Improving Customer Traffic Flow

Golden rules for optimal store layout and customer traffic flow

The layout of your retail store determines the way that traffic (customers) flows through your establishment. The better you understand retail store traffic, the more effective your store layout will be. Research has demonstrated that stores that are laid out effectively well have an increase in sales conversions.

An effective store layout directs your customers to where you want them to go, generates interest and creates additional sales. Successful store designs use layouts and floor plans that encourage customers to walk past a high volume of products, keep browsing and buy your products.

Golden rules for improving customer traffic flow:

• Study customer traffic flow – This will help you know where to place certain items to ensure your customers move through your whole store.
• People counters – These should be placed at your store entrances to tell you how many people are entering your store and which hours of the day, days of the week, and times of year that your store is busiest.
• Direct traffic to your products – Place high-profit items in high traffic areas, impulse items around the counter, and high-demand products at the back to draw customers through the store.
• Direct traffic throughout your store – Create aisle space that is narrow enough to slow customers down to look, but wide enough to be comfortable, clear and safe. Excessively wide aisles encourage customers to rush without browsing and clogged aisles makes customers leave the store.
• Roughly 90 percent of customers will enter your store, turn right and walk through the store in a counter clockwise direction.
• Light and height – Light and height at the back of the store draws customers there.

Optimum customer traffic flow for a retail shop is like a well flowing river and has proven to increase shop sales.