There’s been a lot said about eCommerce lately and for good reason. Over the past couple of years, selling online has become an increasingly viable strategy for businesses. Customers find shopping online far more convenient and the recent pandemic has led many to do all kinds of things online.

However, it would be a mistake to completely ignore your physical brick-and-mortar shop. While eCommerce is a great step forwards, it should be an expansion to your business rather than a way to replace selling things physically.

Why People Like Shopping in Person

One of the aspects of a successful eCommerce store is good product images. This is because people like to see what they’re buying. A physical shop is far better at allowing customers to connect with the product and to properly see what they’re buying. People can even pick up the product and study it, or try it on to see how it suits them.

As well as the ability to better get a feel for the product, customers prefer the shopping experience. Shopping can be a social experience, allowing friends and family to have a day out together. Shopping centres are specifically designed for people to have this experience, which they wouldn’t be able to have by shopping online. 

As well as the social side of shopping, shopping in person allows customers to browse and easily check out everything in the store. This leads to impulse buying, where someone spots something that they wouldn’t have set out to buy but will do if they spot it in front of them. 

It’s clear that, while eCommerce is a fantastic business avenue, there’s still a clear place for selling things physically. How can you get the most out of your physical space?

The Importance of Design

The rise of eCommerce has had an impact on physical sales, of course. Customers have an even shorter attention span and have a higher expectation for services and presentation. Simply put, they’re looking for the wow factor and an intelligent store layout. 

The atmosphere of your store matters more now than ever before. Your establishment should be welcoming for customers so that they’re more likely to stay in your shop and hopefully find something to buy. Your business should be clean and easy to navigate, so people don’t feel uncomfortable. 

Remember that people experience life through multiple senses. As well as looking nice and welcoming, your shop should sound and even smell pleasant. The specifics depend largely on your store, the smell of freshly baked goods is a bit odd in a clothes store after all, but they should always encourage customers to stick around. 

As well as being generally pleasant and welcoming, your shop should stand out from the rest and solidify your brand in your customers’ minds. This is where branded spaces come into the picture. Your shop should be designed around your brand. 

This principle applies to traditional shops, but it’s also a great thing to implement in pop-up stores as well. You want to make a statement and draw customers in, and branded spaces are vital for this.