The customer path
Retail planning is a sequence, and it is remarkably consistent across categories. Get the sequence right and an average product range performs; get it wrong and the best range in the market underperforms.
- Decompression zoneThe first 1.5–3 m inside the door. Customers arriving from the street are still adjusting to the light level and the temperature; anything displayed here is genuinely not seen. Keep it clear, keep it bright, and let the eye reach the back.
- The first landing pointRoughly 3–5 m in, on the right for most markets, because most people turn right on entering. This is the highest-value display position in the shop and it should hold new or aspirational product, not clearance.
- The pathA defined loop rather than a grid. Ninety per cent of customers follow the perimeter; a loop that brings them back past the counter converts better than a maze that lets them cut across.
- Dwell pointsTwo or three places to stop — a full-height display, a mirror, a seat. Dwell time correlates directly with basket size in every category we have measured.
- The counterLate in the path, visible from the door for security, with 1,200 mm of queuing space that does not block the aisle. Impulse product here, nothing that needs consideration.
- Fitting rooms or consultationThe most under-designed part of most showrooms. Good light, a full-height mirror at a 5° tilt, a hook and a seat, and enough space to turn around.
Display density by category
| Category | Sq ft per SKU on display | Fixture height | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value apparel | 0.8 – 1.4 | Up to 2,100 mm | Volume communicates value; density is the message |
| Premium apparel | 2.5 – 4.5 | 1,500 – 1,800 mm | Space around a garment is what says it is expensive |
| Furniture and home | 12 – 30 | Room sets | The product is the vignette, not the item |
| Jewellery | 0.3 – 0.8 (in case) | Counter at 950 mm | Seated selling; case lighting is the entire experience |
| Electronics and appliance | 3 – 6 | 900 – 1,500 mm | Demonstration space and power at every plinth |
| Optical and eyewear | 0.4 – 0.9 | 1,200 – 1,700 mm | Wall-based, mirror at every bay |
| Automotive | 180 – 320 per vehicle | — | Turning circle and a clean floor plane dominate |
A showroom is a lighting project with furniture in it
Lighting, which is most of the job
- Three layers, always. Ambient at 300–500 lux, accent at three to five times the ambient on the product, and a decorative layer that gives the space character. A single uniform layer at 700 lux is what a hardware shop looks like.
- Colour temperature by category. 3000K for apparel, home and hospitality; 4000K for electronics and optical; 3500K as the safe default in mixed retail. Jewellery is the exception — case lighting at 4000–5000K with a high R9 makes stones read.
- CRI 90 minimum, R9 above 50. Below that, reds and skin tones fail, which matters in every category where a customer holds the product against themselves.
- Beam angles matter more than fitting count. A 24° spot on a mannequin and a 60° flood on a wall bay do different jobs; buying one fitting for both wastes half the light.
- Light the walls. A vertically lit perimeter makes a shop feel larger and brighter than the same lumens pointed at the floor.
- Plan the track before the ceiling. Retrofitting a lighting track into a finished ceiling costs three times what building it in does, and the result is always a compromise.
Facade, signage and the approval that takes longest
The shopfront is the highest-return surface in the project and the one most likely to be delayed. In a mall it is governed by the landlord’s shopfront guidelines; on a high street by the local authority’s signage rules and, often, by the building’s own society. Start it at design stage.
- Establish the permitted signage envelope first — height, projection, illumination type and whether any part may be animated.
- Design the glazing line for the product, not the plan. A full-height glass line suits apparel and furniture; a raised plinth at 600 mm suits jewellery, optical and electronics because it puts product at eye level from the pavement.
- Light the window as a separate circuit on a timer. A window that stays lit for two hours after closing is the cheapest advertising a shop buys.
- Plan the entrance threshold. Level, drained, non-slip when wet, and wide enough for the largest product to enter.
- Budget the barricade. In a mall you will be required to erect a printed hoarding for the whole fit-out period, to the mall’s specification, at ₹350–₹900 per sq ft of hoarding.
Retailers ask us to reduce the lighting budget and increase the joinery budget. It is exactly the wrong way round: nobody has ever bought something because the shelf was well made.
Greenbox commercial fit-out lead
Rates by category
| Category | ₹ per sq ft, ex-GST | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| Value apparel and general merchandise | ₹2,200 – 3,200 | 4 – 6 weeks |
| Pharmacy, convenience and services | ₹2,000 – 3,000 | 3 – 5 weeks |
| Premium apparel and lifestyle | ₹3,500 – 5,200 | 6 – 9 weeks |
| Furniture and home showroom | ₹2,800 – 4,600 | 6 – 10 weeks |
| Electronics and appliance | ₹3,000 – 4,800 | 5 – 8 weeks |
| Jewellery and luxury | ₹5,500 – 12,000 | 10 – 16 weeks |
Ex-GST. Includes fixtures, lighting, flooring, ceiling, facade and signage. Excludes stock, POS hardware and security systems.
Fixtures, and where the money actually goes
On most showroom budgets the fixture package is 28–38% of the total, and the single biggest decision is whether it is bespoke or a system.
| Fixture approach | ₹ per running foot | Right for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slotted wall system with brackets | ₹4,500 – 9,000 | Value retail, pharmacy, multi-brand | Flexible and cheap; visibly generic |
| Modular gondola and mid-floor units | ₹6,000 – 12,000 | Convenience, electronics, general merchandise | Reconfigurable; limited to catalogue proportions |
| Semi-bespoke bays on a system carcass | ₹12,000 – 24,000 | The sensible middle for most categories | A system frame with a designed face; reconfigurable in part |
| Bespoke joinery bays with integrated lighting | ₹24,000 – 45,000 | Premium apparel, home, optical | Looks the part; changing the layout later means rebuilding |
| Display cases with lock and case lighting | ₹14,000 – 38,000 | Jewellery, watches, luxury | The whole experience sits in the case; specify the lighting with the case |
| Room sets and vignettes | Priced per set | Furniture and home | Highest conversion per square foot, lowest SKU density |
Per running foot of full-height wall bay (2,400–3,000 mm), ex-GST, including finish and integrated lighting where noted. Low gondola runs sit at the bottom of each band.
Where we work
We design showrooms nationally and build them ourselves across Mumbai. For mall barricade rules, high-street constraints on Linking Road and Colaba Causeway, and local rates, see showroom interior designers in Mumbai. Itemised budgets are on retail store interior cost in India.
Selected work by Greenbox Design Studio. Tap any image to enlarge.
Frequently asked questions
What is a decompression zone and how big should it be?+
The first 1.5 to 3 metres inside the entrance, where the customer is still adjusting from street light and temperature and genuinely does not register product. Keep it clear and bright and let the sightline reach the back wall. Filling it with displays is the commonest and most expensive retail planning error.
How much does a showroom fit-out cost per square foot?+
₹2,000–₹3,000 for pharmacy and convenience, ₹2,200–₹3,200 for value apparel, ₹2,800–₹4,600 for furniture and home, ₹3,000–₹4,800 for electronics, ₹3,500–₹5,200 for premium apparel and ₹5,500–₹12,000 for jewellery, all ex-GST including fixtures, lighting and shopfront.
What proportion of a retail budget should go on lighting?+
Twelve to eighteen per cent, and it is the last line to cut. Lighting accounts for somewhere between thirty and forty-five per cent of how good the space looks, and unlike joinery it cannot be improved later without opening the ceiling.
Which colour temperature suits a showroom?+
3000K for apparel, home and hospitality; 4000K for electronics and optical where accuracy matters; 3500K as a safe default in mixed retail. Jewellery cases run 4000–5000K with a high R9 so stones read correctly. Keep CRI at 90 or better in every category.
How long does a showroom fit-out take?+
Three to five weeks for pharmacy and convenience, four to six for value apparel, six to nine for premium apparel, six to ten for furniture and ten to sixteen for jewellery. Shopfront approval, not construction, is the item most likely to extend the programme.
Should the shopfront be full-height glass?+
It depends on the product. Full-height glass suits apparel and furniture, where the product is large and the interior is the attraction. For jewellery, optical and electronics a raised plinth at about 600 mm works better, because it lifts small product to eye level for someone standing on the pavement.