Shopping in person, rather than online, isn’t just about buying the things you plan on getting. It’s an experience. And that experience shapes how you feel about the store, the products it sells, and the brand in general.

To put it simply, a positive experience and a good atmosphere are going to make it more likely that you’ll be a loyal, returning customer. Why would you not return to a place where you feel comfortable, happy, and catered to?

A negative shopping experience, on the other hand, is likely to push you away. And, if you have easily accessible alternatives in your local area, you’ll probably consider shopping at a competitor’s store. At least to see what they offer and how it compares.

Consumers are (arguably, partly) rational, and they’ll generally opt for stores that are closer, cheaper, offer better quality products and more variety, and offer other considerations.

Thinking realistically, not every store will be able to cater to every customer’s whims. It would be too expensive, for one. And few companies boast (nearly) unlimited budgets. On top of that, if you try to appeal to everyone, you might end up creating a very chaotic and confusing interior in your store.

Furthermore, by catering to one group of customers, you might push others away because they dislike your creative ideas. You have to look at what will make the average local shopper happy (or, well, happier), and refine their experience based on that.

If you enjoy eating avocados but keep picking under- and over-ripe ones, a ripeness detector at your local supermarket can be invaluable.

Similarly, if you have a beloved dog you take everywhere, then you’d probably look favorably upon shop owners who implement pet-friendly solutions.

On the flip side, even if you think that your local supermarket is awesome for growing herbs and veggies in the building, you might be weirded out by their little mushroom habitats. Or you might be confused by all the high-tech gadgets that many other shoppers are enjoying. (We’re still on the fence about how useful smart carts that scan everything you put in them really are.)

Consider other things that go into making a worthwhile shopping experience, too, like the lighting, music, signage, and color palette. One store might opt for unintrusive ambient music, while another might cater to pop music fans.

One shop might go for the most efficient LED lights possible to keep costs down and ensure maximum visibility, while another retailer might opt for warmer lighting to make their customers feel more cozy.

Some might choose to use fewer signs to make their customers lose their way so they buy more random things, while others want more, clearer signs so as to not waste anyone’s time.

The layout of the store matters a lot, even if we’re not consciously aware of some of these design decisions. Placing candy bars and snacks near the (self) checkout is a ‘subtle’ way of getting customers to buy more of these products.

If you’ve been shopping for a while, your willpower is likely to be depleted a bit: you’ve been making a ton of decisions about what (not) to buy. So, your body and brain are craving something sweet. Hence the checkout snack counters.

(We’re not judging anyone, though. We’ve fallen prey to this tactic more than a few times. But that’s why we don’t go shopping on an empty stomach anymore.)

According to Tradis Design, in many parts of the world, customers often start browsing on the right-hand side of the store, then head toward the back, and then return to the left-hand side.

However, Gadsby notes that, in the United Kingdom, customers generally look left and then right when they enter a store, so you might want to consider putting the freshest, brightest, and most vibrant produce on the left side of the entrance.

When you’re shopping online, your priorities are going to revolve around similar things as in person, such as convenience, price, reliability, and speed, but in slightly different ways.

How easy is it to order and pay for the items you’re looking for? Is it a twenty-four-step process or something more convenient? How good are the deals compared to shopping in person? How trustworthy is the vendor and the platform? How quickly will your products arrive and is it marginally better than physically going to a store near you?

Which of these store ideas caught your attention the most, dear Pandas? Which ones do you personally consider to be the perfect blend of creativity and usefulness? Which ideas do you wish your local shops would implement?

On the other hand, what do your local shops do really well that you’d love to see elsewhere, too? Let us know what you think in the comments section!