Shockingly, only 49% of Americans prefer shopping in a physical store. So, if you’re a brick and mortar shop owner, you might want need to consider shaking things up to compete with e-commerce.

Store layout can make a massive difference to the customer experience. Let’s dive into this in greater detail!

1. Grid

Nearly every supermarket boasts this layout.

Picture tons of products displayed on aisles, and customers gradually weaving their way through the store.

This layout focuses your customer’s attention on your stock. Making it a fabulous option for stores with high volumes of varied merchandise.

Shoppers are already familiar with this style, so it’s not daunting for them. You’ll also get a feel for where customers gather the most, which makes strategically placing your promotions easier.

However, it’s often hard to create a unique shopping experience with this layout, and sometimes it’s just not user-friendly, especially if customers can’t easily access the products they want quickly.

Plus, if customers don’t understand why products are organized in specific aisles, this can be frustrating for them (the last thing you want is to annoy your customers!).

2. Herringbone

If you like the sound of the grid layout but have a long, narrow shop floor, the herringbone layout might be the perfect solution.

This usually suits warehouse-style stores and tuck shops. You’ll make the most of your tiny space by packing it full of merchandise.

However, this layout can often feel claustrophobic, leading to customers accidentally knocking into one another.

Top Tip: add visual breaks by displaying interesting promotions. This stops the shop from becoming too overwhelming for customers to peruse.

3. Free-flow

This is a polar opposite layout to both the grid and herringbone.

Instead, customers are encouraged to wander around freely. They’re not forced to walk in predictable patterns.

This is amazing for small shop owners selling high-end, limited merchandise. It creates more visual space between your stock, which is an excellent way of creating an atmosphere that exudes elegance and sophistication; ideal for high-quality brands.

Despite all the benefits, you need to swot up on best practices for this layout, otherwise you may confuse and put off your customers.

4. Loop

This takes the Grid layout a step further.

Here you’ll create an explicit loop that takes customers past all your products, and then eventually to the tills. IKEA is an excellent example of this layout.

The loop is perfect for prioritizing product exposure, and ensuring customers see your promotions.

Although this can be a benefit, it also has its drawbacks, especially if customers want greater freedom to peruse. This is usually an issue when people already have something in mind they want to buy.

Were These Store Layout Tips Useful?

If you found this store layout advice useful, you’ll love all the resources that come with our membership. If you have any questions about this, reach out and contact us and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.