STORE LAYOUT DESIGN AND MERCHANDIZING

STORE LAYOUT DESIGN AND MERCHANDIZING

The basic elements in a design that guides customers through the store are the layout, signage, and feature areas. A good store layout helps customers find and purchase merchandise.

Several types of layouts commonly used by retailers are the grid, racetrack, and free form. The grid design is best for stores in which customers are expected to explore the entire store, such as grocery stores and drugstores. Racetrack designs are more common in large upscale stores like department stores.

Free-form designs are usually found in small specialty stores and within large stores’ departments.

Objectives Of Store Layout Design

Some objectives for a store design are to
i. Implement the retailers strategy
ii. Influence the customer buying behavior
iii. Provide flexibility
iv. Control design and maintenance costs
v. Meet legal requirement

Typically, a store design cannot achieve all of these objectives, so managers make trade-offs among objectives, such as providing convenience versus encouraging exploration.

TYPES OF STORE DESIGN LAYOUT

There are three types of store design layout

1. Free-Form Layout
2. Grid Layout
3. Racetrack

1. FREE-FORM LAYOUT

Free-form designs are usually found in small specialty stores and within large stores’ departments.

Free from layout arranges fixtures and aisles in an asymmetric pattern. It is used in small specialty stores or within departments of large stores.

Free form layout have no well defined traffic pattern, customers are not drawn towards the store naturally. Personal selling becomes more important. Layout sacrifices some retail storage and display space to create a more important. Layout sacrifices some retail storage and display space to create a more spacious environment.

Advantages

1. It provides an intimate and relaxing environment that encourages shopping and browsing

Disadvantages

1. Costly by not having a defined traffic pattern and customers are not drawn to browse the entire store.
2. Reduces the amount of merchandise on the floor for customers to view

Fixtures

Straight rack, rounder / bulk fixtures and four way and feature fixtures.

2. RACETRACK LAYOUT

Racetrack designs are more common in large upscale stores like department stores.

Racetrack layout provides a major aisle that loops around the store to guide customer traffic around various depts. to direct customers through the stores, aisles must be defined by change in surface / color. Cash register stations are typically located in each depth bordering the racetracks.
Racetrack/loop layout

Advantages

1. Customers are able to see multiple merchandise from different departments encouraging unplanned purchase.
2. Provides different viewing angles by using low fixtures to help the customers view different departments.

Disadvantage

1. Time is lost by enticing the costumers through the majority of the store to get to the most desirable department using abnormal walking paths.

Fixtures

1. Straight rack, rounder / bulk fixtures and four way / features fixtures.

GRID LAYOUT

The grid design is best for stores in which customers are expected to explore the entire store, such as grocery stores and drugstores.

Grid layout has parallel aisles with merchandise on shelves on both sides of aisles, cash registers located at the entrance / exits.

Advantages of Grid Layout

1. Customers have the ease of locating products they want to purchase and making the checkout as quickly as possible and minimizing the time spent shopping for the merchandise
2. Cost effective by using more space to have more merchandise on the floor by having the aisles the same width. .

Disadvantages

1. High shelving limits customers vision to vie more merchandise which does not encourage unplanned purchases.

Fixtures:

1. High shelving and gondolas

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