A retail design pro offers simple, basic suggestions for retailers to enhance their stores' selling environment.

Printer Version

Retailing for Senior Citizens 

As Baby Boomers age, shopper-friendly stores will be critical.

by CLN Subscribers (November 6, 2006)

(Note: The Oct. 23 edition of CLN included "We're Turning Off Our Senior Citizens," in which Wheat Carr wrote about the problems many seniors have navigating our stores. The original is immediately below these reactions from readers.

I read with interest the comments from Wheat Carr and the trouble her mother has shopping. Making stores – of all sizes – friendly to older shoppers has been one of our missions since the Baby Boomers began to turn 50 ten years ago. We figured back then our industry retailers might like a head start.

Now, the Boomers are turning 60 and it's getting serious. Our bodies begin to change at age 40, so it is not just older shoppers we need to worry about. I have attached a link to an article that Rich and I wrote in 2004 – it's full of good ideas that will be of help to your readers. Visit www.kizerandbender.com/pdf/Zoomer.pdf – Georganne Bender, Kizer & Bender

Wheat's comments about shopping with mother were interesting. Our Michaels and our Hobby Lobby are highly accessible. I often see seniors in there; in fact, many of the assisted-living places send their buses there. I guess it depends on demographics. We have a really big senior crowd.

The A.C. Moore store, however, is another story entirely. It is very hard to maneuver in. For both young moms with kids in a stroller or a shopping cart and the seniors. Their own shopping carts don't turn the corners because the aisles are too narrow.

I have done freelance architectural restaurant design for 20 years prior to this creative work, and found one of the biggest complaints was enough "space." People are larger these days and their

"stuff" (walkers, strollers, and scooters) are bigger, too.

Shopping carts were resized about 15 years ago for a better "fit" in the stores and so less shelving space was required. But the nut that first suggested this idea forgot that people are not shrinking any time soon. Just because the cart measures a "fit" doesn't mean the cart with a driver is going to work. Rarely do you see the 5' diameter radius you are supposed to have for a person alone (free and clear, forget the cart, with kids' arms outstretched to the breakables, etc.).

Maybe the computer-savvy store designers need to actually go to a store to watch the customers, be they moms with strollers or Seniors in scooters, and spend less time fiddling with "product per square inch." No one likes ten pounds of apples in a five pound sack anyway.

Evidently the ADA isn't policing their own rules. Someone call the cart police! – Ann Krier

(Note: Agree or disagree with the above? Send your thoughts to CLN at mike@clnonline.com.)

xxx

We're Turning Off Our Senior Citizens 

Does your store send an unfriendly message to this growing segment of the market?

by Wheat Carr (October 23, 2006)

Easily most of that 80% she is no longer spending was impulse buying. Impulse purchases do not happen outside the store. Instead, now Mom plans her projects, looks thru her "stash," finds the missing items she needs on the Internet and orders maybe once every 10-12 weeks.

Frances just gave me a list for her holiday projects. I think we will end the year with her personal spending down by about 85-90% just because it is not fun to go shopping any more. She has decided to spend that disposable income taking a class at a regional event where she will spend the remainder of her time admiring the exhibits and won't be shopping.

We can talk all day about fresh merchandise, attractive displays, classes, customer service, quality products, cleanliness, and lots of other time-tested chestnuts of wisdom. Yes, they all matter, but what not nearly as much as accessibility.

Making it personal, I am smack in the middle of the Baby Boomer age bracket and have the primary care for my WWII veteran mother, Frances. It is becoming less and less pleasant to shop with her in every store – chain or independent.

I need more light to see what is being offered. Bad enough I have to judge color under typical store lighting, but what's worse is how little there is of it.

Aisles are becoming deep dark caverns with merchandise towering overhead. blocking what little light exists. I am relatively tall at 5' 9, but my three best "craft shopping" buddies are not. So anything above 6 ft is out of their reach.

With each reset, aisles are getting more narrow, but no thought has been given the need to pass another shopper in the aisle; two walking bodies can barely pass without intimate contact with a total stranger – never mind someone in a wheelchair or scooter or even two push carts trying to pass.

Nor has anyone used their brain to realize that if there is a column in the middle of the aisle, it is unlikely that people can get in or out of the aisle. We look down every aisle before deciding if we will "go look." A lot of sales opportunities are missed because we never see the merchandise.

Personally I'd like to see an addendum to the Disabilities Act that requires space planners and store managers to navigate their store in a wheelchair during the busiest time of their business day, whatever that is.

In 2005, at least once a week, Frances insisted on being taken to the stores for new craft supplies. Each month this included a Michae's, an A C Moore, Wal-Mart, several specialty stores for yarn and thread, and to the super market. We don't do that anymore.

Accessibility may be not all that obvious an issue, but I do know that is the reason my mother no longer asks to be taken to the store to shop; instead she "just makes do with what I already have." Thus far in 2006, her personal "non-essential" spending is down by 80% – not because of gas, not because of the economy, but because she feels trapped in every aisle; she often has to "twist painfully" so she can back up the scooter and misses things she might have bought on impulse.

These problems exists in local shops, too. I don't think she has been inside a yarn or fabric shop for more than a year, simply because she cannot navigate these smaller shops with her walker or find a place to sit and rest. It's not just our stores, either; she has stopped getting her hair done every week because none of the salons have a bathroom she can comfortably get in/out of.

Oh by the way, nothing can convince her that these stores want her business; after all, they have made her unwelcome. So she finds what she wants from online retailers because they understand not everyone can get to a local store and even if they can, that local store does not seem to want her business.

Incidentally, she discusses this "unwelcomeness" with her buddies at the local senior center. (wW have a number of folks with parents living in their homes) The seniors trade stories about where to shop and let me tell you, the rest rooms are a BIG topic of conversation. You do not want to hear what they have to say about a) placement of the handicap accessible stalls and b) door placement on those stalls.

It's not important, you say – they have children who will do their shopping, or they are not our demographic. Well, think for a moment how, as this Baby Boomer approaches an age where these same issues will matter more personally: won't this influence my buying patterns as well?

It already does.

You want more same-store sales? Then you need to make it nice to return to your store – not just for your supposed target demographics, but for the demographics they serve and the demographic they will become. You need their loyalty in the future.

Mike Hartnett Comments.

I witnessed these problems first hand when my mother lived with my wife and I, and when we took my mother in law shopping. In addition to the issues Wheat discusses, there's one other issue: the size of our chain stores. They're too big.

In one sense, so many product choices are nice, but aisle after aisle of products just seemed to confuse my favorite old ladies. And if you have a little arthritis in your hip or ankle, do you really want to walk half a block to get to the scrapbook paper or embroidery floss?

As we all age, develop some aches and pains, and have decided which brands of products we want to buy, we're probably going to prefer shopping in smaller stores.

(Note: To read previous Store Layout/Design Tips articles, scroll down. To comment on the issues raised here, or any industry issues, email your thoughts to CLN at mike@clnonline.com.)

Store Design Tips

Basic advice to make your store a powerful selling tool.

by Brian Christy (May 1, 2006)

(Note: Brian is president of Ruvela, a store design firm specializing in helping retailers enhance their retail selling environment.)

I. Parking Lot. Did you realize that buying decisions are being made before your customer steps one foot into your store? That's right, your parking lot is often times the first impression your customer will receive when visiting your store. Is your parking lot easily accessible? Do your employees take the best parking spots? Is it clean? Is it well lit? Will your customers feel safe shopping at night? Are there shopping carts scattered about? Make sure you give your customer the best first impression possible when approaching your store. Good lighting, smooth and safe parking/walking surfaces, a clean and tidy appearance, and even some potted plants and landscaping will definitely set the right mood for your customer to enjoy the shopping experience that lies ahead.

II. Exterior Architecture. Many retailers can’t control the architecture of their building due to leasing arrangements. For those of you who can make changes and are in need of change, it may be the best investment you make. It goes back to the old saying about first impressions as well as what I mentioned earlier about buying decision being made before your customer steps one foot inside your store.

Just look around you, I mean really open your eyes to what is probably happening in your area now or recently. I am certain you will be able to find that within all segments of retail, chain stores are remodeling their exteriors and possibly their interiors as well. One of the first and most frequent remodels occurs within the gas station/convenience store (C-store) segment of retail. There are a couple of reasons for this and they apply to you too.

First, demographics and secondly, competition. Meaning everyone buys gas – men, women, all legal driving ages, all ethnic groups, etc. Well then, if they have a lock on the demographics, meaning everyone needs to buy gas, why would they spend money on the their store remodeling. People have to come regardless of the way their store looks, right?

You know that’s not the case. They can’t take this attitude because of competition. And, by and large, the major point of difference between these gas stations/C-stores is not price; the most variation is typically a couple of pennies per gallon. No, they try to make one of their points of difference noticeable right from the street – clear and legible signage, a clean and organized parking lot, a well lit canopy (exudes safety), and a brand image that makes their customers feel confident that the products and services they are about to purchase are of a high quality.

So, back to your store. Even if you are restricted from making architectural changes to your exterior, or you can’t afford it right away, you can make cosmetic changes that will still go a long way in creating that lasting first impression. Make a statement about how much you value your customers' trust in you, their safety, and their business.

So review some of these simple questions: Does you store need re-painting? Do wall cracks need to be fixed? How is your landscaping? Could you add some flowers or shrubs or potted plants? Have you considered accenting your main entrance in some special way? Again, open your eyes and take a close look or even survey some of your customers. It will make a big difference.

III. Exterior Signage. We have already touched on why it is so important to have outstanding curb appeal. Here are some notes and questions specific to your exterior signs.

1. Are your exterior signs positioned in the best places for visibility?

2. If you have internally illuminated signs or neon, are they well lit and in good repair? Have you replaced the bulbs recently?

3. Does you sign work well with your stores architecture? And most importantly, can it be read easily?

4. Do your exterior signs look fresh and reflect your brand in the best light?

Keep in mind that there are other exterior sign like elements that can really spiff up your store like awnings, window graphics, store front window displays, enter and exit signs in the parking lot, "thank you for shopping" signs etc.

IV. Store Front Windows. Store front window displays offer an additional opportunity to create interest and exterior appeal to your store front. On the other hand, if they are not done well or maintained, they can detract from your store. So if you have the opportunity to use store front window displays, make sure that you keep them fresh and attractive. You should have a set schedule for how often you will change them and what will be displayed next.

If you have the windows but recognize that you may not be capable of keeping them up as nice as they should be, then consider window graphics. Window graphics come in many different varieties. You can get perforated graphics that look awesome from the outside, but are see-through from the inside, allowing you to see people approaching your store. They can be made for short term promotional purposes or made to last for years. They can be supplied with adhesive to mount to the window directly, or you can use them like window shades, allowing you to raise and lower them as needed.

The bottom line is the window provides another opportunity to impress your customer, for better or worse. And certainly we do not want to miss any opportunities for setting the stage for a great shopping experience.

V. Cleanliness. OK, its obvious, but is your store as clean as it should be? This means not only free of dirt but also free of clutter. Don't let vendor displays take over your store. They can cramp your aisles and make your customer feel closed- in – or worse, unwilling to explore that aisle.

Don’t get me wrong, I think that some vendor displays can be effective and look great, but unfortunately, most do not. The vendor provided displays must fit into your store strategically, not just economically. Just because it is cheap or free doesn’t mean it will sell more product. Stay in control of your selling environment and one way is to keep it neat and clutter free.

VI. Way-Finding Signage. Again, this might seem obvious at first glance. I’m sure retailers agree that interior signage is an important item that can help your customer find her their way around your store. But like everything else that I speak of when it comes to your selling environment, it must be done in a thoughtful manner.

In general there are three zones of signage that every store should have; larger stores may require more. Zone 1: general department signage that can be viewed from the furthest distance away. The signing elements that fit into this category are usually the largest in size and define the departments of your store such as "Customer Service" or "Electrical." These are often in the form of wall signage and graphics above the fixture line or large hanging signs placed just below the ceiling. Zone 2: Interdepartmental signs that take the shape of aisle directories and sub-department signage. This zone is located just above the merchandise and allows your customer to zoom in on a specific product line with a department. Zone 3: Point of sale signage. These signs can highlight a specific brand or a specific feature of product. This zone is located adjacent or at the same level as the product. Feature, fact, benefit statements are often used in this zone. I also feel it is critical to reinforce your own retail brand within each of these zones, not only your brands name, but what it stands for such as "service", "quality" or "since 1965" etc.

It is understood that your sales staff will make the solid effort to assist all your customers when they walk in the store, but there are always those customers who do not like to ask or feel intimated when approached by your staff, so for those occasions let your in-store signage take over initially until your customer has zeroed in on a specific area or question. Your store's selling environment can be your silent salesperson.

VII. Store Layout. Make sure your store layout is maximizing your floor space without creating dead zones and bowling alleys. As a general rule, avoid an aisle much longer than 30 feet and taller than 60" on both sides. That's the bowling alley that deters your customers. These tall and long runs of fixtures are uncomfortable to shop. Your customer will feel closed-in.

Also, make sure that your aisles are wide enough for customers to pass without touching each other. It’s a well documented fact that shoppers do not like to be bumped into when shopping an aisle. They may abandon that aisle for another, and forget to return.

The tall shelving in a store is great for stocking product on the floor, but not necessarily great for shoppers. For one, it limits the site lines in the store. If shopper has a limited view of the store, they may not see the enticing product that you have displayed in another area.

And one common technique for leading your customer through the store is to move them by placing product in strategic places through out your selling floor. If they can not easily see the department or the product they are looking for, then they begin to wander and wandering can be good, but more often it leads to frustration, which is bad.

VIII. Decompression Zone. This is the area just inside the main entrance to your store. Depending on the store layout and size of the store, this area is generally the first 5-15 feet. This initial 5-15 feet is referred to as the "decompression zone" because this amount of area is usually required space for your shoppers to adjust to your store. They have just parked their car and rushed through the parking lot to enter your store. They are still in a rush mode when they enter your store and need a few step to let their eyes adjust to your lighting and let their body’s pace slow down.

You generally do not want to put anything special, in this zone as it will typically go unnoticed. This area needs to be attractive and inviting, but not informational or promotional. Do not place this week's circular or promotional sale items in this zone; again, they will most often go unnoticed.

Re-evaluate your store’s compression zone and make sure you allow your shoppers the appropriate amount of space to get into the buying mode.

IX. Lighting. When did you last re-lamp your store? Have you had your candlepower measured? Do you have all of the required lighting you need: "general" lighting, "task" lighting, and "accent" lighting? Don't make your customer squint to view your product. Studies show that we need three times the amount of light to see at age 60 then we did at age 23.

X. Customer Comfort. While alluded to earlier in this list, it warrants its own and further discussion here. Customer comfort goes beyond the physical comforts of aisle space and decompression zones. It also speaks to the mental comfort or connection the shopper has with your store’s environment.

Let’s say that you are a retailer whose products are targeted to a specific gender and age group such as, say, professional women ages 25-38. In that case, your store is certainly going to need the specific surrounding conducive to those shoppers, and perhaps a few niceties here and there for their boyfriends or husbands who may be accompanying your target shopper. However, this female, 25-38 demographic sets the stage for the uniform feel for your store – the color pallet, fixture finishes, imagery etc., can all be framed around this very specific demographic.

Contrast this with retailers who have a much broader range within their target demographic, such as men and women age 18-60, of all nationalities. Now the comforts must be much broader. A color pallet and graphics that is suited for both male and female shoppers, lighting for young and old eyes, shopping carts, baskets and power carts, larger lettering and more contrast in the signing, etc. These are the issues of customer comfort that should not go unaddressed. The more comfortable your shopper is in your store, the longer the shopping trip, the greater the potential for more sales per visit.

XI. Cash Wrap. Where is your cash-wrap/checkout counter? Studies show it should not be located to the right of the main entrance to your selling floor. This area, to the right of the entrance, is prime selling space. Most shoppers are right handed and are accustomed to driving on the right side of the road, and for these reasons, automatically want to turn or move to the right when entering a store. This area should be filled with the most desired sales items, not a check-out counter. It is a place to end the buying experience, not begin one. My point here is to recognize that this right side area is prime real estate and the cash-wrap should be located in a different space more closely associated with ending the shopping trip.

XII. Exit Zone. The exit zone is the area after the cash wrap/checkout counter and before the doors to exit your store. I understand that this space may look empty or dull when left free from merchandise, but I do not understand why so many retailers, especially grocers, want to put merchandise in this zone. In many cases it is desired merchandise that is bulky or heavy. Maybe the thinking is that the shopper won’t want to or won’t be able to lug it into their shopping cart by themselves, or perhaps clerks would better able to assist them if it was located by your checkout counter.

In any case, my experience tells me that shoppers are confused by this product placement choice. They often don’t see the merchandise in your store in an area they expect to see it, and wrongly assume you don’t carry it. Or they don’t see it until they have already checked out and do not want to check out again with this additional merchandise.

If you must use the exit zone for storage or overflow, fine, but make sure you also stock in your store in a logical place so your customers can find it. And if it’s a bulky or heavy item, place a nice friendly tag right by the merchandise telling your customer that you can assist them with loading it in their basket or into their car. You may even want to use the bar-code tag system where you shopper simply takes a bar coded ticket from the shelf inside the store and presents it for payment and loading at the checkout. Any of these ideas and options are better than exclusively stocking merchandise in the exit zone.

XIII. Power Zones. (Sometimes referred to as Focal Areas.) These areas on the retail selling floor or along a perimeter wall have two distinct characteristics: 1. They involve a product category that is either important to you as a retailer and/or important to your customer. 2. These power zones are treated differently from a visual point of view.

The primary purpose of a power zone is to draw "special" attention to a particular product or product category and make a statement about it such as "I own this category"; "Shop here if you need these items"; or "We have the biggest variety of this item."

In doing so, the items in this zone are highlighted and/or featured both in the actual presentation of the item and by the environmental accents for the zone, such as accent lighting, special signage, custom fixtures, changes in the colors of the surrounding wall or ceilings, etc.

Power Zones help to reinforce your store’s brand by tying it together with a special line of products, adding visual appeal to your store by breaking up the monotony, and satisfying your customer by dominating a popular category.

All stores should have at least one power zone and I always suggest three.

XIV. The Five Senses. They are critical to a retail environment and the selling experience. Most of your customers have these senses and employ them both consciously and subconsciously. To be more successful in retailing you must try to get your customer to interact with your products as much as possible. The more interaction they have with your products, the more pre-sale ownership they begin to possess. That is to say that they begin to experience the feeling of owning that product before they buy it.

And if the product excites them in some way by stimulating all of their senses – sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell – then the pre-buy ownership is positive, and that leads them to buying.

One of the best ways to get your customers to interact with your products is to allow sampling. And don’t be stingy here. The more sampling that can occur, the better. Sampling can take the form of demonstration products being unpackaged and out in the open for handling, or live workshops where your customers can "experience" the product in a real world setting. Be as creative and entertaining as possible.

XV. Data Collection/Review. If you’re not doing so already, please consider keeping track of your store's traffic and review it often. Understanding how many customers are conducting transactions, along with the value of that transaction, will provide you with key insights as to the effectiveness of your current promotions and their overall success.  

Conversion rates, the ratio of customer sales to customer visits, is another key indicator that should not be ignored. The tendency is for most retailers to simply look at the sales number – period. The problem here is that there is no true frame of reference. On any given day during a promotional event, you may have a handful of customers who account for 80% of your sales or more. And maybe some of them didn't even buy anything related to your promotion. Without careful review of this data, you may incorrectly assume that your promotion was a success, when in fact it wasn't. It is just as important to know what didn't work as well as what did when it comes to promotions.

(Note. Periodically Brian will contribute additional tips regarding retail store design. For more information visit www.ruvela.com or www.brianchristy.com or join his company's e-mail list. To contact Brian directly, call 810-735-9876 or (cell) 810-444-2063; fax 810-735-9954; or email bchristy@ruvela.com. Ruvela, PO Box 192, Linden, MI 48451 ©Copyright 2006, Ruvela, Retail Design and Implementation. All rights reserved.)

[ Home ] [ Business-Wise ] [ Kate's Collage ] [ "Vinny Da Vendor" ] [ "Benny Da Buyer" ] [ Newsbriefs ] [ Memory, Paper & Stamps ] [ Category Reports ] [ Designing Perspectives ] [ Subscribe to CLN ] [ Legal Q & A ] [ Scene & Heard ] [ Jobs ] [ Tech Topics ] [ Industry Research ] [ Store Layout/Design Tips ]

©Copyright 2008 by Creative Leisure Communications
(Reproduction or re-transmission without permission is prohibited.)