Reception furniture in a retail store? “But our customers are here to shop,” you’re saying. “We don’t need a waiting area.” Perhaps not in the traditional sense. But if you consider “reception” furniture in a broader context, incorporating it in your retail store can be a profitable decision.

Today’s retail is all about customer experience. Convenience and comfort encourage shoppers to linger and browse – and buy more. Ideally, you want them to think of your store as a destination, not a place to zip in, grab an essential, and escape. That’s why bookstores have provided comfortably furnished reading areas for decades, often with coffee and snacks, too. Could you adopt a variation on this theme?

Some types of stores naturally require customer seating. After all, shoppers need to sit to try on shoes. And if your store sells furniture, you obviously want customers to try out the merchandise. But there are other benefits to adding seating to your store.

The psychology of sitting

When customers sit down, they are settling in. In effect, they have taken a first step toward buying – sitting down to learn more about a product or interact with merchandise. If you personally present or demonstrate items to your customers, sitting across a small table – or, better yet, side by side – is far more intimate than a standard display counter.

An unharried shopper will buy more

Anyone who has ever been shopping with a reluctant partner understands the value of reception furniture. Women have known for years that most husbands hate tagging along. What could be more boring?

Providing a comfy “reception” area for companions lets them relax in peace. You can amuse them with short videos or top-quality magazines, and make sure the coffee is fresh, with plenty of condiments. The less antsy they are, the more your customer can browse and buy without feeling pressured to “get on with it.”

Location, location, location

The entrance of a retail store is where customers pause to get their bearings. Likewise, your cash wrap is probably close to the entrance, where sales associates can “receive” new shoppers with a welcoming hello. But placing furniture up front would create a visual and functional barrier, whereas your interior should beckon visitors farther inside.

You can create a seating area toward the back or the side. Or sprinkle seating throughout your store. Or arrange your reception furniture to separate shopping areas or departments.

What furniture should you choose? Sofas, cushy upholstered chairs, straight-back chairs, stools, benches – it depends on the purpose. Seating for customer demo areas should be comfortable. The chair or bench seating in a dressing room is there for utility.

Just make sure the seating you provide faces your merchandise, so you never lose the visual power of suggestion. And remember to display tempting impulse items close by.

Incorporating reception furniture shows you care about your customers. And there may be one more benefit. With recent concerns about “suitable seating” for retail employees, providing areas where sales associates can sit with customers will show you care about your staff, too.