07 Steps to Start a Supermarket / Hypermarket : Layout Planning
The next step is to plan your layout. Whether it is your own store, a dark store, or a backhand warehouse, layout planning is crucial for the smooth operation of your supermarket business. Essentially, a supermarket layout is the arrangement of items throughout the store and its floor space, which is intended to ensure a smooth flow of goods, information, etc., within the store. it includes everything from your entrance to your exit, the flow of goods, the flow of people, and the rack system. Let’s have a look at some of the details related to layout planning which could be helpful in running your hypermarket store efficiently:
By designing the flow of the store, arranging merchandise, and creating an ambiance, the layout can influence customer behavior. In order to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your merchandising mix, layouts help you determine how much revenue you are making per square foot.
In addition to planning the layout of your store, you must also plan the layout of your entire warehouse. There will be an entry point, an inward area, a micro-checking area, a macro-check area, a barcoding area, and a repackaging area in your warehouse.
Let’s suppose Many goods are delivered to you in bulk. When we talk about bulk, we mean bags of 100 kg or 200 kg. If you are starting your own business, then you will have to have a separate area for cleaning the products, and then you can have the repackaging done. Hence, you need to define the layout in such a way that all of this has a separate section.
Your storage capacity must be adequate for both dark stores and online deliveries. Moreover, it should be very well defined. In order to reduce the turnaround time, you should store your heavier items at the bottom, your lighter items on top, and your high-selling items closer to the surface. You can then slightly delay your slow-moving items. Secondly, both your warehouse and store should follow the FIFO concept, which means first in, first out.
Furthermore, since you will be dealing in a supermarket, you will also have to consider security. In supermarkets, there are more than ten to fifteen thousand SKUs and because the SKUs are so small, theft is very likely. Apart from CCTV and security, various anti-theft software and tools are easily available these days.
Further, the layout of your store will also determine how long a customer spends his/her time in it. Order turnaround time is also determined by your layout. Online orders have a different turnaround time based on the layout that they have.
it is very critical to hire professionals to design and define the layout. People often attempt to define it themselves and realize their mistakes afterward. Having to do it this way results in a lot of reworking and rerouting. After all, it’s about increasing the value of your venture and attracting more customers at the same time by just using your space strategically.
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