Presence on the high street is an important quality. Retailers cannot simply hope that customers will be drawn into their shop space and must, instead, push for exciting designs and appealing displays. Doing so will not only ensure that regular customers continue to offer thigh support but also that a continuous stream of new customers will be encouraged to shop too.
Retailer design, as such, is often scrutinised. Great efforts are placed on the structure and style of shopping space with the intention of maximising positive brand perception and, ultimately, increasing profits. A great number of studies have been hosted with the intention of deciphering how best retailers can design their spaces with such goals in mind and, while many outcomes remain uncertain, there are several well-understood ways in which retailers can increase footfall with their design.
Window Displays
By far one of the most valuable assets to any high street retailer, the window display should be a continuous source of excitement for customers that is regularly reinvented with novel visuals to draw the attention of those passing by. A visually appealing window display is one that has the potential to catch the eye of shoppers both familiar and unfamiliar with a brand, communicating complex messages about a retailer in only a moment of time.
To achieve this, retailers must ensure that refreshing a window display is a part of a monthly or even weekly routine. Visual merchandising must be considered and presented in a way to suit brand identity, with each element, from mannequins to slatwall panels matching style guides and ethos.
Shop Facade
Outside of the window, there is the canvas of a shop facade. Each element of a shopfront can, and should be, considered. Painting a shopfront, for example, can be a great way to draw attention to a retail space, as well as to stand out among others. Many retailers use signature colours as a way to advertise too, since colours can be seen from great distances, more so than alternative signage. Hence why retailers like Currys and WHSmith seek to broadcast their signature colour palette across the high street.
Photogenic Interior
Retailers are placing a greater emphasis on making their interior spaces photo-friendly. This is because, in an age of social media, even a single photograph taken and shared by a customer can have significant reach online and potentially influence other customers to visit a shop space.
As such, every element of a retailer’s space is being curated with aesthetic and brand in mind. Shop shelving and furniture are all a potential benefit, being useful not only for practical purposes of product display but also as a stylistic asset that improves shop visuals.
Signature Signage
From those mounted to shopfronts to the streetside A-board, retail signage is an important element in reaching customers. Think, for example, of the shopper looking down the high street. Directional perspective prevents window displays and facades from being easily seen. Instead, it is the signage that protrudes from a shop front, that which carries brand logos and broadcasts colours, which is most effective.
