Big-box retailers can afford to spend a small fortune on practical and eye-catching design features, but small business owners don’t typically have it in the budget to use the same techniques. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing they can do to improve their stores’ appearance or make them more navigable for customers, though. Read on to find out about four retailing hacks that will improve customer experience without breaking the bank.
Think Vertically
Vertical shelving allows business owners to maximize space and create more aesthetically appealing product displays. Not all shelving is created equal. The best way to get professional-quality shelves without spending a fortune is to purchase Used Gondola Shelving Near Me. Gondola shelving is tall, versatile, and perfect for retailers of all kinds.
When organizing items on the shelf, place popular items or inventory that needs to be sold at eye level. The upper shelves should be reserved for storing extra inventory or specialty products that rarely sell to casual shoppers. That way, if someone needs a specific item and it’s difficult to reach, they’ll be more likely to talk to an employee for help retrieving it.
Paint an Accent Wall
A bold-colored accent wall can create the illusion of more space, which is great for business owners stuck with small stores. Make sure the accent wall is on-brand by choosing a color featured prominently in the store’s logo. Business owners can even hire an artist to paint the logo or the company’s name on a relatively empty wall to make full use of this technique to make the store look larger than it is and improve brand recognition.
Hanging colorful wallpaper or printed fabric is another affordable way to achieve a similar effect. Since the rest of the walls will still be white, the addition won’t be overwhelming. Instead, it will give the room some extra visual interest in the form of eye-catching colors, patterns, and textures. This will make it stand out more in the minds of customers.
Avoid Clutter
There’s nothing wrong with making full use of available shelving, but make sure it doesn’t look cluttered. Try to space the items out on the shelves, at least on important displays, and make sure customers have plenty of room to move between displays or aisles.
Another way to avoid a cluttered look is to stick with neutral-colored shelving, furniture, and other large items. It’s fine to accent them with smaller, brightly colored or patterned items or fabric accent walls as described above, but don’t go overboard.
Use Plenty of Lighting
Adding some extra lighting is another great way to make smaller retail stores look larger than they are. Make the most of natural light by leaving windows free of clutter and displaying only those items most likely to entice new customers in, and add a variety of lighting types to the rest of the store. Include everything from track lights to accent lights for maximum effect, and place them carefully so they improve the visual appeal of high-value products.
The Bottom Line
Getting a small retail store off the ground is a challenge. Most new business owners don’t have it in the budget to hire professional designers or rent large spaces. Use the tricks above to create a good impression and improve customer experience in a smaller space until the company can afford to expand.
Unnati Vaidya
Unnati Vaidya is a freelancer Content Writer and SEO generalist. She is an enthusiastic reader of Novels and a big fan of watching Sci-fi movies and seasons!