Purchase-decision happens here!

Try rooms or changing rooms are now given their due design-importance as retailers have realised the value of this four walled catalyst for profit generation. Earlier, one could only witness drab-looking try rooms, which had insufficient lighting, broken knobs, noisy fans hung off the ceiling. Customers just changed and tried the outfits and hurriedly came out of the room after just a glance on how the outfit looked on them.

Today, responding to customers’ increased awareness, refined taste and brand knowledge, outlets pay attention to the much neglected changing rooms. Apart from other sections of the interior, colour coordination, lighting and fixtures, trial rooms are also being done innovatively. Shantanu Saha, CEO, Idiom Design and Consulting Ltd, says, “Trial rooms are often neglected in the store design, quite forgetting the fact that the ultimate buy-decision is taken here. New designs have just begun incorporating the experiential elements of the retail brand within the trial rooms and not treating it like a hole in the wall.”

Designing try rooms

Designing a trial room calls for certain specifications, which are required to be kept in mind. Important from the point of view of a designer, retailer and customer as well, these include ventilation, size, sitting place, adequate hangers, lighting and mirrors. Don’t forget that the overall size is very important for a trial room. “Make it comfortable for the customer to try out and verify his purchase decision. Dissonance can happen in here if the trial experience is horrible! Depending on the brand messaging and values that the store wants to communicate to the customer, design elements are being added from simple hygiene factors like better ventilation, hangers, lighting, size of room and sit down place to visual communication elements and tips on dressing, matching , grooming etc.” says Mr Saha. Elaborating on the essential of a try room, Nagaraja Rama Rao, Director – Design, Four Dimensions Retail Design (India) Pvt. Ltd says, “Trial rooms should be easily accessible to the customer at any point of the store. These can be in multiple locations depending on the size of the store. Trial room door should never be seen to the customer directly. Broad mirrors, seating for the customer, bright ambient light and hanging provisions for trial and customer clothe are essentials.  It should be properly air-conditioned.  As we know, buying decisions partly happen at this place. Therefore, lighting, space, colours, technical information on the product must be taken care of at trial rooms.”  Informing on the same, Anirudha Mukhedkar, Founder, Restore Solutions, says, “Trial rooms should be well-lit and spacious, have space to place a bag, wallet, mobile phone etc. There should be a small padded seat to sit while unlacing shoes etc, enough hooks to hang clothes, two facing mirrors for a front and back view, adequate communication in case of ongoing offers etc. and effective air-conditioning. Trial rooms must be fitted well in the store, without compromising on merchandising space. There should be an adequate number catering to the traffic in the store and must be conveniently located.  These rooms should be easy to find but, at the same time, their location must minimise shoplifting i.e. not too close to the entrance.”

Try room innovations

With changing customers’ preferences, retailers are coming up with innovative and unique concepts and ideas to help customers make their shopping experience pleasant and increase sales. Talking about the innovations, Mr Rao says, “One of the new age fashion stores has designed its trial room in such a way that the customer can view himself how he is seen from other angles.”   Informing further, he says, “ Digitally, customers are made to see themselves in different dresses without actually wearing it. Trial rooms are created along with seating lounge attached in higher end stores. Trial rooms will have lighting facility like day and night effect where customer can actually know how that particular dress looks in night or day.  This kind of trial rooms is good for stores that sell party wears. Dreamy outlook is created with forest theme or with cartoon characters inside trial rooms. This effect is apt for kids' trial rooms. Trial rooms can be telephone booth, dressing room, feel of walk in wardrobe etc. depending on the theme of the stores.”

Try room costs

Anything to do with the interiors of a store is not anymore considered as expense. Rather, it’s an investment for a larger profit making process. Hence, retailers are ready to shell out money in order to attract and see satisfied and happy customers, which ensure returns. Mr Rao informs about the average cost of making trial rooms, which depends on the structure and material used. He says, “Average cost of trial rooms is around Rs 35,000 (small), Rs 50,000 (medium) and Rs 1, 00,000 and above (big).