Notice Where Entering Shoppers Look

As shoppers enter your store, where do their eyes go to? That's where to consider placing a store directory, to position your staff member who welcomes the shopper to the store, to display a preview of products you're featuring, or to have whatever else it is you'd like the customer to see right away.
     People who make a habit of shopping with you are familiar with the store layout, so they're not depending on seeing a store directory. And, sure, your experienced shoppers might miss not being greeted the moment they enter, but they're coming back to shop again because they already feel welcome, and they probably have figured out where to go to return an item. So it's okay if they wait for their greeting until they see a salesperson.
     Does that mean you don't need to notice where your repeat customers are looking as they enter your store? Well, no. Once you make your observations, you might decide to reconfigure the entry area. As soon as you do that, your long-term shoppers are going to be as bewildered as customers coming into your store for the very first time. Know where all your customers are likely to look for guidance.
     Different types of shoppers in different sorts of retail stores will have different habits. The single-mission shopper, who comes to a familiar sporting goods store for one very specific item will promptly start looking for information about how to get to that item. On the other hand, the husband and wife walking into a furniture store with the intent of setting up a bedroom, dining room, and family room, will be looking in a number of different directions.
     This is why you'll want to watch your particular shoppers and make store layout decisions based on your particular observations.