A recent article by Hayley Peterson in Business Insider states that “the most successful stores in retail have one thing in common — they’re ugly.” And why are these businesses, such as Aldi and Dollar General, so successful? Because unflattering lighting, industrial shelving and mass quantities of every item equate in the consumer’s mind with low prices.

As an independent retailer, you probably already know that discounting is not a game you’re going to win. The online and big box giants have buying power that gives them a competitive edge denied to smaller shops.  It’s up to us, as the underdog, to give customers a different reason to shop in our stores.

Don’t be ugly.  It seems like a simple dictate, but in truth the aesthetic pleasure of browsing in a well-designed store is a large part of its appeal.  Viewing the curated product selection of a great independent shop can be as enjoyable as visiting an art museum — and no one ever said that about a trip to Walmart.  

Of course it takes a conscious effort to display merchandise beautifully, and to keep these displays fresh and even just well-dusted.  Just as you would expect a museum to change its featured exhibits from time to time, you need to highlight new arrivals and move your existing stock around to hold the interest of your regular customers.

Your merchandise selection should also be as aesthetically pleasing as possible. If you don’t feel that your customers can afford higher priced goods, keep in mind that merchandise does not need to be expensive to be well designed. The Danish chain Tiger, which has recently opened in New York (near the Flat Iron Building) under the name Flying Tiger, operates under the slogan “Give people more and charge less!”  According to founder Lennart Lajboschitz in a video interview on CNN, Tiger began as a bargain shop. But then the store began to create its own graphic designs for its products, and found that there was a big market for low-priced contemporary design goods. Today 50% of their products are their own design, and sales internationally are booming.

So whether you are looking for well-designed goods, or working on your store design, keep in mind that there are consumers out there who would prefer a shopping experience that is enjoyable.  Ironically, New Zealand’s “I Love Ugly” clothing and accessories stores for men knows this very well.  Their Australian shop in Newmarket, shown above, uses “an elegant mid-century Scandinavian design fit out to set a suitable canvas for our premium menswear offering.”  It’s quite the opposite of ugly.

Happy Retailing,

Carol “Orange” Schroeder