Blog Post

5 Big Retail Design Myths Debunked

Tom Chisari • Mar 09, 2018

Myths are beliefs that are widely held, but nonetheless false. Even in the ever-changing field of retail design, long-standing myths continue to exist – ideas that are at least partially false. Below are just a few widely held beliefs about retail design.

  1. More square footage equates to more display space. Any store’s needs for space will expand and contract over time, as new products and lines are added and others are phased out. When increasing floor space, careful planning can ensure the maximum use of the space. Even the shape of the store footprint affects the amount of display space available. If the front wall of the store is taken up with windows, a rectangular space will have more wall display area than a square space.


  2. The success of a retail design will be readily apparent. Customers generally respond positively to novelty, so store sales will often receive a bump with any redo of a store interior. Also, other variables like merchandise offerings usually change along with store interiors, so it’s hard to isolate the effect of any particular change on sales. These are just a couple of the variables that complicate attempts to calculate return on investment.


  3. Natural light is the best illumination for a store environment. In photography or real estate, natural light is paramount. Many assume the same would be true for retail spaces – that natural light should provide the best view of the products and the store environment. The truth is that natural light is much more problematic than artificial light. Natural light is not reliable. It can at times be harsh, muting or eliminating the intended effects of accent lighting, and actually making the store appear darker. At least artificial light doesn’t fade the products on the shelf at a greatly accelerated pace. Artificial light allows the retailer to better manage the store experience, to draw customers towards the light towards the back of the store, and to help customers forget what is going on outside the store.


  4. The checkout area is the least important. Most store checkouts have similar features, so it can be tempting to assume that once the customer reaches the checkout, the sale is “in the bag.” However, it’s particularly important to make sure the cash wrap counter is efficiently designed, uncluttered, and allows sales associates space to move around. There has been a trend in cashwrap-less type stores, ala Apple and Amazon, where store associates walk around to assist customers with a tablet, or items are automatically scanned. In these new stores, the transaction area is indicative of the technology that is used for the exchange, so the space becomes a smaller, more consultative space. Regardless of how checkout occurs, the checkout process is the end of a transaction, and it also helps set up the ongoing customer relationship, so it needs to leave a positive impression.

  5. Mirrors create space and light. To a degree, mirrors can make a space seem larger. However, the effect of a wall of mirrors is more often confusion, because it can make paths through the store appear duplicated. Also, mirrors can only reflect whatever light or darkness is already in the store, so they don’t actually create light. Thoughtfully placing mirrors for function and for style makes sense, rather than putting up mirrors for the sake of it. Mirrors certainly have their function and their place in design, but not as a means to make a space appear larger.

These myths are only a few of the long-standing ideas that should be challenged whenever redesigning a retail environment. By setting aside myths, we can improve design thinking and develop the truly creative and effective retail environments of the future.

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