Creating an inviting atmosphere in your store can really help to create repeat customers and impress every person who walks through your door. Simply having a clean, tidy and well-organised store can mean the first impression of your shop is positive rather than negative. Here are a few tips on making your store as inviting as possible:
- Good quality retail shelving: Choosing high-quality shelving for your store is essential if you want to keep your products well displayed and maximise the space you have available.
- Create a consistent look: Use signs, Epos ticket strips and promotional material to coordinate your shelving and your displays for a neat, consistent look. You can even colour-code different types of products or areas to help your customers find what they're looking for. Continuing this consistency on your posters, exterior signs and flyers really helps to create a cohesive brand for your store.
- Keep your shelves fully stocked: Well-stocked shelves make your store look efficient and neat, and means customers don't need to reach to the back of your shelving unit for what they want. Excess stock can be displayed above or below shelving units or kept out of sight in your storage area. Empty or sparse shelves make your store look run-down and may give the impression that your stock isn't fresh.
- Maintenance and lighting: Keeping every aspect of your store in good condition and well-lit will help your shop to look clean and tidy and in good working order. This includes everything from the state of your flooring, to the lighting overhead, to the condition of your ticket strips, to the cleanliness and neatness of your shop counter.
- Use shelving accessories to maximise space: Shelving accessories like dump bins, shelf risers and dividers all help to give your store a finished look and maximise any space that will not accommodate a full-sized shelving unit. Dump bins are a great way to display end of line items or promotional goods, and can encourage spontaneous purchases at your tills.
- Presentable and polite staff: and finally, your customer service and the way your staff present themselves is essential if you want to perpetuate a good reputation for your store. Dressing neatly and providing excellent customer service at all times will boost your store's atmosphere and ensure your customers are happy to come back again another day.
· Wall shelving - Not all shops have the space to have aisles of gondola shelving, in these cases, wall shelving can be an excellent alternative that optimises the space that you have while still providing plenty of shelving space.
· Shopping baskets - Customers are more likely to purchase more items if they have baskets available to them, placing items at the front of the store is a great way to encourage shoppers to pick up more items. It can also be beneficial to have stacks of baskets around the stores for those shoppers that were not planning on picking up many items but have seen a deal that they want to take advantage of.
· Wire stacking baskets - Most stores have that odd space that is not big enough for a bay but is not small enough to leave empty. Stacking baskets are a great way to quickly and easily fill in that space and they are easy to move around so you can keep your displays fresh for repeat customers to draw their eye.
· Corner shelving - Often classic straight shelving can block the corners of your store. The simple addition of a purpose-built corner shelving unit can open up the corners of your store and provide you with extra shelving space to optimise your floor space.
· Peg board shelving and pegs - When considering the shelving you will need in your store, often people overlook the fact that they will have items that will not sit well on a flat shelf. Pegboard shelving allows you to hang up items easily on hooks to ensure that they are displayed in the most alluring way to customers and are easy to keep looking neat.
If you need help planning or fitting out your store with retail shelving and accessories, Shelving4Shops is here to help. We offer a huge range of shelving units and shelving equipment to create the perfect arrangement for your individual requirements. Get in touch with us on 01455 221512, or by emailing sales@shelving4shops.co.uk, or visiting our website at www.shelving4shops.co.uk. You can also visit us at our Leicestershire shelving showroom to see our full range of products and speak with an expert advisor.