STORE LAYOUT Store design
It refers to ways that stores use
floor space to facilitate and promote sales and serve customers.
A store layout is a plan designating the use of all space in the store,
including aisles, fixtures; merchandise displays, and selling areas.
Store layout is the management/arrangement and the
combination four distinct spaces
1.
Selling space: General interior of the store
2. Storage
space: Allocated to items kept in Stockrooms and inventory for selling
3. Personnel
space: Employee lockers , ,
4. Customer
space: Areas of comfort and convenience for customers incl. a , ,
OBJECTIVES
OF THE STORE LAYOUT
•
To
create effective merchandise presentation
•
Use
multi-levels to provide a sense of variety.
•
To
create balance between sales and shopping space.
•
To
guide the customer around the store and entice increased purchases.
Types of Store Layout
1. Free-flow layout
2. Grid layout
3. Loop layout or race track layout
4. Spine layout or combination layout.
Free-flow layout
•
Fixtures
and merchandise grouped into free-flowing patterns on the sales floor – no
defined traffic pattern
•
Works
best in small stores (under 5,000 square feet) in which customers wish to
browse
•
Works
best when merchandise is of the same type, such as fashion apparel
•
If
there is a great variety of merchandise, fails to provide cues as to where one
department stops and another starts
Live example from a store.
2. Grid layout
•
The
counters and fixtures are placed in long rows or ‘‘runs ,’’ usually at right
angles, throughout the store.
•
A linear design for a selling floor
where fixtures are arranged to form vertical and horizontal aisles throughout
the store.
•
Supermarkets, discounters, grocery,
drug store and other convenience –oriented retailers, typically use it.
•
Best
used in retail environments in which majority of customers shop the entire
store
•
Can be confusing and frustrating because it is
difficult to see over the fixtures to other merchandise
•
Should be employed carefully; forcing
customers to back of large store may frustrate and cause them to look elsewhere.
Live example from a store.
3. Loop layout
A major customer aisle begins at the entrance, loops through
the store—usually in the shape of a circle, square, or rectangle—and then
returns the customer to the front of the store.
This layout
divides the selling floor into shops within the store.
Loop with a
major aisle that has access to departments and store’s multiple entrances.
Draws
customers around the store
This layout
is employed in a discount or a department store.
Major customer aisle(s) begins at entrance, loops through
the store (usually in shape of circle, square or rectangle) and returns
customer to front of store
•
Exposes shoppers to the greatest possible amount
of merchandise by encouraging browsing and cross-shopping
Live example from a store.
4. Spine Layout( combination)
•
Variation of grid, loop and free-form layouts
•
Based on
single main aisle running from the front to the back of the store (transporting
customers in both directions)
•
On either
side of spine, merchandise departments branch off toward the back or side walls
•
Heavily
used by medium-sized specialty stores ranging from 2,000 – 10,000 square feet
•
In
fashion stores the spine is often subtly offset by a change in floor coloring
or surface and is not perceived as an aisle
Variation of grid, loop and free-form layouts
Based on single main aisle running from the front to the
back of the store (transporting customers in both directions)
Live example from a store.
Note- The photographs used in this blog post are not owned by the author( Ranjeet Rana), and it is not for commercial use. These blogs are for educational purpose only, the students of Fashion Design, Retail Management, Fashion communication, Knitwear Design, Fashion Technology
2 comments:
Nice information regarding floor #layout
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