Reinvigorating your store’s kerb appeal on a regular basis is not only important. It is actually a must if you want to stay in today’s highly competitive retail business. Make sure you don’t miss the alarm bells. We have compiled a quick checklist of 4 key signs that call for taking some action for a proper store refurbishment.
1. It has been 5 years or more since your store refurbishment
A retail store appeal has an expiry date. Retailers must keep the appearance of their stores current and fresh in order to stand out among competitors. And, it’s not about having the biggest or brightest shop. Instead, make sure that your brand identity and message are consistent throughout your stores and you follow the current interior design trends. This can be achieved by refreshing and replicating the same look and feel across your stores, ensuring that the fixtures and fittings are the same in each store, the signage and branding is precise and on message, and that the finishes and overall look of the store does your brand justice. Your stores should be something to be proud of!
2. Numerous elements of the store are failing
How are your fixtures and fittings performing? Do your shelves and fittings collapse easily? Is your lighting scheme right for your store layout? Is your signage current to your branding and are all your fixtures working properly? These are some of the things that could go wrong in your store. If you have issues with just these few things the good news is they can be easily rectified with just a couple of improvements to improve your customers’ experience. However, if the list is getting long, perhaps it is high time to think overall make-over.
3. The store design no longer works for you
Perhaps your store is looking tired or the fixtures have seen their better days. Maybe your in-store flow just doesn’t work anymore: your brand merchandise has changed but your stores haven’t caught up yet. The store layout is one of the key criteria that affect the quality of customer experience. Ultimately, you can easily gage how a store is performing based on its monthly takings. For example, if your usual increase in sales leading up to the holiday season is not happening, then it might be high time to consider a refreshed store design.
4. The store no longer enjoys the footfall it once did
Perhaps the most tell-tale sign is a downturn in footfall and therefore in profits. A high street presence isn’t cheap, so your store really needs to earn its keep! You surely compare your underperforming store with another of your similarly-located stores elsewhere and analyse the findings. Does the profitable store look more attractive and bring in more customers? A refurbishment or a complete re-fit can reinvigorate a store, turning a failing store into a flourishing one. With the right design and shop fitting team you can expect to see a return on your investment, not to mention improved staff morale and customer experience.
Now, you have read through a short summary of what we have learnt from our 15-year experience in the shopfitting business working closely with retailers of all kinds. Enough said. If any of this might apply to where you are today with your retail business, you’d better start acting quick. And, with the right fit-out partner the refurbishment can go much smoother than you think.
Read also our Practical Guide To Planning Your Store Fit-Out