There is an art to building the perfect framework. That reference zones in retail design have to do with visitor behaviour is a fact.
That’s why we must know the market and our users before anything else. And thus, find out the hot zones and cold zones.
An integral design is essential to give personality to the space. Yet, prioritizing it over business solutions is a mistake.
Most potential customers will follow the route you propose organically. That way, we will place the elements so that this tour is as complete as possible.
For example, if we place the counter next to the entrance. How do you think the experience of a customer visiting a store to buy a specific product will be? He will locate it and go to pay.
As a result, we lose potential sales.
The hot zones are those inside the natural flow of the visitor. As a side note, it is counterclockwise.
Thus, the cold zones are the areas with the least amount of people or the least crowded.
With a regular design, the hot and cold zones split 50/50. The goal is to increase the hot zones over their counterparts.
These zones are set by the access points and the store structure. But, hey, we are here to solve it! Now hot and cold spots come into play.
The main hot spots are the entrances, counters, counselling points and fitting rooms. These elements are vital in establishing the design of the space. And they will help us drive traffic to the cold areas.
Other elements that create a hot spot are categories or products with high turnover. They increase traffic in the area.
Moreover, there are two types of cold spots. Natural ones according to the architecture, such as corners and the created ones. The latter is due to poor space design management. The idea is to reduce or remove created cold spots to a minimum by implementing an appropriate design.
So now you know a little more about heatmaps in retail design. If you want to see some of our creations, take a look at our projects section. And, if you are looking to optimize your space, we are at your disposal.
