When you walk into a department or warehouse store, you may be struck by the vastness of the space. Even though these stores are stocked full of goods, there’s also plenty of space to walk and explore merchandise.

Unfortunately, smaller retail stores, like boutiques, don’t have the same access to the square footage as their larger brethren. For shop owners, this could mean deciding between stocking in-demand merchandise or creating a spacious feeling that encourages browsing. You don’t want to crowd your store; however, you also don’t want to leave inventory languishing in storage.

Making the Most of a Small Shop

What can you do to make the most of your retail space when you’re dealing with limited square footage? Here are a few practical ways to make the most of available space.

Floor Space

If you don’t have a lot of floor space for displays, you have to be economical when it comes to the size and shape of shelving units, clothing racks, bins, and so on. For example, circular clothing racks may provide an excellent means of spreading out garment displays, but they also have a lot of wasted space in the center of the rack that you can’t afford to lose. Other options allow you to display more merchandise while taking up less space.

You’ll want to choose floor models with the smallest footprint and the greatest display capacity. Rolling racks are ideal for displaying hanging clothing. They’re easy to move around as needed, and they facilitate swapping inventory in and out of your retail space as you see fit.

Gondolas are another great option for smaller retail spaces, as they take up relatively little floor space and offer shelving on both sides. They provide incredible flexibility to use shelving, bins, hooks, and more for whatever display purposes suit your needs.

Wall Space

When square footage is limited, you can always get more display potential from your retail store by making use of vertical space. When you add slatwall or gridwall to your store, you can easily place hanging displays that significantly increase your ability to showcase inventory without the need for additional floor space.

Layout

Even if you maximize your merchandising space with practical floor and wall displays, your store could feel a bit cramped once shoppers start milling about. For this reason, it’s important to direct traffic—and your layout plays a major role. Studies show that shoppers typically move to the right as they enter your store. Set up your layout to cycle them through, with signage to direct them, rather than letting them wander in confusion and hold up other shoppers.

In Conclusion

With optimal floor and wall displays, as well as a strategic layout, you can make the most of your retail space, even when working with limited square footage.

If you are interested in purchasing Retail Store displays and accessories for your retail store, shop our website, Specialty Store Services.  We have everything you need to be a profitable retailer.  If you have a question that you would like answered immediately, you can Live Chat or phone us at 800-999-0771.