Is it Time to Makeover Your Sales Floor?

How’s your store looking these days? Tired and in need of a makeover? We’ve all heard the statement, “There’s nothing like a fresh coat of paint to change things.” It’s true; a fresh coat of paint on your store’s walls can have a big impact on your business and your customers. But a fresh coat of paint is not enough. When your sales floor is stale or outdated, it can cost you in sales. Markets change quickly, and competition is tough. The local coffee house competes with Starbucks, the apparel shop down the street competes with the national chains, and when your main competitor remodels the store, we can guarantee that your customers will stop in to check it out.

Retail makeovers – store planning and design – have consistently been at the top of our list of things retailers need to do well in order to have a successful store.  Merchandise will sell itself when a store’s design is good, but when it’s not, even the best product can sit on your shelves gathering dust. The purpose of your sales floor is not merely to look pretty, it's purpose is to create an environment that attracts customers, entices them to spend time in the store, and encourages them to purchase impulsively while they are there. It’s a tall order, but it’s easier than you might think. Here is a checklist of things you can easily do to keep your sales floor current:

Store Decor

Shoppers make value judgments about your store within the first 10 seconds of contact. They don’t even realize they’re doing it, but they are mentally cataloging whether or not it’s a good place to shop.

One of the first things shoppers notice inside your store is your décor package; we say "package" because all the design elements – walls, flooring, fixtures, signage, etc. - must work together to tell a single story.

There are two kinds of colors used in store décor: Primary Colors (neutrals) and Secondary Colors (bold accent colors).  Primary colors are used in 80 percent of the store’s décor to create a relaxed atmosphere for customers to shop.  Accent Colors are used in 20 percent of the store’s décor to make it pop.

You’ve shopped in many stores in your lifetime, but we bet you haven’t spent too much time pondering the interior décor colors. If you felt at home in the store, chances are someone thought long and hard about the color of those walls. Once you decide it’s time to make a change, you have a few choices: You can call a design expert for help, or you can do it yourself. Doing it yourself is a whole lot easier than you might think because paint companies have already done most of the work for you. Stop by your local paint store and talk with one of the color experts on staff. These trained professionals can be a big help, and their expertise is free. So are the paint charts.

Your store signage plays a key role in your store's décor. 

Signs need to be professionally made and displayed in sign holders.  Unless you have killer handwriting and specific rules as to how your signs should look, handwritten signs are a big no-no. So are cutesy signs, like “Unattended children will be given an espresso and a free puppy.”  Even if kids are driving you crazy, don’t do it. These signs just irritate customers and make your store look bad.

Store Layout

Your sales floor is affected by your store’s footprint: the shape and size of the sales floor. Grocery stores typically use a Grid Layout, with fixtures running parallel to the walls. A Loop Layout, frequently found in big box stores, offers a clearly defined main aisle that circles through the store like a race track.

In most cases, a Free Flow Layout is the best choice for quilt stores. This layout is typically used by specialty retailers because it allows for the most flexibility and creativity. In a Free Flow Layout, there are no set aisles or straight lines: fixtures are placed to at angles that encourage shoppers to easily move throughout the store.

Keep in mind that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires a minimum of 3’.6” in-between fixtures. 3’.6’” just makes sense; anything smaller and shoppers will be uncomfortable. Can customers easily walk through your store? Can shoppers with wheelchairs, strollers, or motorized scooters do the same?  If customers can’t shop with ease, they can’t buy. Visit the ADA website for more information.

Store Fixtures

Store fixtures play a critically important role in how your sales floor is perceived by shoppers. The true purpose of a fixture is to house merchandise: you aren’t supposed to see them. That being said, it’s easy to get carried away. You see a beautiful fixture showcasing fabric at a tradeshow, and think how great it will look in your store. Maybe it will. Or perhaps it will work for a while, but since you paid good money for it, it becomes a fixture housing merchandise it wasn’t meant to house. Sound familiar? We know retailers who spent so much on fixturing that there wasn’t enough money left over to properly stock the store. And we’ve been in stores with beautiful products housed on whatever was handy. You’ll want to choose fixtures that showcase product while blending into the background.

The Decompression Zone

Every single store has what’s called a Decompression Zone (DZ) – it's an important space that’s located just inside your front door. (If your store is comprised of several individual rooms, then each room has its own DZ.)

The size of your Decompression Zone depends on the size of your sales floor, but it’s generally the first 5’ to 15’ inside the front door. Its purpose is to give shoppers a chance to transition from the parking lot (or sidewalk or mall) to your store. Understand that shoppers will miss anything you place in the DZ – it needs to be an open, uncluttered space. Place signs, baskets, class schedules, etc. just outside your DZ where shoppers are more likely to see them.

Lake Front Property. Some areas of your sales floor are more important an others, we call these areas Lake Front Property (LFP). Pay close attention to your LFP because a big percentage of your sales come from this space. Displays in this area should house new, hot, and high-margin products. And just like in a grocery store, the basics – think bread and milk – should be housed in the back of your store. Since 90% of customers will enter your store and look or turn to the right, this piece of LFP needs to be particularly merchandised with care. Our V & Vista Exercise will help you find your store’s unique Lake Front Property:

1.  Stand inside your front door just beyond the Decompression Zone and spread your arms out at shoulder height with your index fingers extended.  What’s inside the V your arms make is called is the Vista – the area that builds a shopper’s first impression of your store.

The V will help you find your store’s Power Walls.  Follow your nose down your right arm to the tip of your right index finger – the wall you are looking at is your front right Power Wall; the most important selling wall in your store. Use this wall (and the sales floor at the front right) to feature not-to-be-missed merchandise.

A big mistake some retailers make is placing the cash wrap at the right front of the store, smack dab in the middle of the Lake Front Property.  You may argue that it’s nice to have someone right up front to say hello to shoppers as they enter the store, but that problem can be solved by an alert store associate. Your cash wrap should be located at a natural stopping point in the shopping experience:  the left side of the store, close to the front is good choice.

2.  Now, follow your nose down your left arm to the tip of your left index finger. This left front Power Wall is also important – display it with as much thought and care as your right front Power Wall.

(Note:  If your store’s footprint makes it impossible for shoppers to enter your store and turn right, then everything is reversed: the front left becomes your Lake Front Property.)

• Next come Speed Bumps, product displays you place just past the Decompression Zone, in the front center of the Vista. Speed Bumps, like their cousins in the parking lot, slow customers down and get them shopping. Choose small fixtures or stacking tables that hold an assortment of product, and are low enough to allow customers to see through the store. Use them to feature new and seasonal items, and to tell product stories. Your Speed Bump displays need to be changed at least once a week. This keeps your store’s first impression fresh and it keeps your store associates on their toes. Don’t be surprised if you hear, “When did we get that merchandise?” more than once.

Your store has other key display areas that will become apparent when you do the V and the Vista exercise.  Walking your sales floor, with your customers’ eyes on will help, too.  Take along pen and paper when you walk your floor and write down everything that needs to be changed, moved, updated, closed out, tossed or given away.  Make a list of things to do; noting what needs to be changed ASAP and what can be fixed over time.  If you do this exercise and only find two or three things to do, you are not being objective.  Open your eyes and do it again.

You may also want to take photos. A camera has no personal investment in what it sees – it only sees what is in front of it.  That’s why you sometimes look at photos of your store and think, “It doesn’t look that bad!” Yes, it does – the camera doesn’t lie.  Digital cameras are great because you can instantly compare your perception with what is actually there.  Keep a reference book of before and after photos, it will come in handy year after year when you need display ideas.

To keep your store fresh, you need to follow these guidelines: Change your Speed Bump displays at least once a week; fully remerchandise your Lakefront Property once every quarter; and every three to five years, your store needs a complete makeover. In the meantime, remember that whether you’re gearing up for a new store, a mini-makeover, or a complete sales floor upgrade, you are not alone. If you’re not sure what to do first, give us a call, or email photos, and we’ll share ideas to help get you started.