Of the many decisions a retail store entrepreneur has to make, these three stand out as essential to the eventual success of the store.

Store Layout Design

When designing the interior layout of the store, begin with consideration of the customer experience you would like to create. While some might say that the purpose of a store layout design is to maximize potential shelf space and the products that can be displayed, this may not be in the best interest of your store. Apple Store locations, for example, have a layout focused on open space and product demonstrations, with shelves featuring products seeming to be an afterthought. These store are designed to support the image of Apple as a fun and aspirational brand, whether or not purchases occur during a customer’s visit to the store.

Your layout must include consideration of legal and safety concerns amidst business decisions about shelf space, customer flow, and register location. Laws govern the number and accessibility of exits, width of passageways and availability of bathrooms. Consult with an experienced designer or reputable resources before opening to make sure you have taken these type of rules into consideration.

Waiting Line System

Entire business school courses look at the science behind waiting line systems because of their impact on the efficiency of services. The complexity of the system you choose depends on the volume of customers you expect and the average and maximum waiting times you would like to allow for. You have the choice between one line and register, one line and two or more registers, and multiple lines for multiple registers. For high flow stores, a staff member or computer system is often used to direct customers to open registers during peak hours, but this is an investment that should be reserved only for situations when the lack of direction will lead to disorder and unhappy customers.

Staff Training System

To create a consistent experience for customers, from their entrance into the store to their exit, your staff must be trained well and trained towards the same behaviors and principles. You can achieve this in part with an employee manual, but must have a consistent training system for each employee. A successful system may use the following steps: demonstrating the work for the employee in a training setting, watching them them demonstrate the work, demonstrating the work with real customers, and finally supervising the employee work with real customers. Some level of supervision and informal and formal evaluation should continue going forward.