Using Shopper Motivations to Shape Design & Growth Strategies

So often I see store designs revolve around a shop owner's likes and needs. This strategy does have the potential for success -if the shop owner also happens to be part of the store's target demographic and an avid shopper. But it's more likely that you'll find more success if you consider your customers when drafting up new store designs and growth strategies.

In their article, "From Plague to Paradigm: Designing Sustainable Retail Environments," IDEO's Steve Bishop and Dana Cho introduce readers to the five different "modes" that people generally shop in.

• Mission Mode: shoppers go in knowing what they want and are looking to get in and get out as quickly as possible.
• Restock Mode: shoppers pretty much switch on the "autopilot" and fall back on ingrained buying habits while replenishing the basics.
• Background Mode: shoppers in this mode aren't actually intending to purchase anything, but use shopping "as a means of accomplishing something more important" (i.e., shopping with friends -the shopping is the "background" to being with friends).
• Celebration Mode: shoppers are making purchases to treat themselves and are generally more open to visiting new stores and trying new products.
• Beyond-the-Store Mode: shoppers in this mode are already picturing how and when they'll use the products they are checking out within the store, and this influences their purchases.

While shopping modes are largely based on context and you'd be hard-pressed to find a customer that consistently falls in one of these categories, considering these motivations can help give direction to your store design and growth strategies.

For example, if you find that most of your customers come in "mission" or "restock" mode, you'd want to pay attention to your store layout to ensure a swift traffic flow as well as your directional signage to facilitate the quick finding of desired products. You'd also want to consider locations that are "convenient" for your shoppers -close to their homes, offices or other businesses they frequent. Or for the "beyond-the-store" moders, it might be nice to set up merchandise vignettes that showcase how your products can be used. Furniture stores like IKEA are great at this.

Finding ways to accommodate these modes within your store will help create a pleasurable experience for everyone, no matter what frame of mind they're in.

--Larry Myer (Connect with me on LinkedIn.)