Shopfitting is probably a topic that is rarely thought about by the average customer. Going into a bar or a restaurant hardly ever brings to mind the idea of how the bar decided to set everything up. But ambiance? That’s always under consideration. If the bar doesn’t feel like it’s worth spending time in, you wouldn’t bother to actually do so. That’s only logical. Shopfitting is about far more than getting people to install the cabinets and sand the floors. In fact, the ambiance of any business only exists because of how the shopfitters did their work. Needless to say, quality ambiance can only come from having excellent shopfitters.
People underestimate shopfitting because it’s commonly assumed it only starts at the physical stage. Moving the furniture is shopfitting for sure but people tend to think of interior design as a different process. Likewise, carpentry and flooring are seen as completely separate skill sets. But this isn’t the case at all. Shopfitting starts from the design phase and goes right until the entire thing is complete. Hiring shopfitters who can only move things around means that even if you do get them involved at the design level, the style of the place might lean towards the cliché or grotesque more than towards eye-catching and trendy. This is the difference between having customers flocking in or turning around just after stepping through the door. All shops, no matter what they’re selling, need to be planned well. A store that feels cluttered or even worse, is actually set up in a way that products are hard to find or access, will be making things very difficult for themselves. Shopfitting that is done well allows everything to be seen and accessed, making it more likely customers will see what they want and then be able to grab it to buy it. It’s pretty obvious that if the store is fitted out so everything is easy to reach, people are going to buy more than if they have to call someone over to help them get whatever they need. Quality design is based on a couple of factors. Obviously the experience of the shopfitters plays a crucial role in getting the design right. Designers should take into account the type of business and the personal ideas of the owners. This should be set against the budget. Really experienced designers can go even further and recommend what they think would be ideal since they have knowledge of the area and of the trends of similar businesses nearby. The importance of shopfitting cannot be understated. Much like advertising, shopfitting is a way of attracting customers and it is unlikely a badly fitted out shop will be getting a lot of recommendations saying check it out. People want to recommend places they feel great in and that they want their friends to see so their friends can enjoy the atmosphere as well. A well designed and fitted space is one that people will want to visit and want others to visit. |