We hear all the time how a specific genre of music might affect a shopper’s decision to buy something or how the way a product’s advertisement will do the same thing, but what we do not think about is that even the most basic and at first, unnoticeable thing, can do the same…and even more.
Our world is multicolored, lively and indeed spectacular. We see colors every day, whether it is outdoors or just at home. All the chromatic combinations we have seen up to this day have affected our personality, our perception of things, our way of thinking and interpreting what surrounds us – there is a fascinating psychology behind colors and the way our brain tries to understand them.
Regarding stores and markets, colors play a bigger role than we can even possibly imagine, because buyers make almost all of their decisions whether they should buy something or not, mostly based on colors and décor. If a person who has a business does the right research before establishing a color scheme and studies attentively this matter, he will only have advantages in the future.
On the assumption that a retail store is decorated properly (the paint of the walls, the furniture and the ornaments should be well chosen) about 52% buyers will return to that shop. It is really important to someone to feel comfortable and relaxed in a shop; assuming that they liked its atmosphere, they will gladly come back. This will increase the numbers of sales, but its popularity as well. Another advantage is that people will have the tendency to buy more things – despite the fact that the human brain is such a complex organ; it can be quite easy to have him manipulated if the right colors are used in the retail environment. One sociological experiment has shown us that around 90% of purchasing judgments are based on color alone and nothing else.
It has been already scientifically proven that every color has a unique effect upon us and each one of them can be used to acquire a certain something from purchasers. Here we are talking about a color alone and its own objective, because in other combinations it can have other results. For instance, yellow alone brings us joy, but yellow with red can make us anxious.
#1. Red is a powerful color that attracts one’s attention immediately. It is usually used to give the impression that time passes by and that you need to hurry up, whether you are ordering food or just randomly browsing through the store (this is why it is ubiquitous in fast food restaurants) – and this only because it accelerates the pulse rate.
#2. Blue, the color preferred by almost everybody, is one of the most calming colors – exactly the opposite of red: it does not agitate people. Its purpose is to make buyers clear their mind, sit back and give them the impression that they have enough time to reflect upon anything. We usually see blue walls in hospitals, study rooms and gyms.
#3. Yellow, also known as the color of happiness, is the strongest color the human eye can detect (psychologically and physically). Just as blue, it helps us calm, but in addition to this, to get creative and even be more optimistic. It is mostly met in preschool classrooms and in children toys’ stores because it makes the kids (but the adults as well) feel like they have the freedom to express themselves, their thoughts and their creative sides.
#4. We instantly associate the color green with nature – meaning with freshness, peace, total relaxation and a general feeling of happiness and safety. It is a really balanced and trustworthy color; this is why it is usually used in drug stores, pharmacies, nutritional companies and health stores. It is wanted for shoppers to feel like they are safe when buying certain things, even though they should not do it all the time.
#5. Violet (commonly known as purple) is unquestionably a spiritual color that makes you meditate and think about magic and the Universe – it induces a mysterious atmosphere as well. To continue, it is the color of nobility and wealth as well. Because of these reasons, many might feel like they need to buy more products – whether to discover more things about the “secrets” that purple is hiding or just to feel a little more important when buying things that are or just seem to be expensive. It is often used for beauty and anti-aging products.
#6. Pink, which amusingly enough became a “girly” color only after the Second World War, is the color of love, nurturing and sexuality. It is primarily used for feminine products, gifts for women or simply just for cards. It appears that the color pink, which instantaneously makes people think about cute things, makes shoppers want to buy presents for their girlfriends/wives/mothers, especially around holidays such as Valentine’s Day or The 8th of March.
#7. Black is a paradoxical color because on one hand it implies classiness, strength and authority, but on the other hand it can be intimidating and even quite frightening, used in large doses. Mainly, it is used in electronic stores, to put in contrast the products that need to be sold, and in the teenagers’ stores that sell trendy and fashionable clothes and accessories.
#8. White is a color that is associated with feelings of pureness and cleanliness, even with perfection – and this thing can be applied to other neutral colors (such as beige or egg-shell). Used correctly, it can give a classy and minimalistic look to a shop; it can make it look more respectable and even fancier. This is why we see it in vintage or interior design shops or in galleries. Even though white has these qualities, it needs to be handled carefully because large doses of white can produce a boring ambience. Just as black, white walls can help a lot the contrast with other products.
#9. Grey is the result of the combination between these two strong non-colors (black and white). It is one of the few colors that is truly expressionless and that can barely transmit anything – it is indicated that grey should be avoided in retail stores. It suggests a feeling of heavyheartedness and hibernation, lack of energy and confidence. It is also considered the color of compromise, because it is neither black, nor white.
#10. Both gold and silver are associated with money and richness. Although silver, the color that is related to the moon and the stars, is considered to be more modern and a bit more stylish, they both can induce a feeling of success, prestige and abundance. They are mostly used when we try to give prominence to certain objects and when we want them to jump out of the ordinary, because they imply extravagance.
Regarding the employees, colors can have a huge impact upon them too – they can affect one’s moods, performance, productivity and attitudes, and a study made in 2007 at The University of Texas stands to prove this. For instance, if yellow and orange will only transmit positive feelings and a lot of energy and enthusiasm and green and blue will generate a feeling of relaxation and loosening, light grey will do the exact opposite, it will create a dull atmosphere.
Vivid colors, such as red, will stimulate the employees and will bring upon them only beneficial things (physically and psychologically). It is important for an employer to have the people who are working for him in a good mood and willing to perform as good as possible.
And not only the employees will percept a well-decorated store or office as an ideal place where they can work, but shoppers will be impressed by a well-done design as well, whether they realize it at first or not. There are so many ways in which a retail store can be beautifully decorated and it all starts with the appropriate colors and with a little bit of creativity.
