Palmer Retail Solutions Blog

Psychology of Color in Store Design

Posted by Kathy Heil on Jan 7, 2015 12:39:39 PM

Color Your Retail Store for Success

Color has amazing power. How you use color in your store design can dramatically affect whether customers stick aroundColored Signs long enough to look around, and whether or not they decide to buy. That means you can’t just paint the walls your favorite color and expect to succeed. You have to understand the psychology of color in store design, and consider how your customers will subconsciously interpret your use of color.

Consider these statistics:

  • Customers get a “feel” for your store within 90 seconds of entering.
  • Research indicates that color is solely responsible for somewhere between 62% and 90% of that first impression.
  • Color accounts for as much as 85 percent of the reason we choose to buy one product instead of another.

Color can generate excitement or calm, happiness or anxiety. One thing that’s certain, though, is that the psychology of color is a proven science. And that means you can rely on the facts of color to create exactly the right shopping environment for your customers.

The 80/20 Rule

There are multiple ways you can use color to influence shoppers. You can create an atmosphere that invites people into your store, showcase certain products, and reinforce your visual branding.

Different colors evoke different emotions, and you can use that to your advantage throughout your store design. Some colors are soothing, or convey a sense of reliability or good health. Bright colors are cheerful. They draw the eye, causing shoppers to stop and pay attention. Too much, though, and customers can become overwhelmed or anxious. If they are uncomfortable, they will leave, and studies show they are much less likely to return.

So use neutrals as your primary colors – that’s the 80 percent – and use accent colors only for the remaining 20 percent. The key is to choose a color scheme that appeals to your target audience and makes your merchandise pop. Think about the color wheel. You can choose a monochromatic scheme, pick colors that are similar to one another, or choose complementary or other “opposing” hues.

Color Improves Signage

Advertising that includes color is 42 times more likely to be read, and understood, than black-and-white ads. Your signs are in-store advertising that communicate important information to shoppers. They indicate the location of your restrooms or dressing rooms, and key merchandise areas. Smartly used as part of your store design, they can also draw shoppers toward featured displays or stop them in their tracks, right in front of a specific item.

For example, red is one color that can set people’s teeth on edge if overused. But have you ever noticed that “sale” signs are always red? So are “stop” signs, because red has the power to arrest our attention.

Used well, color sells your store to prospective customers. It makes them comfortable, so they want to shop and spend. And it literally sells your merchandise. However, the merchandise itself should always be your most prominent visual. If your décor is too showy, it will overshadow your products instead of highlighting them.

Download the Retail Psychology eBook

Palmer Retail Solutions strives to offer our clients the absolute best combination of innovation, quality, service, and value for our diversified custom store fixtures and merchandising displays. For more information about our designs, retail fixtures, cash wraps, kiosks, or point of purchase displays, visit our website at: http://www.palmerretailsolutions.com.

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