Retailers know that sales increase when customers engage with the merchandise. Everyone wants to give new products a test drive, and that includes kids. Especially kids. They just naturally pick things up and check them out. Toy stores that cater to children’s natural curiosity can easily turn test drives into must-haves. What’s a parent (or grandparent) to do? That toy is going home.

Design with kids in mind

You can organize your toy store in ways that encourage children to play around. But that requires space, and for retailers, every square foot counts. So if you’re going to free up valuable floor space, you’ll want to take maximum advantage of perimeter displays to show off merchandise. This has three benefits:

• Kids have room to try out the merchandise
• It opens up kid-level cross-store sightlines that might be blocked by traditional center-store displays
• It’s easier for adults to keep track of their young charges

Providing play area has another benefit, too. When parents can watch their kids interact with toys, they don’t have to wonder if their children will like something. They can see which items are already a hit. You can take this a step further by creating a place where kids and adults can test drive games or toys together.

A separate lounge area where adults can sit and watch will be well-received, too. You don’t want customers to mistake your store for a recreation center, but savvy retailers know that shoppers who linger tend to buy more. Just make sure you put tempting impulse items within easy sight and reach of parents as well as kids.

In retail, eye-level merchandise visibility is critical, but keep in mind the age of your target audience when designing your store. Not all kids are little, and you need to appeal to wallet-wielding parents, too.

To attract a pint-sized target audience, position enticing merchandise down low. Use lots of bright colors, as well as life-size graphics of their favorite toys or action characters. Create a “selfie station” for photos with those characters, and you’ll be rewarded with invaluable social media buzz.

For older kids and adults, tabletops and shelves are fine – and “play space” is more likely to be an interactive kiosk or gaming unit. Graphics and displays higher up on walls complete your store’s atmosphere and suggestively sell at the same time.

Not just a “toy store,” but a comprehensive experience

With the right design, you can create an environment that feeds the curiosity of kids and adults alike. Custom design is a must — to create a unique, fun atmosphere and clearly brand your shop. Need some inspiration? Check out these toy stores from all around the world! Over the top? Heck, no. Each of these examples offers takeaways you can incorporate in any toy store for irresistible appeal and engagement.

The creative premise of one store was “coloring, animation, and imagination without limits, wild and indomitable, naturally bubbly and playful.” Who wouldn’t want to spend time in a place like that?