Store Layout, Design &
Visual Merchandising
Objectives of the Store
Environment
Get customers into the store (store image)
Once they are inside the store, convert them into customers
buying merchandise (space productivity)
Types of Floor Space in Store
Back Room receiving area, stockroom
Offices and Other Functional Space employee break room,
store offices, cash office, restrooms
Aisles, Service Areas and Other Non-Selling Areas
Merchandise Space
Floor
Wall
The Elements of Atmosphere
Exterior Planning
Storefront
Store entrances
Display windows
Exterior building height
Surrounding stores and area
Parking facilities
StoreFront Design
Storefronts must:
Clearly identify the name and general nature of
the store
Give some hint as to the merchandise inside
Includes all exterior signage
In many cases includes store windows an
advertising medium for the store window
displays should be changed often, be fun/exciting,
and reflect merchandise offered inside
General Interior
Flooring
Colors
Lighting
Scents
Sounds
Store fixtures
Wall textures
Temperature
Aisle space
Dressing facilities
In-store transportation
(elevator, escalator,
stairs)
Dead areas
Personnel
Merchandise
Price levels
Displays
Technology
Store cleanliness
Display
Store Layout
Grid (Straight) Design
Curving/Loop Design
Free-Flow Layout
Spine Layout
Grid (Straight) Design
Best used in retail environments
in which majority of customers
shop the entire store
Can be confusing and frustrating
because it is difficult to see over
the fixtures to other merchandise
Should be employed carefully;
forcing customers to back of large
store may frustrate and cause
them to look elsewhere
Most familiar examples for
supermarkets.
Curving/Loop (Racetrack) Design
Major customer aisle(s) begins at
entrance, loops through the store
(usually in shape of circle, square or
rectangle) and returns customer to
front of store
Exposes shoppers to the greatest
possible amount of merchandise by
encouraging browsing
Free-Flow Layout
Fixtures and
merchandise grouped
into free-flowing
patterns on the sales
floor no defined
traffic pattern
Jeans
Tops
Clearance
Items
Feature
Open Display Window
Feature
Open Display Window
Hats and Handbags
Tops
Accessories
Checkout counter
Dresses
Dressing Rooms
Shirts
Casual Wear
Stockings
Storage, Receiving, Marketing
Works best in small
stores (under 5,000
square feet) in which
customers wish to
browse
Works best when
merchandise is of the
same type, such as
fashion apparel
If there is a great
variety of
merchandise, fails to
provide cues as to
where one department
stops and another
starts
Spine Layout
Variation of grid, loop and free-form
layouts
Based on single main aisle running from
the front to the back of the store
(transporting customers in both directions)
On either side of spine, merchandise
departments branch off toward the back or
side walls
Heavily used by medium-sized specialty
stores ranging from 2,000 10,000 square
feet
In fashion stores the spine is often finely
offset by a change in floor coloring or
surface and is not perceived as an aisle
Feature Areas
The areas within a store designed to get the
customers attention which include:
End caps displays located at the end of the
aisles
Promotional aisle/area
Freestanding fixtures
Windows
Walls
Point-of-sale (POS) displays/areas
Visual Merchandising:
Fixtures
A.
B.
C.
D.
Straight rack
Rounder (bulk
fixture, capacity
fixture)
Four-way fixture
(feature fixture)
Gondolas
Straight Rack
Holds a lot of apparel
Hard to feature specific styles
and colors
Found often in discount and
off-price stores
Rounder
Smaller than straight
rack
Holds a maximum
amount of
merchandise
Easy to move around
Customers cant get
frontal view of
merchandise
Four-Way
Holds large amount
of merchandise
Allows customers to
view entire garment
Hard to maintain
because of styles
and colors
Fashion oriented
apparel retailer
Gondolas
Versatile
Grocery and discount
stores
Some department stores
Hard to view apparel as
they are folded
Fixture Types
Wall Fixtures
To make stores wall
merchandisable, wall usually
covered with a skin that is fitted
with vertical columns of notches
similar to those on a gondola,
into which a variety of hardware
can be inserted
Can be merchandised much
higher than floor fixtures (max
of 42 on floor for round racks
on wall can be as high as 72
Closed window
Open back window
Related display
Related display
Three Psychological Factors
to Consider in
Value/fashion image
Merchandising
Stores
Angles and Sightlines
Vertical color blocking
Atmospherics
The design of an environment via:
visual communications
lighting
color
sound
scent
to stimulate customers perceptual and emotional responses and
ultimately influence their purchase behavior
Visual Communications
Name, logo and retail identity
Directional, departmental and category signage
Point-of-Sale (POS) Signage
Lighting
Important but often overlooked element in
successful store design
Highlight merchandise
Capture a mood
Level of light can make a difference
Blockbuster
Fashion Departments
Color
Can influence behavior
Warm colors increase blood pressure, respiratory rate
and other physiological responses attract customers
and gain attention but can also be distracting
Cool colors are relaxing, peaceful, calm and pleasant
effective for retailers selling anxiety-causing
products
Sound & Scent
Sound
Music viewed as valuable marketing tool
Can use volume and tempo for crowd control
Scent
Smell has a large impact on our emotions
Victoria Secret, The Magic Kingdom, The Knot Shop
Can be administered through time release atomizers or via
fragrance-soaked pellets placed on light fixtures
