Q & A: Cash Wraps 101

First: Tamara, Tom, and Janet, I'm addressing the comments you left on my last post here instead of there. You indicated that you didn't know what a cash wrap was or understand the concept the way I presented it. So, because I am guessing you may not be the only people who feel that way, consider this post 'Cash Wrap 101'!
 
'Cash Wrap' is a regular retail industry term for retailers, designers, manufacturers, and builders. It is a catchall term referring to the 'check out' or 'register' area of a retail setting {otherwise known as the place where the cashier stands, and the customers fork over the dough for the merchandise!}.

You may have heard the term 'cash wrap' in a phrase from a product rep or manufacturer as they sell you small products that are intended to sit on your 'register counter' area, as in: "This POP {Point Of Puchase} display unit holds forty six units of product, for cash wrap placement to maximize your impulse sales". The use of 'POP' identifies a product or display unit as one that is intended to be placed in close proximity to your register - the whole point is that while waiting in line to purchase what they've already chosen, customers are being actively marketed to by these units. {Picture the gum, candy, magazines, etc. at the grocery store}

Configurations and construction of cash wraps are as vast as the array of stores that they exist in, but there are some basics about them that apply to the whole industry.
 

Cash wrap stations typically consist of either one, two, or three parts:

A one-part unit has a single countertop/ cabinet combination that sits parallel or perpendicular to a wall.

A two –part configuration has a freestanding front and a parallel rear section up against a wall.

A three-part configuration is usually a 'U'-shaped grouping that sits perpendicular to a wall. Often times these become a square configuration by situating them in the center of a space, and then closing off the end of the 'U' with a jewelry case, etc.

When choosing a style for your store, consider the activities that need to take place around the register. {Remember the adage 'Form Follows Function'?} If wrapping & packaging merchandise as your customer purchases it is a large part of your store activities, you need ample space to do this - and NOT the area where the customer walks up and sits her chosen items. Provide a separate location (behind or on the other side of the register) to do this so that customers can be serviced expediently. {Picture a customer at your register with seventeen items.... and the young mother with a two year old and three small items standing behind her. Waiting. Waiting... Leaving.} Do you need two registers? What about a 'hold' area?

 

The front counter provides space for the cash register, a clear area for shoppers to place their chosen items to purchase, a place for your mailing list sign up and a flyer about an upcoming event. For Laura {yesterday's post} a flat panel computer screen running a continual loop of her portfolio and/or some images in beautiful frames of various sizes would be an excellent extension of her brand presence.  Placing one or two POP displays here is okay - rotate them weekly. Loading this area with five, ten, twenty little containers of small items? Totally negates the purpose and overwhelms your customer. Unless you are 7-11, don't do it.

 

The front counter could be built as a run of level countertops, or as a desk/cabinet combination – one end would be like a desk with legs under a clear counter top for customer purchases, set at a table-top height/ {This is where Laura would use a clear acrylic substance etched with or embedded with her photo imagery.} That would be connected on the other end to a solid unit with counter top, set at standard height, and cabinet base [for storage and to hide the power cords] for the cash register and computer. On the front of that solid base, Laura can utilize my concept of 'Imagedesigned Furniture' and bring in the element of your images through carving, etching, embedding them, or any other method. Or, simply use a corporate logo there.
 

The rear section of a cash wrap should include cabinets and drawers for closed yet accessible storage of paper & packaging goods, etc., with a long counter top with lots of workspace. Great lighting up above this is essential, plus you can take the back wall and install your corporate logo and/or imagery to support your brand image.  Don't store major shipping supplies, files, or extra products here. Keep it simple, neat, and accessible. The top of that counter should remain clear at all times. A stack of flat tissue is the only permissible storage here.  A hold area can be created with large cabinets fitted with shelves inside - open storage will look messy no matter what you do

 

The space between two parallel counters should be three feet wide, to facilitate easy & safe movement of persons and product between them - including open doors/drawers and people turning & bending. With countertops an average depth of 30 to 36 inches, you are looking at an approximately nine foot deep area for this kind of cash wrap. For a single counter cash wrap, you’d still need three feet behind for passage & door operations, so you need to allow approximately six feet in depth.

 

The length of any unit would be at your discretion, but allow at least a 2 ½ to 3 foot long area of counter space for customer purchases to be placed. If you make that area too small, the psychology is that they are buying something larger and therefore more expensive. Conversely, if you provide a spacious area, they feel that perhaps they can buy more. [I swear don’t make this up, really – Paco Underhill addresses this in ‘Why We Buy’!]

Hanging warm pendant lighting low over the front counter, or placing a beautiful table lamp there, will help prevent eye strain for your employees, and also make your customers feel more comfortable than if they are standing under glaring can lights or fluorescent lights overhead.

 

The material possibilities are endless, and would of course depend upon the overall style of the store design – which ties it all back into 'Telling Your Own Story' and using your brand image to drive your choices.

Image from Apartment Therapy

  The biggest thing to remember about a cash wrap is that it is there for your CUSTOMER. 

It is not a storage facility for junk, a break room or rest stop for employees, or a catchall display fixture for things you aren't sure about. It is an opportunity to provide service, connection, and a clear image of your brand to your customer. Be vigilant about its design and use, and it will serve you well.
  

Except for the last one, All of the images in this post have been provided to me by M.Lavine Retail Design, a design/build firm for retail fixtures. Please visit them to see more exciting possibilities for customizing your store fixturing, including more information about standards in design. Thank you M.Lavine and JJ!