MARKETING TOOLS FOR YOUR SALES POINT

WEEKLY MARKETING IDEAS, TO IMPLEMENT INTO YOUR STORE.

PARAMETER 2: THE POINT OF SALE ARCHITECTURE, INTERIOR. 






In this part, we are going to tackle the interior of the store.  Today, your shop should transmit your company message, your strategic and or marketing plan.  So, not just 4 walls, counter and nothing more...., but organized, structured and designed the way,..it will give you the optimum sales results, transmitting at the same time your  brand image and create the right memorable emotions to your clients.  
De outlook of your store interior, should be organized, the way it is easy, logical and comfortable for your clients to shop, but also easy for you and your team, to operate respecting above emotions.
We can divide parameter 2, the store interior into various key elements...

The store access:

We can divide the store access into 3 sub elements,... the dimension, the materials and the door location.
Let analyse them....
Probably the most important and significant elements of the interior architecture, as it is the first contact where your client will initiate its possible sales experience.  So, very important, that the entrance always allows easy access, that the store access is not complicated and that it invites and motivates the possible consumer to enter easily.  We recommend to have the doors always open.  (depending the existing laws on product obligations and season conditions, you can install the typical air door ventilation systems)

Also the used materials of your door entrance, have to be light, safe, easy to open and transparent, in order to make it easy to use and invite the client to go into your store.  It is clear that the selected materials, colors and designs, should be in line with your concept or message , you want to transmit.

The right door location, is vital, as it has been proven, that it is of strategic importance and a key to have  commercial success, to have the entrance on the exact place.  Lets see why...
The store access, is the beginning of the tour that the consumer will start to initiate.  By guiding the client, along a inside shopping path, you will be able to make it very easy to the client, to see all your product groups.  It has been proven, that clients, when entering into a store, have the tendency to go to the center of your store, by turning than, always to the left side and following the patch and moving to the right,..So, if possible, just have your main entrance always at the right side of your store.

Lets start now analyze the division of the store surface.  We can divide it into 5 areas:
- the hot area: the part of the store, where most people walking or passing. (ex. the main central passage)
- the cold area: the rest of the store, with less people or transit, due to its bad access or store situation.
- the hot points into a specific area:  the parts of a specific hot area who are creating a lot of traffic or of great importance.
- the cold points into a specific area: the parts of a specific cold area, who are creating less traffic.
- the natural hot area of your store: an area of the store, which is by itself an important part (ex. the entrance, the main path and the part where people are paying).  Mainly, we will find this more into smaller stores.  It is important that the natural hot area,  connects the entrance, with the various hot areas into the store, allowing also to reach the cold areas, creating more flow of people with an eventual sales increase.

Example store planning City Supermarket.

In order to have an excellent store format and sales result, it is important that the hot points of your store should be at least 10% of your shopping area, while the cold points should not represent more than 10% of your store area.  When planning your store interior, it is important to optimize the hot areas instead of the cold areas.  However, this depends mostly on the existing access or entrance doors, the kind and size of the sales surface (ex.a rectangular store surface is always easier) and if exist eventual different floor levels. (ex. if a store has 3 levels, the ground level floor is the hot area, the basement mainly the very cold area and the first floor a less but cold area.
So when analyzing your existing store and or evaluating an eventual new store location,...always have in mind, that the existing or possible hot area should dominate, in order to create more traffic into your store.

Example of high traffic or hot areas in store.

We will now talk about the layout and the design of the store surface.  We can divide it into the border perimeter, the central perimeter and the shop counter.

- The border perimeter: allows you to present the products alongside the border of your store.  It has to permit you to have a good a good product presentation and an easy to-use or adaptable system, in line with you store image and or corporate commercial layout. 

- The central perimeter, allows you to present the goods into the central part of the store.  Avery important perimeter, as, in function of the position and the used kind of presentations, you will be able to increase your sales turnover.  Good to know, that the corners of the central perimeter of the main access and or store path (with the most traffic) are very required by big consumer brands, willing to pay up to high renting fees to have this store space reserved.  Like above, the used materials have to be easy to adapt and allow a good product presentation.  And in line with your corporate commercial image. 

-The shop counter: the counter location into the store is of vital importance, as it will allow you to control the consumer flow and the time clients are into your store, with the final result, buying more.  Always important, next to its main function, controlling the entrance and its advisory role, the counter should always be place on a strategic place, with the purpose to maintain the consumer flow the much time possible, allowing more sales possibilities.  However, the size of your store, often has an influence 
on the above.  Try to locate your counter always in a colder area of the store, instead of the hot area, as it will take more time to consumers to leave your store. 

Example of the importance of the perimeters of a supermarket with fresh food.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION...