Butikslayout- mer än bara estetik

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study was to investigate the connection between store layout and how it affects us as shoppers. We formed our research questions based on literature. The study was based on observations of shoppers without their knowing they were observed. We didn’t tell shoppers since the science of shopping says that shoppers pattern of movement is something that’s subconscious and if the shoppers had known it would have affected the result of the study. The character of this study therefore demanded that shoppers were free to move naturally around in the stores where our study took place. After only a few observations we could see what the result was going to be. Shoppers were affected by the store layout. We also discovered a pattern of the shoppers’ movement and came to the conclusion that the store layout at MQ in Borås wasn’t optimal. The back part of their store wasn’t as well visited by the shoppers as it could have been with a better layout. The store manager, Jägmark, had in an interview confirmed that products that were places in this back part weren’t as new and even as trendy as the products in the front part of the store. She also said that this was due to products that was placed in the back part didn’t get as much attention as the ones in the front part. We came to the same conclusion but could see that this was partly because of a lack of understanding of their costumers’ pattern of movement through the store. Based on our research we think that MQ should make a few changes and by that receive a higher number of visitors in their back part of the store as well as get a better flow through the store. We found it especially interesting that the store, after all, already had a good store layout. For example we observed a phenomenon called “the pinball effect” which is a very good way of leading the shoppers through different parts of the store. We were surprised by the fact that Jägmark already had an understanding of how her costumers moved around in her store. Even if her understanding, according to us, can become better it was a new fact for us that managers or store owners already was considering the science of shopping as a tool for improving their store layout. The fact that shop owners should consider shopping as a tool for development and to improve their store layout is something we have made the conclusion of with this study. Perhaps even more important is that we think shop owners should all take some time to observe their shoppers in order to make improvements on their layout in order to enhance their strength as competitors. Since the costumers are kings in today’s competitive business of fashion retailer, all store owners should consider that the best place to influence consumers is in the store.