Retailers need to make offers customers can never reject, that later transform them into regular clients. But how can one leave behind not only competitors but also fast and handy online shopping? Amaze, impress, and offer visitors a new value. It is possible with… store design. Stunning decoration has already become a true strategy for the successful promotion of goods and customer retention.

Why Store Design is Key Factor in Customer Engagement

Experts from the British agency Design4Retail consider physical stores to be bastions of true experience. This is not just talking through one's hat, but a conclusion backed up by research. According to the Savvy survey, about 73% of Gen Z and Millennials prefer experience to technologies. And despite these two generations being the most technically literate in history.

Similar conclusions were drawn by the PwC experts in their report, Experience is everything: Here’s how to get it right. They claim technology to be an auxiliary tool. Customer experience, price and quality of goods, and human interaction are the things that contribute the most to the decision-making process. This is the reason why physical shopping will not disappear. But in order to attract new customers to their stores, brands need to invest in design, because it forms the first impression of visitors, attracts their attention, arouses interest, and creates positive associations, building customer loyalty and influencing their purchasing decisions.

Investments in retail design alwayspay off for retailers:

• - every £100 a company spends on design increases turnover by £225;
• - brands that focus on the design of retail spaces increase their market share by 6.3%;
• - companies that consider design an integral part of their business don't need to compete as heavily on price as others.

But what benefits do customers get from visiting original and functional retail spaces? Let's take a closer look.

Customers Can Test and Try Products Before Making Final Decision

Buying goods is always about risky investment, especially when it comes to forking out big sums for sportswear or equipment, furniture, new cosmetics, etc. Yes, you can read reviews on the Internet, but nothing can be compared to touching, feeling, and testing by yourself. For example, Adidas flagship stores have treadmills you can use to test sneakers before buying.



The Sephora chain store is aiming at “reinventing” customer experience by combining technologies and the human touch to ensure unforgettable impressions. The new flagships have a separate zone for Grand Beauty Hub, where you can test cosmetics, use special apps, and watch training beauty programs.



Increased Customer Trust

According to the Design4Retail experts, retail offers a more thought-out and structured approach to brand identity, thus forcing customers to trust. Lots of buyers are baffled before purchasing at new Internet stores, while physical retail space [especially those on the central streets] provoke trust.

A fashion brand of menswear, Bonobos, appeared in 2007 as an Internet store. Now it doesn’t bother itself by opening simple retail spots, it hits with Guideshops. In addition to clothes and accessories, you can get free assistance in choosing the perfect items to be delivered to the buyer's home.



Unique design helps brands tell their story

Every story is always about emotions. They linger in people’s hearts and make companies more “human”. And physical stores can become ideal platforms for brand messages. Retail space allows brands to reveal stories with every step clients make, so there must be enough touchpoints. In a long run, it helps with building a strong bond between brands and customers.

Clients get unforgettable experience

Accordingly, pleasant memories and associations are formed. Having found something unique that goes beyond our usual concepts of shopping and paying in a store, brands become more competitive. It is possible with empirical points of interaction that will provide customers with convenience when choosing goods and leave a pleasant shopping experience.

From time to time, Nike installs Nike Bot Initiated Longevity Lab (BILL) in their stores. A robotic foot extends the service life of worn-out sneakers: the robot cleans the shoes and glues elements selected by customers to the damaged areas.



For the Nike team, BILL is a part of an experiment that paves the way for a closed future as it helps to reduce negative impact on the planet. Restoring your favorite shoes and extending their lifespan is the brand's contribution to reducing waste and fighting hyperconsumption. Sustainable development is the main task of the global retail industry, and companies solve it in different ways. For example, the Ustor team manufactures store equipment from metal, a strong and durable material that has a virtually endless recycling cycle. It allows for realizing a variety of design concepts and create a unique retail space.



Fast-changing trends are reshaping customer expectations of shopping and physical stores. Therefore, the design of retail spaces must become a permanent strategic investment, and brands must adapt to new requirements and stand out to attract the attention of the audience and influence their purchasing decisions.