Retail store: starting from scratch. How to develop a store design project, including interior, lighting and visual merchandising, and implement it?

How to open a store in a period of low consumption? How can beginners not step on the "rake" that experienced retailers have stepped on more than once? How can a merchandising system help save money and nerves when opening a shoe store? Life hacks and recommendations from our expert on VM, design of the trading space and shop windows of Marina Polkovnikova. We deal with her one of her cases - opening from scratch a premium store of shoes and accessories.

Marina Polkovnikova -

founder of the international company VMC Retail, expert in the development and launch of design concepts and merchandising, store building trainer, 22 years of experience in retail.

https://t.me/marinavmcretail

The project, which we will try to analyze in this article in full detail, was large-scale, therefore it is important to understand the algorithm and sequence of all the work. The development began when the brand portfolio of shoe brands was determined and it was clear that we were creating the future network. It was immediately determined that it would be a serious recognizable brand.

The customer has a successful retail business in Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, so there are long-term plans to open stores everywhere, and the task was to focus on these three countries, first of all. After the key competitors were identified, we decided on the positioning of the brand, its price segment and identified possible locations. This is not a street retail, the owner plans to open all stores only in class A shopping centers. At first there were plans to open the first store in Moscow, but in the end he appeared in Kazakhstan, in the city of Almaty, the store’s area is 96 square meters. meters.

#lifehack: The client must clearly understand that at least two seasons will be required before opening a second or subsequent stores. During these two seasons, you monitor sales and reviews of all selected brands and replace them if you realize they're not suitable. Only then can you scale your business.

Algorithm of actions:

1. Where it all began – with the store's name. We were actively involved in this process, and together we settled on the name: it symbolizes sensuality, meaning the corporate style should emphasize sensory experience, and the interior should feature very soft, warm colors. A variety of textures and a special tactility in the materials – after all, they're all about convenience and comfort. Particular attention was paid to the finishing materials in the store fixtures, floors, walls, and trim.

2. After developing the corporate identity, we began to study the design of the store - its interior and display case.

#lifehack: To create a modern interior using the most modern materials and a European approach, don't skimp on finishing materials. It's important to use interior details to convey that bourgeois European spirit that permeates the department stores and boutiques of Italy, England, Spain, and France.

In our case, the target brand’s CAs are people who spend a lot of time in Europe, so it was important to create such conditions so that they would not see any difference. The inspiration of our team, we chose London - a city where everything is saturated with modern design.

3. When the brand’s concept and DNA were ready, the task was to strengthen the DNA, emphasize the comfort, convenience and European quality of Italian shoes.

For this, high-quality materials were used, for example, four types of stone were used in the concept (as mentioned above) - marble, onyx and others. We also used one type of natural wood, first we selected the floor and made upholstered furniture and various items of equipment from the wood to the floor. The premium sign in a shoe store is glossy gold, a coating of metal surfaces with titanium nitrite. Thanks to this galvanic technology, mirror gold is obtained (like Furla). Other signs of premium: the whole store is clearly visible, clear zoning, the distance between the shelves is increased, in the window are used typesetting price tags.

When designing the store, the task was to organically “implant” into the space of the shoe store a small amount of outerwear - men's, women's coats and jackets, it was important to allocate a separate zone for this product so that it was highlighted for customers, but was not a priority. This non-core assortment group was allocated, but in such a way that, if necessary, equipment for clothes can be removed and the space filled with shoes.

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#lifehack: A "mobile" zone for non-core merchandise is essential for any shoe store, as many are currently trying to expand their product range and try new things to increase traffic and average order value.

4. When designing a store, one should not forget about the dimensions of the warehouse.

This store has a total area of ​​96 square meters. meters allocated quite a large warehouse for goods - about 13 racks.

Since this store is the first and so far the only one, it was important to ensure the possibility of stock.

#lifehack: the ability to stock a store with inventory is considered at the design stage, not once it's already open.

5. The fitting area deserves a special mention. It should be designed creatively, but with the customer's comfort in mind. Trying on shoes is a crucial, if not the most important, step in the buying process: how it's done, under what lighting, on what ottoman or chair, in what mirror the person sees their feet in the shoes being tried on—all these factors play a key role and can be decisive in a person's purchasing decision.

In our store - about 6 seats for customers, not ordinary ottomans, which we often see in shoe stores, were created, but a full-fledged sofa, sofa and chair, very comfortable, adapted for retail. For example, a sofa: in order to make two clients comfortable so that they do not interfere with each other, we divided the seat and got seats with a well-thought-out location of the cell for tracking and horns / spoons. Usually the horns are lying randomly on ottomans, a normal place for them is not provided simply because no one thought about this at the design stage. It was important for us to take into account all the details so that everything looked neat and convenient for sellers and customers. By the way, all the furniture - commercial and upholstered - was made in Russia.

Here, control by the authors of the project was important. In addition, the Kazakhstan market cannot yet realize many ideas in the manufacture of equipment.

6. Finally, the product presentation equipment—the shoe racks— were designed by our team. They are height-adjustable and stable. Today, Chinese-made shoe racks are often used in display cases and sales areas; even the slightest touch causes them to topple over.

#lifehack: Don't skimp on quality display stands, especially if you have a small space. In a small space, it's important that all equipment is stable.

7. Lighting – it creates a special atmosphere in the store. It's important to enhance the color scheme with versatile, multifunctional lighting: here, two levels of ceiling lighting were used, and each shelf has hidden lighting.

All light sources have a single color temperature - natural warm, thanks to this the store does not have dark spots and idle zones.

8. And a few words about visual merchandising. The merchandising system is developed during the store concept stage: capacity, display variability, clear brand distribution, and potential adjacencies are calculated. After the merchandising system is developed, the types of displays and display forms needed are determined. In our case, these include various shoe stands, displays for presenting products in various ways, and display forms for accessories and headwear.