Best Colours For Different Shop Walls - What Works Best For Your Business?

Setting up a shop or a retail sales centre is much more than merely stocking merchandise and maintaining a cash register. In fact, there is a whole study dedicated to retail psychology. This includes an understanding of how a customer walks into a shop and perceives the display or the brand. It also involves understanding all the factors that influence the customer to buy from one shop over another. Marketers and brand influencers across the world are studying several aspects of retail sales. One of the most important factors influencing consumer behaviour is the colour you pick for your shop walls. Let us understand this better.

Colours and Consumer Behaviour

The colours of your shop wall help build brand awareness and influence consumer behaviour. Studies suggest customers form an impression of the store within 10 seconds of entering. Paint colour is a major influencing factor. Younger consumers prefer bold colour choices, while more mature shoppers prefer subtle shades.

The shop's colour also reflects the products and brands on sale. Studies show that colours affect shoppers' pulse rate, pupil dilation, and mood. Here are some of the top colour choices for shops depending on the products and the demographics of the shoppers.

Best Colours For Shop Walls

• Green – Green is a universal favourite when it comes to the shop wall colour. The warm, earthy vibe of this colour prompts customers to spend more time browsing through the display, encouraging them to buy more. Apparel and grocery outlets prefer light apple green or mint, while electronics showrooms prefer a combination of white and forest green. Eco-friendly, organic products are often best displayed in a section with green walls.
• Blue - Blue is a versatile colour that appeals to both men and women shoppers. Experts believe that shops that showcase products which are often impulse buys should paint their walls royal blue, but budget shoppers respond well to teal and navy-blue shades. The younger generation of shoppers favours electric blue. Blue also makes the shop seem cooler and can be a good choice for electronics showrooms.
• Pink - It may sound cliché, but shades of pink appeal to women shoppers, particularly teenagers and young adults. Restaurants, cafes, and patisseries often pick pink wall colour as it stimulates the gastronomic sensibilities of customers. Pink is also ideal for shops with baby products. Shades of pink bordering on purple appeal more to older women shoppers.
• Cream – White, off-white, and creams are often considered to be bland colours and not conducive to sales. These colours, however, can be your best friends when it comes to selling colourful merchandise since they set off the displays. For example, a showroom displaying skincare products, women's shoes and handbags or jewellery should opt for creams and shades of white.
• Orange – Orange is a very dynamic and vibrant colour. Like cream, it also sets off the merchandise on display. Pick lighter shades of orange to create a cheerful ambience. If you have a section of your shop which displays the latest releases or merchandise you want your customer's attention on, paint the wall a light shade of orange.
• Black – Most retail outlets avoid black wall colour as it absorbs the natural light and makes the space look smaller. Research suggests that black is the perfect colour for upscale retail outlets and automobile shops. It adds elegance and sophistication and symbolises luxury. This is why most luxury brands use black and gold or metal accents in their interiors.

Seasonal Colours

Seasonal wallpaper and décor also play an important role in the customer's decision to buy. For example, red is considered a very aggressive colour for shop walls and is often avoided by retail outlets. It is an action-oriented colour, and shops prefer that their customers spend more time, stay relaxed, and indulge in buying more. However, using red wallpapers, boards, and décor during sales or festive seasons is considered a good idea as it creates a sense of urgency, prompting the customers to buy immediately. Similarly, during the festive seasons, shops use gold-accented wallpapers that give customers a sense of glitz and glamour, prompting them to make euphoric purchases.

We live in an era of unlimited choices, and picking out the best colour for shop walls can be confusing. Researching and understanding consumer behaviour vis-a-vis the products and brands you wish to showcase is a good idea. It may also be a good idea to consult a brand marketing consultant or a colour expert when it comes to designing the interiors of your shop, café, or boutique. The colour and design of the logo also greatly influence the shopper's psychology. This also needs particular attention.