The store lay-out

Previous articles:
- Developing the store formula: The right combination of creativity and process based development
- The Discovery Phase: Discovery: Evolution or revolution? That is the question
- Translate trends into a successful strategy for the new store formula
- The new store formula: The concept phase, the actual design phase

The store lay-out

The importance of good layout Why is good layout so important? Is it not sufficient to offer a well-adjusted product range at a good price in the right place? Surveys have shown that one of the most important criteria for customer satisfaction is the ease with which the customer finds his way in the store. Besides, the customer expects to be led along the main departments of the store. Therefore a good layout is a matter of customer satisfaction.

Of course, there are also commercial factors that argue in favour of the importance of a good layout. A good layout provides you with the opportunity of influencing store turnover. The appropriate shelf layout, the arrangement of the product range or a well-thought out spot for special offers all have a direct effect on turnover. So a good layout may very well create a boom in a store's turnover!

Finally, of course, the layout also has an organisational component. Each store has its own best solution for logistics problems. This applies especially to stores with a fast turnover of goods, stores that sell products that are difficult to market or products that take up a large amount of space etc. Defining specific conditions is an absolute necessity for the sale of goods that require a certain (sales) ambiance. And, finally, it is important to keep both customers and sales employees satisfied.

In the rest of the chapter we further explain the purposes and the importance of a good store lay-out.
If you want to read the rest of this chapter for free, please send an e-mail to Maurice van der Kooij and mention which chapter you would like to read.

This chapter is part of the book "the store manual" of Jos de Vries The Retail CompanyThe Store Manual (2005) Jos de Vries The Retail Company has been working his way through the marvels of the Retail world since twenty years. Since the Retail branch on its way to professionalism is developing and also scholarly interest was growing, there still wasn’t a manual.Jos de Vries The Retail Company has made a definite change in bringing out “The Store Manual” a must for every store. You can order this manual for € 35,00 (excl. Postage and Package)