Elevating Retail Spaces with Thoughtful Décor

You commit significant time and money toward regularly updating your stores’ décor and interior branding, with the valid expectation that the expenditure and efforts will deliver ROI.

That’s why there needs to be a “why” for every aspect of your retail space. Aesthetic value — looking good — matters but only if it increases sales, elevates branding and upgrades the shopper experience.

Consider then this holistic path toward designing and executing great in-store décor that is both purposeful and memorable, improving the customer and associate experience as well as building brand loyalty.

Décor starts with brand identity

While your stores vary by footprint, region, revenue generation and even perhaps purpose, it’s important to clearly establish and present your brand identity. This includes the entirety of your store space (inside and out), and the details matter. 

Create a brand playbook that sets a consistent and all-encompassing visual language — logos, colors, fonts, images, primary and secondary slogans and verbiage. This ensures brand-right consistency from restroom signage to “Instagrammable moments.”

Establishing guidelines for all types of branding makes new décor elements and innovations easier to implement, whether your designs originate in-house or through an agency.

Purposeful décor supports customer journey

Décor and decoration are two different things. Décor includes a plan and a style, and in retail it’s always purposeful.

Which is why strategically designed and deployed décor is a fundamental part of the customer journey, from store entry to wayfinding to product presentation to checkout experience.

Décor plays a vital role with interior branding, producing a memorable shopping experience by shaping the atmosphere and influencing how customers feel and interact within a retail space. It also includes straightforward signage and visual cues that guide customers through the store and to the products they want or need.

“...important details of décor-customer interaction include a strategically pre-planned flexibility to adapt to seasonal changes, trends or new products.”

Once they find the right aisle, for example, you present the products in ways that provide information while also positively influencing a decision to purchase. Upon completing the trip mission, customers then reverse course toward store checkout and exit. Is it possible to support their comfort, confidence and interests in a way that inspires unplanned purchases?

And then at checkout and store exit, how can your décor support a lasting positive impression? A happy customer thinks, “That was quick and easy,” just as they see your logo and a “Thanks for shopping” display that… includes a QR code to download the store app or receive texts or emails with special offers.

Finally, these important details of décor-customer interaction include a strategically pre-planned flexibility to adapt to seasonal changes, trends or new products.

These décor details then foster an …

Emotional brand connection

Strategic interior branding leans into décor that creates a specific atmosphere, one that influences customer behavior and strengthens brand identity. This involves everything from the layout and lighting to signage, color schemes, fixtures, etc. Effective interior branding can enhance the customer experience, encourage longer visits and boost sales.

It also creates a connection, both conscious — shopping missions achieved easily — and unconscious. The latter includes the entire sensory experience, from lighting to music to scent to touch, etc., the cumulative effect triggering satisfaction, comfort or even nostalgia. Material and décor choices support your brand image, whether that’s luxury, high tech, do-it-yourself or discounts galore.

Along these lines, choosing and then authentically pointing out a commitment to sustainability with eco-friendly décor practices supports a positive brand story and image.

… And associate brand connection

Your interior branding and décor also play a key role in your associate experience and morale. Do your associates like their workspaces? Are their areas well-kept and useful? Are workstations comfortable and efficient for associate-customer interaction?

Everyone inside your branded environment wants to feel productive and comfortable. If your associates feel this way, they also feel good about your brand. That will be contagious with the customers they serve. And all of this boosts associate retention.

Ideal ambiance, brand storytelling

Décor is more than just aesthetics. It’s also a powerful tool that can shape a customer’s perception of a brand and significantly impact their overall shopping experience. 

Optimized décor:

• Is uniformly on-brand
• Connects with your targeted customer audiences
• Offers flexibility for seasonal changes and new products
• Fosters a positive associate experience
• Is sustainable and durable, thereby maintaining its appearance with minimal upkeep while minimizing waste

Ultimately, impactful décor combines creativity and brand alignment, making customers feel valued, inspired and more likely to return. The sensory experience built by décor not only reinforces brand loyalty but also enhances the store’s overall appeal, driving both foot traffic and sales.