Store Planning 4.0
By Jeff Grant — Retail Store Designer, Merchandising Consultant, and Author of Store Planning 4.0
Jeff Grant has spent more than 30 years designing retail stores, specialty shops, stadium team stores, museum stores, and branded retail environments across the United States. His experience includes projects for Disney, Universal Studios, the U.S. Olympic Committee, and numerous professional sports organizations.
15 EXISTING STORE EVALUATION
A store's physical systems have to be maintained on a regular basis or the store will quickly start to look shoddy. Likewise, the merchandise in the store always must be displayed appropriately or the customer either won't be able to find a product or sense its value.The successful merchant is consistent with both store maintenance and merchandising.
I have seen many merchants build a beautiful store and within six months (or less) become complacent or simply lazy and let the store's merchandising and upkeep go to pot. Some retailers have been in business for so many years that they can no longer see what a mess their store really is. The result of this lack of consistency is a loss of sales. But the condition can be reversed.
Much of this book is geared toward the creation of new retail spaces, however, the same merchandising and design principles that pertain to new stores are also applicable to existing stores.The following is a questionnaire for merchants to use in evaluating the look of their current store. By using this check list on a consistent basis,you should be able to notice any shortcomings your store has and respond to them.
What’s first?
After you have reviewed this checklist and have decided to remodel or revitalize your store, what should you do first? Based purely on a cost/benefit analysis, I suggest you take these steps in this order:
1) Clean the store inside and out.
2) Retain a skilled, part-time window trimmer and in-store merchandiser who can help you with new display ideas.
3) Remerchandise to create points of interest in your products.
4) Rearrange the fixtures and equipment to encourage traffic flow.
5) Make sure the front window displays are fun, exciting and interesting.
6) Change any inappropriate light bulbs.
7) Repaint the store inside and out if required
8) Add some focal-point lighting.
9) If the floor coverings are stained or worn, replace them with the best product you can afford.
10) Upgrade your store fixtures and signage.
The first six steps will require a very limited investment of money. The next four steps could cost a small fortune. I suggest that once you have cleaned the store and re-merchandised, figure out what you want to budget for upgrading the store. Then hire a store designer on an hourly basis to work on what you should do next and what it's going to cost you.
Existing Store Checklist
a) Storefront
1) Are the windows clean and intact and is the front sidewalk well-swept?
2) Does the storefront paint look faded or dull? Is it time for a repaint? Front Sign
1) Is the sign in one piece with the letters all in place?
2) Is the sign well-lit?
3) Can prospective customers look at your sign and tell just what it is you sell? Do you need a “tag line”?
Front Display Windows
1) Are your front window displays effective? 
2) Have they been changed in the last four weeks?
3) Are your window props or displays in reasonable shape? Do
the mannequins have stilted poses?Are they all in one piece or
are fingers broken and wigs askew?
4) Are the windows deep enough to tell an effective story?
Floor coverings
1) Does the floor look stained or worn?
2) Is the carpeting laying flat, freshly vacuumed and clean?
3) Do you need a resilient floor covering (tile, rubber, wood) at the entryway to reduce wear?
Ceiling
1) Are any ceiling tiles missing or stained?
2) Are the vent grills dirty and stained?
3) Does the ceiling need paint?
4) Are there any ceiling details that attract unwanted attention?
f) Lighting
1) Does your existing lighting system provide adequate light to all corners of the store?
2) Are the lights used to create focal points within the store?
3) Are the lights using the correct bulbs? Are you using a combination of flood and spot LED bulbs.
Counter Area
1) Does the counter utilize point of sale merchandising techniques?
2) Is a showcase incorporated into the checkout counter and is it lighted?
3) Is the wall behind the checkout counter well merchandised with impulse items?
Dressing Rooms
1) Are the dressing rooms properly located to maximize traffic flow and inhibit shoplifting?
2) Are the dressing rooms at least 48" square and do they contain a seat, mirror, a light over the mirror (not the customer) and a clothing hook?
3) Is at least one dressing room handicapped accessible? ADA code requires that one dressing room have an interior dimension of 60” Wide x 84” Deep and that a 24” Deep x 18” High Bench be installed.
I) Traffic Patterns
1) Does traffic flow throughout your store?
2) Are sales slower in one area of the store no matter what merchandise you put there?
3) Are logical traffic patterns identifiable, or are fixtures scattered so randomly the customer has little idea how to get around the store?
j) Colors
1) Are your colors soothing or do they clash with each other or the merchandise? Are the
colors consistent with the type of merchandise you are selling?
2) Are the color details consistent throughout the store including the flooring, ceiling, walls and fixtures, or does a combination of new, used and vendor equipment create a kaleidoscope?
3) What is the physical condition of the interior paint? Does the store need repainting?
k) Merchandising
1) Is the merchandise presented in an attractive, interesting manner?
2) Is compatible and /or complimentary merchandise displayed together or in close proximity?
3) Have focal, high and stocking points been utilized to attract attention and encourage traffic flow?
4) Is interior signage used effectively and are signs neatly lettered?
l) Fixtures and equipment
1) Are the fixtures clean and unbroken?
2) Are the fixtures consistent or a combination of new and used equipment?
3) Are the fixtures dated in style, color or both?
4) Do the fixtures do what you want them to do?
5) Do the showcases have lights and pads?
m) Cleanliness
1) Is the store clean? Floors vacuumed, tiles waxed and buffed?
2) Is the merchandise clean and orderly?
3) Are the aisles clear of boxes and merchandise waiting to be set out?
n) Weather conditions
1) Do the heating and air conditioning work correctly and is either currently affecting the comfort of your customers?
o) Your sales people
Are they appropriately dressed. Does their hair, make up and general appearance present your stores image?
Are they trained in both your products and in the art of salesmanship?
p) Your website
1) Up and running?
2) User friendly.
3) Are you collecting e-mails in the store.
4) Do your customers know you have a website.
5) Are you updating on a regular basis? Using social media effectively?
Moving Forward
I encourage you to use this checklist on a regular basis and to add your own questions. Share the list with your managers and employees so they will take note of the areas that need work. In the long run, it’s the merchant who pays consistent attention to detail who will succeed where others fail.
This article is adapted from Jeff Grant’s retail planning guide, Store Planning 4.0, a practical resource covering retail store design, merchandising, budgeting, fixtures, construction coordination, and visual merchandising strategies developed through decades of real-world retail projects.
Planning a New Retail Store or Remodel?
Grant Retail Design helps retailers, hospitality groups, museums, stadiums, and specialty stores create engaging retail environments built for real-world budgets.
Services Include:
- Retail Store Planning
- Store Layout & Traffic Flow
- Fixture & Display Selection
- Lighting Design
- Visual Merchandising
- Branding & Signage Coordination