What you’ll learn to do: Identify the key objectives of good store design

As a store owner, it would be great if you could be standing at the door every time a customer enters. You could greet that customer, tell him you want him to feel welcome and relaxed, and show him all the products you’re most interested in selling him. You could point out that, if he purchases gadget #1, he should definitely purchase gadget #2 to go with it, as owners usually find the two work well in tandem. And does he have a widget? No? Well, there’s a topic of discussion on the way to the cash register…

That would be nice, but it’s not possible a lot of the time. So a good store layout does the hosting for you. It draws your customer in, perhaps introduces him to products that he didn’t know he needed. It informs the mood of the customer, draws his eye to merchandise in a way that influences shopping decisions, and, in general, allows him to experience the store in a way that encourages buying.

Shoppers make up to 80% of their purchasing decisions while they’re in the store.^[1] Store design—everything from the height of the shelf to the carpet on the floor—can help influence those shoppers in a way that’s favorable to the sale.

In this module, we’ll learn the general types of store layouts and the messages they send to the customer. You’ll learn how a store design can influence sales and control your costs.