Shop renovation: key steps and mistakes to avoid

The renovation of a shop is an important step for any merchant who wants to modernize their sales space, increase their turnover or simply give a new breath to their store. 

Why do you plan to renovate your shop? Is it to attract new customers, to expand the space or to completely change the image of your company? Whatever the reason, a renovation must be well planned to transform your shop because without strategy, your project can quickly turn into a nightmare. To avoid this situation, Tradis lists the key steps and mistakes to avoid for a perfect renovation. From choosing the theme to selecting suppliers and designing a layout plan, discover all our advice to ensure the success of your renovation project.  

Choose a concept consistent with the brand

Before starting the renovation work, you need to clarify the reasons that lead you to design this project. Is it to modernize the space to attract a younger clientele? To expand the sales area to accommodate more products? To comply with the new standards in force? Or to transform the image of your store? 

By identifying your motivations, this will allow you to better organize your project and communicate clearly with your service providers: thus, by starting with a clear vision, you will avoid costly mistakes and you will more easily reach your goals.

It is essential to choose the concept before renovating your shop. It should reflect your brand identity and appeal to your customers. Whether you opt for a modern, vintage, industrial or minimalist design, you must ensure that the concept is consistent with your objectives, your products, your surface area but also your brand image. So take the time to think about the atmosphere you want to create and how it will influence the customer experience. And yes, a well-chosen theme can turn your shop into a real place of interest for your customers! 

Optimize layout and direction of traffic 

A good layout plan is the key to a successful renovation. Whether traffic, sales areas or storage spaces, all spaces must be taken into account when renovating your shop. 

First, make sure that the aisles of your store are wide enough to allow for smooth traffic and make customers want to visit your entire store. Make sure you meet current accessibility standards, leaving enough space for guests with reduced mobility to move around properly. 

Sales areas must be positioned to boost the visibility of best-selling products and improve your sales. The storage space must be large enough to store your products without cluttering the sales area. 

If the design of a plan seems unclear, call a professional for advice and optimal layout. This will allow you to easily project yourself in your future store, and realize immediately if the final rendering suits you before you start your business.

Invest in sustainable materials 

When renovating a shop, it is tempting to reduce costs by choosing cheaper materials to fit perfectly into your budget. However, it makes more sense to invest in quality materials to ensure the durability of your layout. Solid wood, for example, is an excellent choice. Although it is more expensive to purchase, it offers superior strength and longevity, making it a profitable long-term investment. When renovating your store, you need to think about long-term investment and return on investment. Low quality materials will be as expensive as quality materials because they will have to be renewed in a short time. In addition, the quality materials have a more neat and qualitative rendering, which will allow you to stand out from your competitors.

Solid wood brings a touch of elegance and authenticity, ideal for shops such as wine shops, florists or delicatessens. At TRADIS, we offer a range of durable solid wood furniture in three colors: Bois Vieilli, Blanc Camarillo and Noir Charbonneux. By focusing on these sustainable materials, you ensure not only the sustainability of your shop, but also a sustainable, solid and professional brand image.

Meticulously select suppliers 

Selecting suppliers is a major step in renovating your shop. Serious and reputable suppliers will allow you to be more tranquil and serene in the realization of the renovation. Compare prices, delivery times and suppliers' reputations carefully. To do this, do your research by consulting online reviews, participating in specialized forums or going directly to websites. Do not hesitate to ask for recommendations or photos of customer achievements. An important point: compare what is comparable. Develop a set of specifications, grouping all your renovation needs, trying to be as precise as possible. This database will allow us to compare the quotes received. Ask suppliers for detailed quotes item by item including the estimated start date.

By choosing Tradis for your furniture purchase, you are relying on the quality of our solid wood furniture, transparent delivery times and a delivery service by appointment. And if you do not know how to arrange your store so that it is as optimal as possible or according to a specific budget, we offer an arrangement service from 99 € to project you in 3D in your future store.

Merchandising techniques produced to optimize sales

Do not neglect merchandising techniques; indeed, they can significantly influence your customers' purchasing behaviour. Here are some tips to optimize the layout of your products:

• Put top-selling products with the highest margins at the customer’s eye level. Highlight the most attractive products in the window and at the top of the gondola.
• Arrange your impulse purchases products around the cash registers with quality displays. They will increase the average basket of your customers. Prefer inexpensive products; this will push the customer to buy them without necessarily having planned them initially.
• Optimize your sales with cross merchandising by offering complementary products. For example, display corkscrews near bottles of wine or beer glasses near your local beer offer.
• Play with lighting to draw attention to specific products and create a welcoming atmosphere. Prefer warm lights to bring a warm atmosphere.
• Stimulate the senses of your customers. This can involve music to increase the relaxation of your customer, a smell diffused in the store to arouse the desire to taste the products or a tasting of charcuterie for example.

4 mistakes to avoid in a renovation

When thinking about renovating a shop, you need to beware of common mistakes that can be costly in terms of time, money and overall satisfaction with the result. These include: 

• Lack of planning. This can lead to delays and additional costs. Define each stage of your project and anticipate unexpected events.
• Underestimating the budget. Include a sufficient margin of safety in your budget to deal with contingencies.
• Market trends.  You can quickly be overwhelmed by the competition. Stay informed about the latest trends in store layout.
• Neglect of material quality. This can be costly in the long run. By investing in quality, you maximize your chances of guaranteeing the sustainability and attractiveness of your shop.

The renovation of a shop is a project that requires planning and attention to detail. By following these key steps and avoiding common mistakes, you can turn your sales space into an attractive and functional place that reflects your brand identity. Remember that every decision, from material selection to product layout, contributes to the customer experience and success of your store. Call on interior design professionals if you want to be accompanied in your project and to guarantee the success of the renovation of your shop.