Make your Spaza Shop Work For You

MAKE YOUR SPAZA SHOP WORK FOR YOU – COST-EFFECTIVE WAYS TO REVAMP YOUR SPACE RETAIL MATTERS

Spaza shops are high-traffic areas, which means cracked floors, chipped paint and damage to fixtures and fittings. It is important to keep up with maintenance, and to repair and replace damaged fixtures to keep your store in tip-top shape and looking good for your customers. Shopfitting is known to be expensive, but there are cost-effective ways to keep your interior looking good without breaking your budget. Just because you are revamping, doesn’t mean you must start from scratch. Reuse your existing shelving and built-in units. If they are looking worn, some sanding and a fresh coat of paint will breathe new life into them.

Metal lasts forever

way to get these expensive fittings for a fraction of the cost. Lots of retail racking and shelving ends up on auction when retailers go out of business, so scan your local newspaper for any upcoming auction dates. Shopfitters can easily rework any second-hand metal fittings that you have bought for your own store’s needs.

Opt for modular display units – the quickest way to a redesign

If you are tired of your old shelving and want a completely new look, you may want to invest in shelving that can be reconfigured into different display set-ups, and units on caster wheels for easy movement around your store. This is the quickest and easiest way to keep your interior fresh and interesting at no extra cost.

Corrugated cardboard for the tight budget

Corrugated cardboard is light, easy to move and can be printed, painted or left raw. It is a great option for temporary displays and will usually last a few months if it is looked after. Corrugated cardboard is a fast and very affordable way to give your retail interior a boost until you are able to invest in more permanent structures.

All-white is the name of the game

Any retailer with a limited budget should consider an allwhite interior. A white interior automatically makes any space look bigger, brighter and less cluttered. White is fashionable, and you can quickly, easily and cheaply update your interior with pops of colour in point-of-sale displays, seasonal displays and other accessories.

Pull feet into your store and cash into your tills

There are ways to maximise your space, regardless of what you are selling and how many square feet you have to work with.

Efficient layout

An efficient layout is the first step to making the most of your store space. A good start is doing a spring-clean by decluttering your store. A cramped and crowded space makes it harder for your customer to find – and buy – what they need. Your first step is to allocate the available space to the various types of merchandise and products. The more merchandise your customers are exposed to, the more they will buy. Consider the traffic flow in your store – can your customers navigate with ease? Have you placed your popular products where customers are sure to spot them?

Merchandise presentation

Merchandise presentations are usually organised within a department by brand, category, size and price. Allocate your bestselling products to your bestselling areas. Entice your customers and increase their average basket size by adding an impulse aisle at the till. Create visual appeal by using lighting, as your customer’s eye is automatically drawn to the brightest lit area. Lighting can also be used to direct shoppers to a specific path on the shelf and help them to see various items on display. It is also a good idea to use simple signage to guide customers from one category to the next, to create a hassle-free shopping experience.

Saving on shrinkage

One of the best investments you can make is in shop security. Check that your store layout makes shoplifting as difficult as possible for thieves. The best solution is to place your checkout counter in a place where you and your tellers can see the entire store.

Most importantly

Always look for a reputable shopfitter and don’t get caught by a fly-by-night operator. Do your homework before you choose any contractor, and check references. Go with the value and not just the best price.