Essay Sample on Layout Design

Introduction

In the following discussion I choose to discuss Wal-Mart Stores, and one particular branch that I visited is West branch the Miami United States.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Appearance

Are the store layout, design, and visual merchandising techniques used consistent with the exterior of the store and the location?

The store's layout, design and visual merchandising appearance style applied in the exterior and location are harmonically presented. The signs have a significant blue colour since that is also one other retail shop theme colour. The goods that have promotional prices are tagged with a big signboard with the price conspicuously written. There are some separate tables within the stores that they are strategically located, they are meant to present merchandised goods from different companies, some of the products are new in the market, and some are existing ones but they want to enhance the awareness of their product items to lure more customer s to purchase.

What does it say about the type of store this is and the market it is trying to attract?

This is a retail store that specializes in selling different households items and it is aimed at attracting the general public who are frequent consumers of these types of products. The store image is also appealing to the targeted market scope, and its appearance stands out from other competitors and evokes the lucrativeness of their services through the store image and appearance.

Is the store's ambience consistent with the merchandise presented and your expectations as a customer?

Wal-Mart Stores has an ambience that is consistent with what is presented by the merchandise. It is identified that Wal-Mart Stores specialises in the household items, the aura, mood and complexion are aligned with the household items that are sold. The merchandise that sells at Wal-Mart Stores presents the wide variety of products that can be used in the houses, consumed by the customers and used for entertainment; all of them are modern and at affordable prices.

Does the store need a face-lift, update, remodel, or renovation? What improvements would you suggest?

Generally, the outlook of the store is appealing attractive and consistent to the products sold, therefore there is no need for the remodelling or renovation to improve its appearance. However, there is a need to include face-lift to make it more engaging. For instance, the suitable suggestion for this case is the inclusion of the images of the products that have a special promotion or low price, rather than including the price tag without mentioning the product. This is to enhance the visual appearance of the product promotion.

Fixtures

Does the lighting highlight merchandise, structure space, capture a mood, or downplay unwanted features?

There are no adjustments needed when it comes to the lighting and structure space to capture the moods or to downplay unwanted features. The store applies to pop the merchandise to give enough lighting to promote its visual enhancement and visibility both interior and exterior. Also, there is some background music playing to arouse the mood of the customers. To downplay the unwanted features, there will need to remove the merchandise table from the front of the entrance, at least to create the desire for the customer to get attracted with other products while at the entrance.

Are the fixtures consistent with the merchandise and the overall ambience of the store?

The fixtures in Wal-Mart Stores are consistent with the merchandise and they are appealing to the customer and at the same time attracting their attention.

What type of image do the fixtures portray?

The type of image the fixtures portray is of harmony and welcoming. They contain the product name, logo and products slogan.

Layout

Does the store layout help draw people throughout the store? Why or why not?

The store is considerably and evenly spaced to accommodate a large number of customers, and also the store is well ventilated. In the grid layout, items are presented according to their nature and application. For instance, the section of groceries is different from that of detergent and that of electronics. The frequently purchased goods, such as foods, are presented in a way that can be easily seen and reached.

How does the layout facilitate purchases?

The layout promotes ease of traffic for the customers and at the same time arranging items within a store in a convenient manner for the customer to access.

What type of layout is used? Would another type of layout be better?

The store has a grid layout of the design. This layout is perfect for this type of store considering that it welcomes a large number of customers through its operation hours.

Merchandising

Has the retailer employed any techniques for achieving greater space productivity such as using the "cube," downsizing gondolas and racks, minimizing no-selling space, etc.?

There is no technique employed on the achieving of the greater space productivity.

Are there any displays that increase interest in the products being offered? If not, would you recommend any?

Wal-Mart store that I visited had no window display of the products that they sell, more especially those in the promotion. When outside the customers cannot know what is being offered until when they will get closer to the entrance of the stores. I would recommend that the walls of the stores to be renovated to create space for the inclusion of the glass walls that will be used to display products that will lure the onlookers and passer-by into purchasing what they feel is suitable for them. That way, it will attract the number of customers who will be coming purchasing for items.

How has the retailer organized merchandise? What improvements could be made?

The merchandise goods are presented at the front of the rest to attract the customers' attention and to make the customers to be aware of them. This can be improved by positioning them on the respective product segment, for instance, if the product is a detergent, the merchandise table should be near where the other detergents are. This will ease shopping among the customers, also it will reduce congestion at the entrance of the stores since there are some of the products that are at the entrance and yet they are not relevant to the customers who are coming to purchase them.

Summarize

Summarize your suggestions on how this retailer can improve the shopping experience for their customers, increase sales, and improve their image. This assignment is related to material in Chapter 18, Store Layouts, Design, and Visual Merchandising, but you can start now if you would like to do so.

There is an increasing competition in the market, this goes without mentioning the retail store's competition. Competitive retail stores are mushrooming in every city in the United States that makes the industry to flood (Ausick, 2018). Few of them include Costco Wholesale Corporation, Kroger Company, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., Tesco PLC, Carrefour SA, Amazon.com, Inc., Metro Group AG among many others. However, that does not keep any of the competitors to abandon their business; but instead, they are trying all their best to ensure that they are attractive and bold in the market to attract more customers, though it goes along will executive customer services.

Although Wal-Mart has been there in the industry still there are some of the adjustments that needs to be done to enhance its visual appearance attract more customers since the market keeps o expanding, or else it will lose its visual dominance to its competitors. I suggest having a wall display of the products that are new to the market, under promotion or have low sales. Waters (2018) affirms that this will create awareness of the products to the customers outside the stores who will think of getting inside and purchasing. Secondly, minimizing the merchandise around the entrance within the entrance areas of the supermarket will create congestion and even not specifically attracting the targeted customers (Waring, 2018). Not all of the customers who will see the merchandise will purchase, instead, the merchandise could be position on the respective position within the store. Thirdly, in the price tags that have a bold and wide promotional price, the management can consider also including the name of the products whose price is mentioned, rather than the price only (Hasty, 2018). With the three above suggestion, there will be an absolute increase in sales, improved customer experience and enhanced image.

References

Ausick, P. (2018). A Map of How Wal-Mart Lays Out Its Stores to Lift Sales. Retrieved from https://247wallst.com/retail/2017/01/09/a-map-of-how-wal-mart-lays-out-its-stores-to-lift-sales/Hasty, J. (2018).

10 Visual Merchandising Tips for Increasing Event Sales. Retrieved from https://www.shopify.com/retail/10-visual-merchandising-tips-for-increasing-event-salesWaring, D. (2018).

Visual Merchandising: How to Display Products In Your Store. Retrieved from https://fitsmallbusiness.com/visual-merchandising-guide/Waters, S. (2018).

How to Create Powerful and Attractive Visual Displays. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/creating-attractive-displays-2890497