Store Exterior , Interior Layout, Visual Merchandising Important Information :- 2 basic types of customer Browsers Transactors Browsers :- want to spend more time in the store shopping at leisurely pace Transactors :- want to get in & out fast , they want to find what they want quickly

Objectives of a Good Store Design Design should be consistent with image & Strategy i.e define the target customer & then design a store that compliments customers needs . Store’s image is portrayed by the physical aspects of the store . Design should positively influence Consumer Behavior -Store layout & space-planning issues . Ex:- Grocery stores should display as much as merchandise possible . Note: Customers purchasing behavior is also influenced, both positively & negatively , by stores atmosphere . – ex:- Signs , Smell etc . Design should consider costs versus value - Retailers develop maps called planograms that prescribe the location of merchandise based on profitability and other factors . ex:- Food & Grocery :- are placed near the entrance - Retailers must weigh the costs along with their strategy Design Should be Flexible should be able to accommodate the seasonal flux , flexibility lies in innovative fixturing , ex:- Provogue Lounge 5. Design should recognize the needs of the disabled

Racetrack Layout or Loop Layout Free Form Layout or Boutique Layout STORE LAYOUT Ease of finding merchandise & providing a varied and interesting layout is determined By the needs of the customers shopping at the store . For example :- Supermarket Shoppers :- are goal oriented Department Store Shoppers :- are not goal oriented & want to explore Types of Design Grid Layout Racetrack Layout or Loop Layout Free Form Layout or Boutique Layout

Grid Layout :- Arrangement of merchandise in which customers need to move throughout the entire store and easily locate products they want to buy . Useful for :- Grocery & drugstore Advantage :- Less wasted space More amount of merchandise can be placed – enhancing space productivity Fixtures cost are reduced due to standardized and repetitive in nature Disadvantage :- Customer not exposed to all the merchandise Checkout

Racetrack Layout or Loop Layout :- store design which felicitates customers to explore and seek out new and interesting merchandise . Advantages :- Provides assess to all departments . Encourages impulse buying Checkout

Free Form Layout or Boutique Layout :- arrangement of fixtures asymmetrically. Used primarily in small specialty stores or within departments of large stores . Advantages :- Relaxed environment Facilitates shopping & exploring or browsing Disadvantage :- -Fixtures are expensive -Personal selling becomes more important Theft are high Need to create more spacious environment due to this space cannot be fully utilized. Jeans Casual Wear Pants Open display window Storage , Receiving Accessories Checkout counter Clearance Items Dressing Rooms Open display window Tops Belts & Handbags Skirts & Dresses

Feature Areas :- areas designed to get the customers attention . Important terms in Store Layout Feature Areas :- areas designed to get the customers attention . They include:- End Caps Promotional Aisles or areas Freestanding Fixtures Mannequins Windows Point-of Sale or cash wraps , checkouts, Point of Purchase Walls

SPACE PLANNING Allocation of Space Important Ques :- What items ? How much of each items ? How much space ? Where to be located ? Factors effecting the store planners :- Profitability of Merchandise Seasonal Demands & Stok to sale ratio i.e. proportion of merchandise kept On display versus backup stock 3. Location of merchandise draw the customer through the store falicitating purchases. 4. Merchandise & Fixtures :- ex:- Shirts on hangers or shelves ? 5. Items the retailers wish to emphasize.

Few important concepts in Store Planning Location Advantage :- ex: Men don’t like to browse but women do . Impulse Products :- Products purchased without prior plans . Therefore placed near the front of the store Demand/Destination Areas :- demand for their products or services is created before customers get their destination . Seasonal Needs Physical Characteristics of Merchandise :- ex:- Furniture shop, Curtain needs wall space Adjacent Departments :- ex:- skirts need matching tops Grocery Shops :- fruits & vegetables need to be placed togetehr, butter, milk, cheese etc need to be placed near the refrigeration area so that customer can easily judge .

Location of Merchandise within departments :- Planogram A Planogram is a tool used by the retailer , and it helps determine the location of merchandise within a department . For retailer who has a number of stores spread over various locations :- When products are presented in the same manner across locations, the customer feels familiar and comfortable at each location. Advantage :- - This helps to build brand loyalty & customer trust .

Merchandise Presentation Techniques Idea Oriented Presentation Style/Item Presentation Color Presentation Price Lining Vertical Merchandising – using walls & Gondolas Tonnage Merchandising – large quantities of merchandise are displayed together. Frontage Presentation – to catch the customers eye Fixtures Straight racks Rounder Bulk fixture/ capacity fixture Four-way Fixture – also called feature fixture Gondolas

Atmospherics Refers to the design of an environment via visual communications, lighting , colors , music and scent to stimulate customers perceptual and emotional responses and ultimately to affect their behavior Visual Communications Signs & Graphics to inform customer Keep signs fresh Create theatrical effects Carefully done calligraphy Lighting Highlight Merchandise Capture a mood & Maintain an image Downplay features Color , Music, Scent