| It is interesting to understand how people are | | | | needs to be established at this stage. |
| individually and collectively conditioned by socio-cultural | | | | The "landing space" is crucial in creating an |
| influences and education. This conditioning defines how | | | | atmosphere that gives the feeling of familiarization and |
| we react to a certain space. Retail designers, too, are | | | | comfort, replete with brand recall/product display and |
| influenced by this very sentiment. A designer has to | | | | visual sight lines. |
| think: "How will I react?"... "How will each segment of | | | | Engage: Once the invitation to step in is accepted, the |
| the target audience react to the space?"... "How can I | | | | design¬er's spatial composition should keep the |
| maximize the design elements to prolong customer | | | | customer engaged, revealing new aspects of the retail |
| dwell-time in the outlet?"... and so on. | | | | outlet at every turn of the head, every forward step. |
| Design plays an important role in influencing customers | | | | This anticipation and sense of curios¬ity is aroused |
| and fulfilling the client's objective of a 'sale'. To be able | | | | through continuous visual engagement (binding the |
| to catch the attention and influence the thought | | | | customer's attention), with products revealed in display |
| process of a highly diverse target audience is the | | | | designs at different levels - wall displays, floor-level |
| challenge a retail designer faces in every project. | | | | displays and counter displays. Each display should |
| Whether it is a retail outlet in a mall (type of mall | | | | stand out and speak for itself through branding |
| market segmentation of the mall matters) or a high | | | | information/product and yet form part of the whole. |
| street outlet, anybody and every¬body needs to | | | | Any conscious design attempt should envisage a |
| be influenced. | | | | customer's reaction from different planes and sight |
| The psychology of retail design should aim to convert | | | | lines of the displays. |
| any and possibly every shopper into 'my' customer. It | | | | Empower: If all the above works well and influences |
| should strive to present the product or products in a | | | | the customer to decide to 'BUY', is he/she then |
| manner that entices, invites, engages and empowers | | | | positioned by design to catch the eye of a shop |
| the customer and, finally, converts it into a sale. | | | | attendant or visually/physically find an information |
| Entice: I believe this is the most important part in a | | | | counter or cash counter? Many times the lack of clear |
| shopper's experience, the magnet. Customers usually | | | | lines creates confusion and disengages the customer, |
| walk in when a sale (say a 50% discount promotion) is | | | | who then wavers, thinking "I DON'T NEED IT" or "I |
| announced or if the product is well-known. But when it | | | | CAN'T BUY IT". |
| is neither, design needs to create the difference. The | | | | The designer needs to directly influence the |
| shop front needs to be attractive (not just the | | | | engagement of the customer with the product/shop |
| products) with branding that is visible, creating | | | | by ensuring that sales personnel are strategically |
| adequate contrasts in color and light. This is where the | | | | located to respond immediately. Retail design needs to |
| education begins. The shop front should attract the | | | | be structured and layered to ensure clarity among all |
| customer to approach and explore the product. In | | | | stakeholders - the retailer, designer and customer. The |
| other words, the win¬dow design should be a | | | | mental engagement begins before the physical retail |
| parameter of the product itself. | | | | encounter so the experience of walking through the |
| Invite: Once the initial curiosity is aroused, the shopper is | | | | retail outlet - irrespective of its size - needs to be |
| at the threshold of an internal debate - "Should I go in | | | | rewarding. |
| or not?" He/she needs an invitation to enter the shop. | | | | Walking through the minds of a potential customer is |
| The design needs to create a "landing space" - a | | | | the way to design. Impulse acts but does not |
| physical space that allows the customer to see/touch | | | | re-engage. Thinking of the thought processes of a |
| feel the product at close quarters or review in detail | | | | shopper's reaction and consequent actions are the key |
| any ongoing promo - and engage with shop personnel. | | | | to good retail design. |
| That's very important. Visual contact with "human" | | | | |