January 3, 2020
Why do we prefer to shop online? To put it simply, it’s just easier.
Online shopping provides convenience, optimal pricing with discounts clearly state, and often has far more selection than traditional brick-and-mortar stores.
These days, you’re able to shop online from mobile devices, computers, laptops and tablets, giving customers everything they need at their fingertips.
With physical stores at a disadvantage, retail design has never been more important in creating the ultimate customer experience.
To be fair, it’s not all doom and gloom. Many consumers still prefer the retail shopping experience where they can try on sizes, see and touch something before purchasing, and talking to a real person for advice.
This is why it’s so crucial for businesses to not forget about the more traditional methods of shopping while trying to build their online presence.
The need for design innovation is a vital element in adapting to online shopping in order to attract customers into their physical stores.
Regardless of industry, whether it be a large department store, small boutique, or a supermarket, businesses should incorporate these emerging retail design trends of 2019.
Livid Skate Cafe / Shop in Scarborough
And the wallet. Resimerical design is an emerging retail design trend that has become increasingly popular in a wide range of industries, including hospitality and retail.
It is essentially bringing all the creature-comfort elements of the home and creating an inviting atmosphere in the retail space. If shoppers feel comfortable, they are likely to spend more time in-store, and hopefully more money too.
This is where you might have noticed retail shops now incorporating cafes into their shopping experience, inviting customers to sit down and relax, have a coffee and a small bite to eat.
You might have noticed this already happening in large department stores such as Myers or David Jones, where they have multiple food outlets, cafes and seating areas for shoppers to take a break and relax.
XO pop-up store in Joondalup
Pop-up designs give businesses the freedom to get creative with seasonal accents and social media opportunities. They come with a sense of urgency — a limited time experience, which seems to be all the hype these days.
Pop-up stores are also great for spreading brand awareness and ‘testing the waters’. It’s a relatively safe opportunity to explore the demographic and get a feel for how their products and services appear in a physical space.
Pigeonhole is a prime example of a business using pop-up stores to their advantage. In the Perth CBD alone, Pigeonhole has been relocating pop-up stores all over the city mall, offering various products which differ from store to store.
From left to right: Hadiqa, bar botanik and Garum
We live in a day and age where photos can be taken and uploaded to millions of viewers in a matter of seconds, thanks to social media.
When businesses design their physical locations, consider the aesthetic appeal of the space that makes shoppers want to take a photo or pose in the store. Taking advantage of technology can be highly profitable — it’s essentially free marketing and brand promotion.
To accomplish this as a retail designer, there are limitless elements you can feature in your store. Experiment with eye-catching features such as luxury vinyl tiles or planks used on the walls or an entire wall of hanging indoor plants.
Biophilia is a very apparent trend that has integrated with the architectural design across all industries. It promotes wellness, relaxation and improves indoor air quality — indoor plants also seem to be a social media sensation, with many Instagram pages dedicated to just that.
Other elements to consider include quirky neon or chalkboard signage with witty phrases, combined with unique backdrops for photo opportunities.
With recent retail trends, brands are getting really creative with their design elements to inspire customers to take photos inside the store and upload them onto social media platforms. This adds to the overall shopping experience as it extends beyond the physical store and into cyberspace where it can reach millions of prospects.
Wayfinding floors is a unique way to help shoppers navigate their way throughout different parts of a store.
Businesses can use flooring designs to guide customers to specific products they especially want to be seen, sale sections for example, or even lead them towards eye-catching features for a photo op.
Wayfinding floors is both an art and a science and can be used not only in retail but across all other industries as well. For example, healthcare centres can use wayfinding designs to guide patients from waiting rooms to the examination room, the same way retail can guide shoppers to the checkout.
With any retail floor design, you’ll also need to consider how your floor choice is going to hold up against heavy foot traffic which is received in a physical store on a daily basis. An ideal floor choice would be luxury vinyl planks and tiles. Not only is LVT/LVP extremely durable, it’s also visually appealing and adds to the overall customer experience in a commercial space.
If you have any questions about what is the best floor choice for your business or how Jupps Floor Coverings can help with the design of your store, contact us today.
