Improve Store Ambience and Atmosphere of Your Retail Shop

In the past, the focus of retailers was mainly on the product. Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly important for brick-and-mortar stores to offer a complete experience to differentiate themselves from online. Therefore, retail store ambience is one of the most important aspects of a shop’s design. It’s determined by the dominant sensory effects created by its design, physical characteristics and merchandising activities. Those in-store experiences revolve around light, sound, smell and touch.

So, in this article we look at different components of retail store ambiance and how you can increase sales with a certain atmosphere.

In this article we cover:

1. Importance
2. Components
3. Exterior
4. Interior
5. Layout
6. Visual Merchandising
7. Tips for increasing sales
8. Commerce & Technology



It does not take a genius to find out that the emphasis on store ambience, design and feel influences the purchasing decisions of customers. A survey of retail preferences by design consulting Dalziel & Pow found that:

Customers care not only about what a store looks and feels like, but are also more likely to make their purchases based on the ambience of the business they patronize.

Therefore, let’s find out which elements are meant by shop atmosphere and what the effects are of the different details.

Simply put, a store atmosphere includes physical characteristics of the store, which are used to create an image that attracts customers. This includes not only the physical features but also the space used to create the image, which aims to incorporate additional human senses such as sound and smell.

We can split the components into 4 main groups:

Let’s dive into each one of them and find out how to improve the store ambience.

The atmosphere of the exterior has everything to do with the outside and the environment of the shop. The importance of this is to persuade consumers to walk into the store. So the style and colors play an important role in this.

Make sure it’s a recognition for returning customers and that it attracts new store visitors who belong to your target audience.

So, what are examples of the exterior atmosphere? Think about:

These different elements are further explained in separate posts, because they can all be improved in other ways. Nevertheless, research shows that the facade and window display has the most effect on pedestrian traffic. Also keeping your door open at the entrance gives the store vistors a more welcoming feeling.

5 Tips to enhance the outside atmopshere of a shop:

Important: When creating the exterior store ambience, keep the customer in mind, not the sales items. Creating an eye-catching shop window starts by answering these three questions from the perspective of the audience:

Also, a storefront should be arranged differently if the location is on a pedestrian road instead of a busy road with buses and cars. Small adjustments sometimes make a big difference here. For example, use some bright colors and large objects if the location is on a wide road with few pedestrians.

Then it happens. The customer enters the store and gets an impression. An opinion about the situation is immediately formed in his head. Where do I put my first foot? Am I welcome and will I be smiled at? What do I smell? What strikes me immediately? The ‘interior’ tone is set.

You may be wondering what has the most effect? Research shows that especially the colors and the smell are the first to stand out.

However also the amount of lighting in your shop contributes massively to the atmosphere, as it influences the moods and emotions of your customers. For example, in restaurants dimming the light helps create a familiar ‘home’ feeling with customers, while bright retail lighting helps customers quickly find products, creates a sense of space and encourages them to buy more treats.

Studies show that in the first 10 seconds, customers make a decision whether to browse your store or buy something.

5 Tips to enhance the inside atmopshere of a shop:

So the customer is in. The right store atmosphere now determines how long the customer stays and is tempted to search, compare and to buy. Therefore, the map of your location is very important. Discover all the elements that make up the store layout:

The visitor starts his journey through the store. Is he right handed like most people? Then he will preferable turn right. So keep this in mind on the store map. The main goal is to allow the customer to move comfortably through the store. You can do this by creating the ‘easiest way’ with wide paths. In addition, it is essential that the customer has a quick and simple overview of the range and can easily search. Finally, make sure the customer slows down. So that he stays longer in the store. The store ambiance has a major influence on this.

Finally, in general we can also set the mood with visual merchandising. This includes several parts:

Once you have selected your store layout, you can now focus on using shelf space as part of a store layout designed to increase your sales. The goal is to use shelves in a store design that allows your customers easy access to profitable items.

A similar concept applies to shelf items, as placing your most profitable goods at eye level makes them more likely to attract the attention of your customers. Creating captivating retail showcases is an effective tool in increasing foot traffic, which leads to more sales. With this excellent target audience orientation, you can face people in certain places who fall into a specific demographic for your advertising efforts, putting your business on the radar of potential customers.

Therefore, design your store with the intention of increasing sales. This can have a big impact on how quickly your customers are tempted to buy or to walk out of the store.

So, creating the right ambience in your business will help you create the perfect trip for your customers. The right spirit not only attracts and binds customers, but also encourages them to spend money in your facility. By putting a little more effort into the mood of your store, you can create a space that people like.Therefore, it is crucial to create a welcoming and pleasant feeling that makes the people in your business come back for more.

Furthermore, creating an appealing store atmosphere is just the thing to attract and transform them into loyal customers. That is why it is important that a shop or restaurant remains consistent in providing the same feeling. This should be aligned to the personality of their customers.

So an inviting shop atmosphere is made up of several elements, such as the cleanliness of the till, the lighting and temperature of the changing rooms and the playing of music. In addition does it have a major influence on your employees. Which in turn enhances the customer experience.

So how can technology help to set the perfect mood and make life easier? First, this starts with collecting relevant data. Then systems can make recommendations about what the customer expects and needs at that moment.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t have those kinds of systems yet, but already start collecting valuable insights.