Retail Storefront Guidelines

When designing your storefront, there are two major concepts to keep in mind – signage and presentation. As your storefront is your first chance at making an impression on prospective customers, it is essential that you get both of these points right. Do not underestimate the effect they have on whether customers decide to enter your store or not. You should display a large, clear professionally made sign outside of your store. It should be large enough and clear enough to be easily read from the opposite side of the road to where your store is located. If your business name does not make it obvious what your store sells then you should also include a tagline on your sign which says what type of products or services you offer. Signs inevitably start to become dirty over time so you need to be sure to clean yours every month or so, as a dirty looking sign gives a bad impression to customers. Above your main sign you might want to consider installing an awning, which will provide cover for people looking inside of your window and will make your store stand-out from those alongside it. Victorian awnings are probably your best bet if you want to do this. As for your window space, you need to use this to grab the attention of passers-by. You need to give a snap-shot of what your store has on offer. Choose a variety of items to show off in your store window – being sure to include products from different pricing levels. Focus on displaying your best selling products and those that are uniquely different from what other stores, especially those near to you, have to offer. For window shelving, you should place items so that they face the window while placing others behind them that face the inside of the store. If you do not have window shelving available, then make use of the window ledge to display products. Remember that getting your storefront looking great is not a one-off job – you need to change things around regularly to keep people interested. How often do you need to make changes? Maybe make minor changes every week or two and big changes every month or two. It will take some time and effort but if you pay close attention to it then you will really notice the difference in the amount of money that you make.