The Psychology of Color at Retail

By Patricia Beks From http://www.retailcustomerexperience.com















The one major psychological influence that all retailers can — and do — make use of is color. Color can be everything to a successful store, if the palettes work well across the whole shop and complement other elements such as product displays and lighting. The point, according to retail designers, isn't about creating the most beautiful shop, but one that has coherence.

Color is central to coherence because we react instinctively to it. Red means "stop" and green means "go." Our brains are hot-wired to respond to color and, for modern retailers, the trick to using color is to understand both its physiological and psychological influences.

Color psychology perhaps explains why people are allegedly more relaxed in a green room and why weightlifters perform better in blue gyms. It's certainly the reason why some paint manufacturers now have color cards setting out the therapeutic aspects of each color, and why some cosmetic companies have introduced "color therapy" ranges.

To make things more complicated, the success of a retail store isn't so much influenced by the chosen color scheme but by how their target customers react to it. Is the store aimed at teenagers? Thirty-somethings? Senior citizens? The success of the store depends on how the customer reacts to both the products on display and the sales environment. Younger people like the energy of bold colors; older people prefer more subtle palettes. Get those colors wrong, and a retailer will find that their customers simply won't relate to the brand.

Color association also extends into food retailing. For example, most fast-food restaurants are decorated in vivid reds and oranges. These are colors that encourage us to eat quickly and leave — exactly what the fast-food operator wants us to do. Luxurious brands, on the other hand, favor softer colors that appear more sophisticated. In classier restaurants, those are the colors that encourage us to linger — and to order another drink, another coffee.

Some retailers are now using carpeting to influence patterns of travel around a store — particularly from the crucial zone just inside the shop entrance, often referred to as the compression or transition zone — the place where customers first orientate themselves with what's inside. Here, carpeting is being used to subtly direct shoppers deeper into the store or, by using different colors and patterns, create subconscious walkways that shoppers will tend to follow.

By recognizing how color influences us, retailers are better able to induce feelings of warmth, intimacy or serenity — or, by using more vibrant palettes, to excite or stimulate. It's about understanding target markets, the product lines to appeal to them and the kind of brand the retailer wants to convey. Lastly, it's about conveying that brand though color and design.

Blue Jeans

This is a design for a high end jeans store. The trend with jeans is to fold. I gave the client folding tables, along with a T-way rack to display the style. The wall hooks will display the styles and the different sizes will be folded in the cubes below. You can spot light the styles with spot lights on the top. White mannequins can be placed around the store with jeans and white t-shirts. A marketing ideas is to advertise on their shirts - hand write the sale in black marker. This will give the high end store some edge and a great marketing tool at the same time!

Happy Clients Make Us Happy

"I'm thrilled!" Cubitec Display photo sent from a client

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We can even show you what your customers will see from the outside.

10x10 Tradeshow Booth - "The center piece was genius because what ever I put on top was selling." - quote from the client.

This is a tradeshow booth I worked on with a client who sold ceramics. She had a 10x10 booth and needed a desk for cash and carry items to be wrapped. We gave her a tiered design with several clip on lights, a wrapping desk, and a silo. She loved the silo, "The center piece was genius because what ever I put on top was selling." - quote from the client.

Salon Design for BVI

Here is a Salon client in the British Virgin Islands. They wanted a small retail area in the front of their salon. This piece high lighted the product, and left some space for marketing at the same time. Based on our years of working with some of the world’s most recognizable names in the beauty industry (L’Oreal, Matrix, Beauty Alliance, Farouk, NIOXIN) we are confident that updating your salon with Smart Fixtures will substantially increase your retail sales.

Home Office Anyone?

Commercial Office Concepts using Steelcase

Men's Shaving Products

This was a 10x10 booth created for a men's shaving line. They wanted a space that was inviting to come in and take a look at all the great products they offered. They wanted lots of cubes to keep all the different products organized. I think I took the idea they had into the real thing!

Kitchen Design

This is an upscale kitchen design for a company in Canada. They had a different layout that we worked with to give the most retail space to display products. They had lime green in the logo, so we incorporated that into the floor plan. We added lime green cubitec to the space and also added the stripe around the wall.

Cool picture of some Smart Fixtures in their native habitat.

This was a fun project that was a true collaborative effort. Amazing what you can do with small spaces when you really try. My customer was gracious enough to send along some photos of the end result. Thank you Jennifer.

Coffee Anyone?

This coffeshop was designed using all furniture pieces from http://www.smartfurniture.com to create a modern seating design. We used the D2 bookshelves from Blu Dot to serve as retail shelving AND bookshelves (ingenious don't you think?) Whether you need a waiting room or a restaurant decked out with modern furniture we've got you covered.

Tea Retailer

This design was purchased exactly as you see it here. We put the counter with sink and refrigerators in the design but only provided the retail fixtures.  Keep in mind we have extensive furniture offerings for seating areas and cashwraps but this one required integrated plumbing and we'd just assume leave that to the professionals.

Yarn Splendor

Got delusions of grandeur for the coolest yarn shop in town? We can help you become the talk of the town. This design incorporates a classroom with desks, several retail areas, a cashwrap, a lounge space, and offices. We even put in toilets and sinks. Of course you might want to pick those up at a local hardware store.

Helping through Perspective

One of the cool things we can do to help our clients is show multiple views of their space so you can visualize traffic flows and how the fixtures footprints use the space. From paned out to straight above or straight on we can show you how your space will look not just a catalog photo.

Merchandising Tip: Choosing Displays

Choosing your displays and fixtures is as important as selecting products. This is an investment that is well worth the price. Often, manufacturers will offer a free display with purchase. Why does this incentivize retailers? Because it makes you feel like you're saving money.

Unfortunately, the free fixture with purchase is not the most beneficial option for you because it becomes a billboard for that manufacturer and removes the focus from your products to the architecture of the display. Investing in consistent displays throughout your retail area is the best way to display products. Your displays are there to enhance product, not detract. Keeping everything clean and uncluttered helps maintain a fresh look.

When we re-merchandised this salon with Smart Fixtures, we tripled his sales. He is now paying his rent with his retail sales. See the before and after photos.

Also, remember to keep your displays full with products! You need to show you're serious about what you do and you believe in the products you're selling.

Conference Room for Collectibles

This was a conference room for a company that produces collectibles. They have a small staff and wanted something to highlight their products. This design needed different width and height spaces. This was a great example of all the different ways Smart Furniture can work for you!

Residential Design

This customer called me up and wanted a large bookshelf for her extensive collection. After taking to her and taking notes, I created this design. I sent her the 3D design and she LOVED it!

Nesting Tables

Merchandising Tip: Nesting Tables

Impulse purchases make up 70% of all purchases. Nesting Tables encourage your customers to interact with products and also help establish promotions and new products. They present products clearly and directly to the client. 67% of people who interact with a product will purchase. Many successful retailers today display their products on nesting and display tables (think Bath and Body, Victoria's Secret, Old Navy, etc.) because they have been proven to boost sales.