Well, they do! You may not be able to hear them but the condition of your walls and wider building appearance sends a clear message to your customers, even if unintended.
According to market research firm Morpace’s latest Omnibus survey, 95% of consumers reporting that exterior appearance is important in selecting a store to shop.
The survey also revealed more than two-thirds of consumers say they have avoided a place of business based on its external appearance. The appearance factor that most (52%) influenced the decision to not enter a store was “looked dirty from the outside,” followed by “looked outdated or old.” Fading paint, dirty surfaces, overgrown landscapes, building damage, and (let’s not forget the grass growing out of the gutters!) all formulate an opinion of your store and can affect how a brand is perceived.
With a rampant increase in online shopping, bricks-and-mortar retail needs to spend more time focusing on the appearance of its bricks-and-mortar!
The blinding truth about building presentation
Familiarity breeds contempt. Store operators, managers and staff all develop a familiar routine over time which normally involves rushing in the door, setting up the internal space and focusing on the products. Although the internal operations of a retail outlet are of vital importance, blindness to the external presentation of a store may be turning away the very customers you are trying to attract. The thought of potentially missing more than 50% of potential customers due to the external appearance of the store is certainly one worth considering.