Why do we prefer to shop in some stores rather than others? It may be hard to pinpoint, but it comes down to how we feel when we walk in, as much as the products on sale.

The ambience, ease of access, the way in which goods are displayed, and how easy it is to locate what you are looking for among the often large range of stock all contributes to the “retail experience”. Thus shop fitting and store design have become as much a science as an art.

A good shop fitter understands that a sale may well depend as much upon the feeling the customer gets from being in a shop - how it addresses the person they want to be – as the items on sale. It doesn’t happen by accident; store design must be done deliberately and with great care.

 The four key elements of effective store and design are external signage, store layout, internal category management and internal ambiance, and attention must be given to each aspect.

There is a lot of sales power in a well designed retail shop. Not only can it boost sales at any given site, but for a chain, the way shops are fitted give instant customer recognition and allow shoppers easy access no matter which store they visit.

If you regularly do your weekly shopping at one supermarket, you will find it easier and more pleasant to visit the same chain if you are in a different location, than if you have to find your way around a completely different layout. In this way shop design can contribute to customer loyalty.