The Ultimate Guide to Remodeling Your Retail Space

All retail business owners know: for shoppers, first impressions are everything. The design and layout of your retail space play a critical role in making that positive first impression. What impression do you want your store to give? And most importantly - is that what it’s giving now?

If you’ve found this blog, chances are your answer to that last question is “no.” If you’re considering a commercial remodel for your retail space, it can be hard to know where to start. This ultimate guide will help you create a plan for remodeling your retail space that balances your needs, budget and timeline.

Break Down the Why and Your Goals

Before tackling any remodel, it’s important to identify exactly why you need a remodel. For retailers, a remodel is most likely initiated by one (or more) of the following:

• Outdated fixtures and technology
• Functionality and flow impairments
• A branding update
• Needed repairs
• Insuring ADA compliance

Once you’ve identified your why, then you’ll have clear goals for the project. This will help keep everything streamlined, focused and make it easier to measure progress. 

Gather Some Data-Driven Inspiration

The planning phase is where you can start pulling ideas and creating mood boards. You can start simply, by browsing sites like Pinterest (or check out our commercial gallery) and saving inspiration.

From there, get the rest of the team involved and your customers, so you have data-driven insights to ensure that your redesign not only looks good, but also improves functionality and draws in customers.

Also keep in mind some retail design best practices that have been shown to increase purchases:

• The entrance to your store - known as the decompression zone - is vital. It needs to be welcoming, well-lit and free of clutter.
• Know that most shoppers will first head to the right of the store, so that’s a key area to place hot items.
• Most shoppers will travel counterclockwise through your store. Construct pathways to make it easy for them to do so.
• Space is vital. There’s even a phenomenon dubbed the “butt-brush effect” - people do not like to be touched from behind, and will avoid standing in a spot where other people walking behind might brush them. 

Create a Plan

Now that you have your goals and some inspiration scoped out, it’s time to put all this research into a more concrete plan. We recommend writing this down or typing it up to create an easy reference. Lay out your needs, goals and key areas of inspiration. 

Additionally, this is where you’ll need to start thinking about details like budget, timeline and scope. Looking at your needs and goals, how extensive is your project? That will impact your budget and timeline. 

Before setting your budget, do some initial research into costs based on your needs. Items like new flooring and structural changes can be quite costly, so it’s helpful to know going in what to expect. 

Partner with an Expert

Finally, choose a commercial remodeler who will be able to execute your vision while providing valuable direction and advice. Beyond just location and price, consider these factors when choosing a commercial remodeler for your retail project:

• Review past projects. They should have an area on their website or a profile on a site like Pinterest or Houzz where you can view their portfolio. 
• Check reviews. Explore reviews and testimonials on their website as well as Google and Facebook. This will show you what others have experienced. 
• Look at their certifications. At minimum, any commercial remodeler should have the required state licenses. But go beyond that, to see what other certifications, accreditations and partnerships they hold.
• Request a quote. This will give you the opportunity to peek into how a remodeler operates before you engage with them on a project. How responsive are they? Are they considerate of your requests? 

This ultimate guide will get you started on remodeling your retail space. If you’re ready to go further, we’re ready to help.

Titus Commercial Remodeling Services in Minnesota

At Titus Contracting, our goal is to create comfortable workplaces that help you attract new business and new talent. With decades of experience, let Titus Contracting help with your remodeling, build out needs. We offer additions, tenant construction, retail buildouts, construction management, custom design-and-build remodeling services.

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Titus Contracting is a full-service remodeling company offering commercial and residential construction. We have an office in Burnsville, Minnesota and work throughout the Twin Cities.