The success of your retail construction project may rely on how well you understand the needs of your retail space and your customer base. When you have a firm grasp of both of these concepts, you can more easily work with a contractor to design your retail space. Learn about the best questions to ask your contractor when you are making plans for retail construction in Dallas, TX.
Nine Questions to Ask When Designing a New Retail Space
1. What Type of Space Do You Need?
If you can build your retail space from the ground up, then the sky’s the limit for how much you can tailor your commercial space to suit your retail purposes. But if you are renovating a building, you may be limited by how much you can expand the space, and that will determine the overall design of your store.
Selecting your floor plan will be one of the biggest decisions you will need to make. Open floor plans will allow you to change the interior layout of your retail store at any time, whereas a floor plan with built-in fixtures and smaller rooms will be more organized but more resistant to change later on. The type of customers you have may influence the floor plan that is best for your store.
2. How Do You Want to Lead Customers?
The overall design of your retail space can essentially lead your customers to your products. The layout of your retail space will determine the direction customers move while they are shopping.
Specific layouts can lead customers clockwise, and other layouts can lead customers counterclockwise, and this may determine the products that get the most attention from your clients. Your layout also determines the traffic flow of your retail space.
3. Do You Want to Display Products?
While all of the products at your store are technically on display, some retailers prefer to have specific display areas at the front of the store or by checkout lines. Display spaces allow retailers to push certain products and can also be an opportunity for retailers to communicate the personality of their brand.
To be sure, the number of products on display affects overall sales, but your customer base can also have an impact. High-end stores tend to display fewer items since scarcity can drive sales higher, whereas stores with a wider audience may want to display more products to push sales. Display areas can become a focal point in the design of your retail space, which can ultimately impact both customer impression and profits.
4. How Can You Make Your Retail Space Accessible?
Modern retailers may want to pay more attention to accessibility. Designing your retail space to honor ADA accommodations can be a smart move, particularly because accessible stores enable retailers to reach more customers. To make a retail space accessible, the overall layout should include more expansive traffic areas, ramps, and even lighting that can make it easier for visually impaired people to see.
The interior design of your retail space can also be made with accessibility in mind. Many people are overstimulated by excessive lighting or bright colors, so toning down your interior design choices is sometimes preferable. Keeping the layout of your store clean and straightforward also makes it easier for customers to navigate your store.
5. Do You Need Exterior Features?
If you are renovating your retail space, you may want to consider exterior features that can improve the functionality of your business. For restaurants and other food establishments, it may be a good idea to incorporate drive-thru features as part of the retail construction project. Including a drive-thru feature is a savvy way to increase sales, improve accessibility, and keep your business growing in the future.
6. Do You Want to Use Sustainable Materials?
For any construction project, you will always want to ask your contractor about using sustainable materials. The main reason to include sustainable materials in your construction project is to reduce the cost of utilities in the future. Incorporating solar panels can reduce electricity costs and can even help your business qualify for certain tax deductions.
Sustainable materials also leave a positive impression on customers, particularly if your brand is positioned to be eco-friendly. Sustainable materials such as recycled wood, clay, cork, and more can be ideal for redesigning a retail space. Many of these materials can be used in place of plastic for your interior features, such as display fixtures and cash register desks.
7. How Can You Solve Retail Weaknesses?
You may also want to consider how you can solve some of your weaknesses. In retail, weaknesses typically refer to any products that aren’t moving as well as other products. Sometimes, the reason why retailers have a difficult time moving certain products is because of display issues or because products are being overlooked due to overcrowding.
If this is one of the weaknesses of your store, then it’s best to choose a building design that solves this problem. One solution for this may be to create specific display areas or to redesign your checkout area to include a space for the products you want to sell more quickly. Another solution to solve retail weaknesses could be incorporating special lighting to draw customer attention to specific items.
8. Do You Need Concept Designs for Retail Construction in Dallas, TX?
Concept designs can be a great way to explore your retail construction project’s new layout and material choices. A concept design provides a detailed rendering of your remodel, so you can have a complete visual of your project before construction begins. Your construction team may give you a few concept designs so that you can explore all of your options.
Along with concept designs, your construction team will provide you with architectural plans and engineered drawings so that you can understand all the elements of your construction project. While a concept design will focus more on interior designs, an architectural plan will give a detailed overview of the building design, such as measurements for different spaces in the building.
9. What Is the Timeline for Your Project?
Finally, you will want to ask your contractor about the timeline for your project. The length of time it will take to complete your retail renovation will depend on how large your project is. While more minor renovations can be done in days or a few weeks, a project that completely redesigns a retail space can take up to three months to complete. There may be additional time added to your construction project to complete interior design projects, display products, and finalize permits.
Renovating a retail space can be a smart move if you want to increase the success of your business. However, when you want to start a construction project on a retail space, you will need to ask your contractor several questions about your redesign. Be sure to focus on how to reach your business goals when you are making design choices. If you’re ready to revamp your retail space, get in touch with Sayan Renovations & Construction today.
