There are any number of reasons why a shop may not be giving the returns you expected when you first sat down and drew up a business plan. It’s rare that any one problem can be highlighted as the source of underperformance; more usually a combination of factors will be involved. But whether it’s looking different from those around you or providing a more easily-understood store layout, there are effective changes you can make.
Designing the difference
As you’d probably expect, design forms a major part of the advice that is given here. Of course design is a very broad topic, and means much more than the popular conception of simply making a space look pretty.
It is also important to realise that in almost every case that you read about here, design services of one form or another have been used from the outset in the projects, with highly positive results.
How much will it cost?
On the matter of cost, it’s something of a commonplace that really outstanding stores look great because a great deal of money has been spent on them. While this may be true, it does not necessarily follow that there is an inextricable link between cost and end-result. Deployed properly, design in a retail context is a highly effective way of achieving the shopkeeper’s Holy Grail: return on investment.
It’s also worth considering value for money if you use a design consultancy. A design solution may appear cheap, but if it doesn’t address the matter it was intended to, then it is not. Design in retail is predominantly about raising sales and if this is not achieved, the design work may have to be done again, usually by someone else. Always think about what you want to achieve and strive to communicate this to the people you ask for help in making your shop do more.