleanliness

Store Layout
Floor space allocation for selling, merchandise display, and customer traffic flow Department location Space/merchandise category Signage

Visual Merchandising
Assortment\Theme Racks and shelves Payment Counters