4 Ways to Design a Store for Sales

When you’re designing the interior of your store, you obviously want a roomy and inviting space. At the same time, you should show off your merchandise in ways that maximize sales. Some of these techniques are quite noticeable, and others are subtle yet still psychologically powerful.

1. Rely on Cross Merchandising

When you cross merchandise, you place two items that are in some way related beside each other. Thus, when customers go to purchase one of these products, they might buy the other on impulse.

For example, if you sell ice cream, you could place cherries next to your freezer. People who are picking up ice cream might see those cherries and throw packages of them into their carts. That way, they can top off their sundaes in style.

In any given shop, there are countless opportunities for cross merchandising: cigarettes with gum, cummerbunds with cufflinks, women’s coats with scarfs and so on. Try experimenting with various combinations and find out which combos result in the biggest boosts in sales.

You might also stack inexpensive, impulse items typically forgotten, like lip balms, combs or tempting treats like candy bars near your checkout line. As customers wait, many will grab one or more of them without even thinking about it.

2. Focus on Colors and Lights

Each display area must be expertly color-coordinated. Go heavy on shades of red, as they’re striking and, to the subconscious mind, signify importance.

Lighting is vital. Use bright accent lights to illuminate new merchandise and items you really want to sell. Beyond that, layer your lighting with a variety of sources, including sconces and lamps. As a result, every product will be bathed in light that’s warm, textured and enticing.

3. Educate and Entertain to Upsell

It helps to show your product in action. To that end, your employees might demonstrate how certain items work, or you could play brief videos on a loop. Likewise, tableaux featuring mannequins “using” your products let customers better visualize those things in their homes.

Just a few simple props can put people in the right frame of mind. For instance, you could lay twigs, pine cones and similar objects around a tent that’s on display.

Staff members should always be on hand to answer customers’ questions and direct them to the products that are exactly right for their needs and preferences, whether those products are mattresses or pairs of shoes.

The educational techniques that you employ ― videos, demos, signs, exhibits or conversations with shoppers ― should all be geared toward one overriding goal. Strive to teach people how your goods can impact and improve their lives. How can they boost health and wellness? How will a certain decorative piece lend extra elegance to their homes? What are the lifestyle benefits of a particular brand?

When you explain, clearly and crisply, why your store’s visitors should purchase various items, you’ll get many of them interested in things they otherwise would’ve overlooked.

Entertainment is a potent draw as well. Thus, you might occasionally offer scavenger hunts, crafts lessons, sing-alongs, social hours and anything else that you can think of along those lines.

4. Take a Multisensory Approach

People use all five senses to make purchasing decisions. Therefore, play soothing ― or exciting, depending on your brand ― music. Set up comfy, cozy corners where people can sit and relax. When possible, let people touch pieces of merchandise. Give customers cookies or other sweet treats if you can; as a bonus, the aromas of these treats should lure passers-by.

The more your store engages the senses, the more people will want to return to it again and again. Likewise, if you’re shrewd about displaying your products, educating your visitors and providing entertainment, you may find your sales numbers rising to an extent you didn’t realize was possible.