Annual makeover of the store encourages the footfall and also increase the sale. Ashmit S Alag pens down some tips for those who want to give a makeover to their existing stores.
During this time of the year the fashion industry is abuzz with fairs and bookings, and preparing for the forthcoming Fall Winter season. In fact, the idea of redoing the look and feel of the stores is also tickling the minds of several retailers. To accelerate the same thought we suggest the Do’s and dont’s of redoing the stores for the next season.
Excessive money on ‘flexible features’ of store fixtures
Assess carefully how much flexibility you need and then order that little part separately. Majority of retailers spend excessive and unnecessary amount of money on ‘modular or adaptive features’ of a fixture and never use them. Spend no more than 20 percent of what you spent on the last renovation.
Lighting plays larger role
Invest in the right colour temperature, right lumen quantity and right amount of focus. The shadow factor of each luminaire makes a big difference and allows you to create depths in the display. Choose the colour of your lamp based on the opulence and detail-centricity of the merchandise you want to use this light for. As a rule of thumb, yellow lamp colour works better for premium and warm brands, while bluish-white brings dynamism, youth and pace into the space.
Sense of sound
It is a strong determining factor whether the client is going to speed up or slow down. Invest in the right kind of sound, and it does not have to be expensive at all – just clean and able-deliverer for the music that you play. Your selection of music must always communicate your stand as a brand while also consistently providing a positive, lighter feel, which is a human emotion conducive to shopping.
Youth-centric stores must also add at least a subwoofer to ‘mean’ the music they play. Quality and assertive sound creates a deep impact psychologically and allows potential customers to disengage from their regular thought process and become more subversive to what is playing and the environment.
The colour of fixtures and backgrounds
It ‘Does’ impact the consumer, but only if they get to notice it. Do not spend excessive money on wall treatments where it is hardly visible. No, you will not move those fixtures and no, it will not look incomplete hence later. Most of the times, that opportunity wouldn’t arrive for the next renovation due in 4 years.
Review and written communication
Conduct a review for all written communication at your store – both to internal and external clients. Remove anything that is not for the customer to see and yet is in their line of vision. Cross-check for spelling errors and punctuation marks – they could convey a very different meaning than what you might intend to communicate.
Consumer behaviour
The Indian consumer is becoming more and more aware every day. But don’t forget they would not turn into European or American consumers overnight. They are still Indians and the differences will remain. And the differences will remain until there are differences in shopping behaviour across even regions in India (in a nutshell – Forever). And great that not everyone’s the same. These differences allow marketers to find newer loopholes and also apply the learnings of the past market, and deliver a more specific, streamlined communication and campaign.
Smell sense
Smell! What happened to one of the strongest senses humans possess? A particular whiff can take us back decades. Sense of smell has a strong longevity in the human mind. Smell can either create a mood or a turn it off. Imagine Sambhar-Rice, Idli, Rasam Dosa, Papad, Uthappam … the smell, the texture … imagine … and now be served spaghetti white sauce. Difficult, right? Exactly. Sense of smell is important. Use it to your advantage; sharp for dynamic; mild flowers for Indian ethnic women apparel; wild flowers for exotic; heavier natural base tones for jewellery, etc.
Improvising the changing room
Improve your changing rooms. Almost all trial decisions are dependent on it. Incorporate a soft flooring option if your clients are likely to remove their shoes to try a new bottom.
Carpet would be nice, and do keep it clean. Here again, choose the right light, wall olours, music and temperature. Avoid putting mirrors across; instead, have them on adjacent walls like forming an ‘L’ in plan.
Store temperature
Take control of the temperature in the store. 24 degrees and lower for formal areas and a little over for casuals as a rule of thumb. Provide air-conditioning in changing rooms especially if you offer heavy or layered apparels.
Window display
Pay great attention to your window displays. It must be communicative of what is in the store. Match the display in the windows to elements of in-store visual merchandising.
Make a planogram, and follow it. Use a combination of shoulder-outs, face-outs and stacking for layered apparel or to communicate a complete ‘look’. Create vignettes and keep them looking fresh, clean and inviting. Displays communicate the brand’s positioning, creativity, quality and can also be informative.
