Does your store need a face lift but you don’t have the budget? No problem. With a few quick solutions, you can transform your store environment from shabby to chic in just one day.
There are ten key elements to consider when doing a one day makeover.
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1. Find a focal point. Whether it’s our cash wrap area or mannequins centrally located with your store, determine what your focal point will be. You will want to highlight this focal point by really playing off it’s details and maximizing it’s merchandising opportunities. The goal should be that customers will naturally be drawn to this focal point when they walk through your doors
2. Use art to enhance your merchandising. By using trios, pairs and groupings of art throughout your store, you will create character within your store that will enhance the products you are selling.
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3. Lights, lights and more lights. It may not be in your budget to pull out the ceiling lighting and re-do the dressing room lights, but you can add to these details with lamps and dimmers. Make sure no part of your store goes unnoticed due to a shortage of light or bad lighting. This will pay a huge effect on how your product looks in your space.
4. Think of the floor as a wall. Use rugs and paint to build depth to what you already have going on. Frame out a seating area with a rug – or if you are really on a budget, use paint (super inexpensive) to add some fun to your floor while defining different areas.
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5. Add color and texture. Without overdoing it, you want to add color and texture to your space with the use of pillows, throws and other accessories that will create a fun, inviting space to shop. Chairs by the dressing room area with fun throw pillows can really bring to life an otherwise boring area. Use a wicker stool to display items. Be creative to how color and texture can not just add depth to your store ambience, but also serve a purpose in your store displays.
6. Don’t ignore surfaces. Any shelf, ledge, end table or cash wrap station provides an opportunity to showcase your products. Re-arrange what you already have within your store without ignoring these valuable display areas.
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7. Mirror, mirror on the wall… Who has the best store of them all? You will if you make sure your merchandising is top notch! Mirrors offer light and open up small spaces. Use decorative mirrors that are large in frame to not only add character, but also bring in light and make a small space look bigger.
8. Bring nature indoors. Flowers die, but plants can last years when taken care of accordingly. These are a great way to bring character into your store. Do your research as to what kinds of plants will be best suited for where you want to put them in your store. For example, will they have low light or bright light? If it’s in a high traffic area and you think the leaves will be brushed against, look for plants with more durable, rubber like leaves, as well. Avoid fake plants! This just looks tacky and gives the sense of cheap and lazy. After all, you don’t have to take care of a fake plant but a real one takes some TLC.
9. Keep wandering eyes wandering – in your store only. Make sure every level of your store has something to offer your customers. While it may not be product in every corner they see as the scan through your store, it should be a comfortable shopping environment that keeps them there longer. From the floor to the ceiling, don’t ignore anything. The goal should not be to clutter your environment but to compliment what it has to offer so that your products shine in their displays.
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10. Be flexible. New product will arrive soon and you may need to switch things up to accommodate this. Merchandise your store environment so that when you have to change things it is easy. Mirrors don’t all have to be permanently located on a wall and rugs can be used in various areas. Don’t be forced to use all your decor and display pieces at once, either. Having somethings in your backroom – space provided – will make you feel like your store is constantly becoming ‘new’ to your customers as your re-decorate throughout the seasons. As you are planning your makeover, look at your store from left to right and then up and down. Ask yourself if the lighting enhances or hurts your displays. Determine if it’s comfortable to walk through your store, if aisles are too tight or table are too close. Take notes and then draft out your suggested changes. You can do this all in a day – or in a night when the store is closed. This is no time at all for the difference it can make on your business. If you can, try to enjoy the process along the way. You may rediscover your store as a whole new space that you didn’t realize you had.
About the Author
Editorial provided by freelance writer Nicole Leinbach Reyhle. Nicole is the Founder of Retail Minded, which is dedicated to supporting independent retailers and wholesalers through a professional blog and one on one, project based support. To learn more about Retail Minded, please visit www.retailminded.com. You can also follow Retail Minded on Twitter at @RetailMinded.
