Introduction
A good store layout gives the management the ability to influence shop turnover. The proper shelf layout, product range organization, or a well-thought-out area for special offers all directly impact turnover. As a result, a good setup may result in an increase in a store’s turnover and, therefore, profits. Also, there is an organizational component to the arrangement because each retailer has its own ideal answer to logistical issues. This is true for businesses with a high turnover of items or shops that specialize in things that take up a lot of space. Defining exceptional circumstances is an imperative requirement for the selling of commodities that necessitate a specific sales environment. This paper will explain the rationale for the Lowes store layout provided in Appendix A.
Store Planning
The development of store image, which includes both tangible and intangible dimensions, exacerbates the challenges of entering international markets, as consumers in the host environment are less familiar with the intangible dimensions of the image, which have been built up over time through exposure to the retail company. When attempting to recreate this image and positioning elsewhere, retail organizations must first thoroughly comprehend the relevance of image in competitive positioning and the components of store image. Lowes is a home improvement retailer, ranking as one of the world’s largest companies in this field (“Who we are,” n.d.). For this store, a grid layout is the best option because it allows for maximizing the number of products displayed to customers whale allowing to section the products by type. The grid is the most typical retail shop layout style, which may be seen in different kinds of stores, such as pharmacies, grocery shops, and others. Retailers use a grid system to organize merchandise into densely packed aisles that customers may walk through conveniently. This configuration maximizes product display while minimizing vacant space and is virtually invariably the most familiar choice for customers.
The movement of consumers through the business is referred to as traffic flow. A traffic flow plan is something that allows the management of a store to plan out the movement of the customers through the store and offer different types of merchandise along the way. The store traffic plan aims to maximize sales of some products and make the customers’ movement through the store more convenient. It is an integral part of store layout because of the influence it may have on customers both practically and psychologically. A good store layout impacts client movement within the store and may stimulate specific purchase behaviors.
As seen in the layout in Appendix A, the store is planned using a grid approach. This means that each department has several isles, which are located horizontally to the main entrance. The sections are divided based on the specific types of products that are offered to the consumers, such as flooring, greenhouse products, and others. Cash registers are located near the entrance and exit of the store. Hence, the consumers enter the shop and have to go through the different departments, making a circle to face the cash registers.
Essential elements of any department store are the employee break rooms and dressing rooms, which facilitate the normal operations of the store. In this case, these rooms are located at the end of the store because they should not be in the way of the customers. These rooms can be accessed from the store’s floor; however, only employees have access to them. Apart from that, in section 28A, there is storage for the merchandise, which allows the employees to restock the goods when necessary.
Notably, a good store layout can help minimize shoplifting cases and ensure that employees do not steal the items. Shoplifting is linked to having blind spots in the store where security cameras or other visitors and employees do not see the specific place, allowing the potential shoplifters to steal goods. It is challenging to prevent shoplifting in a retail location with several blind spots regions that are hidden from employees’ sight. These employees are unlikely to witness the crime in progress, and there is no certainty that the incident will be captured on a security camera. As a result, the objective will be to create a retail setting that enables the personnel to follow consumers from the register quickly. Furthermore, the store must not have sections where clients are encircled by shelves, walls, or displays on more than two sides. Potential shoplifters will feel less safe robbing from the shop if blindspots are eliminated, and they will most probably move on to more straightforward opportunities.
Store Design
In the early stages of marketing and product development, visual merchandising must be considered in the business equation. It is the first physical manifestation of a store. Shops must be merchandised consistently in order to deliver the appropriate meanings adequately. This necessitates a commitment of both time and resources. The aesthetics of the retail space impact not just customer comfort but also employee morale and motivation. For Lowes, attracting customers with the visual representation of homeware and home improvement projects is important. Additionally, as part of the store’s branding, the shop should include the inclusion of the brand’s name, and the logo is essential on the outside, as part of road signs leading to the shops, and on the inside as part of the interior. It assists merchants in developing a strong and favorable image for their stores. Visual merchandising is the method by which a retail business’s product display becomes appealing, beautiful, and alluring to the client, not only as a stimulant to approach the shop but also to leave an impression on customers.
Lowes may develop POS signage that targets niche and specific demographics, such as impulse purchasers, using POS displays. A well-placed POS display serves as a subliminal promotion and is far more likely to convince a buyer to buy a product immediately then and there. For Lowes, POS displays should contain small products such as glues, decor for home improvements, and other small branded products. These POS displays should be a part of the cash register sector at the exit of the store.
Any retail store’s outside design must protect the interior from outside factors such as heat, dirt, moisture, light, and others. It also serves to enlighten future clients, which is as crucial. The outside is the first thing that potential clients notice about the shop. They will decide whether or not to enter and shop from the outside. It is vital that the store’s outside attracts visitors’ attention and entices them to enter. Customers will not visit the shop if the outside does not represent an image that is appealing to them. The first and most noticeable impression a consumer gets of a shop is the one they get as they walk through the front door. An entryway should be more than just a barrier to keep people out of business, entice them to come in, or shelter them from the weather. Hence, the entrance to the Lowes store should be visible, with clearly seen signs of where to enter that customers should be able to see from any part of the parking lot. The store’s entrance should also contain the brand’s name and logo.
The store’s interior and exterior design should correspond to the general characteristics of Lowes’ retail chain, which means using blue colors, the brand’s logo, and vision statements. Ambiance adds value by introducing something new or improving on something old in the fields of technology, services, goods, or business processes.
All light sources used to make space visible and showcase items or regions of a shop are included in retail lighting. A retail lighting design may be created by stacking four various forms of lighting, including numerous different fixtures, and selecting light bulbs with brightness and tone in consideration. When building a retail shop, the lighting you pick is essential to your merchandising approach. Adequate retail lighting can make a business well-lit and simple to navigate, as well as boost your displays by emphasizing products. It may have an influence on anything from how consumers purchase to how customers feel about your company.
Accent lighting is applied to bring attention to specific items or critical regions by emphasizing their relevance. Accent lighting directs shoppers to crucial items or areas by making them more visible or underlining them. Accent lights will be used throughout the store to highlight the shelves. Additionally, task lighting should be used to highlight the cash register and other areas that are potentially important to the customer, such as a customer service stand or desk with information.
Merchandising
The method and process of exhibiting and selling goods to customers are merchandising. Retailers utilize merchandising to impact customer intent and achieve sales goals, whether digital or in-store. A number of merchandising strategies are used in both physical and digital businesses to organize items, explain their worth, and provide an ideal consumer experience. Many fields fall within the purview of merchandising, and there are numerous varieties of merchandise.
The selection of retailers that choose their brand’s store fixtures and fittings is influenced by factors other than the brand’s assortment. It is also critical to consider how the sales area is organized. A facility created without thinking, along with an overabundance of displayed items, will rapidly and repeatedly discourage shopping. Since many of the Lowes products are bulky, they should be displayed on shelves. Some of the products, such as gardening supplies or plants, should be located in a separate section with temperature and humidity control.
Floor designs, color, lighting, displays, technology, and other components are used in visual merchandising to draw customer attention. Its ultimate goal is to use retail space to increase sales by making a business stand out and attract customers. For Lowes, these elements should be neutral as the goal is to ensure that these do not distract from the products and home design elements that the store offers to its customers. Visual merchandising in the case of Lowes, includes offering customers pictures of the homes furnished, altered, or decorated using the items that Lowes offers. In this way, the consumers will be able to visualize the products while selecting them. Additionally, the store can use its exterior to showcase some of these photos and attract the consumers passing by the store. The goal of attracting attention through aesthetic appeal has its own set of rules, but it ultimately boils down to one thing: producing an incredible experience that motivates a purchase. This brings us to the second goal: to create a beautiful and happy atmosphere in-store that makes clients feel good just by being there. This can be achieved through elements such as music in the store, which should be relaxing and neutral to avoid distracting customers from the selection process.
Conclusion
In summary, this paper is focused on the layout and planning of a Lowes store. This paper includes the specifics of the exterior and interior planning for the store and the elements of planning such as customer traffic, lighting, visual aspects, and other factors crucial for the development of the proper flow of the customers across this store. These planning elements are essential for the adequate turnover of the merchandise and operations of this store. An intelligent store layout allows managers to affect business turnover. The correct shelf arrangement, product range organization, or a well-planned special offers area all directly influence turnover. A decent layout may boost a store’s turnover and, as a result, revenues.
Reference
Who we are. (n.d.).
Appendix A: Store Layout
