OUIL401- Studio Brief 2- Fundamental Retail Layout

Through my research, I have started to narrow down ideas of retail layout and the psychology behind it.

Below are what I think to be the key ideas and most appropriate for most businesses.
The Decompression Zone
The Decompression Zone is the space that’s located just inside your front door. The size of your DZ will depend upon the size of your sales floor, but it’s generally the first 5’ to 15’ inside the front door. Its purpose is to give shoppers a chance to transition from whatever happened in the parking lot, to your store -- it refocuses the customer on shopping. Your DZ needs to be open, inviting and easy to navigate. Understand that shoppers will miss anything you place here, that’s why the DZ is not the place ideal for carts, baskets, or signing because customers will blow right by them. Instead place these items just outside your DZ where shoppers are more likely to see them.
Speed Bumps
Just past the Decompression Zone is where you place fixtures known as Speed Bumps. These merchandise displays work much the same way as speed bumps in parking lots work: they slow customers down. They also grab their attention and introduce them to the cool product for sale in your store. Speciality fixturing, such as slat board 4-ways, make great Speed Bumps. Small tables work well, too. Use Speed Bumps to feature new and seasonal items and to tell product stories. And be sure to rotate the product on your Speed Bumps at least once a week.


On Your Right: A Power Wall
Walk inside your front door, stop just past your Decompression Zone, and look to your right. The wall you see is called a Power Wall and it’s another one of those key merchandising areas. And because it’s the wall shoppers see first after turning right, it’s a perception builder. If you use this area to house basic product you are making a mistake. Put your best foot forward by using this Power Wall to display important departments, new and seasonal items, to create vignettes, tell product stories, and to feature high demand and high profit items. 
(Note: Your store has more than one Power Wall. Stand in various places throughout your store and look around, the walls that stand out are your Power Walls. If yours are non-descript, then use slat board to crop the corners, and you will create instant power walls.)
Merchandise Outposts
The next time you are in a grocery store keep an eye out for displays of product that are placed near or in the aisles. These fixtures are called Merchandise Outposts, and their sole purpose is to encourage impulse purchases. Merchandise Outposts make shoppers stop and think, “I need that!” They provide the perfect opportunity to cross-merchandise in a big way. Department stores jump start sales by loading up the aisles during the holidays with Merchandise Outposts. You should, too!

Eye Level

Putting products at the proper eye level will help to improve sales. But it is important to remember whose eye level you are trying to reach. If you are trying to sell a tennis racket to adults, then put the tennis racket at adult eye level. A toy you are trying to sell to children needs to be at a child's eye level.

Information sourced from (https://www.vdta.com/Magazines/AUG07/fc-art-of-the-layout.html)

My first point of call will be to create illustrations based on these ideas as a visual response.