Anyone who has ever worked in retail knows that the appearance and layout of the store can make or break the shopping experience. A store that’s simple, attractive, and easy to navigate encourages customers to spend more money and return in the future. A store that’s crowded or confusing does the opposite. That’s why commercial remodeling experts design stores with a flow that encourages customers to keep moving through the aisles. Here’s how that process works when applied to grocery stores.
Front of Store
Every commercial renovation project needs to focus on the first impression a store gives to shoppers. That’s why the freshest products—flowers, fruits, and vegetables—are usually at the front of a grocery store. The colors and scents associated with the floral and produce sections create the impression that the store has the freshest, highest quality products.
Perimeter
Most commercial remodeling experts recommend putting the grocer’s specialty sections around the perimeter of the store. This includes the bakery, deli, pharmacy, bank, and coffee shop. This layout encourages buyers to move around the store, spending money on additional, unplanned items as they go along to grab the necessities. This is actually the same reason why milk and other dairy items are usually along the very back wall, so that even shoppers coming in for a single gallon of milk are tempted by other items.
Middle of Store
With a few exceptions, most of the staples, like pasta, rice, baking goods, and canned goods, are located in the middle of the store. This is to draw shoppers as deep as possible into the store, giving them more chances for impulse buys.
Checkout
The checkout counter is actually where grocers make the most money! There’s a reason commercial remodeling experts place all those convenience items—sodas, candy, magazines, and other goodies—in the checkout lines. These items have high markup, and they’re also the most common impulse buy for shoppers standing in line.
Commercial renovation experts put a lot of thought into the layout and design of grocery stores. A layout that is based on shoppers’ psychological behaviors and tendencies can increase profits and encourage buyers to spend more.