So you are thinking about a shop refit. Maybe you’ve had the shop for many years and it needs modernising to keep attracting customers. Maybe you’re tired of never having enough space and you have finally decided to do something about it. Or, you are refitting a shop that you have just taken over; putting your personal stamp on it and organising it in a way that makes sense to you. First, let us say congratulations for a wise investment in your shop’s future! Just words of warning though, don’t neglect your brand when you do the refit.
In this increasingly competitive world, your branding cannot end with the sign outside your shop. Millions of people out there will never have a reason to visit your store. Your branding has the ability to give some of them a reason to come. It creates an in store experience unique to you. It sets you apart from competition. It can give you publicity and encourage your customers to talk about you. It immediately tells your customers if your store will suit their requirements. You don’t want to lose the power of a good brand in your shop fittings!
Here are some ways you can brand your shop in the refit process.
- Carry your brand colours through the store. Paint walls the colour of your logo, consider a unique laminate for your shelving (We can help – simply enquire) or unify your floor covering with your brand.
- Whether you know it or not, your brand has a style. It might be minimal, rustic, action orientated, feminine or any other of myriads of styles designated by the products you sell and the customers you attract. Reflect this in your choice of fixtures and fittings.
- The way your store is lit can also be part of the branding. For instance, the candle retailer ‘Dusk’ has dimly lit shops to create the right atmosphere in which to sell candles.
- Consider the product range you will be displaying. The rule of thumb is the more expensive your products are, the more space on the shelf each item deserves. Ensure that you have the right amount of space to convey the value of your products.
- All those little extras in your shop communicate something to visitors. So any mannequins, chairs, counters and so on are also ‘brand projectors’ , so design and display them to communicate your brand.
- Choosing the new fittings for your shop should never be a rushed decision. Think about the message you are conveying in-store – or your ‘brand’ – and you will see more and more of your target customers coming to you.
Don’t forget the icing on the cake. Appropriate signage will catch the notice of passers-by, and the branded carry bag you give them will jog their memory long after they have left your store.
