A retail space has to engage shoppers without bombarding them with stimuli. A store should use subtle strategies for influencing all five senses.
1.Sight
Visual merchandising should be one of the top goals of a store's layout. Managers have to design store interiors to proudly display the diversity of products and encourage a path for shoppers. The color and shapes of retail display fixtures should communicate a store's brand.
Retail Minded said signage is an important visual tool. Signs can catch a customer's eye and direct them to promotions or other exciting offers.
2. Sound
Many stores utilize sound to create an atmosphere. Most managers don't like to have shoppers browsing products in absolute silence. If a store can't make it's own music playlists, it should utilize online stations created around specific genres.
Retailers must remember their employees contribute to atmosphere. Customers can hear if the people helping them sound cheerful or tired.
3. Touch
Touch is one of the primary advantages brick-and-mortar shops have over online retailers. Counter Culture, a retail advice blog, reported consumers like to hold items before buying them and may favor feel over appearance. A store can encourage touching by taking a few items out of the packaging and placing them on display tables.
Contrast can help, too. Metal shelving and hangers may highlight the softness of clothing.
The way the material feels can persuade a shopper.4. Smell
Inside Retail Australia reminded store managers scent is tied to memory. A store that smells like lavender or fresh cotton can form a permanent brand association in a shopper's mind.
Stores may use special devices or scented candles to create the desired effect. The smell should be subtle, not overpowering.
5. Taste
If a store offers food, it can provide free samples or taste tests to help shoppers decide between products. If it doesn't, complimentary food and drinks can turn a store into a pleasant destination. A free mint or candy is a great way for shoppers to end their visit on a positive note.
