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Leslie McGwire: Some Principles of Jewelry Store Design | May 09, 2022 (0 comments)
West Bloomfield, MI--Online shopping is increasingly big business, which means it is more difficult for smaller, medium and even large size jewelry retailers to get their market share. This is especially true for those retailers that don’t have much of an online presence. The physical shopping experience starts with good design, so take a good, hard look at your jewelry store space. Perhaps you could be offering your customers more in your overall store design.
Define your Space
Defining your space is all about your brands and images, how it gets people into your store, and what they do once they are there. This is the big picture: what are you selling, and who are you selling to? There needs to be a consistency of style and function in your store that have different factors to tie with the whole jewelry shopping experience. I advise my store owners to make a specific area(s) in their store(s) which has the highest sales volume and profitability. For example, if you are selling many diamond jewels in your store, there needs to be an area that stand out as a “WOW.”
Photo credit: Leslie McGwire
Organizing the Space
When customers shops online, they have an entire store at their fingertips. The online customers could look at multiple different types of products at essentially the same time. It is essential that the jewelry space is well-organized, and as easy to use as possible. A customer who enters a store should have a clear path to follow, with different categories of products clearly understood, and clear product groupings. See picture below of M. Robinson Fine Jewelers in Bee Cave, Texas, (above) which I designed. A well-organized store is one that makes customers feel comfortable and structured so that they can get what they need without wasting time. The M. Robinson Fine Jewelry reveals how special the overall and specific beautiful design is for your clients to be drawn into.
Photo credit: Leslie McGwire
Invite Customer Participation
Good visual communication invites customers to participate actively in their shopping experience. Park Place Jewelers in Ocean City, Maryland, (above) which I designed, shows how easy it is for clients to move throughout the store with signage on the walls. With the massive change that online shopping has brought, this part of the store design process is essential because it is offering experiences that the customer cannot get online -- whether it’s one-on-one selling and advising from staff, or the opportunity to try jewelry out before purchasing. For your clients, jewelry store shopping is a personal expression in its strongest form.
About the Author: Leslie McGwire™ has over 35 years in business development, interior design, equipment, furniture sales and marketing services in retail and jewelry-based businesses. Leslie has won over 25 national design awards, including the prestigious Salon Today and INSTORE Jewelry Store awards. Leslie has a true passion for business, design for the jewelry and retail industries. Visit lesliemcgwire.com for more information.