How to prevent common store design mistakes that can make your customers less likely to buy.
When Kathy Hampton bought Ice Cream Renaissance in 2010, she inherited an inefficiently designed shop. Customers walked in and were greeted by a cash register on a small pedestal table, a giant sink full of dirty dishes and a cavernous seating area that was usually vacant.
A year later, when she moved the Washington based ice cream parlor to a new location down the street, Hampton didn’t repeat those design mistakes. She built a long, more functional checkout counter, concealed the kitchen behind a swinging door and placed seating in front under accent lighting. Since the change, sales have increased by 20 percent. Unfortunately, many retailers don’t notice poorly designed areas of their stores until it’s too late. Here are seven common store spaces that retailers botch up and ways to avoid making the same mistakes:
Dysfunctional decompression zones. The first few feet of a store are often referred to as the decompression zone, an entry area customers use to “decompress” or adjust to the new space.
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