Customers are more likely to revisit a store if they had a positive experience while shopping there. In this blog, we outline some innovative and effective shop fit out ideas for you to consider when refurbishing or creating your retail space.
Think Sustainably
When planning a shop fit out, it is important to consider the longevity of its design. Having an eco-friendly and sustainable shop design can make a difference to your business’s carbon footprint, something especially important if you are working to become greener as a company.
The fewer times you have to replace materials or refurbish your shop in the future, the more sustainable it is. Therefore you should consider using durable materials that are going to last and be timeless in terms of aesthetic for your fit out. Additionally, you should think about where these materials come from and how they are produced. Reused and recycled materials can make really great furniture and shelving units in retail stores, are often available locally, and are much cheaper to produce and buy.
Optimise Space
Optimising the space you have is paramount to a successful shop fit out. It is rare for additional space to be created (unless you extend the exterior) and it is therefore important to utilise what you have through only installing appropriate and necessary decor and to be particular about where furniture and display units go.
Functionality is key. This means that your customers should be your priority at all times. Consider what type of experience you would want when browsing the aisles yourself and whether your current layout is a suitable match for this. It is also important to know your target market and how many customers may be in the shop at once. Especially with the pandemic still making us very much aware of our personal space and distance from one another at all times, it is worthwhile remembering this when fitting out shops in the near future.
Considering where to put elements such as welcome areas, changing rooms and tills are just as important to think about as where to store and display your products. It is paramount that all elements of the shop work together. For example, assess how many customers you could have queuing at the till at any one time before it creates an issue further back in the shop or crosses over the main path of access through the shop.
Lighting Counts
One of the most important parts of designing a shop fit out is considering where the natural light will land and how much artificial light is required. Inviting sunshine into your shop will enhance the customers’ experience and allow them to see the products that you are selling in their best, and true, light.
Having and maintaining a bright, light space is something that we always prioritise when carrying out a shop fit out here at HE Interiors. If this isn’t made possible by solely relying on natural light, artificial lighting is great at drawing attention to or framing specific displays and other parts of the shop. Pockets of light can be produced using intelligent lighting systems that in turn set a specific ambience or mood throughout the space. Depending on what you are selling or what time of year or day it is, this can then easily be altered or adjusted.
Add Height
Not only does adjusting units to make them higher up in the shop create more space, but it improves the visual display of the items you are selling. As customers enter a shop, they are more inclined to look up than down. Products that are eye-level are more likely to be bought.
By playing with and utilising vertical space for product placement, the shop floor may also begin to feel less cramped. Custom cabinets, display, and shelving units are vital for outfitting new retail stores. At HE Interiors we create bespoke internal fittings that can maximise space, regardless of how complicated or unusual the shape of the shop is. Corners or awkwardly shaped pillars that come out into the floor space can be made useful with custom joinery.
To further the illusion of space, perhaps consider placing shelving units in front of mirrors or using mirrored display units. Mirrors also highlight products, making them ultimately more visible to the buyer. With more customers inclined to buy, sales are boosted.
Design Appeal
The appeal and aesthetics of a shop have an impact on customer experience. Matching the interior with your company’s branding is something that can be easily achieved when renovating a shop and can make all the difference in attracting customers to visit. To create the optimal environment for the customer, decoration, signage and other graphics should be added during the shop fit out process.
If you have been inspired by any of these ideas and are considering a shop fit out, let us know.
