How to Choose the Right Shop Fitter for Your Store

A retail shop that’s properly fit out helps enhance the overall shopping experience of your customers. You want your customers to feel comfortable while browsing your store and the whole psychology of this matter can be attributed towards shop fitting. The way your store looks can have a huge impact on how your business is perceived by your customers and you want to make a strong first impression the moment they step inside. This can definitely be achieved with the help of a professional shopfitter.

Shopfitters are experts at designing commercial businesses with equipment, fittings, and fixtures. They know what to look for in terms of the design elements that match with your brand’s image. The question is, how do you choose the right shopfitter for your business? Today we’ll be taking a look at some tips that you can follow when selecting a shopfitter to work with.

What is shopfitting?

First off, it’s important to get a good understanding of what shopfitting is. Shopfitting is the process of adding fittings, equipment, and fixtures to the interior of a retail store. However, the trade can also apply to other industries like hypermarkets, hospitals, and other establishments that require fixtures and fittings. Different businesses require different shop fittings. For example, fashion boutiques require sophisticated and modern styling to attract their target audience while a hardware store may pay less attention to aesthetics and instead focus on a somewhat industrial design.

The process begins by surveying the site and measuring the available space of the premises. The shopfitter will work in close coordination with interior designers and manufacturers of bespoke furniture to create a design that fits the overall theme of your brand. Shopfitters are usually the ones who will supply the fixtures and equipment, but you can opt to select fittings that you desire. The shopfitting industry has played an important role in helping businesses establish their brand identity through their physical stores.

Not all shopfitters deliver equal results as the quality and design may vary from company to company. As with most businesses, shopfitters that have been around in the industry long enough tend to be the most successful ones. Here are the things you should look out for.

1. Choose a shopfitter with a convincing portfolio
When it comes to choosing a shopfitter, you want to go with one that has a proven track record. You can find out a lot about a company just by looking at their portfolio and you can even find inspiration from their work to create your own designs. A reputable shopfitter will have a vast portfolio of work to show for and they may even invite you to visit the stores they’ve fitted out.

2. Make sure they’re easy to communicate with
Communication is key when fitting out your store. You want to make sure that you and your shopfitter are on the same page in terms of the look and feel of your shop’s interior space. If there is a breakdown in communication, then you’ll most likely be faced with expensive changes later on. Figure out your ideas and discuss them accordingly with your shopfitter so they can provide you with the results that meet your expectations.

3. They should be able to explain the entire fit out process
While your knowledge in running a business can certainly be beneficial, it might not always align with the principles involved in fitting out a retail store correctly. Thus, it’s crucial for your shopfitter to explain the entire fit out process so you can get a good idea of how your retail store will turn out. From the design stages all the way to execution, don’t hesitate to ask questions about your shopfitter’s design choices. Each fixture, fitting, and lighting should serve a functional purpose to help improve the buying experience of your customers.

4. Don’t go for cheap fit out services
It can be tempting to go for cheap fit out services, but you have to keep in mind why they’re cheap in the first place. You’ll most likely receive inferior workmanship and subpar materials, both of which can impact the ambience and mood of your retail store. Even if the initial fit out looks good, there’s no guarantee it will last for a long time. If you want quality fit out services, look for a shopfitter with accreditations. Ask if their work is industry-approved and don’t hesitate to gather feedback from their clients. You don’t want a cheap shopfitting company to handle your retail store because it can only lead to costly repairs and remodelling in the future.

The importance of shopfitting

In essence, a store would not be able to survive if it had a lacklustre interior that affected the shopping experience of the customers. That is why a fit-out is important to businesses because, without it, customers will end up getting frustrated. You want your customers to easily find what they’re looking for while marveling at the beauty of your showcased products. If customers feel comfortable and relaxed while shopping, they are more inclined to stay and shop longer.

There’s no denying that a good shopfitting plays a great deal of psychology in the minds of your customers. The products are placed in an organised fashion and there is a free flow of customers inside your store. Everything from the lighting to the fixtures are accounted for and these can help contribute to a high level of sales by developing a loyal customer base.