Store layout and design have a dramatic effect on how well your store will perform. There are all sorts of considerations one must take into account when pondering these two elements of retail, not the least of which, of course, are store size and shape. And as in most undertakings and with most people, budget must be considered and then once parameters are established for that budget it must be adhered to.

For the sake of discussion let’s forego the topic of budget here and talk about other elements of store layout and design. First of all you should consider the shape of your sales floor. It seems to me that stores that are either square or rectangular, but wider than they are deep, are the easiest to work with and usually present the most appealing results. I say this because a main goal of store design should to be to direct people deeper into the sales space. If shoppers go deeper into your display area they will be exposed to more merchandise and that’s a good thing. And back to the shape of the store, it is simply easier to get people deeper into a store whose entrance door is on the widest dimension of the showroom.

Traditional store layouts usually fall into one of three styles: 1. Power Aisle, 2.Race Track, or 3.Free Flowing. Which one is right? That depends on a number of things. Once again the shape of your store enters into the equation here too. But other factors also guiding proper layout include product offering, overall size of the store and personal preference. Racetrack designs will not work in small spaces. Free-flowing designs work well in some specialty stores but not in store that require fairly strict organization e.g. grocery stores, hardware stores etc. Another choice is to use a combination of a couple of the design choices. For example a power aisle main frame and a free flowing departmental showcase often work well in the two store types I mentioned earlier. Many retailers immediately buy-in to a traditional store design concept. Often times they overlook the way a distinctive layout could help them achieve differentiation, which is another key element to retail success.

Finally, when considering store layout and design don’t overlook décor and how it can help tie your store’s design and brand together. Store signage should be revisited about every 5 years. We recommend that the décor be designed specifically for your store. There are cookie-cutter alternatives, of course, but in my opinion they fail to create the differentiation that you should be trying to achieve. Store layout and design are fun elements of retail.