ATMOSPHERICS AND RETAIL SPACE MANAGEMENT

Atmospherics

Atmospherics: a store's physical characteristics

that are used to develop a retail unit image and draw customers

Describes the physical elements in a store's design

that appeals to consumers and encourages them to

buy

Classified in terms of exterior and interior atmospherics

Atmospherics planning

Increasingly gaining relevance for all kinds of retail setups Especially true for planned shopping centers and life style stores Plays an important role in:
- creating brand positioning for the outlet - attracting new customers - facilitating the better organization of the store and its merchandise - enriching the shopping experience

Role in retail strategy

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Enhances the image of the retail outlet Attracts new customers Creates a definite USP Generates excitement Facilitates easy movement inside the store Facilitates access to merchandise inside the store Ensures optimum utilization of retail space Ensures effective and desired presentation of merchandise 9. Reduces product search time for the customer 10. Reinforces the marketing communication of the outlet 11. Influences the service quality experience

Impact of physical environmental factors on shopping behaviour

Emotions
Physical environment Store layout & design Merchandise display Music

Customer Senses

Customer Senses

Aroma

Key components of retail atmospherics

Four key components of atmospherics:

1. exterior atmospherics 2. interior atmospherics 3. store layout 4. visual merchandising

External atmospherics

All aspects of the physical environment found outside the store are external atmoshperics Significantly affects store traffic and sales Generated by all aspects of the store exterior Store exterior includes store entrances, main board, marquee, windows and lighting

Elements of exterior atmospherics

Storefront Visibility Marquee Uniqueness Entrances Surrounding Stores

Interior atmospherics
Interior atmospherics: refers to all aspects of physical
environment found inside the store

Key ingredients: flooring, music, interior store design,

and level of cleanliness

Affects sales, time spent in the store, and

approach/avoidance behavior of the target segment Point-of-purchase interaction and retail unit decoration influences the customer and sales of the retail unit

Interior atmospherics
contd

Stores physical environment influences shopping behavior by mediating emotional states The retail unit environment presents various stimuli that are perceived by the customer's senses Each stimulus offers many options with regard to shopping behaviour (store music varies by volume, tempo, pitch and texture, and by the specific songs played)

Elements of retail atmospherics

Exterior Atmospherics
Storefront Marquee Entrances Display windows Size of building Visibility Adjoining Stores Parking Accessibility

Interior Atmospherics
Flooring Dead area Lighting Personnel Odour Cleanliness Wall Trial room Aisles Temperature Fixtures

Elements of retail store atmospherics

Store Layout
Floor space allocation for selling, merchandise display, and customer Traffic Flow Department location Space/merchandise category Signage

Visual Merchandising
Assortment Theme Ensemble Racks and shelves Payment Counters

Dimensions of interior and exterior atmospherics

Dimension of atmospherics

Exterior atmospherics

Interior atmospherics

parking lot adequate parking visibility in parking lot building appearance

aesthetics

layout
display personnel

Store layout
Store layout:
the interior retail store arrangement of departments or groupings of merchandise

Store arrangement:
- pays adequate attention to the expected movement of the customers visiting the store - space allotted to customers to shop - adequate facilities for merchandise display

Customer friendly store layouts motivate shoppers to move around the store and shop more than what they had planned

Store layout
contd

Organized retail firms on the other hand, ensure sufficient space within the store for customers and create a layout to facilitate a specific pattern of traffic movement Most independent retailers prefer racks and shelves placed along the walls Logical sequencing and category adjacency is essential in planning store layout Store layout planning involves decisions about allocation of floor space, product groupings, and nature of traffic flow

Visual merchandising

Visual merchandising or display is the presentation of products in order to sell them Key aspects: store floor plan, store windows, signs, merchandise display, space design, fixtures and hardware More sophisticated and encompassing and goes beyond merely arranging merchandise for easy access to customers. Process set in motion with designing the floor plan of the store, placing of mannequins, etc,.

Wall displays

Slatwall is a popular wall system used to display merchandise and maximize the total use of wall areas Slatwall panels and accessories allow complete versatility to display merchandise on the panel Give a clean and streamlined appearance Slotted wall standards are effective for displaying heavier merchandise and allowing the display of more merchandise on wall areas Hardware accessories such as shelving brackets, hangrail brackets, and face-outs provide organized and effective merchandise presentation

Floor fixtures

Gridwall panels and accessories :

- a versatile fixture to utilize both wall-mounted applications and

freestanding floor displays - durable, medium weight system in a variety of panel sizes, which accept various display accessories for hanging, shelving, and merchandising products

Garment racks and displayers: garment racks and

displayers are beneficial to show and sell items using floor displays Display cases and counters: display cases and counters feature sturdy construction and durable low-pressure laminated finishes in solid colors and wood grain styles Metal shelving gondolas: metal shelving gondolas display a number of products easily with total merchandising flexibility

Product display fixtures

Mannequins and body forms

- essential for enhancing merchandise - make it easier for customers to visualize how clothing will look on the wearer - traditional life size mannequins offer a flattering look to clothing - most effective way to sell merchandise

Clear acrylic displays

- offer many innovative fixtures - give a clean look with the greatest eye appeal for products - help the retailer sell more merchandise - display items on slatwall, gridwall, and countertop use - useful for displaying accessory items

Promotional items

Window signs and banners

- traffic-stoppers and create an opportunity to get a shoppers attention - many retailers underestimate the powerful pull of an effective window sign - a retail store sell merchandise to shoppers by attracting then with effective signs, banners, and promotional displays - a well thought out and effectively signed promotional interior can be a call to action for shoppers - using promotional signs and sign holders, and colourful sales tags as a visual hook can attract customer response and help increase sales

Lighting fixtures

Track lighting enhances colour and vivid colour sell merchandise Used for perimeter lighting and illuminating wall displays Used as accent lighting for highlighting specific merchandise adding excitement and drawing attention to merchandise

Store space management

Retail space allocation decisions are conceived and implemented at department level, category level, and the SKU level for big departmental super market stores

Space allocation: process of distributing the right

amount of space to the right merchandise at the right time according to a detailed analysis of customer demand Retailers normally depend on historical data or on their experience for allocating space (common with retailers using unorganized formats) Sales and profitability are bases for space allocation

Walls as retail selling tools

Walls are the largest selling fixture in the retailers overall selling strategy Meet several visual-merchandising objectives
-captures shopper attention as they enter the retail space -wall displays draw shoppers into the store and exposing them to more merchandise -communicates fashion information -encourages multiple purchases -act as a way-finding tool and guides shoppers to products -forms the retail background, supports store image by the strategic use of a variety of interesting wall surfaces, paints, colours, and wallpapers -these reinforce the retailers atmospheric intent

Colour planning

Color Schemes

- complementary schemes
- split-complementary schemes - double-complementary schemes - triadic schemes - analogous schemes (or color families) - monochromatic schemes

Physical materials in store designing

Materials used in retail store designing
Type of material for flooring
- carpet (designer, one-colour, multi-colour) - wood work (polished/unpolished) - tiles (terra-cotta, marble, mosaic, sun mica ) - rubber/ plastic

Type of material for walls

- plaster (painted, raw paint effect) -- glass (opaque, tainted, coloured) - panelling (wood, steel, dark, light, illuminated) - ceramic tiles

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