#decompressionzone

Retail interior design is a tricky and challenging genre to tackle. There are so many things going on at once that it can be quite hard to focus on a single thing. But you have to understand that overlooking ever one aspect – be it ergonomics or even the aesthetic – can end up driving potential customers away from the outlet.

One of the most important aspects to consider while designing a retail outlet is the decompression zone. This is basically the first few feet of the shop where the customer is acclimatizing themselves to their new surroundings and deciding whether to venture any further or not. Therefore, it is crucial that this part of the outlet be especially welcoming and attractive. Here are 5 ways you can better the decompression zone in your retail interiors.

Allocate a lot of space

First and foremost, the decompression zone should be adequately welcoming. This means that it should never be cramped, otherwise, the potential customers will unconsciously disassociate with the shop and automatically move on to the next place. So you should always allocate at least the first ten to fifteen feet of your shop to the decompression zone and make sure it features a lot of circulation space.

The rule of right & the power wall

Did you know that 99% of people tend to turn right during a shopping experience? It’s quite an interesting and well-known fact that can help determine the path-paving of a successful retail interior design. You can use this concept to better your decompression zone and create an efficient circulation path throughout your outlet. You can even situate your ‘power wall’ – the wall that features your best products, your outlet logo, or your brand identity – to the right of your decompression zone in order to fully utilize this concept.

Feature you star products here

The decompression zone is basically used to attract potential customers to survey your outlet and invite them further inside. Therefore, you should always feature the best products in the outlet in the major decompression zone. In case the outlet has more than one entrances, you should create a decompression zone for each one in order to attract potential customers from all sides.

Make it a major attraction

The decompression zone in any retail interior design has to be a major attraction. This means that you can go all-out with the aesthetics. You might install a hydroponic wall as a backdrop, or you might have a temporary art installation to highlight your products. You can use a smart mannequin arrangement – rotating posteriors have been making successful rounds in casual wear outlets these days.

Use specialized lighting

Many would say that lighting is the fourth dimension, and most of the time that is absolutely right. This is especially relevant to retail interior design, where lighting is used to highlight the products on display. Specialized lighting in the decompression zone can definitely spruce up the ambience of the decompression zone.