+603 6156 6222 / 6143 92896 Redecorating Ideas and Tips for a Retail Outlet or Office
Sometimes people make the mistake of thinking decorating their homes, retail outlets, offices and showrooms take a long time and will eat up a huge chunk of their budget. This can’t be further from the truth and we’re ready to show you how and why.
In a home, you’d want your family members to feel safe and comfortable. In the office, you’re standing on a balance beam trying to strike the right note by making everyone feel productive, inspired and yet have the space to get in their zone for work.
Retro is over, we know that. What worked in the 1990s no longer work today. There’s a stark difference in office space designs when you compare the drab, grey, colourless 4×4 cubicle spaces of way back when to the new, innovative spaces today.
Today’s working spaces are colour-themed, spacious, filled with greens and fountains, pool tables and gyms. It’s obvious these companies, backed by the padded pockets of investors, has the budget to not only experiment with how to come up with the best wall décor ideas for their offices but also to strategically design TV rooms and daycare centres.
It’s hard not to be impressed with AirBnB’s camping-style ‘meeting rooms‘.
So, here are some tips and advice YOU to help you push forward with redecorating and revamping your own office, be it a home office or retail outlet.
1. Rules of Thumb
Before we roll out all the scroll of creative ideas, it’s important to start with some ground rules. These are basically ideas that most people in the creative and interior design industry agree on. It’s important to have an office space that is organized, clean and clutter-free. If there’s clutter, find a small room to keep them in, away from your customers and employees.
Although you don’t have to have camping-style meeting rooms, a nice, roomy, quiet space for brain-storming sessions and meetings should suffice. Most offices have a time-out spot for employees to stop their derailing brains from going off track so that they can enjoy a simple conversation with their colleagues over a hot cup of coffee.
These are just a few of the basic rules of thumb and they’re pretty simple to keep.
2. Your Customers and Clients are Everything
Some customers may like your wall-mounted wood panel display decoration adorned by plants, cute little trinkets from cheap vendor sellers, or elaborate themed meeting rooms. Others may prefer something simpler and less distracting. You know your customers best, so, sit down and think about what you’ve heard in the past from your customers and clients when they walk in and out of your office.
Did they give you any ideas? Were there criticisms you remembered and wanted to implement? Did they show you Pinterest-perfect vertical plant wall decor ideas on their smartphones or tablets?
Write them down and deliberate. When you’re done, hit up the internet for ideas and scout for items that will work for you.
Consumer behaviour dictates that customers are less likely to buy anything in the store, no matter how much they like the products, if there is a large crowd in there or they might find themselves butt-brushing with other customers.
Having a space with chairs or table will give the consumers time to take in the overall ambiance of the store and products while avoiding other customers for a few short seconds.
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3. Redecorating with Wall-Mounted Displays, Space is
Whether you’re starting from scratch, working on a blank canvas or redecorating your office space, have an overall picture or theme in mind. Start operating from there and divide the spaces into smaller spaces you can jump into immediately.
For instance, most people start with the reception area, meeting room or big offices. And then tackle them in small baby steps.
Add a new rack, install a wall display system. Buy some eye-candies from stores like IKEA or nifty décor items from hallmark stores. Give the walls a new coat of paint. Rearrange the reception area and move things around to better locations. In fact, tried and tested methods like placing a new poster stand or an advertising light box works wonders!
4. Naked with Nature – Installing a Nature-Themed Plant Wall
This article about creating a living wall is awesome for those who are thinking of injecting their office or living space with some life.“Once you realize the actual conditions of your wall, you’ll be able to pick your plants much easier,” says Waldman. For instance, if your wall gets a lot of light, cacti and succulents will be much happier, but if the space is humid and damp, consider tropical plants instead” – Jesse Waldman of Pistils Nursery
Needless to say, giving your office or retail space the natural look takes up space unless it’s a vertical wall, one which can be achieved using systems like the Decowall system on our website. Once the system is up with the right slatwall accessories, your focus would then be on maintaining and upkeeping the plants themselves. So, choose the type of plant with care and after deep consideration. After all, showcasing dying plants isn’t the best way to win your customers or clients’ hearts.
5. Go Tech – Print and Place QR Codes to your Website for Information
When a company has the all-hands-on-deck approach with tech, people are more easily impressed. One example would be using QR Codes. Having QR codes or self-explanatory printed labels beside the product displays, or posters on the walls around your retail outlet will make a world of difference.
If you have a page on your website dedicated to information on your products, print out a QR Code (3out) (they’re free to make, by the way) and stick it around the products. This way, even if your staff is busy with other customers or there’s heavy footfall during lunch hour, curious customers who happened upon your store can not only load information up on their smartphones or tablets and save them, they can share the info out with their family and friends on social media and online messaging systems like Whatsapp, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.
To a business like yours, that just spells FREE promotion.
Your sales might even get a boost if the QR code leads the potential customers to your e-commerce site where they can purchase it right off the bat without having to queue up to pay for it.
6. A Window of Opportunity – Create Head-Turning Window Displays
Although redesigning the interior of your retail outlet will take up most of your brainpower and budget, don’t forget to pay some attention to the very window to your business’ soul – the window display.
Just think back to a time when you were mall crawling. Do you remember something edgy, unique or creative catching your eye while you’re not paying attention? Was it a mannequin or a huge thought-provoking poster? Perhaps it was a bold picture with a creative slogan or a promotional sale.
The window display will be a devil that draws while the space between the entrance of your store to the first cluster of products they encounter will be automatic reference point. Consensus reveal that most people take a right after walking into your store, regardless of where your main display or counter is.
Rearrange your retail space with that in mind. Track their possible paths within your store. Where do you think they will turn, what will they see, what is eye-catching, is the space creative and enticing, what can you add (or remove) to make the experience more alluring? The old saying of ‘where the eyes go, the legs will follow’ is true when it comes to retail shopping.
Giving your Retail Outlet a Brand New Look is a Worthwhile Investment
No matter what your business is about and the perks you offer, the design of your store’s role is to pique potential customers’ interest. What you first present to people walking past your retail outlet should align with their interest and make them curious.
After your customer walks in, it’s the job of some merchandise outposts within the store.
Whether with a colourful, thoughtful poster or a clean-as-a-whistle wall-mounted display system, retailers would imagine their customers paths within the store. The design would have intermittent displays to pause the journey. During these pauses, the clients would make impulse-based decisions.
Another important spot to pore over would be the exit. It’s the ‘Oh, and by the way, have a look at these before you go’ stopover. Their job is to appeal to the emotions of the customers and encourage last-minute impulse purchases.
Say what you will, it works.
So, there is no need to shut the whole store down to make major adjustments to your retail outlet or splurge on major upgrades. In fact, it could be something as simple as adding a low table with a few cushioned seats near the aisles in your store.
Once you understand what hits home with your customers, the next round of redecorating and revamping would be an easier ride.
Find more retail outlet design ideas, wall-mounted display panels and accessories, and shopfitting products on our website, www.Formedge.com.my or www.decowall.com.my. If you’re on social media, stay in the loop by hitting the like button on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. Stay in touch!
Featured image credit: howling red on unsplash