Project Duo: How important is flooring choice to channeling customers?

Does your choice of flooring really affect the way customers behave in store? It may well be worth more attention than you think, argues retail designers Project Duo in this week’s discussion piece.

“Every flooring type achieves a different effect in store,” says Randal Huntington, Project Duo’s CEO. “If you’re a bicycle store you might have stone under the mountain bike section, concrete under the road section and carpet where your customer is trying on shoes.”

There is a psychology to this that is put into play by many department stores. Hard floors are put in places where people are encouraged to move through the store, while carpet tends to be found in areas where you would like the customer to slow down and browse, we’re told.

Tune in to this week’s discussion here, or to catch past episodes, head here.