The Psychology of Retail: Colour Theory
The colours you use in your business can significantly impact consumers' subconscious behaviour. Colour isn’t just for aesthetics; it can evoke a strong emotional response in people and influence both their emotional and rational thinking, which are big factors affecting their overall purchasing decisions.
Colour is important in several areas, including products and product packaging, in-store and website themes, and brand colours, all of which help to stimulate sales and build brand recognition.
So, how do you go about choosing colours for your business?
What Colours Could You Choose?
Many brands stick to a few core colours, with blue, black and red, being the more popular choices.
Blue is a calming colour, associated with the sky and sea, often used by medical and tech companies to convey trust and reliability. Red, by contrast, is an attention-grabbing hue associated with passion or danger. It also evokes a visceral response, increasing your heart rate, making it a common colour choice for sales and promotions. Black is frequently used by designer brands, as it gives a sense of sophistication and luxury.
Neutrals give your products the opportunity to stand out. Look for White Shelving and/or natural tones like Oak Shelving.
Considering more popular colours, green is strongly linked to nature and the earth, and so is commonly seen when promoting health-based and environmentally conscious brands or products. Yellow and orange offer a sense of joy and vitality and it’s interesting to note that yellow (along with bright shades of green), is often the colour that the human eye sees first, as it sits in the middle of the colour spectrum, hence making it more sensitive to our eyes (1).
You can choose to focus on a couple of key colours, but you might also like to incorporate advanced colour theory, such as complementary and monochromatic colours.
Target Attention with Colour Placement
Colour can be effectively used to draw attention to certain areas. Using displays and shelving in a different or contrasting colour compared to the rest of the store can help attract attention to new or popular products. Alternatively, muted tones allow the products to stand out.
Consider the various ways you could use colours in your display, shelving, and store layouts. As well as highlighting products, carefully placed colours can guide and encourage customers to follow specific paths around a store.
Red is a dramatic colour and so is a popular choice for Sale Signs.
What Colours Do Your Customers Prefer?
While there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach when it comes to customers, it’s still worth considering who your target customers are and their preferences.
For example, younger people generally prefer brighter, more vibrant colours, while older individuals tend to prefer neutrals and subtler shades. There are also subtle differences between genders, which can be important if your target market is more gender specific.
According to studies (2), blue is the most popular colour for both men and women, followed by green and red. Interestingly, purple is a favourite colour for women but conversely, is one of the least popular for men. Women also usually prefer soft, pastel tints of colours while men tend to prefer bright shades; tints refer to any colour plus white, and shades refer to any colour plus black.
Use Black Display Furniture and Black Shelving in-store, for a darker aesthetic that isn't overwhelming.
Why should you pay attention to your customer’s colour likes and dislikes though? Research has shown that people make subconscious judgments about their surroundings, products, or individuals within 90 seconds, and between 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on colour (3). Additionally, 92.6% of people said that they put the most importance on visual factors when making a purchase (3).
Evoke Emotions using Colour Psychology
While not everyone will react to colours in the same way, it’s generally agreed that certain colours will evoke similar thoughts and feelings in most people (4). Purchasing is closely tied to emotions, with people often compelled to act as a reaction to an emotional response. An example of this is when you’re hungry and go grocery shopping, you may find that you buy more than you originally planned.
We can also consider the connection between colour, emotions and purchasing behaviour by looking at fast food outlets as an example. Many of these businesses use the colour red in their branding and store design. The colour red is known to evoke feelings of urgency and excitement and as a result, can subconsciously prompt customers to make impulse purchases.
You'll notice certain colours are more popular across different industries, due to their associations and how people react to them.
Establish Brand Identity and Foster Loyalty with Brand Colours
When we think of well-known brands, their logos and brand colours immediately come to mind, as they make a point of consistently using them across their business.
The impact on brand loyalty is also evident when we look at popular sports teams, where just a couple of colours can be enough to identify them. These hues are prominently used in their branding and products, with fans often wearing their favourite team’s colours, demonstrating the power of colours in creating strong brand associations.
Like sports teams, you should have a clearly defined set of colours for your brand. Featured Black Slatwall.
As brand recognition grows, along with positive brand experiences, customer loyalty is further strengthened, illustrating the profound influence of colour in shaping consumer perceptions and preferences.
What Colour Scheme Should I Choose for my Business?
Consider all the information above, to help you choose the best suited colours for your shop and business. For certain retail stores, neutral shades may be preferred so that the products can stand out. Or if there’s a specific area you want to promote, using displays and shelving in a different colour can help draw attention.
It’s important to maintain consistency across your business, including branding, in-store design, and your online presence, to enhance brand recognition and develop customer loyalty.
Understanding the nuances regarding colour preferences, placement, and the emotions commonly associated with different colours can help you to customise your business’s visual identity. This, in turn, can influence how consumers perceive and engage with your business, whether at the product or brand level. Although choosing what colours to use may seem like a minor decision now, it can have a significant impact in the long run.
Our team of experts are always on hand for everything from personalised assistance on project planning, such as a shop fit, and to offer recommendations to help you choose the right products. Find out more about our Business Services.
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