Retail Image:

UNIT 15 RETAIL IMAGE: ESTABLISHMENT Establishment and

Maintenance
AND MAINTENANCE

Structure

15.0 Objectives
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Physical Aspect of the Store
15.3 Non-Physical Part of the Retail Image
15.3.1 Curving Traffic Pattern
15.3.2 Community Oriented Actions
15.3.3 General Interior In-Store Transportation (Elevator, Escalator, Stairs)
15.4 What Do We Mean by Maintenance of Retail Image?
15.5 Let us sum up
15.6 Terminal Questions

15.0 OBJECTIVES
Retail is the best channel for any business to increase its sales and overall
business. Retail comes with a lot of responsibilities which means maintaining
the image of the retail store and its regular maintenance.

In this unit you will learn about the following:-

• Physical image and maintenance of the store

• Perceived image of the retailer

• We will distinguish between the physical look & feel of the store and its
maintenance and then the invisible image which is because of the right
service, assortment mix, quality products and right pricing. This is how
consumers perceive any retail store.

15.1 INTRODUCTION
Retailers are perceived good or bad in many ways. Retail establishment has
two elements which I am describing below with the pointers.

Physical part of the image

• Location of the store
• Retailer Positioning
• Target Market
• Building of the store
• Layout of the store
• Lighting of the store
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Retail Management • Racking placement user-friendliness
Perspectives and
Communication • Chillers & Freezers
• POS – ease of doing billing
• Façade of the store / entrance + exit
• Parking facility
• Visual Merchandising
• Additional add on services such as – valet parking, alterations,
babysitting room etc
• Air-condition
• Overall ambiance of the store

Now, comes the nonphysical part which is not directly related to the physical
store ambiance.
• Customer service level of the staff
• Speed in POS billing
• Assortment mix
• Quality of products and brands
• New trendy product line
• Value of money / Pricing
• Quality promotions
• Overall ease of happy shopping
• Exchange policies
• Security team friendliness

As a retailer, he must focus on both the aspects as mentioned above as

pointers to be called a successful retailer in the city. This allows them to beat
competition also gradually.

Fig. 15.1: Shows the retail image courtesy – Prezi.com

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 Retail Image:
15.2 PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF THE STORE Establishment and
Maintenance
• Location of the Store: - Location plays a very important role in
becoming the customers’ first choice of visit. Hence, the location should
be such which should be easily approachable to the customer. It should
be near the main market. It should have other retailers also so that
customers find their destination to visit the store.

• Target Market: – Retail image is also based on target market. Before

planning to build a retail image, retailers must understand customer
buying habits likes and dislikes and their consumption pattern. Also,
what is important here is what customers look at when it comes to retail
image in that country, demography or market.

• Retailer Positioning: - Is the retailer position himself as a niche retailer,

value format or mass retailer. Based on retailer positioning the retail
image part is worked upon.

• Layout of the Store: - If the layout is customer friendly with larger

width of aisle space. Placement of categories from the beginning of the
store till the end of the store in logical manger. Category adjacencies are
kept in mind then it becomes very useful for a customer to shop. He may
complete his purchase in less time.

• Lighting of the Store:-Lux level of the store means lighting intensity

will always make the customer excited to buy the products. It should not
hit the eyes negatively. It should have sufficient light for a customer to
shop with ease even in the dead spots of the retail store.

• Rack Placements:- There are 2 elements – quality, size of the rack and
then placement of the racks etc. Quality racking systems allow right
product mix display which allows customers to shop with the speed
sufficiently.

• Chillers& Freezers: - There are products which are perishable in nature

and also require chilling before selling. Good quality fixtures will always
create a wow image of a retail store in front of customer eyes.

• POS:– Customers may spend 2 hrs in shopping but they want the billing
to be done quickly. So, it is important for a retailer to have speed POS
machines and quality cashiers to bill the merchandise with speed. Also,
customers want enough gap between 2 customers standing in a queue
with good air-conditioning around it.

• Façade of the Store / Entry and Exit Points: - The best way to build an
image is to have a good façade of the store with good quality branding. It
builds the image of a retailer. Also entry and exit points must have width
for customers to walk through from it. Multiple entry and exit points
generally customers like as they may access the store with ease.
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Retail Management • Additional Services:- Services like Valet parking, Parking, Washrooms,
Perspectives and
Communication Baby sitting room, CSD desk, alterations these are given and expected as
mostly retailers are offering hence these are always important to be part
of it.

• Visual Merchandising:- VM improves the aesthetic looks of the store

through the VM windows building themes or quality merchandise. The
high points and branding above the brand product placement add more
feathers to the display of the merchandise. Mannequins’ placement
allows customers to see the merchandise in a real life scenario as if the
customer himself is wearing it.

• Air-Condition: – Good Air-condition units save cost and give effective

cooling. Retailers score well when customers find the right temperature
inside the retail stores.

• Overall Ambiance of the Retail Store:- If the above-mentioned

pointers managed well then there are chances that the retailer may score
well or at par with other. retailers. Anything short may bring the retailer
to a lower efficiency level which is not expected.

• Security Team Friendliness: Customers are very particular about the

security team behavior hence these aspects also build a positive image in
the minds of the customers.

• Retail Technology: - it makes the customers life easy as they find the
product on time with speed. Retailers obviously are able to deliver goods
to customers in store with ease.

• Building of the Retail Store: Customers look at the building whether it

is a new building or old building or store in mall. How a retailer has
converted the building like any good retail format store. Customers are
always eager to see and feel this aspect while shopping.

15.3 NON-PHYSICAL PART OF THE RETAIL

IMAGE
• Customer Service Level:– Customers want services when they need the
most on product pricing and quality of the merchandise. So, if they need
any products which are not visible, they may seek help. Retailers with a
good quality well trained team may bring the service to an optimum
level. This is the main differentiator which decides the image of the
retailer or retail store.

• Speed in POS Billing:- Good quality cashiers who are capable of doing
faster checkouts are always appreciated by the customers.

• Assortment Mix: - This is a key differentiator where the consumer finds

clearly a difference between two retailers. Good Assortment mix is a
248 long-term driver for a retailer to build an image in front of the customer.
 Retail Image:
This also requires good pricing, competitive pricing, good quality Establishment and
promotions providing value to the customers. Maintenance

• Newly Launched Products:- Retailers showcasing newly launched

products of brands which they are keeping is always an attraction to the
customers.

• Exchange Policies: - Good hassle-free exchange policies and customer

friendly customer service desk always build a good image in front of the
customers.

• Fill Rates: - Customer while shopping must have all the products
mentioned in his shopping list. It is important for a retailer to have a
good assortment mix and optimum levels of fill rates to the tune of 80%+
all the time in all SKU’s.

• Floor Space: - More floor space is dedicated to the products for display
of merchandise. Customers should be able to buy with ease and
merchandise intensity should be at the optimum levels.

• Cross Merchandising: - Cross merchandising helps the customer to

connect one product with the other product as both the products are
dependent on each other. These displays always promote higher sales.
Customers also get the direct benefit of choosing the best possible
options under cross merchandising displays.

Exteriors
Store
Layout

Atmosphere created
by Retailer

General Interior
interior displays

Fig. 15.2: Shows the non-physical part of retail

15.3.1 Curving Traffic Pattern

Advantages

• A friendly atmosphere
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Retail Management • Shoppers do not feel rushed
Perspectives and
Communication • People are encouraged to walk through any direction
• Impulse of unplanned purchases are enhanced

Disadvantages

• Possible customer confusion

• Wasted floor space
• Difficulties in inventory control
• Higher labor intensity
• Potential loitering
• Displays may cost more

15.3.2 Community Oriented Actions

• Make store barrier free for disabled shoppers
• Show a concern for recycle trash for the environment
• Support Charities
• Employ area residents
• Run sales for senior citizens
• Sponsor little league and youth activities
• Initiate donations
• Cooperate with neighborhood planning groups

15.3.3 General Interior In-Store Transportation (Elevator,

Escalator, Stairs)
• Personnel
• Merchandise
• Price levels
• Displays
• Technology
• Store cleanliness
• Flooring
• Colors
• Lighting
• Scents
• Sounds Store fixtures
• Wall textures
• Temperature
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 Retail Image:
• Aisle space Establishment and
Maintenance
• Dressing facilities
• Dead Areas

Check Your Progress-A

1) Can you define apparel store especially department stores of 20,000 sq ft

+ stores. Which store do you like the most on the physical aspect of
retailer image?
…………………………………………………………………………….
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…………………………………………………………………………….
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2) Can you define in apparel store specially department stores of 20,000 sq

ft + stores. Which store you the like the most on Nonphysical aspect of
retailer image?
…………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………….

15.4 WHAT DO WE MEAN BY MAINTENANCE

OF RETAIL IMAGE?
Creating and maintaining a retail image is a difficult and an ongoing process
for any retailer. Same way retailers have to maintain the physical image of
the store and nonphysical image of the store. Why maintenance is required
because the customer wants a fresh look and higher customer services both
visually and through service levels. Due to high competition in the market
every retailer has to give their best foot forward to get maximum market
share of the business. This is possible when physical and nonphysical retail
image is maintained equally at the optimum levels.

15.5 LET US SUM UP

Every retailer is ensuring that they do best for their customers but in the end
they mess up something or the other. Retailers need a qualified team who
understands retail science and customer psychology. Their experience from
reputed retailers’ experiences may build any good quality retail store. So now
the question is how we bring a niche in our approach of building a retail
image in front of the eyes. Retailers need strong eyes for detailing. It can
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Retail Management pinpoint small problems and solutions can be derived for the problems. All
Perspectives and
Communication the initiatives to build retail image requires investment of time and cash both
above all requires a lot of patience and hard work in maintaining it. So I
would say maintenance is a key in maintaining retail image in front of the
customers.

15.6 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1) Which lux level is needed is apparel vs food retail stores?
2) Why cashiering speed is important to please the customers?
3) Why assortment is a backbone of building retail image?
4) Why Fill rate is a backbone for customers to keep coming to the store?
5) Why store location is important for a retail image standpoint?
6) Can you list stores which do not have a good retail image in customers
mind? Why?

Further Readings
Books

• Swapana Pradhan-Retailing Management

• Dravid Gilbert-Retail Marketing
• George H, Lucas Jr., Robert P. Bush, Larry G Greshan-Retailing
• J. Lamba- The Art of Retailing
• Barry Berman, Joel R Evans- Retail Management; A Strategic Approach

Website and Online Resource

www.apple.com
www.cluteinstitute-onlinejournals.com
www.prezi.com

Note: These questions/exercises will help you to understand the unit better.
Try to write answers for them. But do not submit your answers to the
University for Assessment these are for your practice only.

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