Retail interior design is simultaneously one of the easiest yet complicated genres of interior design you’ll ever encounter. On one hand, you’re simply following an already set theme. But on the other hand, you’ll have to create visual and tonal diversity in the same theme within a completely new context.
Flagship brands like Armani, Hugo Boss, Zara and Calvin Klein have standardized each and every aspect of their retail interiors – from the sitting areas to the size of the try rooms and even the intensity of light. This trend has become a literal yardstick for every brand all around the world. Retail interior design in Singapore follow similar guidelines, yet there are still some common mistakes that have also become mutually exclusive with such settings.
Further, we’ll be taking a look at 5 common mistakes you’ll find in unsuccessful retail interior designs.
The most important denominator of any retail interior design is to reel the client in. If you’re working with a bland, uninteresting exterior, then that is the very first step towards a failed business. Customers are attracted to uniqueness – something that is distinct, yet very inviting. When they look at a retail exterior that is either too subdued or too loud, they will automatically gloss over it and prefer another shop. Maintaining this fine balance between inviting and repelling can be extremely challenging.
Showcasing the product is another important factor in designing a successful retail interior design. If your shop does not have an attractive display that highlights the best of your products, then you’re obviously doing something wrong. Worldwide brands like HUB and Charles & Keith always make sure to design extremely alluring display settings that showcase the quality of their products. Backlit walls that make shoes and purses stand out, Mannequin Displays in interesting poses and creative hangers that offer an efficiently surplus display real estate are all very important to consider while designing retail interiors.
A fully cognizant theme is important to create a brand identity. If a customer experiences a fully traditional retail interior design for a specific brand in one neighbourhood, and find a completely altered theme in another outlet of the same brand, they’ll get a tonal whiplash. This is why standardized themes work best. You use the same colour scheme, the same design elements and even the same display structure in all outlets to create an attractive brand identity that will familiarize you with the customer base.
Over-cluttering is another common retail interior design mistake you can find all around. Yes, you’ll have a lot of products to put on display, but that does not mean that you should compromise the layout of the space. Never arrange the racks or products in a layout that might get in the customers way. They’ll take note, and this uncomfortableness will definitely leave an impression.
A warm, inviting and comfortable lighting design is important in order to create a satisfying retail interior design experience. What if you combine a stark white lighting scheme with a stark white, minimal interior scape in an outlet? The result would be a veritable disaster. It is important to create contrast in lighting. Use track lights to showcase your display, and ambient LEDs to create a comfortable atmosphere for your customer to browse through. There should always be a fine balance between the two, or you’ll leave a negative impression on your customers.
Retail interior designing is one of the many genres that Home Guide Design is fluent in. With more than two decades of experience, we are one of the most reputable interior design firms in the market. We pride ourselves on delivering only the best, and our retail interiors never fall short based on the above mentioned common mistakes.
