Creating store atmosphere basically means organising the physical characteristics of a retail shop while employing an image to lure customers – also known in brief as atmospherics. This skill contributes directly to customer experience – retail’s most important element.
If you’re starting up a business, remember the role your store’s atmosphere will play in how it fares financially. Customers both care about how a store feels and looks and also make purchasing choices based on the ambience of each establishment. So, for more sales, and to retain old customers and win new ones, be proud of how your establishment looks.
Getting the Basics Right
If you aren’t sure where to start when it comes to ambience, begin with the basics. Keeping a clean store will start you on a sure footing. This means eliminating clutter on the shop floor, at the cash register and where customers gather. Remember to dust – no one is attracted by it – and keep the merchandise organised, replacing misplaced items. Keep customer toilets clean, particularly if you are a restaurant or a store where people expect cleanliness.
Attract Your Customers
Remember who your clients are. For teeny-boppers, upbeat pop and bright colours will fit the bill. For other young customers, consider trendy fixtures and lighting to attract shoppers. Meanwhile, if you have an antiques store and want an appropriate ambience, you could use dimmer lights. In this set-up, customers might accept a little more crowding on the floor.
This site looks at how in store music subliminally influences purchasing: https://www.psychologistworld.com/behavior/ambient-music-retail-psychological-arousal-customers. Mood Media supply in store music that positively influences consumers.
Ambience Matters
Research shows that the way the store looks and feels leaves an imprint on customers. A study from 1997 – ‘Store Atmosphere, Mood and Purchasing Behavior’ – discovered that patrons rate establishments differently according to their atmosphere. The study contrasted two furniture shops, one with a ‘pleasant’ feel and one with a dislikeable ambience. The study contrasted two furniture shops, one with a ‘pleasant’ feel and one with a dislikeable ambience. It concluded that customers’ moods improved in the pleasant place and deteriorated in the less attractive store. Spontaneous spending was seen in the pleasant store, where customers spent more money on items they liked.
If you aren’t sure where to start when it comes to ambience, begin with the basics. Keeping a clean store will start you on a sure footing. This means eliminating clutter on the shop floor, at the cash register and where customers gather. Remember to dust – no one is attracted by it – and keep the merchandise organised, replacing misplaced items.
Increased spending is therefore due to your store’s impact on customers’ emotions. So, to get customers to stay longer in your store and spend more money, make the shopping experience enjoyable.
