Space constraints is one way to look at this topic and “space utilization” is another. Early in my career, I vividly remember a discussion with a highly successful retailer. The space we were standing in was absolutely tiny in terms that most of us relate to, but to her it had a different significance. The owner happily advised me that we were standing in the highest yielding “dollar per square foot” retail space on the West Coast. This conversation has guided my thought process regarding effective space for a very long time.
There is a great divide between “Efficient and Effective”. Efficient, evokes the idea of most merchandise in the smallest space. Effective, evokes the idea of merchandising as much inventory as you wish to show, but putting the focus on more profitable items in a highlighted manor.
Good design follows the first rule of design…”Form Follows Function”. The space you have available becomes your constraint. The “EFFECTIVE” merchandising of the items you really wish to promote and sell becomes the FUNCTION. The proper process would be to define how much merchandise you wish to promote and highlight. To give this proper visibility, it will surely take a bit more space than you might have planned for. The feature areas for merchandising should be directly in sight lines, may need security and certainly need feature lighting. These areas become the “SIZZLE” for your space.
Since Form follows Function, the remainder of the space is now defined as “general merchandising”. There are many theories about the correct number of frames to show in a space and there is no clear answer for that quantity. Less can absolutely be more, but if you are inclined to show lots of frames, one effective way to merchandise is with rotating displays. These can be both floor mounted or inserted into casework. Opting for less merchandise is my personal preference, this method allows you to keep your frame count up while still leaving spaces for feature merchandising.
