Store layout

• It provides circulation plan (the silent guide). Once customer is inside the store needs to b guided silently to where to go, also to expose entire store offerings. It can b achieved by planning the circulation and the location of merchandise. a “Pinball Effect” i.e. focal points highlighted with lighting and strategic display along the aisles pull the customer from section 2 section and silently guided thru entire store.

• Width of the aisles is according to density and traffic pattern. The main aisle or highway in departmental store is 6’ wide i.e. equal 2 double door way ,facilitates easy passage both directions. Side aisles or side roads ,branch outs r usually 3-4’wide.In supermarkets aisles r 3’ wide and form a denser grid around the fixtures.

• Aisles form a circulation pattern which differs depending on store layout configuration .About 12-15% of the store carpet area is occupied by the aisles. Some of the layout circulation types r-

• Free flow circulation- merchandise and fixtures r grouped in clusters as in boutiques

• Grid circulation- used typically in supermarkets where aisles and fixtures r at right angles to each other.

• Race track circulation is used in larger and wider stores where the customer is made to circle around the floor and get back to the beginning, i.e. usually the lift or the staircase lobby to move to the next level of store.

• Herringbone circulation is used fir a narrow store of max 40’ width where the highway is single two way one, bisecting the store along the length with side roads leading to walls from it.

• Spine form is herringbone layout without the side roads. e.g. crossword

Floor Space management – • Space performance can b judged by parameters -1 sales

output-(Top-line) sales /sq ft, volumes and value achieved/sq ft, /day.2-Margins-(botom line) gross margin returns on footage (GMROF), Space productivity is determined by gross margins eared /sq ft/ day.3-Stock holding per sq ft, i.e. average inventory holding/sq ft/day measured against ideal level planned for store, stock turns in designated space plays a vital role in earning good revenue returns on the space when space occupied by r optimized at SKU, category, sub-category levels.

• Space audit-• 1-Non traded space and Black holes. Time to time

comparison of performance of each function/activity with others in relation to space occupied.

• 2-Hot spot analysis- where off- take of merchandise is max., warm spots and cold spots. Periodic analysis to convert cold spots 2 warm 2 hot. It reveals non traded space where there is no C traffic.bottelnecks and hurdles r removed to ensure no non-traded or black holes in store.

• 3-Efficiency of selling space to non-selling space-back areas, facilities area etc r periodically monitored for efficiency in deliveries

• Ground rules for successful space and layout management- 1-convinience of customer,2-turning browsers in to buyers,3-making buyers in to large basket size.4-optimise trading space to achieve max sales without neglecting role of non-trading areas and ensure C spends longer time in store for higher revenue.5-necessary corrective actions thru space audits.6-cling the mind space of C to bring him back.