Is your store up to date ?

By saying up to date or ready, we're trying to know whether your store is fully optimized or not. And by fully optimized, we're talking storefront, the core of your store and your counter desk. Back in the good ol'days, stores were just there to fulfill people's needs. Hungry? Buy a banana and get back home. Not hungry anymore?. Yay. Simple as that. But nowadays, people want to experience something, they want their shopping time to give them more than just what they need. The place has to be thought in full details, and there are many elements to focus on in order to make your store perfect to sell your product, AND to make sure people will come back not only because you give em what they need, but also because they enjoyed their time here. So let's imagine it this way. Getting someone to comeback to your store is like going back home from a party, but not alone. You've got the metaphor in your head, yeah? Let's do this.

First of all, let's talk storefront. This is basically the first thing your clients or mere passersby will see. A catchy, well thought and harmonized front store will guarantee you get more traffic in your store. Even better, if the storefront matches perfectly with the products you're selling, of reflects your values, it means that the people who will actually penetrate your store are a qualitative traffic. Simply because if they're attracted by what the story you're telling within your storefront, they will more likely be interested by what you're selling. The storefront is basically the first image the girl/guy you're trying to get will see : whether you're good looking or nah. Your clothes have to match, your teeth have to be brushed (we're talking no piece of lettuce between them) and your beard must be perfectly trimmed. Wut? You're beardless? Heh, nobody's perfect.  If the people passing by your store are more likely to enter than walking away, or using the metaphor, if the other person is coming to talk to you right after you gave him/her a glance, you've completed stage 1 my friend.

The storefront of Dri Dri Gelato, London

Stage 2 is the core, the heart, the spirit of your store. The store itself. Not obvious at all. Or in our metaphor : the discussion with the other person. Having a bland store is like having no conversation. Nothing to tell, nothing to sell, nothing for yourself. You could end up stuttering, placing inappropriate objects here and there, items that actually don't match with what your trying to sell at all. A little mistake in interior designing could cost you a lot. For example, placing an irremovable item right in the center of an aisle will force your visitors and potential customers to walk around it and get mad about it. But that's just for the practical aspect, but you could also make big design mistakes. You've gotta respect your identity, in terms of colors unity or what you want to tell to your visitors with the items you're placing as decorations. And more importantly, you have to stay coherent with what you're selling. For instance, you will never paint your walls in black if you're selling summer holidays product such as swimsuits, that would be ridiculous. To go even deeper in the mistakes you could make, the music is an important part of the experience your potential customers will live in your store. Don't set the volume on "Sharapova screams", but don't make it sound like an almost inaudible noise in the background, that's really aggravating. Regarding the style, it obviously has to match with your identity, once again. Death Metal in a fragrance store doesn't work, and Chopin in a skateboards store neither...  Messing around with how you conceive your interior design and the atmosphere of your store is like smiling while you're talking about very sad subjects with your "target". But let's be honest, who talks about diseases and wars while hitting on someone? You do? You sadist...

Good ol' classics always work, Nespresso is a perfect example of a harmonious interior design

If, like Nespresso, you have a harmonious interior design, you've successfully completed stage 2 with all the power ups you needed : nice and coherent interior design, and fitting atmosphere for a great customer experience. But this is not the end, there's one last stage to complete in order to beat the "Update your store" game. We're not even going to explain it with our metaphor, that's pretty obvious right? And this last stage is making your potential customer becoming a flat out customer. So, with that being said, the last thing you have to take care of in order for your store to be up to date is the cash desk. That's right, the cash desk. This might be the less important point to focus on, but the more easy on the eyes your cash desk is, the more your customers' paying experience will be nice. And who knows, the pretty cash desk you took  5 hours to design and 5 additional hours to make might be the reason why your visitors will be more likely to become customers. And as for our metaphor, it means get your target 😉

Nice and simple, the cash desk of Pen Store, Stockholm

Now it's time to make your customer come back, to engage him (and to see the chick/dude again). But that's a subject for another article!

Thank you for reading this article, don't hesitate to give us your feedback !

I'm Out 😉