5 locations with a family-oriented store design
Now that the summer holiday is here, it’s the perfect time to relax and pick up some annual chores. Your customers know their way to your store to get the necessary supplies for their own interior design or to do a quick errand. But what to do with their kids? Will your customers bring them along or leave them at home? Are they going to behave themselves so your customers can take their time to make the right purchase choices? For many parents, these are everyday questions. How great would it be, if they never have to worry about this when they visit your store?
‘How child-friendly is your interior store design?’
Store owners sometimes fail to realise that a child-friendly shop fitting can help increase turnover and efficiency. A child-friendly approach does not have to be difficult. Small details can make a big difference; a restroom with a changing table, a kids’ only event or a play corner where children can have fun while their parents browse the store.
Many retailers are looking for ways to entertain children in their store and that’s where IKC comes in. IKC has been developing family-oriented store designs for shops, showrooms, and other retail businesses for many years. Worldwide, children from many different cultures play in our kids’ corners. Something IKC is very proud of!
While going shopping, parents make a conscious choice for a store where they can bring their children with them rather than leave them at home or finding a babysitter for an hour. When parents feel that their children are welcome in your store, they will sooner choose your store and they will comfortable enough to stay longer, this automatically ensures a higher turnover.
Below we show you 5 different retailers that already experience the advantages of a child-friendly shop fitting. An asset for you as a store owner!
1. A child-friendly shop interior for your supermarket.
A quick trip to the supermarket for the weekly groceries. This means your customers will be in your store for a while. Unless, the children get bored and want to go home. No worries. When your supermarket is kids proof, the whole family will have positive experience! Parents can do their groceries while children find their way to the play corner to enjoy themselves while they wait.
Many supermarkets have already set up a kids’ corner, in order to relieve customers of their worries while shopping. Children can have a carefree time and play in a safe and educational environment.
‘Mothers prefer to come to us for grocery shopping, because they can take their children with them (Owner - Albert Heijn supermarket, Bavel).’
2. Longer in store time for your clothing store due to a kids’ corner
Children playing and laughing. Happy faces. There is nothing better for parents than to know that their children are having fun. While mothers and fathers browse through the latest collection, children can play in the kids’ corner. On wall games and interactive screens, children can have fun with educational games without your store loosing too much retail space. But is this really a good investment? Research shows that a family-oriented store design results in longer 'in store time' and higher retention. That's where the profit lies for you!
More and more clothing stores see the benefits of play corners, both for their own business results and for relieving their customers while shopping. That's why they are increasingly responding to customer demand. With a bespoke kids’ corner they strive to apply child-friendliness and thus create a total experience for the whole family.
The kids’ corner is a great solution for allowing parents more time to browse and shop at their leisure (Interior Manager - H&M Netherlands)
3. Child-friendliness increases turnover in your furniture store
DING DONG! "Jasper would like to be picked up from the Play Village! This broadcast sounds familiar to many parents. Often, these parents are customers who have been shopping for a couple of hours. While they were browsing the furniture collection, their children were immersed in a children’s world where they can be themselves and play safely. Partly because of the interactive elements, children can entertain themselves for hours.
Often, customers will view a visit to a large furniture showroom as a day out with the family. Even though, choosing new furniture is not a favourite pastime for children, they often have to come along with their parents. By setting up a play area, you increase the chances of families choosing your home store because the children feel just as welcome as their parents.
IKC has helped Home centre Wolvega through the whole process. Safety, hygiene, great communication and a beautiful design were central to the collaboration.
(Home Centre, Wolvega)
4. Spending an afternoon with the family in your garden centre
Just like a visit to a Furniture store, shopping at a garden centre can feel like a fun afternoon out for the whole family. Many garden centres nowadays choose to add extra experience for children, in order to give parents, the time and space to shop at their leisure. With a bespoke play corner, treasure hunts and sometimes a whole entertainment program, garden centres offer a total experience for the whole family.
In several garden centres this now includes a coffee corner or lunchroom where customers can take a short break from shopping to enjoy a delicious lunch or a cup of coffee before continuing. During this break, children can enjoy themselves in the kids’ corner.
Families are more likely to come to our garden centre because the children can have fun while their parents are shopping for plants and garden accessories. - (Manager Groenrijk Nunspeet)
5. Fun for kids helps improve your sales conversations in your car showroom
You probably recognize that TV commercial where the tanned car salesman welcomes a family into his showroom. With a big smile, he approaches the children 'What a beautiful family, another cup of coffee? No matter how crazy this sounds, this car salesman gets it. Buying a car is a big deal, it’s not a quick decision to make. Therefore, it will take a while and parents can’t leave the children at home. But children don’t care about the rims or leather seats. So, once they’re done testing the back seat, they can get bored. A play corner will keep them busy while you can do your sales pitch. Have you taken this into account in your showroom interior? While the children play, your customers have more attention for your advice.
Because of the kids’ corner I can speak with customers and give thoughtful advice without getting interrupted.
(Car dealer - Jaap de Vries).
A family-oriented store design has advantages for the whole family. Parents can have a more relaxed shopping experience, when your establishments offers an experience for the whole family. A place where children can enjoy themselves makes them feel welcome, which in turn feels good for their parents and it results in a higher turnover for you.
This way, you can actually get children to love your store so much, that they drag their parents back every time?