The Secret of the Department Stores' Layout

Categorization plays a very important role in a department store. Every section has a reason why it is located in a certain place. The very basic reason for this is accessibility for the customers. But here's the catch, on the side of the store operations, if customers find it convenient and accessible for them it means SALES.

If men buys shoes at the Shoes Department, the nearest department would be Men's Inner were socks are, right? If ladies buy tops and blouses, adjacent to it would of course be jeans! An indirect suggestive selling! This very principle would answer why department stores have a general category per floor.

In most department stores this would be the set-up:

Ground Floor - Men's. Where you can find Men's Apparel, Men's Underwear, Men's Jeans, and Men's Accessories.Why at the ground? Studies show that men don't usually go up the floors to shop. Makes sense right?


Second Floor - Ladies'. Unlike men, even if you put the Ladies' Floor at the 10th floor they would still go there and shop! Here you can find Ladies' Apparel, Jeans, Lingerie, Shoes, and Accessories.

Third Floor - Childrens'. Usually department stores put the Toys Department in the middle of this floor. Where parents have no choice but to pass this alluring department for kids. Together with Toys would be Childrens Wear, Shoes, even Infants, and sometimes School Supplies and Sports.

Fourth Floor - Home. And course the floor for Appliance, House wares, Textiles and Linen, Hardware, Furniture and Home Decorations. Why on top? Mostly customers come here with intentions to buy. So they have no choice but to pass through all other departments where they have little or no intentions to buy. But of course with the captivating visuals of the lower floors, who wouldn't stop and take a peek?

Supermarket - This is usually located in a separate building or on the lower floors. Effectively paired up with food stalls and bakeries that satisfies that churning after a long stroll for the groceries.

So as you can see, right categorizations is the right key for sales.

The Bottomline Everybody Should Know About a Department Store

Do you want to know what really is a department store all about?

I'm sure you have lots of questions about it (here is a load of them, it might be the same as yours) and I tell you, it all boils down to ONE ANSWER...

Why is the department store organized and arranged like it is? 

What is the basis for the schedule, opening and closing of the store?

Why do they offer excellent customer service?

Why do they have promotions and sale events?

Why is this brand's area bigger than the other one?

Why is this product located in this rack not on that one?

Why do they have events like fashion shows, demos, celebrity visits, concerts?

Why is their script formulated like this?

Why is there a display in this area?

Why is the posters designed like this? located here?

Why do they have stunning visual display?

Why do they have hundreds of mannequins?

Why is this department located here not there?

Why are the items arranged in this order?

Why do their employees dress like this?

Why is the store designed in this way?

Why do they have to greet all the customers coming in?

Why do lights are designed and positioned here not there?

Why do they clean the store a lot?

Why are the racks arranged in this way?

Why are the stocks displayed in this manner?

Why do they hire more employees today than yesterday?

Why do they have policies like this?

I could go on with this questions forever but they all have one same

bottom line....what??? 

SALES!!!

At the end of the day it always settles down to the numbers!!!