Retail Store Design Leading to an Increase in Browsing, then Ordering Online

Touching it, holding it, trying it on – there are some unique store experiences that digital shopping cannot replace. Retail stores are still highly relevant, and the store’s design layout plays an important role in converting walk-ins to sales. In the digital age, the end point of sales has shifted, sometimes almost imperceptibly, to the process of ordering items online. A growing shopping trend is for consumers to search and view items online, visit stores to see and handle the actual product in its actual size and then order the item online, or visit what are known as brick-and-mortar houses first and go home to order the goods online. There are valid reasons why this process is becoming increasingly popular, and with the help of new technology and high-quality 3D architectural modelling and architectural rendering services, the decision-making process for consumers becomes easier.

Retail store layouts are well researched and well planned to maximise sales for different products. There are a few typical retail store layouts that are repeatedly used, depending on the shape and size of the store and the products sold there. In general, grocery stores use grid layouts for easy navigation and the predictability factor. When businesses want to highlight different products, such as in boutiques, more creative layouts are used.

Retail Floor Plans

Grid

Also called a straight layout, grid floor plans feature:

• efficient utilisation of floor space and walls
• displays parallel to walls, maximising floor space and corners
• easy navigation, easy to organise
• maximum wall space for promotional and seasonal items
• best for shelf-stocked goods, eg. books, toys, food, hardware, homeware

Used mainly in grocery and convenience stores, the grid plan layout creates a feeling of familiarity.

Loop

Also called a racetrack layout, the loop floor plan guides shoppers around the floor. Its features consist of:

• leading shoppers on a set pathway, exposing them to all display items
• visible perimeter walls with multiple wall and shelf displays.
• product displays on outer walls, creative display variations in the store centre

This plan works well for apparel, accessories, toys, homeware, kitchenware, personal care products and specialty products.

Free Flow

This store layout caters for maximum creativity and can be easily modified. Its main advantages are:

• encourages browsing
• angled displays make shoppers slow down and examine product groupings
• open lines of view through the floor space makes specialty displays and power walls visible and easy to guide customers to specific zones with bright accent colours and product groupings

This plan is ideal for boutiques, upscale stores, specialty stores with small inventories, highlighting special products, such as apparel, accessories, personal care, specialty brands, rather than store goods of large quantity

Diagonal

A diagonal store layout encourages shoppers to test or sample merchandise. Its features include:  

• easy movement between aisles while store employees can easily view shoppers
• ideal for letting shoppers browse sample products by themselves
• can point shoppers to a central sampling/demonstration area

This plan is preferred in electronic or technology stores, beauty and cosmetic retailers and specialty food stores.

Along with determining the most suitable floor plan for the merchandise being sold, there are a few other factors that retailers might consider.

Tips for Retail Floor Plans

          Appropriate product quantities - More products on the sales floor has led to increased sales. However, having an excessive amount of product on the sales floor could lead to negative brand perception, especially for boutique or high-end retailers. Discount retailers can pack the shop with merchandise as part of a successful strategy. High-end stores put up only a few selected items for display to emphasise exclusivity.

·        Sufficient space between products and fixtures - Customer personal space is important, but shelves can still be packed with merchandise.

Several factors encourage online shopping today. Besides being convenient, frequently cheaper and enabling the luxury of staying at home without venturing into uncomfortable weather or traffic conditions, consumers prefer to browse at traditional outlets, or brick-and-mortar shops, to get a more realistic look and feel of the product and then make their actual purchases online. Interestingly, some digital stores are launching traditional stores in addition to their digital presence, especially apparel stores, while traditional retailers are moving to the digital arena to stay relevant. There are a host of reasons why this works well for both sellers and buyers.

Digitally native brands opening traditional stores

Though they started online, digital brands are expanding their reach by launching traditional stores and are predicted to continue doing so. Buyers benefit from physically handling the merchandise they see online and can make purchases at their convenience from home.

AR aids

Augmented reality technology is helping to bridge the digital and physical divides. Large brands, especially in furniture, have begun to include AR features to help shoppers picture furniture in their homes. An app called Shopify helps make AR technology available to smaller brands through Shopify AR. This enables shoppers to browse for furniture in a real store and then go home and view (on their phone cameras) how merchandise, such as tables, beds, etc., will look in their homes, whether the furniture matches their home décor and then they can order online rather than revisit the store.

Customisation

Both e-commerce and traditional stores are increasingly providing options to customise purchases, so that consumers can buy products personalised to their needs, from personalised embroidery on jeans and jackets and even customised shoes. While visiting a retail store, shoppers can better understand how these products look and feel.

Searching visually

A retail trend that allows shoppers to take a photo and then search multiple sites, locate and purchase an item with just a click is powered by AI (artificial intelligence). The Lens feature of Pinterest uses this technology and the Pinterest App camera to look for visually similar pins. Retailers use high quality and current visual assets to represent their wares. Consumers can see the actual merchandise, click a picture and later locate the item online for the best possible deal.

Omnichannel approach

When both online and offline channels can be used for marketing and shopping, the buying experience needs to be consistent across all channels. Integrating all offline and online channels for a seamless shopping experience is something the omnichannel approach endeavours to deliver, enabling the availability of multiple channels, such as phone, desktop, laptop, tablet or a retail outlet, to make a purchase.

Pop-up stores

New products can be marketed by temporary online and offline storefronts, which encourage shoppers to sample and buy these products, generate a social presence and help collect consumer data.

Same-day delivery

Using drones, delivery robot startups or by other means, some brands deliver orders within a day, making shopping online as prompt as offline shopping. When shoppers are faced with retail stores not having the merchandise of choice in store, they can browse other stores and then go home to order online and still expect to have the item delivered on the same day.

Google hopping

Shoppers can browse, compare and buy items from different retailers without visiting individual websites by using Google Shopping.

In today’s world, consumers are able to conduct in-depth product research before they decide what to buy and from where. The layout design of a retail store can directly affect store traffic, staying time and ultimately sales. In the age of digital stores, retail store design still holds significant relevance, and it is important to devote time and resources to maximise profits. Layouts, displays and merchandise must adapt to new trends and concepts. As new technological advances and software tools, such as Revit BIM, become increasingly used, it may be wise for retail stores and chains to find reliable BIM service providers who can deliver accurate Revit Architecture services and 3D CAD modelling services that will assist their profitable offline and online presence.

How Architectural Rendering Contributes to Design Development

What you see is what you get – how many times has that been said? In the field of architecture, this could be said about architectural rendering in the Design Development phase. The Design Development phase of architectural design can be of considerable importance in the ongoing communication process between designers and customers or owners. Visuals help keep this communication clear and transparent, and one of the key visual representations in this phase, rendering, is versatile, photorealistic and accurate when depicting the final structure. Here’s why high-quality architectural rendering services can move a project forward.

Useful both for new constructions and for renovations, rendering software’s prime objective is to provide a simulation of a building from a range of angles and distances, in the most accurate way possible. When the rendered image is accurate, it helps locate dimensional problems, it can help assess the usage of available space, and it enables the customer to be happy (or not) with both the inside and outside of their building . . . and these functions occur before construction commences.

During the Design Development phase, the architect and client work closely together to choose interior finishes, appliances and materials for windows, doors and fixtures. The initial drawings from the Schematic Design stage are modified, adding details from revised sketches. At the conclusion of this stage, the interior and exterior building design is finalised by the owner and the architect. The plans and elevations are reviewed and revised to include specifications and details needed for construction.

Project elements detailed in the Design Development stage include:

• Building materials and finishes used for the interior and the exterior
• Furniture and equipment choices and locations
• Cabinet and custom fabrications
• Lighting and technological design
• Mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems
• Miscellaneous issues that affect project constructability and that may require changes to the project or to the budget

At the end of the Design Development stage, design drawings and specifications are almost complete. The building's size, purpose, materials, configuration and spaces and the use of equipment and materials used for the structures and systems are defined. Then, the project’s budget, schedule and all building plans are decided.

So, how does rendering fit into this process?

Rendering can be done during the Schematic stage of design, but it is during the Design Development stage that many of the details of the design can be easily and comprehensively communicated to the customer through rendered images. These visual assets can be used to sell the project’s key features.

Photorealistic images are generated by rendering 3D models that include the basic mechanical and architectural details of the project design. Rendered images can be updated during the Design Development stage as changes occur. Though previously created in-house, an increasing number of engineers and designers are using external rendering specialists to create these images.

Models are endowed with a range of visual effects with rendering, such as shading, texture mapping, shadows, reflections and motion blurs. Improved rendering algorithms and hardware acceleration have made software more powerful than before. 

The key five ways rendered images are beneficial during the Design Development stage are as follows:

1. Design Flaw Identification

To picture a building in its entirety by only looking at 2D drawings has its limitations. A 3D model of a building helps see the structure from all angles. Due to this, a significant number of design flaws can be identified, which may otherwise have slipped through. These flaws can be amended before construction begins. By doing so, unnecessary expenses are minimised and construction time is shortened.

2. Effective Communication 

Architects typically aim to give customers a building that they want, as much as possible. Sometimes what the customer desires may not match with the architect’s understanding. With this 3D view of exteriors and interiors, the customer has a more informed understanding of building functions, materials and appearance. If the design seems to clash with what the customer wants, modifications can be made at this point.

3. Promotes Saleability

The view of both exteriors and interiors in 3D can help the architect display his work to the customer and convince him of why the design works efficiently for his needs. Realty developers use them to convince potential stakeholders of the project’s worth and to invest in the project. Rendered images help market houses, condominiums and villas to potential clients.

4. Walk-throughs

A walk-through is essentially a video developed from a series of rendered images so that the viewer can see external views of the building project and also has the ability to exist inside the building and actually walk through it. This lets the viewer experience a feel of the layout and experience different aspects of the building – to virtually imagine how to navigate the interiors of the building before the building has been constructed.

5. Planning and Strategy

Views generated by 3D rendered images help plan for how the interior designs of the building can be handled. Designers and architects can prepare 3D interior strategy that they can use to communicate with the task force on site and show other stakeholders. This way, they can see potential defects and rectify them.                                 

These are some of the key reasons for architectural rendering services becoming an essential tool for architects and interior designers worldwide during the Design Development phase. With several overseas firms offering 3D architectural rendering services at affordable prices and delivering 3D rendering and walk-throughs on schedule, they are becoming an increasingly preferred choice for Western firms in need of such services.

How are Stakeholders helped by Residential Architectural Renderings?

 As a home builder, architect, home designer, home buyer or indeed any other key stakeholder in the development of a residential site, you may question whether a residential architectural rendering is worth the additional time and money. Residential architectural rendering has in fact played a special role in clarifying a design vision, connecting buyers and other stakeholders to the project, and verifying the design’s feasibility. Over the years, visual models of proposed developments have been a key component to more sales and more efficient construction processes, making their evolution from hand drawn sketches to immersive 3D models inevitable.

Residential architectural rendering outputs were initially hand drawn sketches of an architect’s vision for a house. Today, renderings are even more visually inviting than in the past, and can range in their depth of detail. For example, 2D and 3D architectural rendering services are often used to help market and convey the vision for the site being developed. Alternatively, residential BIM modeling is often focused on confirming the accuracy of the building or site design, by including the display of key utilities and structural components. Whether you choose to invest in a visually appealing residential architectural rendering, or a design conscious residential BIM model, producing a visual representation of your project is a key and can benefit all parties involved.

Residential architectural rendering and residential BIM modeling allows you to clarify the vision you have for the house design being created. Whether that vision relates to aesthetics, functionality or cost it can be assessed using either residential architectural renderings or residential BIM modeling. In the case of the stakeholder, a rendering of the house is one of the best methods for establishing the initial look and feel of the site improvements. A residential architectural rendering of either an interior or exterior brings a realistic, aesthetic dimension to the design process that floor plans and section drawings are unable to achieve. The productions of residential architectural renderings communicate and confirm the vision for the building being developed between the stakeholder, contractor, and the buyers.

Residential architectural rendering of the building allows your buyers to experience and connect with your project. Using an architectural rendering for a residential development allows a homebuilder to more easily sell and market the idea of the development’s design. Renderings can be from any angle, any view, in any location, offering a variety of ways to showcase the project highlights that will help to make the sale. Not only does a residential architectural rendering allow for stress-free marketing of your site it allows for stress-free design confirmation.

With respect to design feasibility and construction, residential BIM modeling or residential architectural renderings are beneficial because they add a visual layer to the design confirmation process. By visualizing the components to be constructed, another layer of confirmation is added to the building design of the site. 3D walkthroughs, renderings, or the use of residential BIM modeling may also allow for the opportunity to increase efficiency in the building design, construction processes, or the user’s interaction with the site. Ultimately, the use of 3D architectural rendering services can prevent and mitigate design errors during the construction or design that can lead to extensive financial and time-based costs.

Although they may mean additional cost and time, the visual layer that 3d renders or BIM models can bring to the design and marketing process outweigh the cost and time drawbacks. For a number of years, the quality of renderings has evolved because key stakeholders, architects, contractors, and potential buyers demand more information and visual references – they will continue to do so and therefore the importance of a reliable, experienced, potentially offshore provider of rendered images become important.