WHAT IS RETAIL?

PROJECT NO.1
WHAT IS RETAIL?
Retail: the sale of goods to the public in relatively small quantities for use or consumption rather than for resale.
Retail design is primarily a specialized practice of architecture and interior design involved in the design of spaces that
serve the retail business.
A retail store’s interior design must:
• Align with and represent the brand’s personality and values.
• Support marketing and sales activities, and facilitate commercial transactions.
• Enable customers to view merchandise and inspect its fit, feel and function, and consult with in-store experts.
• Provide a positive environment for shoppers and staff that encourage them to want to be in the space.
• Facilitate efficient workflows and enhance productivity.
• Display merchandise effectively and accessibly.
• Ensure the safety and security of workers, shoppers and merchandise.
• Afford adequate space for merchandise storage and non-customer-facing staff activities.
Retail stores patterns
• Welcoming entry
• Display fixtures
• Store system
• Props
• Display Design
• Easy access
• Customer attraction
• Store Front
• Signage
• Working place
• Indoor/outdoor connection
• Storage
• Fitting Rooms
• Support services
• Colors
• lighting
• Kids Area
• Bringing them all together
Welcoming Area

The main entry is a very important element of retail shops design, first and foremost, the entry should be welcoming. It
should be inviting and friendly, this welcoming aspect has to be balanced by the need to guide the client into the store
and attract him to navigate into the store comfortably.

• The counter: 
• Most of the owners prefer to locate the counter near the entrance where the clients can come and purchase the
products, the counter is a focal point and should be easy to be found by the client.
COMFORT IS KEY – ERGONOMICS
Signature element:
A welcoming and inviting in a retail store should contain the signature element that speaks to what makes this shop special.

display fixtures
The island fixture:
is a three-dimensional counter used for the display of a wide variety of accessories such as jewelery, scarves, and handbags as well as cosmetics.
The slat wall fixture:
is useful in displaying a variety of merchandise including apparel. Brackets of different kinds are used with the slat wall to display many kinds of
merchandise.
Freestanding fixtures:
Freestanding fixtures provide customer access from all sides.
The most standing fixtures are:
1- Two way
2- Four way
The different types of store layouts

1. Grid
2. Herringbone
3. Loop, or racetrack
4. Free-flow
5. Boutique
6. Straight, or spine
7. Diagonal
8. Angular
9. Geometric

10. Multiple, or mixed   

GRID
In a grid layout, merchandise is displayed on
displays in long aisles where customers weave
up and down, browsing as they go. The grid
maximizes product display and minimizes
white space—nearly every convenience store,
pharmacy, and grocery store utilize this
familiar layout.

The grid is all about product, product, product.

A standard grid layout looks something like
this:
GRID
Pros

• Best for stores with lots of merchandise, especially when products are varied

• Lots of exposure to products, as the layout encourages customers to browse

multiple aisles

• Familiar for shoppers

• Predictable traffic flow means you can put promos where you know
customers will see them

• Lots of infrastructure suppliers, such as shelving, are available as this layout

is used so much

• Best practices within this layout are well researched

Cons

• Least likely to create an experiential retail space; this layout is a dime a dozen

• Customers may be frustrated they can’t shortcut their way to what they need

• Customers may not understand your product groupings, leading to frustration

and questions (or worse, departure)

• Few visual breaks and lots of merchandise can make customers feel
overwhelmed

• Cramped aisles often lead to customers bumping into one another

HERRINGBONE
If you think the grid may be best for your merchandise but you have a very long, narrow retail
space, the herringbone layout is one to consider.

• Pros

• Suited to stores with lots of product but minimal space

• This layout often works well for warehouse-style stores open to the public

• Cons

• Limited visibility down “side roads” can increase shoplifting opportunities

• Can feel cramped, and customers easily bump into one another
LOOP
The loop, racetrack, or forced-path store layout takes
the grid’s fairly predictable traffic flows a step
further and creates a deliberate closed loop that leads
customers from the front of the store, past every bit
of merchandise, and then to the checkout. Customers
are exposed to the most merchandise this way, but
the path they take is controlled.
LOOP
• Pros
• Maximum product exposure
• Most predictable traffic pattern; easiest to place
promotions and have highest assurance they’ll be seen
• Can be experiential—may work with retail where a
journey makes sense and time spent in store doesn’t need
to be brief
• Cons
• Customers don’t get to browse at will
• May waste the time of customers who knows what
they’ve come for; they may avoid this shop in the future
when buying intent is specific
• Not suited for shops that encourage high traffic turnover
or carry products people need to spend little time
considering before purchase
FREE-FLOW
• The free-flow layout philosophy is almost a rejection of the others.
With free-flow, there is no deliberate attempt to force customers
through predictable traffic patterns: wandering is encouraged.
Therefore, with free-flow, there are far fewer rules, but that doesn’t
mean there aren’t any—don’t forget about the commonalities that are
based on natural human behavior.

• Pros

• Great for small spaces

• Also works within areas of loop and spine layouts (more on that below)

• Creates more space between products

• Less likelihood customers will bump into one another

• Better suited to higher-end shops with less merchandise

• Most likely to create an experiential retail space

• Cons

• Often less space to display product

• Easy to forget there are best practices that still should be followed;
breaking the unwritten rules can turn people off and away from your
store

• Can be confusing for customers

BOUTIQUE
• The boutique store layout, also known as shop-in-shop or alcove layout,
is a commonly used type of free-flow layout. Merchandise is separated
by brand or category, encouraging shoppers to engage with
complementary items in designated areas. Walls, product displays, and
fixtures divide areas and create the feeling of small shops within one
store. 

• Pros

• Sparks curiosity in shoppers

• Highlights different brands and product categories 

• Helps with cross merchandising and cross-selling

• Cons

• May limit the total display space for merchandise

• Shoppers may not explore the entire store

• Customers may be confused 

STRAIGHT (SPINE)
• The straight store layout, also known as the spine layout, is easy to
plan, effective, and creates space for customers to peruse your store. A
basic straight design can help lure customers all the way to the back of
the store, ensuring that all featured merchandise is seen. This is done
with signage, product displays, and strategically placed merchandise to
keep customers interested and moving down the main aisle of the shop.

• This store design works for small markets, food stores, and department
stores that use the spine as a main aisle to connect the various sections
on each floor.

• Pros

• Customers are more likely to make it to the back of the store

• Shoppers have space to look around

• Allows for space to display merchandise

• Cons

• Shoppers may move quickly down the main aisle and merchandise at
the front or sides of your store will go unseen

• A straight aisle may not lend itself as well to exploration and

discovering new products
DIAGNAL
• Exactly as the name suggests, the diagonal store layout
incorporates aisles placed at an angle to expose more merchandise
to customers as they walk through the shop. It’s a variation of the
grid layout and can help guide shoppers to the checkout counter.
This store design is helpful for space management, making it a
good option for retail stores with limited space. It also encourages
more movement, so customers can easily circulate through the
store and see all of the products you sell. 

• Pros 
• Better customer circulation
• If the checkout counter is located in the center of the store, the
diagonal layout provides better security—you’ll be able to see
more throughout the store
• Cons
• Shoppers cannot take a shortcut to specific products
• Narrower aisles are common in the diagonal store layout
ANGULAR
• A better name for angular store layout would be “curved store
layout.” “Angular” is deceptive, as this store layout includes rounded
product displays, curved walls and corners, and other curved store
fixtures to maintain the customer flow. 

• The angular layout uses free-standing product displays and can create
the perception of higher quality merchandise, making it a good retail
design option for luxury retailers and boutiques.

• Pros

• Creates a unique retail store design

• Elevates the in-store experience 

• Cons

• Rounded displays eliminate wall shelf space

• Less inventory can be displayed 

GEOMETRIC
• The geometric store layout is a great way to combine creativity and
functionality. It’s commonly used by retailers selling products
targeted at stylish millennials and Gen Z. If your shop has a unique
interior including support columns, wall angles, and ceiling design, a
geometric layout can enhance the look of your store. 

• Pros
• Creates a unique store design without a high cost
• Helps make a statement about the products 
• Cons
• May be too eccentric for less “trendy” products (or an older
audience) 
• It may not be the best option to maximize space to display
merchandise 
MULTIPLE
• You don’t have to select just one store layout. Some retailers
use elements from multiple layouts to create a flexible store
design, also known as a mixed layout. A dynamic mix of
diagonal, straight, and angular store layouts can help you
create a compelling in-store experience where customers
naturally flow from one area to another. 
PROPS
• A prop is something used with a product in a display
• that clarifies the function of the merchandise being sold
• or the story being told.
•  Props are an integral part of a display. 
• They are used in visual merchandising to tell a
• story about the product, the merchandise concept or the
• store itself.
EASY ACCESS

• 1. Easy access from the store entrance to all sales sections is very important.
2- The most valuable space is near the front of the store
3- Space on the first floor is more valuable than basement or upper floor
4- The space along the aisles is more valuable  than the peripheral corner space , central aisles are more valuable from the
peripheral or sides aisles
5-Eye-level space is more valuable than the space above and below eye level, especially for new items.
QUESTIONS?