7 Psychology Tricks Behind Every Interior Design of Big Retail Stores

As we all know, business is about having sales. That is highly correct. But behind those known and established brands lies some very clever techniques to generate a single purchase. Selling a product or service to a targeted group of customers is not just about having a good product. Although a good product is indeed very important, successful businessmen understand their market deeply. They know their age, their gender, their income bracket, their thinking as well as their behavior. They use these kind of information to come up with strategies that will affect their purchasing behavior in no time.

Aside from the noticeable efforts in marketing like personal selling, advertising, sales promotions, events, and many more, there are also lots of subtle methods which can still affect the mind of the customers even without words or involvement of another person. One great example of this is the interior design of big retail stores here in Singapore. Even before we decide to enter the store, they already tailored a psychological approach to make us buy a certain product without noticing it.

If you are a curios aspirant or already a small retail store owner who would like to learn about the psychology behind retail interior design in order to improve business revenue, here I have gathered a few important information that you should keep in mind that will help attract more customers, make them stay a little longer to browse more products, and of course, purchasing an item.

1. The “Rule of Three”

-          When composing a window display, always apply the “Rule of Three”. It is a concept that most merchandisers follow where instead of using one display, they do it creatively in 3 different versions. For example, you arrange your items by size like small, medium and small product displays. Placing asymmetrical items together makes our eyes move around that will help keep the customers' attention longer on your product displays.

2. The “Decompression Zone”

-          The “decompression zone” is said to be the first few feet inside from the entrance of a store. In this place, products were not highly noticed. However, you should still pay attention in crafting this place because this is where people will start to transition their environment from the outside to the overall ambiance inside the store. Take time in putting proper lighting that will distinguish the inside of your store away from the outside.

3. The “Traffic Flow”

-          Research says that 90% of people turn right as they enter a store and roam around in a counter clockwise direction before finally leaving the store. Great commercial interior design experts here in Singapore knew about this consumer behavior that is why they make sure to create a place where the store can please the customer’s attention right after they make a turn. This place is referred to as the “power wall” where seasonal or highly demanded were placed.

4. The “walking path"

-          Since a retail interior design aims to make customers stay longer, make them keep walking and direct them to roam around the retail store, professionals will carefully design a path that will make shoppers unconsciously follow. One example of making this happen is by placing an eye-catching item at the end of the aisle.

5. The “speed bump”

-          Apart from the goal of making the customers roam around the retail store, of course, you also don’t want them to just walk right past through every products that you have and then leave the store immediately. In this situation, putting some break points or the so called “speed bumps” is the modus operandi used by experts to slow buyers down. Speed bumps are anything that will make customers slow down whether it be a signage, simple promo, or even small amount of seasonal products.

6. The “butt-brush effect”

-          The butt-brush effect is a concept coined by a consumer behavior expert named Paco Underhill. He discovered that a typical customer will avoid going after certain merchandise in an aisle where they could potentially brush another customer's backside or have their backside brushed. With this idea in mind, it is important to provide shoppers their needed personal space by getting in touch with a knowledgeable commercial renovation contractor here in Singapore who knows how to maximize a retail store space and help customers move with ease.

7. The "follow up"

-          The follow up are the things that usually spark people’s cravings like chocolates, gums or anything similar can effectively catch their attention placed in the checkout area of a strategically designed retail store.