CHAPTER 18 Store Design, Layout ang Visual MUS LEARNING OBJECTIVES After reading this chapter you will be able to: LO1 — Understand the concept of store design LO2 _Listthe principles of retail design LO3 Describe the elements of exterior store design LO4 Discuss the elements of interior store design LOS — Explain the concept of visual merchandising in retail LO6 Use the tools of visual merchandising vvvv0v00 R tail today is much more than pure merchandise, In the competitive wot! ast emerging as theatre. It is about building a story, and building a muliines= Shopping experience for the customer repleted with sights, sounds, colous environments which will leave a lasting impression on the minds of the customer. 7 While differences in shoppers are bound to exist, retail stores need to be desgnel™= an environment in which the shopper would be comfortable. As the environmnett®™= ran, gompetitive, the retailer first needs to catch the customer eye and drav his away from the other stores. What is it then that sete one store apart from anoth — | the image and the per ¢ption of the store, While all the components anes mix play a role in creating the image, the manner in which itis pre Consumer is many a times the differentiating factor, 4 The basic prin «an ie” | ciples of store desi i i ing created is in Us) sign require : image being created merchandise, the adver 6M require that the image being cr pest | attractive manner an} ising and the service offered by the store. All this has rood se by examining the braic ne SMe time it has to be profitable for the retailer. Wes of store desig noe CONCEPL Of store design and the principles of retail desis | oi! sign are then looked into and finally the concept of visual merchants")to4 world of the aware consumer, w Particular ang dis, _. nthe rms of what he wants, but alse from they yaeting no eet the expectations from a cin Stor, ‘ site rgotoastore tomerely buya produc, Or avail o| long ely personal activity is also abou, €xperience. ee iw the arehalee experience, This ; : sabe in case of retailers whe ay brands. For example, intern, a, in enable it to show off the brand, term “design” has been varions) defined The term tay thea ly defi sed to denote the end sit particularly the appearance of © design process,! , levance to both physi woducts as well as systems, services "Design hoe esse ns.” Design has also been brouts, colours, textures and F 3 . Se pssical world.” In adal ally creative response a actual or perceived . - tempt to provide a solution or + datwhich is new ithin retailing has been largely ‘ations of retail desi ‘signers, and, therefore, ‘St of established retail ious level, and as the quality of the i Pt of retail store design or ‘retail design’ covers all Sore: rangi ‘anging from Store frontage, fasc aspects of the design of P ig indising, "a and signage, to the internal elements of furniture, “isplay, lighting, graphics, Point of sale and decoration, Added to this is an nding not only of what will work aesthetically within the space, but how it will per form sven nelly and Commercially, and how it can be built to budget and mect all of the regulations erning ally, "5 the Use of a public space, on store design, Belizz, Crowley, A. & J,, Hasty, R., Journal of Retailing, Hes "ON store design. Bellizzi, Crowley, A. & J., Hasty, R., Journal of Retailing, 14, 1986, BEM: A Handbooy, Of Issues and Methods, Oakley, M. ‘ "eneaemen, ‘ Handbook of issues ‘and Methods, Oakley, " Fitch on Handbook of issues and Methods, Oakley, al Design, Fitch, & Knobel, 1.1900 ~~() Retailing Management The concept of retail des as. long way from the sixties 4 h pt of retail design has come a long way enna neep s ned with function. Today, it has develo ive then Se ice 1 momies of scale and enabling a retailer to Produce = i Ee . science aimed facilitating ¢ 8 mnt ame experience globally.’ ae: a, a os which has emerged over the aoe He ene nee oF the ty re, Rasshied Din’ terms flagship stores, as a larger than fe statement about ing Ma, ann their brands, This i the most dramatic statement thata retailer can make: Space yj ts imprest and hurlers and fiings will be of the highest quality. Such stores yi Benen tt Tocated in prime retail sites across the world like Madison Avenuie or Ginza c erie are include the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue, Nike Town, th Store, New York among others. Retail Sna Flagship Store. nue, \e Prada pe pshot 18.1 highlights the opulence tiie 5 RETAIL SNAPSHOT 18.1 Lee mel oa ee bi rs Cechwaree tial Rem Koolhaas’ designed the Prada flay store cost $40 million for 23,000 squai featured celebrity guests and even th and thus it would seem the design di Upon entering the store, igship store which opened in December 200 Te re feet of retail space. It had an opening vez e then New York City Mayor Rudolph ili- id at least partially what Prada wanted, ‘which previously housed the SoHo branch of the Guggenheim Muss 'y vacant space dominated by an oversized, round elevator. ‘The store’s main design component isthe half pipelike wooden curve that connects the twos visually. On the Broadway side, the curve has steps and serves as a place for clothes to be sto ‘The other side of the half pipe isa steep curve that leads the eye back up to the ground level, nls metal cages with merchandise hanging above it. On the curved end, a stage can rotate out crits! Performance space, thereby making the Stepped end work as seating for such events. Once shoppers descend into the basement level via wooden stairs that go alongside the “big ™** ere are shopping spaces on either side; a small eg ce to the ! ° i off to the left and a larger space which i itself broken up into small rocra. Here, Koolhaas decided to leave sheetrock bart: * i : ete 5 SOunterpoint to the technological gadgetry that dominates the base nd in the changing rooms, which © ast visit they were closed off and us 8 Blass doors made with SGG's PrivacLite te"! that becomes i hrough : Opaque when an electric current way mirror, the customer at ce those mer trying on clothing continues t0 5 : the custome ; ying on clothing co: : Snstomer who is left to trust the technology while he or she serves as an interestin, oi nok pe fla ov while they can a U see f wo ‘New eta, Rasshied inp. 8, 000, "Principles of Retail Design, New Retail, Rasshied Din, p. 29,mn Store Design, Layout ang Visual Merch andising ——_@ © se echnology is impressive, the Blass 118 diding glass door, aside from the fuer can be ed clo un the changing room, ¢ closed by (elon e's design is more or less a round Spares of success in shopping enyj » The large half pj fie visually and keeps the space open, by Be half pipe ce j The round elevator, which is large enough hold at lease 39 2 fen used not by shoppers oe anneguins. Said th | kes up crucial space near the front entrance, and [eae oor down. Thus design certainly seems +n tae beet Techncogy one omeing fights the use for which it is intended within the store. The Strongest = oe eee ee silty to change, but this has not been taken a One entire cide of the ore |goundlevel features graphics which are applied to th ike wallpaper would be. This sould s having different designers rotating the th us not been utilized as a way of making the store's ‘sg more active, It's missed opportunities like these that make Hesbe, Muschamp’s review of the sorefor the New York Times seem particularly true: www gulinsky.com/buildings/prada, accessed on 15/05/14, Source: 8 y: loors seem bull hat these can ho sly resemble your average y a foot-operated switch on c cramped Works as a novelty, ere in the millions, the People, a¥e cost somewh, Mile retailers may adopt different formats for their brands, snes to showcase their brands. Flagship stores have the best of ever ‘ements that can be seen in flagship stores are listed below: Often the largest store for that retailer/brand ~ Located in a prestigious/high footfall area Showcases all the products that the retailer/brand has to offer - Isan embodiment of all that the brand stands for . Typically, leaves the consumer awestruck Isexperiential Senin rortsho} : k : Ps, ' Often the venue for events to be conducted (for example book signings, ake up lessons, fashion shows, etc.) they often create flagship rything. A few common key My f store design we ie . pnents of s . ti gn MOK on to understanding the compe Given that the went Sv (tdet8tand the principles of store design. sre and creating “in Eller isto bring the customer ro the tore and TE, Mo 5 ck, itis ‘aq pt hich makes the customer come bac its te Principles in mind while creating ‘List the principles of retail dRetailing Management These may be termed as the Principles of Store Design, which do draw f es Is n se kes a store a pleasure to shop. ip © Pring Design, but also from a sense of what make MI ; The first principle of store design is eee 2 be One © anit which draws upon the reta anette is a which “ fe Le his Mision ang. statement. Who does the retailer seel a erdhendies to be Pie diene th seeks to tap. At the same time the type of mercl en fa atled in the sor ¢ points have to be kept in mind. The entire store right from the Store en Pee Sarees display the merchandise has to come acros. any i 5 , the type of fi > this is the principle of totality. a . 2. The second principle is of Focus, wherein while aspiring to Create beautify Ble the consumer to shop in the retailer should not forget that the Primary focus yi bi store has to be the product or the merchandise. While in a store a CUStOMer shou comfortable, he should not be awed by the ambience of the store, Achieving le, primary step towards being sustainable in the long run. ‘ 3. The third principle is of Ease of Shopping. The store has been created fr thecsiene it has to be easy for him to 1 avigate, casy to access and most importantly singe understand. No one wants to visita store where shopping is cumbersome and diy ‘4 The last principle is of Change and Flexibility. Store designs increasingly have»; adaptable to the environment that they are a part of. The fast-moving world c's Of the means that retailers are having to think more and more aboutes the ds of their stores will cope with the short and long-term future demands of their buss: % fi be Sir 2 de cu ako oon nels a ome What the store is all about. It we Creating he image of dhe gn OF the retailer for communicate so th: i : store in the mind of the Itis the ipo OF this image thats the starting: wi OF the customer as element Br pOrtaNce Of store design needs te Dende ate imatketing efforts. The entero 24 ofthe retailer and from the Perspective Ta mo ake perspective | det at For the consumer foe PePECtVG Of the consumer Sweep ae Perceptions and mung poke MEE 10 he simple ta havigate; it must appetl 8 oo! BS pies 96 OF ple of belonging, a sense at cetnnah ps ed Son sales personnel, the location: at it the shopping experience. While the nse we attributes of a sane Preing all work towards creating an images veel iin customer’, ett est ‘andl 1 ‘ensory perceptions, and in a particular mannes Ss Anes: They work with the other elements taxi Stred image or amosphereStore Design, Layou » Layout and Visuay 21 Merchan, yyironment, which is created in the ne ze, the store interiors, the atmos, ee hich form a part of the retail st ses etal store, ig Phere in the store lore. This ig & combinati c and illustrated in ‘on of the exterior look he ey Fiat Promotions and the igure 18.1, Store Theme Store Image Fig. 18.1 Elements of the store environment Alte clements together create the store environment for the retail shopper. In the following ‘ton, we look at the various elements of exterior and interior store design. ‘aya times, itis the exterior look of the store that draws a customer to the store = it is the utPresion that a customer has of the store. Interesting window displays, an impressive “and an inviting entrance all work together to entice the customer to enter the store. coetthings like the manner in which the store name is writen also playa partin attracting the "attention, All these form a part of the exterior look of the store. Retailers today are Sie ofthe imp : has on the image of the store and are ensuring ‘iver ing impact that a store’s exterior has In their favour, ' . . mon er design function of the loaion oh te ste hihi com tin ie factors like the site itself, facilities like parking and the ease of ig iS a combin: terior of the building, the display space he : inate age exterior of the buil w space aa i a id safety re Set Heath and safety standards may not really e ot cnc ie te ieee an factor internationally. Sag 2 Con : ene aan important fact or they are fa aaenthe Perea ge ot Indian retailers, however they a an aie aig The store thee Hers ws crior of the store to showease the srve and the merchandise decidput the exterior of the s sta the stove inven serve andthe merchandise Notion 9 ted on by the target customers tha create the exterior loo} ta Uhese elements, which work together and 'n Figure 18.2,Retailing Management Ss Parking Ext. Display Space Target Customers Fig. 18.2 Elements of store design The exterior store design is a combination of the place where the store is located. nag ‘shopping center or mall, the architecture and the over look cs en into consideration. Very often in a shopping mal, the ex store design may be decided upon by the mall developer/promoter in an effor oer inte ar ean the look. The kind of image being projected by the promoters also influenes image of the retail store, For example, a retail store located in a five-star hotel carries the of the five-star hotel. retail store is located in mall or center has to be |. The Store Marquee The store marquee and the store frontage also play an important role in influencn Perception of consumers about the store. The store marquee is the first mark of identifi the retailer or the retail store. It helps the retailer identifying the store and attracting ews and is an integral part of the building facade, An example of a Popular store front Phi (Photograph Courtesy: Shopper's Stop Limited)ont is the next factor, which ; ore Soa eft he first factors, Which war tences Oe ihe kind of storetieee will actualy {he cosiomer. A tered so ically, storefront is influ, eter a artis ce eat Fonts, angle fronts on gnttenced by the type me from entering the resal vy walk, An angled front is one whale ot The 2 ofthe oct, cng he eal _ 7 ; iol (ant: The straight tron ‘ spacious. They allow the window rot Slight angie to a eal Pus parallel 7 fc. Arcade fr le fronts more complex, with island. nerchandlise ei P island-type wind, losely. Arcade fronts miay be open comple, with lows, Th efront j n. The store exterior should be invit nets 3 impor ng for a customer to actually enter hen ‘© actually enter the st ly ore. aly” ety or) ore design The jal the entrance has good lighting and is ene sefauteered and has doors, which are ro oaliy of the store. The manner in whi sotto do with enticing customers into the Elements of Interior Store Design he or WF inerior store design is a function of the aesthetics within the store, the re J serchandise sold within and the space used for the same and the overall 1¢ I inout of the store for selling the merchandise, | Diseuss the je Let us now consider each of these elements. The first factor that needs | ¢lements of be taken into consideration is the amount of space allocated within the { interior store wore for the merchandise. This is often termed as Space Planning. {Seow € | Space Planning f A i i Szce planning helps a retailer determine the snount of space available for selling and for Suage. It also helps determine the following: * The location of various departments _ * The location of various products within the department — the creation of Gee planograms . nat Planograms Aesthetics eae, * The pros/cons of specific locations, destination areas, impulse product ith seasonal products, products with *pecific merchandising needs, adjacent ry goods) departments (complement * The relationship of space to profitability” an element of ment of mer yement are bility Siace sn gfe Plinning is not only Sang 8s but is also an ele saad manayement/category 1 tee “ ne Megory/merchandise mAnB' 1 interior store design Fig. 18:3 Elements ofGy Fetaiting Management responsible for the overall profitability of the merchandise, it is linke allocated for the merchandise within the store. : When one walks into a department store, one rarely thinks about the req, location of various departments and placement of products. The retailer fo" big, account various factors while determining the location of various departments 4" te that is taken into consideration is the amount of traffic generated by that cepa potential sales. The items having high demand! andl a fair amount of traffic re ea placed near the entrance of the store, They are usually located in tow trate go, like fragrances, jewellery, cosmetics, which are largely impulse items, may s entrance of the store, For example, 2 ground level of the store. Products like men’s wear, women’s wear, children’ wear are placed at a higher level in the multi level store. Many retailers adopt cross-mix merchandising, which enables a customer t various products would look together. Retailers may also create areas within all products may be displayed together. This helps the customer visualise how would look together and also encourages purchases. Retailers very often resort to merchandising similar products together, ths enaijas customers to efficiently use their time while in the store. Placing similar product tes, inside the store is called creating a shop interior, anchor area or niche. This is some called creating a store within a store. These areas are the basic building blocks of the soz retailers most commonly use this type of interior organisation. When you create an ati: area, merchandise is usually placed together with similar product, brand, colour or texare instance, in the home section all lamps may be in one section, while all the bed sheets, etc be in another. This product grouping allows customers to quickly find what they are lookiz and to see the breadth of product offered within any given category. An essential element of space planning, especially in apparel stores, is the trial rooms ori rooms which have to be budgeted for. It needs to be remembered that this often ignored = of the store is where a customer actually makes a decision on buying the product, eped* apparel. While tial rooms need to have enough space for the consumer to move aroun! at the apparel that he/she is tying on, they also need to be accessible and not at ends as is commonly noticed in India. Similarly, appropriate ventilation as well a a place 0 handbag, etc is also extremely important. Seating space in a trial room isa new feature ras Many online retailers have also introduced virtal trial rooms, where customers can se in different dresses without actually wearing them as is illustrated in Retail Sha pshot 1S. to the re i \ © Vitalie jy the store ie Various projay, MTGE Cet cults MTT CEL y ge RETAIL SNAPSHOT 18,2 sei ase cey sn India are looking "50 'w concept e-commerce players in India are snd thet di Using a webscamera, users are able to click pictures of themsel 204, Product, which is then fitted on to their bodies. This helps see bow iT el Players such as Zovi.com, Lenskart.com and Kingschest.com hav Virtual trial room is ane:.iicom, an online apparel jp ated “Zovi Eye’ hepa baer an launched th ca nea cea er ioe apparel via an interactive web-cam i uctating decision bevel trial room in India. The Graf tying OM ¥aFlOWs apparels in fron got This itror tis oe hh Lf : sto how the apparel featured online woul, id actuall ly look on them, zitogse of photos in the application, ie tare iton social networks, eommerce player Myntra.com has launch dessing oom aimed * making online shoppin; ‘eyo customers are able to click pictures of themsely : sao ty and see how it looks on them before makings puree den ck O88 Produc they ‘ilemable customers to mix and match over 2000 products using the vinedl Fone oo Studi Tails the customers to share their look among their friends using socal mes He Frecbece a social media like Facebook tne bp://ww business standard.com/anicle/technology/vimualrabroomsnew festuren- seonmerce-112070200062_1.htmllittp://www. business-standard.com/article/companies/myntr Juunches-virtual-trial-room-style-studio-112101800179_1.html accessed on 25/10/2014. ed an inhouse application i ‘Style studi . 6 More interactive for shop, tyle studio’, a virtual |. Atmospherics and Aesthetics The second important element of the store interiors is termed as atmospherics and aesthetics. Amospherics is the design of an environment with the help of visual communications, iting, colour, music and scent, to stimulate customer's perceptual and emotional responses nad thereby influence their buying behaviour. Philip Kotler first highlighted the fact that amospherics was the silent language in communication and presented its systematic exposition 2 buying influence. Berman and Evans (1995) divided the atmospheric stimuli into secfc categories, which were — the exterior of the store, the genet ry ésign elements and the point of purchase and decorative clements. Turley eee mie oes 44éed fifth dimension to these categories by including the human variable which ence me “nployee characteristics, employee uniforms, crowding, are Sailers in India fat learning the effects of various elements of anes? herics ner character nyironment. Ret the actual size of the store, i eration © et for the | Asthetics, on one hand, takes into consideration ee fe * lous, textures, ete, used within He tore eT er a ie deals withthe ee other hand, is lance, on HE a cal, asymmetrical, nd fee fracted Three (Pes Tag exe deals with the look 20 begin gttre isthe result of light re tg tibution of weight in a display: ‘pen, Sore ‘ihn ny surface | from an i of balance e's used, jighting and sigh ing, ceiling: i ope fixtures: Mooring © imeriors are a function of the fixture he store to create the look.BD) retaing monogement sworing and displaying merchandige. fixtures oF wall fixtures and are manufactured in various materiale He Examples of fixtures include table, racks, stands sheke Mig terial, which may be us play merchandise. Kish Honda be flexible so that the size c: ried to suit the merch: ‘ist lisp © Fixtures: Fixtures are used for They andise being * Flooring and citings: Floorings, ceilings and the walls work togern. image. Ceilings are important because they house the air-conditie i The right lighting is necessary for the merchandise to be s ; form, A store may adopt different types of flooring depending on the ia strives to - For example a high priced jewellery showroom may use ee supermarket would use flooring which is easy to maintain. Pets * Lighting: Lighting isa key factor of retail design. The lighting scheme the store has to be done keeping in mind the kind of products being sol in thes, and the target audience, Effective lighting is a key in the sale of merchanda. mi helps create a favourable first impression of the merchandise and its surounan * Graphics and signages: Graphics and signages inform the Customers about th poi merchandise, price, special offers and also direct customers. Signages and graphs, used in the store window can compel customers to enter the store. It is comm many retailers to use posters, photo enlargements and other graphics in the sini» When merchandise is placed near such photos and signages the look is enhanced hy aye {0 be ope, Inside the store, graphics can help identify brands, indicate items like “new reeas “new arrivals” as the case may be, offer direction to various departments within the sor simply help the customer locate the products that he seeks. Graphics within the store classified as: * Theme graphics: These are graphics which relate to a particular theme being fl throughout the retail, adver "ampaign graphics: Campa campaign. ign graphics are graphics related to the curren * Promotional graphics: These are graphics that pertain to the promot Els) being carried out in the store. This may be with reference to a particular ee ignages on the other hand can be: 1. Merchandise related: location, type, pric lated to merchandise inform the tures of merchandise within the store. atl 2. Directional signs: Directional signs the cash counters, gift wrapping area location of the lifis and s ignages 4 or fe needed in the store to di + customer servic aireases and trial rooms are ex 3. Instructional signs: Examples of instructional signs. include entering the store that the store is under electronic surveilknce, inst" malfunctioning of a fift, caution, amples include Courtesy signs: igns like “thank you, visit again”. arStore Design, Layout ond Visual ie chi rchandising ———@ aye Directory: Astore directoryinforms the euy ome Q tor asin the store. The Ts , Wop eations int store, The most common places to find about the location of the various Nea sie store andl places where customers may move Free tore directory are the entrance ins for eX! nple lifts and staireas From one section/ floor to another doulg ‘ ue ges do not have always have t0 be in a single di na ‘e Vir Vi a “ dimensic 5 se cee Video Walls and other forms of Pr cmension alone. Posters, Light Boxes, a git . digitised so Pan ‘active communication lil : a wo *-chinolOBY: digitised sound and video, interactive A tunication like the touch . ee jeate with the customer, S, can be used to effectively and nner ‘estaurants are some of the best use . lat ip past food ih y “oN users of Sraphics and signages. Most of the pe ited J poner a fastfood restaurant are in the process of deciding what to buy, A of the people si and sieha , ; g what to buy. A gi ample soar emaphics and signages is a McDonald's fastfood rest yi good example of Fe ene necal aes pod restaurant where all the products Aor Sarpies and the various me combinations are shown graphically. The customer can see vhile waiting for his tur e the order, Thi: re . ore yen while waiting for his turn to place the order. This helps him decide and may at times algo tyce additional purchas y vile etal signage needs to be of a good production quality, a simple colour scheme with tet, J sinple message which is easy to read and is the last, but not the least well placed often goes a hen joguavin enhancing the shopping experience of the customer. for] figures 18-4 and 18.5 A & B are illustrative depictions of signages that can be used by areailer. Store Directory | or or | el Ground floor ff Fitst floor | | + Cosmetics + Kids wear + Footwear | ed * Fashion + Ladies wear + Furniture: accessories + Footwear + Home l| + Travel + Men's wear decor | "8 accessories | + Bags | p SS eee Fig, 18.4. Anillustrative store directory ra | ‘ nN ¢ Please | | Pay | : \ Here used in retal stores rative signage’S Fig. 18,5A_ lust ldRetailing Management oF Food and Grocery Fig. 18.58 _lustrative signage used in a food and grocery store Ill, The Layout The last element which is integral to the internal look of the to the interior look of the store is the layout of the store, Sim the manner in which merchandise or products have been au movement of the customer within the store. An ideal layout merchandise to be displayed and productivity. A layout is like a plan for the store. I Store isthe store layout Ply put, the layout ofthese, ranged in a retail store, tke, t strikes the balance betes tis meant to aid movement and flow ‘hey move through the entire store, Areas within the store need to be dem: selling areas, the impulse merchandise areas, merchandise areas. By balancing th the traffic through the store can be ‘The entrance of the store is often referred to as the “decompression zone” or the “ts? zone.” This is the area near the entrance to the store, When the customer enters thes he is making a transition to a new environment. Merchandise placed right near thee Enlering the store. At this point, he is adjusting © bath right there. Sales staff greeting the pet ‘en be met with a prompt “No” waht Point the customer is still taking in the emit eo # predefined list of items to buy or may just have come there we ‘sto be given time to adjust to the new environment before tying © of customers siz rarcated as the px the destination areas and the seasonal orgec \¢ destination areas and the impulse buying areas theo directed. with a pleasant “Mz retailer 1 the shop, he may have around, He nee products ‘The question th; store or wl utilised, Ret offer the custome displaying and se rat then arises he do with the tailers use is why should a re Wansition zone? this zone to sell deeply discon 4 COUPON, a hasker " gpa! 1 this pan ier stock merchandise in ts Since retail space is premium ine Mted merchandise, or put up 2PO se casonal prnaeO" Simply sell products like flowers Many sre ae A" Products before the main section of the store. 7 ————_ Sy a1 Tn Sc Shope Pao Undo 47| Sore Deson Layout and Vive ery nds onlsing sandra, Mumbai, sells seasonal i en) fis erchandi b nvers in an area before the main ot Umbrellas, torans, divas, 2 al Bowe Ne main entrance to th forans, divas, sat fe environment wot is! allows customers to aoe ne customer has passed this omg The cash wrap or billing counters are usually 10 ise is placed near these counters The cash coun ieee auence in the Customer and itis here they Most of the impulse sales are male a store would vary across retailey qelayourofthest ry Across tailets. In some cases the high demand merchandise 0 that the customers atthe rear end of the store, sqtepned at the rear en re ‘Swill move through the store and fenchanlse before they reach the required merch jjpically, store layouts may be classified into: zone, he woul Placed to the lef ter is the place where the retailer he 1d on most occasions ft and high impulse 1. Grid 4 Race track, and 4 Free form | Tee Grid layout: The grid layout is the one most commonly used in supermarkets and Integral Jf scomtsiores. While one area of display isalong the wallearahe store, the other merchandise is Thee, *Bretinaparallel manner, Itallows for movementwithin the area onl cen space effectively. Tehelps Js therefore, a preferred layout in many retail stores that adopt self-service. Figure 18.6 is an seen the I canple of grid layout. s,0 that j prime | [sen 0 r special flo of | Eecncal a [7] [Fats Electonics L . ansition | | c—— | re store | vests =— ntrance IL | he new | stomers ly. The browse _ ~ ell him Fig, 18,6 The Grid layout t Asthe name stuggests, also called the loop layout. eeetack layouts The racetrack layoutisalso cal & te fort ra s through the store, vi jor aisle running t 1 sin the form of a racetrack ora loop i paioeee ee me aetna ach section may link r hin larly fo Secondiry aisles wil “waa {ound in department stores. Secondty esa racetrack kayou re 18.7 illustrates ar Se sections within the departments. FigurRetailing Management —_~. Fig. 18.7. The Racetrack/ Loop layout 3. Freeform la ise i in an asymmetrical mange, form layout: In a freeform, merchandise is arranged in a asy trical manne s " ment i ent stores to encoura, llows for free movementand is often used in department st allows BE People atin, i ilisation of retail id shop. This type of a layout may not allow for maximum utilisation of retail and shop. This type of a Pace a, The freeform layout is illustrated in Figure 18.8. Window Display Fig. 18.8 The Freeform layout jews is no standardise n what needs to be a layout fora eee «a retailer may choose the same on the basis of the target custome the Sere or the general image he wishes to create for the store. | " {orm of presentation of merchande nthe st termed as the boutique layout, whe segregated in AS, With each More may bear a y ‘d manner in outa ees t area focusing on a particultr th of hey cae ae Ashopinshop: Reuile may adopt variations? til layout and may create other layouts like illustrated in Figure 18,9 A,B, ; ow #Q Layout” #*Y Layout’, an “§ Layout” or a “QL and C respectively, ae, * =.store Design, Layout and Visual Merchandising. 425) — Clearance tome a 3 Tops 4 2 and 4 = oe Dresses 5 2 and & sits e 3 = : 8 8 Accossories NW a-Pian: Food & Grocery Vv Fig. 18.98 Anillustrative Q layout ig. 18.98 An illustrative S layout Accessories Western wear Indian wear Y-Plan: Women’s wear Fig. 18.9C An illustrative Y layout "The ci : he Circulation Plan y eae , pre Mon rege, YOUNG want a customer entering his store to circulate through the entire store, ts adopt the policy of strategically phicing demand/destination products and ‘cls at various points in the store. This encourages people to move and browse tore, ta king in products or items, which have been stocked, Many a times, a retail @ separate entrance and exit, Such an arrangement necessarily requires the Ta certain length of the store, before exiting the stor<—_____—__ ‘Retailing Management arket, the fresh’groceries may be placed at the rear igh the store till they reach that be placed near the billi Typically, in a sup. This would encourage people to browse throu impulse purchase items like chocolates may illustrates a typical circulation plan Fig. 18.10 The circulation plan—A sample Layout Selection - Chief Considerations: Every re end of 4 r needs to use the space that lets available in the most efficient manner. To this end, while selecting a layout for the stor, =| of the chief considerations, that need to be taken into account are: * Selecting a layout which allows for complete presentation of the customer. A good layout encourages customers to move around the ‘merchandise ®® complete sot at times make an unplanned purchase. Keeping this objective in mind many have different entry and exit points for the store. Suriking the right balance between space used for displ lays and servic e areas 0 returns on the investment is maximised. | ed * While designing the store needs of women, the elderly, children and dis! who may visit the store needs to be taken into account and provided fo s very common to have ramps available for the movement of wheel chii® Similarly, a store needs to provide seating arrangement for people, if to spend hours in a store. * Finally, a store has to be designed, keeping in mind the merehand intends to sell in the store and its target audience. If the target audience Py, 25 years of age, the look of the store will be different as com) meet to offer men’s formal wear, : a ey expe ") fret iRetoiling Management Visual Merchandising ontemporary s of displaying products are believed to haye a y ods of displaying. p ‘ emer ; 1e late 18" lier small stores would typically show, din the late 18" century. emerged i a : 7 disp the merchandise only when the customer asked fora product. The st step in the e ri ; ; n : P in the evolution of the art of visual merchandising is beliey , in th a | concep a to have taken place during the beginning of gene cone Which sayy i mens c the development of arcades across Europe. ie rand Expo HONS, fine mn which began in London in 1851 with the Crystal Palace “position, were originally meant to present and demonstrate new technology. The Fetailers Teamed i would be more successfil, if they displayed their merchandise openly and ina sag oh ‘0 the public, They also observed that it was better to not place objects directly 9, theta Bo rather on platforms or pedestals ~ raising the merchandise closer to eye level, Ths emp, the on deliberately displaying merchandise in a manner that would be Pleasing for the ga} an te an important innovation in the development of visual merchandising. Display yecf the themed, creating an atmosphere ofa distant and exotic land, 1 The rise of th '¢ department store or grand emporium in the 19" changes in store design and visual dig, Century brovze plays. The early department sto: v layed their products in an excessive and chant roy Merchandise was often displayed in large and Unorganised piles and strewn acros an in It is said that Aristide Boucicaut, the over of the Bon Marché enjoyed frequent the « merchandise that customers Purchased on a regular bas s, therefore, encouraging O¢ qT inert Beene weit Possibly, come across mer Chandise that they did 19] impg balan poral aso displayed in large volumes, The potential for stoner the a sure that the dent Pe cae By displaying Merchandise in large Laan Po 1 the future, At this po a arin wet falited, therefore, eae A the population, The “endless supplies in tha ne eee Were still threats wei mn of surplus, Poles in the department stores created a sym! prom Kstly, the depart cL stores of on ced ey of themed aisnnen tO thos”, 1" century continued and pees na Iie Positions, prod Mere often, (Wt Were used inthe Word ESP wih Ties induding POHEVALS Of Parisign, PTESCHLEd in exotic th ? med displays: "y Ancient Arabia, Japan, and BBR 0 ica, and ¥ nuch as the Orient, Atte 1m very expensive. CENLULY, Dosses ‘arisian ne “fashionaby ‘ooms, be SION Of exotic le”, items However, authentiPp aa Store Design, Layout and Visual Merchandising ——________@ srangements, the symbolic qualities of the exotic were rendered on average ving a once unattainable desire for the consumers. Also, merchandise was dis- * scenes. For example, rather than displaying a lamp on a shelf, it would be dis- 8 7 jeg of a living room, which would include a mannequin family. fedin® of Visual Merchandising (VM) perhaps dates back to the time when human "pe conee ing products. Each vendor or trader wanted to make his goods appear more essed tomer to enablea quick purchase, Examples of visual merchandising abound jxttetO" fitional sector, with even the vegetable vendor arranging the vegetables in a <8 Heh all are not only visible but the best ones receive the maximum visibil er eademics have defied visual merchandising, Buttle has alluded visual merchandising ‘int salesman”.!” McGoldrick suggests that visual merchandising is “one of the visible fA a of positioning strategy”! Alternately, visual merchandising can be termed as the Jef sematic logical and intelligent way of putting stockon the floor." Ithasseveral aspects cokes store windows and floor displays, signs, space design, fixtures and hardware, props Mannequins. As retailing becomes increasingly complex, creating the right atmosphere in ‘tore and presenting the merchandise in the right manner becomes even more important, ‘aalmerchandising technically can be defined as the art of persuasion through presentation, ssi puts the merchandise in focus. It educates the customers, creates desire and finally ‘ents the selling process. Thus, the role that VM plays can be listed as: hese 2 1. The primary purpose is to enable sales of the products/services sold by the retailer 2 Toinform and educate the consumer about the product/services in the store 4. To enable ease of shopping for the consumer by informing about colours, sizes, prices, and the basic location of the product 4. Creating and enhancing the store's image ‘isu merchandising is governed by the common principles of design, balance, emphasis, portion, rhythm and harmony. It works on attracting the attention of the customer, creating “interest for the product/service and creating a desire to own the product and then initiate “decision to make the purchase. aa." tole of visual merchandiser largely depends on the type of retail organisation, and the efance accorded to the role of visual merchandising. Visual merchandisers must be aware of vain layout in intimate detail, Some organisations have two levels of visual merchandising Soman Fesponsible for the overall look and colour flow of displ and the other is ioe Or mintaining window and other displays on a day-to-day basis Plays ar advance to co-ordinate with special uandiser is working exclusively for a ly provided. Retail Snapshot are gene ridges & ickages signage and prop p Hse, signage and prop 1 the role of a visual merchandise wet Fans a letetng *s Butte, European Journal of Markoting, 1984, Volume, 18. “tt a Fea Asa, Man M. Poger.| ge cements of the store can play a role wher weyimpact on the consumer. Apart from using tl 2 impact on the consumer some of the comm “colours & Textures nit comes to creating a he product/s to make a ‘only used ones are: Use the tools of visual 2, Props and Fixtures merchandising 4, Windows 4, Lighting 5. Mannequins 1, Colours & Textures: Colour increases bra improves readership as much as 40 per ce per cent. Colour increases comprehension by 73 per cent. Colour ads are read up to 42 Per cent more than similar ads in black and white, Colour can be upto 85 per cent of the reason people decide to buy.' In the 1920's Itten, who is affiliated with the German Bauhaus movement, developed the colour star that included 12 colours, which include 3 primary colours, 3 secondary colours and 6 tertiary colours. Texture deals with the look and feel of materials. Visual texture is the result of light ‘elracted from any surface. Tactile texture can be rough, smooth, thick, thin, sandy, soft, hard, warty, coarse, fine, regular or irregular. The combination of visual and tactile ‘exture provides a definite interpretation of all items and materials encountered. 2. Props and Fixtures: Props and fixtures are essential elements used in creating a display in the store, The most commonly used fixtures include: * Slatwall Grid wall - * Counter displays which can be - Countertop acrylic cepa, countertop chrome displays tops, counter-top easels and counter-top literature holder ete Racks, 9 way | k (T-stand), 4 way rack, casters. hang rail racks, round rac » 2 way rac and), 4 way 1 Z * Gondola and End caps, some typical display fix tures are illustrated in Figure 18.11, four way stands and gondolas i = racks, 0-48.41 Typical fixtures used for apparel display ~ "eR vf “Coca, wer clonmaketing or, accessed 180508ON (a Retailing Management 4 Very often in retail where the space is limited, slatwalls can be used for dig Shelves, hangers, hooks can be arranged on slatwalls to enable display of the same time help promote items by enhancing visibility, The gridwall on the other hand can display small items such belts. Purses and othe used in niche area of space. Simply cl of a changed display. Play Of me Metchandig he aS sunglasses, 5 i i ae jew items can be displayed on free-standing gridival a wap eth, that the store may have like under a staircase thereby mag 2, : aking en ny ig the arrangement of the products on the gridwall can gi een, a Bea As fixtures cover a major area of the store, they need to be used correct with the target audience for the retail store. Fixtures are usually made g fiberboard. Taking into right fixtures. lyandintg, of Wood, count the store category, budget and size, one cantin ty 3. Store Windows: The store window is often the one that attracts a customer inn shop and hence, is an essential part not only in the design of the store but alsp inte of what the store presents visually to the customer. Window displays can foo. particular product, a range of products or can follow a theme. Very often, thst is then replicated through the store. Bloomingdale's is one retailer which his de created unique windows to entice the shoppers. Retail Snapshot 18.5 focuses one such window created at Bloomingdale's. 4. Lighting: The significance of lighting is often overlooked in a retail stor. 4 highlighting merchandise with use of lights that go with it, can convert a pasetrit a potential customer. There are a lot of options available today for lighting ups" including dimmers, down lights, fluorescent fixtures, track lights and directional ig Many jewellery retailers showcase their collections in show windows by using ee lighting, which helps enhance the elegance and poise of the jeweller. 5. Mannequins: The word Mannequin comes from the Dutch word manneker, li meaning ‘little man’. Mannequin is the French form." Mannequins are typical et retail store environment to display the merchandise. There are many ypesofmamt available, the most common type is the life-size mannequin. These manne at same size asa real person and have arms, legs, hands, feet, and a head. Mostolt™ be posed in different positions to give them a more lifelike look. Mannequit Tike males, females, or children, Other mannequins consist of only #10197 The use of mannequins depends on the mature of the merchandise. For eS of apparel, accessories can also be displayed on the mannequin while in 68 Oy mannequin would be used for the display of jewellery. In many cases full i for dial” not be used and those with just a head or hands or feet may be used. Similatl footwear, a full body mannequins or those of just feet may be used. "“‘http/ien.wikipedia org/wikilMannequin, accessed on 18/05/14,un isa tool used by the retailer that hetps deters i" : letermine 1 = agamaepartment. Its a diagram thar ae icates he aon Of merchandise siin fitonto astore fixture or , nerchandae ne (psc " p m is created after tal ayant ihin the product category and the space pon act number ofsquare feet tised for ns eplaed in a particular area, ol and price point options, ales, the movement of the ‘ous products. They usually exact number of products required for vari ‘arious products and the a retailer who has a number of stores spre PS onamnieating Bow displaysare to be done. Thisallows Consistencyin presentation across vaons, When products are presented in the same mannes across locations, the customer jxation familiar and comfortable at each location. This helps to build beara loyalty and customer 7 Figure 18.12 illustrates a planogram. 'ud over various locations, a phinogram isa good m Fig. 18.12 Anillustrative Planogra od g them hod: ie thods. Methods of Display ous met ay adopt variow teailes while displaying their prosdcts 3 ae od of presenting most direet meth ing i and the ced by colour, Wit anise i. Colour Dominance: This ie merchandise. In such a displ Colour display, the product cl style: me : be displaytreet rttpornen . Co-ordinated Presentation: Many a times, it is effe co-ordinated manner. Presentation by co-ordinati also be done for home fashions, bed & bath linens 3. Presentation by Price: In such a display, the inexpei displayed first, The volume of the product and th hag, Merchandise can be splayed on sheles—horizonallyand vertically Very is believed to encourage purchase asthe proctuetsare displayed in the lineofyag bove, colour can also be used to attract attention and the verti use of colour Ribboning, and is always a better choice over Colour Blocking, the horizontal ey is called 5 of cys While disp'aying similar items in various sizes, it is advisable t0 place the small Product on the tft, and the larger size on the right, As most customers are right tend to unconsciously reach for the item closest to their righthand. Visual Curve ty Metchand involves the use of slanted shelves to inet ~ the amountefng the customer sees in just one glance. se the customer's strike zone. Common Errors in Creating the Display Many errors made in display the followin; n be &: ly avoided. Some of the most common errosinsy * Clutter: Too much of merchandise in one place always creates a cluttered lookanies tually tarn a person away from the merchandise rather than attract him. re + Lack of an Underlying Theme: The display created is often not linked to them that the retailer wants to convey to the customer. The consumer should be pe understand the concept presented by looking at the display in a few seconds. = * Too Many Props: There is no specific rule thatstipulates the number of propsape= P| in a display. However, the error of over propping a display can be more ios =f | 7 using the few props. The type and number of props are dependent on the men F | Co) * Dirty floors: Unclean floors reflect the attitude on the part of the store managemet"* ads implies a basic disregard for the customer, ee + Poor Lighting: The over use or under use of lighting. nop | soe Awareness and importance of design is fast increasing in Indian retail. Event design will help business compete and create an image in a crowded marketplace a some retailers are gradually waking up to this truth, mio Ss Increasingly in a world where environmental concerns are beginning 10 Pl: in the types of products that companies offer to the end consumer, itis not supe concept of green design has crept into the area of store designs. wi 1 enable the user build interactive 3D stores a computer have become available. ‘The software can design shop-lloor kayo’ fixtures, garments and graphics, use posi communicate the designer's vision wi Jn the recent past, softwares whi is react 8, photos or sketches of acttll h crystal clear phanograms. *Retal Adventures in the Real Word, Rich Kizer & Georganne Bender, Cratrends, July 2003 "Retail Adventures in the Real Wor, Rich Kizer & Goorganne Bender, Cratrends, July 2003