In order to begin making changes to the product placement in your store you need to map out an overall plan. To do this, you first need to recognize the current traffic flow of your store and develop a plan to direct traffic flow so that customers will shop your entire store and with their attention focused where you would like it to be. By strategically placing demand/destination products and impulse items throughout the interior of your store, you can balance the traffic flow throughout your store and increase your overall sales by making the best use of every square foot. Start by taking the pulse of your merchandise selection from the front to the rear of your store and follow these tips for redirecting customer traffic to maximize your sales:

• Windows set the tone, communicate your store's image and invite customers inside.

• At the entry, introductory displays including graphics welcome and educate the customer. The entry area is often referred to as the "decompression zone," where the customer makes an adjustment to the new environment; takes off their glasses, closes an umbrella and takes visual stock of the entire store. Sales rarely take place in the "decompression zone" - in fact, most sales take place after the customer passes through this area. For this reason, companies like Estee Lauder prefer their cosmetic counters to be placed a few feet in from the department store entry.

• Once your customer passes through the "decompression zone" they look at the price of the first item, generally to their right, that is easily accessible. This initial item should have a price point that is not overwhelming to your customers, as this area, called the "strike zone," offers your customer their first impression of your store's prices. Extensive video auditing by professional retail designers has found that in Western cultures, customers usually turn right immediately upon entering a store into the "strike zone" and continue on their journey through your store. You should consider placing a compelling display of affordable products (in relation to the price point of your overall merchandise) in the "strike zone."

• Once through the "strike zone", the right wall of your store is usually your most valuable real estate as this is the area that is generally traveled first and viewed most thoroughly by our customers. On the right wall you may want to place affordable items (in relation to other products within your store). This can include products that you are promoting but which are not necessarily demand items. Demand merchandise includes those items that the customer has made the decision to purchase before they enter your store.

• Traditionally, the cash wrap is centrally located. It is highly recommended that you place your wrap to the left of the store entry and place impulse products around the cash wrap. The cash wrap also serves as a security checkpoint and as an area that can allow visibility to all parts of the store. When designing the cash wrap area, keep in mind the many functions that will be accommodated by the space and plan accordingly.

• One of the most highly trafficked areas is the cash wrap. Add-on and impulse merchandise should be placed above, behind and near the cash wrap where possible. The cash wrap is the location that offers the most captive audience (a waiting customer) and is the point at which impulse sales are most often made.

• High demand products placed in the rear of the store will pull customers through the store, increasing the visibility of other products along the way. Hallmark stores often place their greeting cards at the rear of the store moving traffic through seasonal, collectible and other merchandise to reach the destination area.

• Add-on merchandise and impulse products are usually placed near the demand merchandise in a highly trafficked area to suggest further purchases.

• Place impulse items in the front of your store and in locations of high traffic between the door and displays of demand products but outside of the "decompression zone."

• Be sure the aisles are wide and clearly defined for emergency exiting and in keeping with ADA (Americans with Disability Acts) directives.