How to create a welcoming car showroom space?

Optimizing showroom space for the best customer experience is no easy feat as there are many things to consider when designing it.

Firstly, contemplate about what will attract people, their psychology, store layout, window display & customer experience. We’ll cover these points and more to help you understand how your car showroom space can be the biggest sales-drive.

So what draws customers to a showroom? The simple answer is a combination of countless factors, but let’s start with the main one which is a layout.

Showroom layout

The layout you’ll choose will determine your customer’s journey and how they will interact with space.

Nowadays, there are many types of layouts you can choose from including:

• Grid – the fixtures usually run vertically parallel to each other, most notable example is a supermarket.
• Loop – usually runs through all the corners, utilizing the middle of the space for the most popular products, with only entrance/exit points.
• Free flow – there are almost no rules when it comes to this layout, just lots of imagination.

There are many more, but these are the most common. So when considering layout do your research, and consider all the layouts. For car showrooms, you’ll need a lot of space, so pick the one that utilizes open and clean layout.

Branding and promotion

Another important aspect of the showroom is branding. Your customers must know where they’re at just by looking at the colours and font. Car showrooms carry the opportunity to tell the brand’s story and it must be used to the advantage.

Make sure that every store detail ties in with your brand in some way, whether that’s branded pens & paper, or something bigger like marketing messages on the cars.

Car showroom business should also have a variety of deals customers can choose from. From 0% finance and gap insurance to bad credit finance, there are lots of enticing offers you can create.

Promotion shouldn’t be so pushy that the customers become overwhelmed, but just subtle enough to remind them how they can benefit from your business offerings.

Window display

If your display is boring then sorry, but no one will want to come in. There is a reason why people flock to Oxford Street just before Christmas where window shopping is real.

To craft a unique and engaging display, tie it in with holidays & make people feel connected to it. Before starting, it’s best to create a mock-up digitally and create a theme. Then, test variations to see which one would perform the best.

Don’t ever underestimate the value of a good display, as it can attract lots of customers when done right.

Customer psychology

It may be disheartening to hear, nonetheless, you need to remember that’s it not about you, but the target customer. And so, the design decisions should also be based upon that. Examine where the ideal client shops, what their hobbies & passions are, as well as profession. In other words, learn as much as possible about them.

Colours

It’s best to go with neutral colours that are easy on the eyes with a few bold accents. This way your showroom will have a modern feel & brightness. If everything is in one vivid solid colour, such as red, it may give off a wrong vibe. Consider what type of colours suit your customers and go with that.

Scent

The smell can have a huge impact. If there’s a strong, overpowering perfume smell, it will be unpleasant for lots of people. Pick a scent that is subtle and stays in the background for the best results. If you want more natural smells, try experimenting with essential oils or spritzing fragrance that has a smaller perfume concentration.

Music

Again, similar to in-store scents, music shouldn’t be too loud, everything needs to be balanced. Make sure that people can hold a conversation while the music is playing. This relates to branding – tailor the music to your brand. If it’s serious, classical music works well, meanwhile, if the company is quirky then indie rock or pop would be more suitable.

Light

It’s a good idea to install ambient or overhead lights so that your customers see the products well. Underneath lighting is also used in car showrooms to help display car’s features.  Carefully chosen lights placed in strategic places can also aid customers through the store in a way you want them to go. Other specialist & unique lights are best used for dedicated events in your car showroom.

And here you have it, the most important factors, such as customer psychology, window displays, layout/navigation and branding. Consider these to make your car showroom more welcoming.