Store décor essentials
It was just the other day when a rather offbeat thought crossed my mind. I wondered, how almost everyday we come across advertisements telling us about what is in and what is out, in the interior décor industry. New colours, new fabrics, designer furniture, classy home appliances and a lot more are up for grabs. Beautiful houses, kitchens, living and bedrooms scream out from hoardings and posters asking us “wanna own me?” All the attention goes around decorating houses and dream homes. However, seldom do we think about this other aspect of décor application that plays and equally important role in our day-to-day life. I am talking about store decor.
To think of it more deeply, we all visit one store or the other, or pass through many, almost every single day. Sometimes we buy stuff and sometimes we don’t. At times, we just surf through things and walk-by without paying much thought on whether we should buy or not. Ever thought that the look and feel of the store, besides the attitude of sales representatives, can have a say in what we buy and how much we buy. If not, then now is the time.
Yes, store décor is equally important when it comes to overall sales. Ask any reputed business house and the representatives will second me on this. After all, we are living in times when packaging is very important and sometimes even more than the product. Anyways, we will discuss packaging vs. product some other time let us now focus our energies on understanding how to do-up a store so that it attracts more footfalls.
From what I have gathered after speaking to a few interior designers, durability, cleanliness and beauty are the three main aspects of designing a store. Let me share with you a few things I have learnt from them.
Durability – It begins with identifying the areas in the store that demand durability and when talking of this, the walls and the furniture of the store top the list. If you are tired of coating and recoating your walls with paint then it is time you moved on to the next big thing. Use laminates instead do-up the walls. Laminates have the unique property of anti water seepage and come in variety of colours and textures. They will not just cover the ugly patches but also look appealing on your walls.
Durability of furniture is equally important. Unlike our homes, for stores people generally prefer furniture that will last them at least a few years and at the same time not look monotonous. Here one needs to play it more carefully. Instead of buying bulky and heavy furniture items, buy compact furniture. Countertops, racks, wall chests, corners, modular desks form the core of store furnishing. Always choose the sturdiest and at the same time the trendiest option that not only exudes strength and richness, but also saves space.
Cleanliness – The first and the most important thing that creates a unique style statement for your store. You should take pride in being termed as the most clean and most tidy store in town. If your store is not clean then it will never stand apart from the rest in the crowd. As the world moves on towards being hygiene conscious, no one will tolerate a store, which is shabby and untidy irrespective of what you have to offer. As much as the store area requires cleaning, cleanliness is very important for the bathrooms too. In fact, the cleaner your bathroom the better is your cleanliness quotient. Begin with replacing the patchy door. Use special door laminates that are impeccably designed to suit your cleanliness needs.
Last but not the least; let’s get to the beauty talk. Whatever you do, if it is not beautiful to look at then it just not good enough. When you go interiors shopping, always choose wisely. Have a plan and get only those things which are most essential to execute the plan. When you go out in the market, there will be an array of products that will first lure you and then trap you into buying them. However, you should not deviate from the plan. Do not spend on things that will hardly be used, even if they look just out of this world. A better way to go about choosing and shopping is to do your homework in advance. Grab a computer and go online. Read-up about product specifications, usage, variety and price and then do an informed shopping.
Bonus tip – remember that a smart buyer always buys what he wants and a smart seller is the one who knows this! So if you plan to start your own business and open a store, keep these factors in mind. Let us know about any specific décor related query and we will try to help you. You can also write your comments and feedback here.