1. Customer Circulation Route

The customer circulation route refers to the walking path of customers during their in-store shopping. Since customers’ moving direction can be guided in a planned manner, it is also known as the customer guidance route.

It is the core of store layout planning, divided into main aisle and secondary aisle.The main aisle is the central passage that guides customers from the entrance to the deepest area of the store. In layout planning, the main aisle should be designed as long as possible, subtly extending customers’ walking path and staying time. This allows customers to browse more products and creates more sales opportunities. The main aisle carries around 80% of customer flow and is the widest passage in the store.

The secondary aisle serves as a branch passage outside the main aisle, with a narrower width.
Customer circulation design is based on consumer behavior and merchandise grouping logic.First, customer convenience is prioritized: luggage storage, shopping cart access, entry, checkout and exit should all be user-friendly.Second, the layout shall conform to customers’ consumption habits, psychology and aesthetic preference, including circulation routing, category arrangement and product display.

A well-designed customer circulation route can boost store entry rate, eliminate layout dead corners, and increase average customer spending.





The width standard applies equally to main and secondary aisles, allowing two customers to pass each other comfortably.The average shoulder width of one person is about 45cm, so the single-person design width is set at 60cm. The aisle width shall be adjusted according to store size and peak customer density.The calculation formula:60cm × 2 + 60cm × X A basic 120cm width allows one person to pass comfortably; X stands for the number of additional people that can pass side by side.

Practical width standard:

• Small store: Main aisle 120~150cm; Secondary aisle above 90cm
• Large retail space: Main aisle above 250cm

2. Logistics Circulation Route

The logistics circulation route connects the receiving area, warehouse, processing room and other back-of-house facilities. As the second key circulation system of a store, it ranks second only to customer routing in importance.
It needs to coordinate parking layout, receiving entrance, freight elevator, warehouse and fresh food zone.




Key principles for receiving entrance design:
① No conflict with customer entrance;
② Sufficient dedicated parking space;
③ Proximity to elevators;
④ Internal connecting path to warehouse shall not cross the main customer circulation route.

In short, logistics routing shall optimize the connection of receiving, freight elevators, warehouse and stock replenishment paths. The shorter the circulation line, the higher the operational efficiency.

3. Staff Circulation Route

The staff circulation route refers to the walking paths for employees, including commuter passages and in-store working routes. This part is often overlooked in conventional store planning, yet it should be highly valued for medium and large stores.
Staff routing needs comprehensive consideration of staff entry, personal storage, rest & drinking area, restroom, security check, exit and stock picking routes.
A reasonable staff circulation design improves work efficiency and effectively reduces internal theft.Normally, the staff entrance is combined with the goods receiving area for unified security management. Staff storage, lounge, dining area and restroom are arranged in a centralized zone, bringing convenience to employees as well as standardized loss control.
Circulation layout design is the core of overall store design, among which customer routing determines the success of store operation. Layout schemes shall be customized flexibly according to property conditions and corporate positioning, adapting measures to actual site and business demands.