Managing your retail interior design in Singapore well requires strategic planning on store design and customer flow that brings about the retail experience that keep your customers comfortable to shop in. Shuttering doors for good is certainly one implication of high costs operating retail outlets, poor retail space planning and operations. However, the bigger impact may mean the inability to create a positive customer experience inside retail stores by presenting a clean, warm, inviting, and highly functional physical space. Unpleased customers will think of your brand badly and definitely won’t patronize and recommend it to others.
Customer experience (CX) has been the talk of the retail design industry for some time. It’s a trend that has quickly become the pinnacle of retail success for both big brands and the smaller start-ups. But why is CX so important for the modern-day retailer? Because today, shopping is no longer a need but rather an experience, and people come back to retail shops that give them an unforgettable and good experience.
So, whether you are opening a new brick-and-mortar retail location or want to optimize an existing space, strategic retail interior design planning means taking a fresh look at your stores, evaluating square footage use, and retooling your space. Here are some examples as to how you can improve your customer experience with good and strategic retail interior design, in ways that drive sales and leave customers happy.
The foundation of an optimal commercial office interior design in Singapore is proactive maintenance. Instead of reacting when things go wrong, proper facilities maintenance strategy tackles and schedules preventative maintenance annually. This type of program ensures maximum uptime and enables retailers to deliver a comfortable, clean and safe store experience.
Critical systems (Ventilation, Air conditioning, lighting, restrooms, etc.) need to be well maintained – if these important functions are out-of-order for any length of time, customer experience will be impacted. With increased efficiency on preventative maintenance, managers have more time to devote to optimizing their retail space.
When a customer enters your store, where do you want them to go first? How do you want them to move throughout the retail shop? How do you want them to leave the space? Shoppers are looking for convenience and ease, so don’t overburden the space with too much merchandise or displays.
If you are reorganizing your retail space, the most important consideration is often the placement of more permanent installations, such as cash registers, the location/orientation of different product categories and the width of aisles. These will serve as the anchors of the space.
While other elements — shelves, displays, tables — are more adaptable, their placement should consider the convenience and experience of the shopper. Execute any layout changes during off-hours (ideally when the store is closed) to minimize any impacts on customer experience.
With a maintenance plan and anchor pieces of the store layout in place, the third component is to make the space unique. Essentially, how do you want customers to feel when they are in your store? With multiple locations, it’s important to have consistent elements, while optimizing for the distinct space. For example, an office furniture retail shop in Singapore with a high ceiling might aim to incorporate distinctive lighting to showcase the space. Through installations, decorations, and visual elements, retailers need to create a space that represents the brand and appeals to its customer base.
While there’s so much focus on optimizing retail experiences from a digital perspective, and for good reason, there’s also an incredible opportunity to provide customers with an in-store experience that truly sets your brand apart. The ultimate goal of taking a fresh look at your retail interior design and optimizing with customer experience in mind is to create happy, loyal customers whom come back to buy again and again.
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