Apple stores are a huge success story when it comes to the high street store and have managed to thrive at a time when other businesses in the same position have struggled. Of course Apple in general has been something of a success story over the last decade, but their shops are just one great example of this – managing to be progressive, different and attractive enough to get people talking about the experience and to do away with many of the irritations that you would normally have going to buy a computer. They’re helpful, they’re simple to understand and use, and most of all they provide a fun experience that has spread by word of mouth.
So if you are looking at redesigning your store then you should really be looking at what you can learn from this business model and how you can change your store. The face of shops hasn’t really changed much in the last… well ever… and this could explain partly why they’ve been having such troubles. Allow me to present an alternative.
Getting People in and Getting People Talking
I’ve always found the business model that runs through all websites to be an interesting one. You don’t actually sell or promote anything of your own (normally), but rather just create a space where people want to spend their time and then advertise to them here in order to take advantage of that.
A shop could work the exact same way, and if you’re spending all day standing in an empty shop floor, then you might just need to make it more interesting and alluring to get people inside. This way you can then market your products to those people once they’re inside and that’s how you’ll increase your turnover.
But how do you make your store that inviting to people? Here are some suggestions…
Be Different: Every shop on the highstreet looks pretty much the same and doesn’t exactly leap out at you as you pass. The Apple store is a bit different because of its entirely white aesthetic so think about how yours could be different. Could you have giant monitors instead of windows? Could you paint the store in unusual colors? Or could you invest in some kind of art installation outside or even built into the walls? If you turn heads then that’s step one in getting people near, and if they then look inside and see that the whole store is unusual and different they’ll probably consider popping in if only to take a look.
Provide an Experience: People will pop in because they’ll want to have an experience and try something new, so try and make your store more interactive. This could mean letting people pick up and use copies of the products (which makes them much more likely to sell) or it could mean giving them some free cake and cups of tea or showing them a video. Give away free things and make the experience as exciting as possible and that way it will stick in their mind and spread by word of mouth.
Be Hospitable: As a rule we like to spend time in places that look comforting and inviting. When you work with your shop fiters then, make sure that you create a design that looks like a living room or a café in terms of its comfort and invite people to come in and sit down. This way everyone wins and a tired traveler might even make use of your store as a place to hang out and then feel obligated to make a purchase as a result.