Last week we called on Interior Designers to share 5 of their top tips on retail design.
Here are 5 great ideas from the experts to help you to set up shop and get the best from your retail fitout.
Finishes:
These days, paint is definitely not enough.
A retail fitout is the perfect chance to use a wide variety of contemporary and durable materials such as timber, stone, steel, metals, glass, polished concrete, acrylics to name a few.
There are so many options for counters, shelving, feature walls, shopfronts, ceilings, floors, and partitioning.
Don’t be afraid to be different and creative!
Designers always create “Mood Boards” of materials to build up a picture of how a space will look.
Try doing your own, using images, colour charts and samples you collect.
Display:
Display units should be finished in innovative and quality materials and be an integral part of the whole shop design.
Consider “repurposed” or “found ” objects as props and innovative support for displaying the merchandise.
Try to add some drama into the fitout by using dedicated or feature lighting on the merchandise. Spots, underlights, backlights, can all help to “sell” your products.
General Lighting:
Your fitout design should take into account, colour temperature of the light fittings.
Make sure you don’t use lights which throw a light that is too cold (bluish white) or too warm ( yellow) unless you’re trying to achieve a particular effect.
There are different wattage requirements for various types of retail fitouts: eg: a jewellery shop as opposed to a mobile phone shop.
These are written into the Building Code so ask your designer to look advise you.
It’s a good idea to use sensor operated lighting on a separate control circuit for areas which may not be accessed constantly or for non-trade hours.
Equipment:
Choose your mechanical equipment, including refrigeration and dishwashers, with a minimum 4 star energy efficiency.
Air conditioning is a major expense for small retail business. Choose units with the most efficiency you can find.
Using laptop computers to drive POS and any back of house requirements in place of desk top computers is also wise.
Security & Data /Electrical Cabling:
Try to make your security systems discreet and integrate them into the overall shop fitout concept.
There are many types of ceiling-mounted cameras such as the dome types so match the rim colour to the ceiling finish.
Similarly, if you’re using ceiling and wall-mounted digital screens used for security reasons, make sure they blend into your overall design scheme
Your fitout electricians will “chase” all cables & wires into the floor and walls so that nothing is loose or exposed for view.
Be wise: plan well and use a professional approach, like by retail fitters in gold coast to your retail fitout.
That done, your retail shop can be a standout!
