Most may reject Feng Shui as superstition and just as ridiculous placement of objects for no good reason. But Feng Shui is actually much more than the positioning of articles and controlling the wind flow through the room. If you are told only a set of rules of Feng Shui about what you should and should not do, it might seem unreasonable. But if you think deeply, the advices of interior décor and exterior design offered by Feng Shui make quite a lot of sense.If you believe in the positive effects of Feng Shui (or even if you do not believe in them) Feng Shui can be effectively used to make your retail store prosper. It can improve sales by attracting customers and also put people working the store in a better mood.Since people walk into the store in the first place because they are attracted by the décor. They might not realize it but the Feng Shui setting of the store will inspire them with the vibrant energy in a subconscious level and make them come back to the store and make their purchases there.So forget about placing certain oriental looking objects and calling that Feng Shui. Rather try to create an experience following the Feng Shui guidelines. It can be extremely subtle but effective at the same time.Start at the entrance: This is the first thing any prospective customer will see about your store. Go out of the main door and try to look inwards through the eyes of a customer. See if you can are attractive enough as compared to your neighbours and surrounding. Will a customer want to enter once he/she sees the store? Is your store name good enough to catch anyone’s fancy? Feng Shui believes in creating strong flow of positive energy. Facilitate a strong presence of Feng Shui energy at the entrance of your store. Your store must have a crisp and short name, the window displays must be clean and a delight to the eyes and overall your store must stand out from the rest with color and décor.What attracts the attention first: Once you enter the store what attracts your attention first? This determines the flow of energy through your store. If your store has many beautiful things but is still failing to attract enough attention then you have actually blocked the pathways for the energy to flow through the store. You can imagine the energy as water and try to think which way it will flow. When you open up the energy pathways and let the energy flow it will create a pleasant experience for the customers and invite them in.Create focal points: Leaving out enough empty space is important to accentuate the beauty of beautiful things. No matter how many things you think are good enough to be put in your store avoid crowding it. It usually overwhelms the customer who does not know which way to look or what to admire.Create good energy: nobody needs to be told about certain basics about store décor such as:
- Ward off foul smell
- Keep the store well lit but not harshly lit
- Play good music
- Keep it fresh by rearraging the displays.
Whether or not you follow Feng Shui advice, these steps can make your store better.
- Avoid some Feng Shui mistakes like:
- Direct alignment of front door to the back door
- Florescent ceiling lights
- Stale air
- Mirrors directly in opposite to entrance