There are a few 90/90 rules out there—for decluttering, for sales, or for money trading. The 90/90 rule that I am talking about here is a guideline for shop owners regarding the importance of color in store design.
It is commonly known in the industry that potential customers make a subconscious judgment about a brand within 90 seconds of entering a store, and 90% of first impressions are based on color. Quite simply, use the right colors in your retail store design because it makes a huge difference. (shopPOPdisplays)
Short Attention Spans
90 seconds! That’s just one and a half minutes of making a first impression about your shop based on color! So whether it’s a supermarket, a coffee shop, a clothing store, or a hair salon, etc., keep the 90/90 rule in mind when you are designing your commercial space.
There are other elements that influence a customer’s decision, and that is whether you are a known brand—a global one or a local one—, whether your products and services appeal to the customer, or whether your service is good.
However, do keep in mind that the 90/90 rule refers to a FIRST IMPRESSION, and that impression is based on color.
A few years back while attending an FB workshop, I found it shocking to be told that it takes about 2 seconds for a post to capture the attention of people in order to engage with it. That’s storytelling on steroids—with the mix of images (still or moving), audio, colors, and music. That first impression carries the heavy lifting in order for the consumer to spend time on your message or not. What makes it so challenging for business is, 1) there’s so much noise out there with so much content to consume, and 2) moving on has never been easier, it just takes a simple swipe-up.
Brick and mortar stores have it “easier” than social media content, but not by much. 90 seconds vs. 2 seconds to capture the attention of your target audience are both challenging to pull off. If you’re new on the block, you’ve got to make a fantastic first impression.
Important Points to Keep in Mind When Designing Your Shop
Most shop owners get an interior designer and/or architect to hold their hand when they make their commercial space. I think that’s a wise move. Still, it would be good to know what needs to be done since it’s your business and you know more about it than anyone else.
Here are some major points to keep in mind when you give a brief to your external partners.
1. Color psychology
When you’ve come this far in your business that you are thinking about building a commercial space, you’ve already given your brand a lot of thought, like your brand identity, brand personality, target audience, and how you want to position your business in the industry you’re in.
Colors influence emotions, and you use colors to strengthen the connection to your brand. Here are some colors and how they are used:
- Blue – associated with trust, reliability, and stability, and often used by banks and insurance companies
- White – represents purity, cleanliness, minimalism, and used by brands in wellness and tech
- Green – symbolizes nature, growth, health, and used in wellness, food, and sustainable companies
- Red – is attention-grabbing and gives off the vibes of energy and passion, often used in sports stores, restaurants, and fast food shops
- Yellow – represents happiness and optimism, used in places that want to appear fun and approachable, like toy stores.
- Black – exudes elegance, sophistication, and power, so it’s not surprising this color is used in luxury brands, expensive fashion brands, and hi tech companies.
I saw a short video (can’t remember where) that said, “The real value is not in the product you’re selling but in the feeling that your customer is buying.” Color is one of the most compelling elements that you can leverage to evoke the desired emotional response. Remember that when you’re building your commercial space.
Use colors deliberately to create an immersive space for your customers that will enhance their experience in your shop. Happy customers would be more easily persuaded to spend their money.
2. Align your shop colors with your brand identity
Brand identity is the tangible visual representation of your brand (logo, colors, fonts). You have to strive for consistency across all your marketing materials, including your website, logo, social media, and packaging. So when you are choosing the color palette for your shop, make sure that the colors are in alignment with your brand identity.
Color remains a key factor in attracting customers, and even retaining them. Of course, other factors come into play like location, accessibility, the way you showcase your products, circulation planning and traffic flow in the space, a layout design that provides an intuitive understanding for customers to move around in the space.
3. Know your target audience
A deep understanding of your target audience will help you choose the color palette well.
Assuming that food quality and price are equal, young people usually gravitate to instagrammable spaces. For seniors, comfort is key. Study the cafés sprouting around the city, and you’ll see what I mean. I have two in my neighborhood, just a few meters apart. But you can really see the distinct age range of clientele entering each place.
One has a huge metal pivot door with a rust-like color and texture. It opens into a space with gray concrete walls and floors, and an open ceiling that emphasizes the industrial feel. A huge metal-clad barista bar occupies a whole wall on one side. Behind the bar covering the whole wall is an arrangement of moss and tree roots that is certainly a talking point. An extruded window ledge in front offers views of the street outside. Mismatched chairs and wooden tables, and some vintage finds, give the place a warm vibe.
A few meters from this café is an Italian restaurant that has a French metal and glass facade. The black metal framed door opens into a space with a black and white tiled floor. The place reminds me of an upscale Italian bistro, very cozy and comfortable. Guests are greeted by a burst of color from the art works on the walls, seats, plates and water glasses. The restaurant also has a ledge with high stools at the front for guests who find the street view interesting.
Based on my short descriptions, can you guess the preference of the different age groups?
4. Lighting
Colors change with the light. I’m sure your interior designer will give you guidance here. Light temperature is also important because they emit different vibes, such as warm lighting to create a cozy atmosphere and cool lighting to keep one alert. There is also the functional requirement of providing ample illumination to product displays.
The 90/90 Rule
There are a lot of elements to consider. But do keep this important one top of mind:
Potential customers take 90 seconds to make a decision whether to explore your shop further or not. 90% of first impressions are based on color.
If you want your shop to shine, choose your colors wisely.
Check out this recent article on a hardware store-themed café in Quezon City.
