• Use warehouse space more efficiently. Pallet racking systems provide high density storage and optimize the use warehouse floor space. When inventory is stored within a smaller floor area, forklift trucks and other handling machinery travel along shorter routes and picking is achieved more quickly and efficiently.
• Balance storage and picking. Strategic placing of products, for example by storing fast-moving lines on lower shelves of pallet racking, can improve efficiency and reduce overheads.
• Create product zones. Allocate different warehouse zones for different product types. Products that move rapidly are placed along wider aisles and closer to loading docks so that they can be picked quickly from the pallet racking system. Slower moving lines that are less frequently picked can be placed along narrower aisles further away from loading docks and high traffic areas.

Each of these ideas depends on the use of high density pallet racking systems in your warehouse. Although Bethel Shopfitting World specialise in retail display and storage solutions, we also carry pallet racking for industrial applications. Made from heavy duty gauge steel, our racking systems come in single- and double-pallet bays in heights of 3600mm and 4800mm.

For warehouse and stores requiring lower density storage solutions we offer robust, versatile heavy-duty mini-pallet racking. We will be happy to discuss your warehouse storage and handling needs and assist with planning and equipping your warehouse.

How?  While there’s still a place for the “pile-it-high sell-it-cheap” style of store, in many retail stores the trend for some time has been for more inventory to be held in storage racks in the store room and less stock to be on display in the sales area of the store. There are a number of advantages in this arrangement:

• Stock is handled less by customers and stays in better condition.
• It is easier for staff to notice when stock disappears from the sales area without going through the sales process (in other words, it has been stolen by a shoplifter).
• Stock control is simplified.
• Customers can find what they are looking for more easily.
• Many people prefer a tidier, more streamlined sales area.

The storage racks in the store room of a retail outlet don’t need to look stylish but they must be functional. Of course storage racks should be robust enough to support the weight of inventory; they should also permit flexibility so that the area is always well organised and everything is easily accessible. In many retail stores the volume of stock varies along seasonal lines and it’s important that there are sufficient storage racks for peak times.

The colour, style and design of counters should harmonise with other shop fittings in your store. We offer a variety of stylish, functional shop counters, including the no-nonsense Point of Sale range in white or beech finish, counters with brushed silver tops and kickboards, and a versatile luxury range of counters fitted with castors and incorporating glass display sections. Our confectionery counters, robust units with glass display areas and angled shelves for displaying confectionery and other stock, encourage point of sale impulse purchases. We have a range of counter-top display stands for small items to maximize opportunities for sales of novelties and gift lines.

The counter should be placed where staff can watch over the entire sales area of the store, so that they can attend to customers who need assistance and keep an eye on store security. The counter is your staff’s work station, and its design contributes to staff comfort and efficiency. Our counters are designed to maximise bench space and minimise clutter; some have till cut-outs, and all counters have cable holes to keep cables out of sight. Counters are designed with drawers or compartments for storing tools and consumables close to hand, and some have secure, lockable compartments for your staff’s belongings.

Choose a functional, stylish counter in a style that complements your store’s theme. A good choice of point of sale counter can boost sales by encouraging impulse purchases, and first-time customers who are impressed by your store’s professional, efficient service will return to repeat the pleasant shopping experience.

By employing thoughtful shop fitting Brisbane retail stores can discourage shoplifting:

• Place the sales counter where staff can monitor activity in the store.
• Arrange tall shelving against walls around the perimeter of the store, and low shelving and racks in the middle of the store.
• Fit mirrors so that there are no blind spots where customers are unobserved.
• Keep an eye on displays near exit doors or outside the shop.

To supplement strategic shop fitting Brisbane store staff can be trained to be alert to signs that a visitor to the store may have shoplifting in mind.

• Shoplifters are more watchful than other customers, tending to observe staff rather than merchandise.
• Shoplifters sometimes work in groups, with one or two of the group distracting staff while the others steal.
• Someone who wears loose clothing and carries empty carrier bags may be planning to shoplift.
• Someone who frequently visits the store without buying may be waiting for an opportunity to steal.

By training staff to be observant and improving visibility with careful shop fitting Brisbane retailers may be able to reduce shoplifting losses. A polite “Can I help you?” may be enough to deter a potential shoplifter.

At Bethel Shopfitting World we understand that timing can be critical, and our products and processes have been designed for speedy response. Order display cabinets today, and they could be installed tomorrow or even sooner!

Our inventory of shopfittings and shop accessories comprises more than 300 different products, from heavy duty warehouse racking to delicate glass display cabinets, and from hand baskets to supermarket freezers. We always hold plentiful supplies in our warehouse, so you should not have to wait for stock.

Our products are designed for easy transport and on-site assembly. Some items such as glass display cabinets are delivered pre-assembled. Our installation crew can install shopfittings for you, but you need no specialised tools or expertise to assemble them yourself.

Check out our product range online, or visit our showroom to see them in a retail setting. When you’ve found the display cabinets, shelving system or other shopfittings you want, the choice is yours: place a phone, fax or email order and we can arrange for same-day dispatch of products, or come to our warehouse and collect them immediately. Your new or refurbished shop will be in business as soon as possible.

The layout of your store starts at the entrance door; in the transition zone between the outside world and your store’s interior, potential customers adjust to the ambience of your shop. Make this adjustment easy by placing something in the zone, like a “specials” table, a blackboard or a plate of tasty morsels to sample, that entices them to stop just inside the entrance.

The layout of shelving systems and other display elements in your store encourages customer traffic through the store. Marketing experts often recommend encouraging customers to progress in a clockwise direction, so avoid having the counter to the left of the entrance door. Place shelving systems so as to allow space between aisles for customers to move or linger, and keep sight lines clear to maximise opportunities for customer service interactions as well as minimising shoplifting risk.

It’s easier to keep your shop looking tidy and orderly if you avoid the temptation to fill shelving systems with stock; a few carefully chosen and positioned items give a more visually pleasing impression and they are less likely to be damaged by over-handling. Use the ends of shelving systems and shelving bays to display stock that you want to emphasis.

Encourage impulse buys with counter-front shelving systems for confectionery, and counter-top stands for trinkets, gift cards and novelties. The most effective retail shop fittings are unobtrusive quiet achievers that make your store’s products the centre of your customers’ attention.

A retail store can exploit the five senses that have a powerful influence on customers’ buying decisions. Let’s explain what we mean.

• Visual sense. The internet is a highly visual medium – but so is real life.
• Aural sense. The aural effects of most e-commerce websites we’ve seen are unsubtle and intrusive. A cd player, some carefully-chosen disks and you’ll be enticing passers-by into your bricks-and-mortar store and encouraging those already in your store to linger, and look closer at what is displayed on your shelving systems.
• Tactile sense. Words or even images on a computer screen can’t adequately express the texture or finish of the real thing. Whether you sell scarves, secateurs or sandals, your customers appreciate a chance to handle the merchandise and feel its texture. If something doesn’t fit or feel right the first time, customers can keep trying until they find something that’s “just right”. Choose shelving systems for your shop that encourage customers to touch and feel.
• Taste and smell. Computers don’t do taste or smell!  Display perfume samplers on shelving systems, and offer samples of foodstuffs. Customers like to try before they buy.

The ambience of your retail store, and shop fittings like your point of sale and shelving systems all contribute to a sensual shopping experience that the owner of an ecommerce store can’t match.

Lighting must be adequate to allow workers and machinery to move easily between aisles of warehouse racking, avoiding accidents that cause injury to personnel and damage to equipment and products.

Workers need good lighting conditions for searching, retrieval and picking operations that involve reading order forms and labels. Vertical lighting is particularly important when warehouse racking is used and visual tasks involve reading and searching on a vertical plane.

If light-sensitive or heat-sensitive materials are stored in the warehouse, be careful to choose lighting that is not likely to cause damage to stock. Additional illumination may be needed for warehouse racking that holds small items which are difficult to see and retrieve.

Designing the layout of warehouse racking and lighting is a great opportunity to take advantage of developments in lighting technology. The latest energy efficient lighting products are more durable and reliable than traditional industrial lighting products and provide higher light output, lower heat output and significantly reduced energy consumption.

It’s important that warehouse lighting is installed with future maintenance in mind; to avoid difficulties when replacing bulbs and undertaking other lighting maintenance, choose light fittings that are designed for easy bulb changing and have them placed where they are accessible. Warehouse lighting should be installed by a licensed, qualified electrical contractor.

Retail store designers have a wide range of lighting options.

• Window lighting draws in customers while the store is open, and attracts window-shoppers after hours.
• Accent lights like spotlights focus illumination on merchandise on shelves and stands, dramatically highlighting shapes, colours and finishes.
• Task lighting such as pendant luminaries over point of sales and wrapping areas supplements general lighting.
• Specialised lighting for display cabinets and glass counters provides strong, focused light sources designed to supplement general lighting and emphasise the sparkle of jewellery and glassware.
• Wall wash lighting enhances the architectural features of a store and creates an impression of space.
• Recessed light fittings deliver general and task lighting while providing that “clean” finish so important in minimalist styles.

Fashion stores have particular lighting needs.

• Rack lighting illuminates merchandise on racks and accurately displays textures and colours.
• Perimeter lighting draws customers’ attention to merchandise on wall shelves.
• Lighting for dressing rooms should provide high quality, natural illumination in the important area of a fashion store where buying decisions are made.

Carefully chosen lighting does more than illuminate merchandise on shelves and display stands; it enhances colours, shapes and textures so that displays are more appealing.

Here are some of the important things you need to keep in mind when you are planning a retail display and sales area.

• The style of air conditioning equipment you install will depend on climatic conditions in your area, the size of your retail space, and whether temperature control is needed to preserve the shelf life of stock. Have air conditioning equipment installed where it works most efficiently, but bear in mind that it needs to be easily accessible for cleaning and maintenance without disturbing your retail display or interrupting store operations.

• When choosing flooring for your store, consider the weight of retail display units and the practicalities of cleaning as well as comfort and appearance. A carpeted floor may be practical in a fashion store, for example, but ceramic or vinyl floor tiles may be a better choice for a beauty salon or food store where there is a risk of spillages staining carpets.

• Renewing the lighting in your store is an opportunity for you to have energy efficient lighting installed. For added flexibility, have dimmers so that you can change the atmosphere from light and bright to moody and romantic at the twirl of a button!

You may have noticed that important shop fittings like retail display units have only been mentioned in passing. Choosing shop fittings is likely to be one of the most exciting of the tasks ahead of you. Visit our showroom or look online to check out what might be in store for you!