5 Tips for Improving the Environmental Design of Your Store

Regardless of where you are in the world, the environmental design or deliberate creation and positioning of physical and visual elements in a point of sale setting, is one of the most overlooked elements of among small and medium sized companies. We often think of having a planned store concept as something reserved for the big guys. Part marketing, part psychology, and part interior design, environmental design can seem utterly baffling—the type of discipline that almost requires a specialized degree to even take a stab at. The truth is, as with many things that combine elements of art and science, it can be tricky to master, but anyone can understand the basics well enough to at least modestly improve the layout and aesthetics of their selling environment. Whether you employ the services of an interactive agency to assist with the professional design of products and banners, or you choose to do it yourself, you can use these 5 simple tips and see how you can make some simple changes!

Take the top-down approach

When was the last time you looked at a bird’s eye floor plan of your space? Too frequently we try to cram as much into our limited space as possible, thinking the more we have to offer, the more we’ll sell. Unless you’re a six year old trying to hide from your parents, stores that feel like mazes aren’t usually appealing. I suggest starting by comparing a diagram of your current floor plan with a diagram of your space that includes only permanent fixtures like walls, counters, doors, etc. This can be helpful to help you determine if your space is too cramped, and it gets your mind thinking of all the different ways you could be using all that space. Looking from the top down is essential for planning traffic flow, identifying bottle necks, and getting a true sense of what you have to work with.

Be a copycat

If you’re a smaller, local business you probably can’t afford to spend a million dollars on a study to determine how best to use your space to increase sales and improve customer experiences while ensuring that the average buyer spends precisely 12.7 minutes in your store. Luckily other people have done that already, and while they won’t just hand over the data to you, they always love showing off their cool interiors on their websites. Find out which is the best company in your category in the country, and look at what they do. Starbucks is a great example. They’ve spent millions figuring out the perfect layout and ambience for their stores. If you run a café or coffee house, look at how Starbucks has done it and borrow some of their cool ideas.

Know your neighborhood

You may be located in a downtown foot traffic zone, on the border of a quaint subdivision built in the ‘60’s, or on a street with six art galleries and four boutiques. And that really, really matters. If you don’t want to become the eye sore that people in the area complain about, you need to blend in. You can still stand out, but your store front and interior need to match the predominant aesthetic themes of your surroundings. Even Wal-Mart does this.

Change things up

Most customers respond well to fresh changes in today’s market. 30 years ago that wouldn’t have been true. They wanted the same old thing because it made them feel comfortable. Consumers are much more informed and aware today however, which makes them not only accepting of changes, but eager. Even baby boomers have proven enjoy change, provided the new elements cater to their specificneeds.

You should be looking at ways to modify your environment to some degree frequently. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to doing this because it varies based on your business, the market, and most importantly, your customers. If you manage a diner that has been a community fixture for 60 years, any changes should be relatively minimal, however if you’re a consumer goods retailer, you’ll want to make significant modifications relatively frequently. You can start planning for this by identifying which elements of your space you can change with low expense, and those which would cost more. Something easy could be searching for the coolest POS displays, while something a little more involved may include new carpet, shelving, and paint.