See, touch, and buy
Good lighting is extremely important in a retail store; therefore, it is important to ensure consumers can see the displays that are highlighted with spotlights. Customers do not buy what they cannot see. Further, when laying out the store, also keep in mind that customers want to touch and hold products before they purchase them. This is one of the major advantages a retail store has over an Internet retailer as research shows more consumers are likely to make a purchase if they can touch the product first.
For high-profit items, make sure the consumer can see, feel, grab, and understand the product. Retailers should sell the product in a way that makes them the most money, which is what it is all about.
Prime retail
The area around the sales counter is prime retail space and should be filled with grab-and-go, impulse-type products. There is no reason to feature staples or commodity items in this space. Some retailers fill this area with these basic items as a way to provide their customers more convenience by enabling them to come in, grab it, pay for it, and go; however, this philosophy goes against everything about proper retail store layout.
The longer the customer stays in the store, the more they buy. Therefore, these items should be moved to a rack in another area of the store. By doing this, retailers will find they are selling products they had never sold before simply because their customers are now traversing throughout the store to find what they need.
Duplicate displays
Retailers should not be afraid to duplicate their retail display efforts, either. For instance, test strip displays can be placed near the water lab, the front counter, and in the water testing supply area. Children’s swim goggles should be displayed at the front of the store and on a small rack near the counter during checkout.
Just remember, keep the inventory light in the secondary locations as the display does not have to be duplicated in full scale. Simply provide a sample of the product in these secondary locations and point the consumer to the main location for more selection.
Keep it moving
Also, move products around to keep the store looking fresh. If a regular customer comes in and buys the same item from the same spot every week, they may not even see the other products that are offered.
This does not mean the store needs a complete overhaul on a regular occurrence; however, it is a good idea to rotate merchandise, change displays, and freshen up any signage on a regular basis to make the customer feel as though there is always something new for them to see and experience.
Make a list
Finally, the burden of all these changes should not fall on the store owner’s shoulders alone. For instance, when performing the observing exercise, make a list of what needs to be changed and share the list with the store manager and employees, and place it behind the counter where they can see it. Whenever the store is not busy, go back to the list and start checking items off. It may take a week or maybe even a year, but ultimately it will get it done. Store layout and design is just one key to making a successful profitable store.
Ted Lawrence is a global retail specialist with Pool Corp., a wholesale distributor of swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related leisure products in Cleveland, Ohio. He has served the swimming pool industry for more than 20 years and is an authority on retail, sales, and management. Lawrence is also a regular seminar presenter at various national and international industry events, and participates on several professional retail boards and councils. He can be reached via e-mail at ted.lawrence@poolcorp.com.
