The market is changing, the customer is becoming more sophisticated and asks for different shopping experiences…. And in this context, new trends are emerging in relation to how the points of sale should be.
For a few years now it has been about stimulating the sale of products from the experiential point of view, and for this reason, more and more brands seek to enrich the purchase of their customers through experience marketing. Retail-tainment, for example, merges content marketing and experience marketing with new technologies, to achieve unique moments at points of sale between customers and brands.
In New York, young adult clothing venues feature stage sets suitable for a play, with DJs playing live, loud music, and light shows like a party or bowling alley.
Several years ago, a well-known sportswear company decided to eliminate the stained glass window for its women's clothing stores, something unthinkable for a brand that targets women, who have always been identified with looking at stained glass windows.
The Manzanita company created a style in the way of exposing its products and how to sell them. Many technology companies, such as Sony, are constantly modifying their premises to get public attention. Thus, within its premises today you can touch and try, play and discover, something unthinkable 20 years ago.
All this leads to the need to rethink the configuration of the point of sale.
In all cases, what should prevail is functionality. Of course, the brand image must be embodied in the architecture of the space, but the most important thing is the development of the layout, understanding the daily flow of work and finding the best way to accompany it from design and architecture. If a place is aesthetically beautiful but it is not functional, it does not serve the business objectives of the company.
Other times we find brands that need to renovate the premises they already have. In these cases, in general it is because they seek to expand spaces or modify aspects that do not flow from the functionality. However, if what the brand is looking for is to change the image, attract another audience or become a major brand, they are not advised to renovate the place but rather work on the visual identity, the furniture, the communication, the decoration, etc.
Of course, it all depends on the type of brand / company and business in question. It is very different if we speak of a gastronomic or banking establishment where there are precise factors of spaces, facilities, security, etc., than of a clothing establishment, for example, where generally there are greater freedoms. And franchises are a separate case, since they have a specific brand and visual identity manual that must be respected, and in many cases the suppliers with whom they work are already defined.
Based on this, the usual query is whether it is appropriate to undertake a renovation from time to time.
The truth is that there is no time to face a spare. But in the times we live in, it is important to redecorate, change, surprise, seduce and win customers. Therefore, it is recommended to rethink the spaces and improve the shopping experience each year. Sometimes a redecoration or a redistribution of the products will suffice. Obviously this is much less expensive than renovation, but the end is different. If we want to enlarge the room, improve the point of sale or expand the fitting rooms, for example, it will definitely have to be renovated. But this should be thought of as an investment, which ultimately improves business results.
Finally, it is important that the professionals who carry it out know what they do, and also that they are committed to the desired result. When it comes to advertising architecture, a good project is one that helps the client meet their business goals.
