Q&A: Choosing a Booth Location

I recently received this comment from reader Connie: 

Hi Debi, I love your site and refer to it often! I have a little question... 

I have a shop inside a large community shop and right now I have the "first" booth right behind the register person, I sell lots of jewelry and blingy things, and it has 3 walls and is approx. 8'x14', a good size, but I have the opportunity to take a little bit smaller space for the same price, but with only one wall and its a window booth at the very front of the store. I think it would be a prime booth, but my hubby says I won't sell anything out of a window booth, because people will think its only for display, but I think it would look fuller, since its smaller and I would have 24/7 advertising. 

What do you say? I'm so anxious for an answer. 

Thanks! Connie 

I thought this was a great question, and that many other people could benefit from this information... so, I'd like to present some factors that Connie should consider as she is choosing whether or not to move to this new location in her antique mall.

Connie, I'm curious as to whether this window booth is on the right or left of the entry, and where the cash wrap / register in the store is located? Both of those factors will contribute to the success or failure of sales in the new location. Here's why:

As 'retail anthropologist' Paco Underhill found out, most shoppers will turn RIGHT when they enter a doorway. This is simply natural instinct and behavior! So, in a store, anything located on the right side is seen first. This may seem like a great thing - but it's possible that customers will simply look as they walk past and further into the store space. Have you ever thought to yourself 'Well, that's nice.... but I want to wait and see what else they have in the rest of the store before I decide on anything here?' This is a possible response that a space in the right-side window will get. Your husband has a point, by the way (I'm sorry to say that, I really am!!!) - many people are used to hearing that what's in the window is props, not merchandise. They may not even ask to buy it.

Now, a space located on the LEFT side of the doorway has positives & negatives, too. If the cash wrap/ register is located next to or across from your space, you have the remarkable opportunity to capture the attention of those waiting in line. (And this works - just think about the grocery store!) But if the register is located further back in the store space, customers may not wander all the way forward before stopping to pay for their selections. And after having paid already, most won't choose an item near the door and return to pay for it. Again, this is just natural behavior for most people, not all.

There is a concept in retail store design called 'The Decompression Zone'.

This refers to the area immediately inside the entrance (ANY entrance) of a store. There needs to be empty space here, so customers can step inside, remove coats, close umbrellas, take a breath, and see the layout of the store before proceeding in. If this area is crowded with 'stuff' or the booths immediately inside the door are encroaching on the aisles, there is an immediate feeling of discomfort for customers and can cause them to hurry past the first few displays or booths. If you notice this about the store you are in, and your booth is in the front right corner, make sure you are leaving room to breathe at your space entrance... don't crowd it with fixtures or merchandise. Create an open, welcoming space that will help ease customers into the store - and they'll be more likely to step into your area first.

Another facet of this new location that you should consider is the comfort factor:

It's a window, and Spring & Summer are coming. Does the window face South or West? Will there be hours during the day that your space is in glaring sunlight - making it hard to see your jewelry & smalls - and will it be unbearably HOT in that area? Next winter, will it be freezing? Customers will avoid it if they are uncomfortable there, no matter how wonderful your product & displays are.

And lastly, placing small items - especially jewelry - near an entrance is an invitation to thieves. Sadly, they are everywhere (from elderly women on a budget to teens getting thrills), and it doesn't take them but a minute to load up their pockets and disappear. Having sparkly eye-catching items within easy reach of the door really increases your risk for merchandise loss and you WILL be hit by it. If the register is located a fair distance from this space, or if the space cannot clearly be seen by the cashier, your risk increases.

Connie, I hope I have given you some information that will help you make an educated decision about the location of your booth. If you choose to stay in your present location, there are many ways to make a non-frontage booth stand out amongst the competition... if I may, I suggest that you read my info on Successful Show Booth Design Tips, which is all translatable to antique mall spaces. 

Also, make sure you read a new and effective resource: 

'Selling in an Antique Mall: A Beginners' Guide'

(pictured at top of post)

written by Inis Lovely and Sue LaLumia,

is a new e-book available on Kindle through Amazon 

{click book title above}.

It's just $9.95

Thank you for your question, Connie!