Consumer Shopping Habits for Wellness and Environmentally ...

Displays
Temporary displays made of flimsy and/or inexpensive materials tend to suffer
visible wear, and generally look ―cheap‖ to consumers. H+W-oriented spaces are
greatly enhanced by the use of permanent displays utilizing more durable materials
such as wood and (non wire-like) metals. Natural materials are best.
Permanence here is also important, in that display spaces should be dedicated.
Temporary displays often violate layout lines (e.g. prominently projecting into an
aisle from an otherwise flat shelf) and/or appear in seemingly random spaces,
serving as obstacles to shoppers.
Flooring
Traditional tile flooring is generally a thing of the past. Often those tiles are difficult
to make look clean regardless of scrubbing or polishing. More contemporary
floorings such as wood or lacquered concrete convey far more positive impressions
to shoppers, as well as tone down the sometimes ―harsh‖ visual feel of tile flooring
in stark shades (e.g. white tile that reflects overhead lighting).
Lighting
Industrial and/or florescent lighting fixtures are often ―bright white‖ in their spectrum
and lend retail spaces a more ―institutional‖ appearance. Using softer, often indirect
lighting increases the level of felt elegance in a store or department.
Color
Color scheme(s) should not include significant amounts of bright, highly saturated
primary colors, which often produce childlike or cartoonish looks when used
extensively.
As a final note, consistency is critical across the store design elements. Combinations of several
different materials, color schemes, displays, et cetera tend to leave consumers with a feeling that a
store was designed and assembled at different times, in a perhaps random fashion. In contrast,
consumers react very positively to stores that have the appearance of design that is coordinated
across departments and various design elements.
The following are some examples of ―best practices‖ when it comes to positive in-store aesthetics.
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