Introduction
The men’s store will have a rectangular shape divided into various sections that display different items. Many shoppers always look left first before turning right as they search for items they want to purchase. The right side of the store will have products that entice consumers to explore other items being displayed in the store. The store’s design will be made more inviting to encourage customers to sample items that are displayed in different sections.
Many shoppers prefer moving in an anti-clockwise direction when they are sampling items they intend to purchase in shopping stores. The aisles around the store need to be about one and a half meters wide to make it easy for customers to move around the store (Andersen, 1997, p. 123). All sections will be labeled and segmented to make it possible for customers to identify products they intend to purchase quickly. These sections will be partitioned with glass to make it easy for managers to monitor sales staff.
The store will divided into several sections each offering different types of apparel. The first section needs to cater for general shopping interests and it will display casual wear targeting different types of customers. This section will display denim jeans, shirts, t-shirts and other items which men wear whenever they perform different outdoor activities or when they are relaxing.
The next section will display a wide range of sportswear for men who are actively involved in sports (Pride, 2008, p. 67). This section will also display other items such as tennis balls, footballs, soccer balls, basketballs, baseball equipment and other items.
The third display section of the store will have men’s attire for that men can wear when attending different official occasions. This section needs to be segmented into different areas to cater for unique customer tastes and preferences (Pride, 2008, p 74). The business attire section will have ties, jackets and suits for male clients searching for official work attire.
The other segment will display tuxedos, hats and other apparel men wear when they attend high profile red carpet events. The last merchandise section will display different types of shoes, belts, wallets and other accessories. These items will be kept in locked transparent cabinets to safeguard them from shoplifters.
The office needs to be allocated space at the end of the store to make it possible for managers to monitor different activities being done in the store. Office space of about 100 square feet (10 x 10) will be adequate for three managers. The office will also have a separate section to accommodate three IT professionals who will monitor security in the store.
They will use CCTV cameras placed in strategic locations to monitor all business activities done in the store to minimize theft. The storage area will be adjacent to the office and only the operations manager will have entry codes. The area will be used to store different types of merchandise to ensure all items on sale do not run out of stock (Piotrowski & Rogers, 2013, p. 54). The storage area needs to be about 250 square feet (10’x 25’) to make it possible for large quantities of merchandise to be stored there.
All sections will have their own counters to make it possible for customers to pay at the point of purchase. All employees will be expected to be accountable for what happens in their workstations to make it easy for managers to compare the performance of each section. Counters will be manned by accountants who will make entries of every item purchased into automated payment records.
They will be required to give customers receipts which will be used to prove the transaction has taken place. Electronic sensors will be placed at the exit to nab any customers that try to leave the store without paying for items purchased (Pycraft, Singh & Phihlela, 2000, p. 76). All apparel will have electronic chips that will only become inactive after payments have been made. These electronic chips will notify the system about any act of theft in the store to ensure all items are paid for.
Conclusion
The layout needs also to leave a space for washrooms to ensure all customers who visit the store have an area they can relieve themselves. It will have male and female toilet facilities to enable them transact in the store comfortably. The store will also need a dressing room (Zentes, Morschett & Schramm –Klein, 2011, p. 93).
This will make it possible for customers to try out different types of apparel displayed in the store to see how they fit. The last merchandise section will have glass cabinets which will display different items. These cabinets will contain watches, wallets, wrist bands, rings, chains and belts. The store will also have surveillance cameras which will be used to monitor and record any insecurity acts in the store. All display sections will have seats to allow customers to rest as they wait to be served.
References
Andersen, A. (1997). Small store survival: Success strategies for retailers. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Piotrowski, C. M., & Rogers, E.A. (2013). Designing commercial interiors. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Pride, W.M. (2008). Foundations of marketing. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Pycraft, M., Singh, H., & Phihlela, K. (2000).Operations management. Johannesburg: Pearson South Africa.
Zentes, J. Morschett, D., & Schramm –Klein, H. (2011).Strategic retail management: Text and international cases. London: Springer.