Recent Shop & Retail
Logo Design

Shop & Retail Logo Design Explained

Above all, the American retail industry is enormous, with around a million stores raking in four trillion dollars in revenue in the last year. Of course, not every store enjoys a comparable share of America’s retail spend. However, those that excel are often the ones with the most memorable retail logo design.

The Importance of a Retail Logo Design

First of all, logos for retail shops acts as a store’s corporate face. After all, it features on advertising material to encourage people to shop. Furthermore, it’s there again on the shop front, and again on the uniforms of its employees. For instance, you’ll even find the retail logo design on the store shelves. As retailers encourage consumers to buy their own store brands over the premium label products. However, once their shopping carts are full, customers leave the store carrying bags emblazoned with the same retail logo design, advertising where they’ve shopped.

As I think you know, logo design for online retailers is no less important. As, E-tailers display their logos for retail shops prominently on their site and often on the packaging and invoices that arrive once customers make a purchase. Furthermore, online company logos also appear on apps and marketing emails, which encourage loyal customers to return.

Therefore, whether you have a traditional store or an online one, your retail logo will represent you in a range of arenas so it’s important that it sends the right message.

Use Retail Graphics Effectively

For instance, I think that some shops will commonly use graphics that represent the goods they sell. Not a bad thing you’ll think. Furthermore, grocers use logos for retail shops featuring fruits and vegetables and, hardware stores integrate images of hammers, drills, and saws into theirs. More importantly, this approach reinforces the connection between the business name and their products for potential customers. However, it can make it difficult for retailers to differentiate themselves from others in the same sector.

Above all, I think it’s easy to understand store owners concerned about carving out their own brand identity might prefer to select images that are more unusual. For example, rather than incorporating footwear into their retail logo design, as many other shoe stores do, a shop might prefer a logo featuring footsteps or a caterpillar wearing several pairs of shoes.

Furthermore, abstract images can also work well for retail outlets. For example, department store Walmart’s retail logo design features a contemporary star shape. Much rather than the apparel, electronics, and other consumer goods it sells. Footwear chain Foot Locker uses a shop logo featuring the image of a referee instead of shoes. Lastly, the Apple store references its name with its stylized apple logo, rather than the computers and mobile devices it offers. Therefore, all these graphics tell consumers very little about the store itself, but they’re very recognizable. That is what you want as well I believe. Take a look at this one we designed, Webster Westside Flea Market

Think About the Retail Logo Design Color

Understandably, many industries have clear rules about appropriate logo colors, but when it comes to retail logo design, anything goes. Therefore, this leads many shop keepers to consider the goods they’re selling when settling on their shop logo color scheme. For example, it makes sense for grocery logos for retail shops to use earth tones. Perhaps, like browns and greens, as these stores specialize in natural and fresh produce. However, Albertson’s prefers blue, Kroger loves blue and red, and Safeway chose red and black.

Furthermore, the lack of clear color rules is a real advantage for retailers, as it increases the chances that their retail logo design will feel fresh. However, owners shouldn’t just choose the colors they like, or gravitate towards hues simply because they’re different. More importantly, every color carries powerful connotations, which the public will pick up on. Furthermore, different demographics also warm to different colors. Therefore I recommend that sellers should consider their target market’s preferences when choosing their logo’s colors.

Primary tones for kids logos and light blue for calmer clientèle according to the color emotion guide. 

For example, children are just learning about color, so they respond best to the primary tones of bright red, yellow, and blue. You see then, it would make sense to the public to see this trio of colors in the retail logo design of a toy store or children’s clothing outlet. After all, they wouldn’t expect to see a shop logo for these stores featuring pale blue though, because this is a very calming color. Probably, out of step with the energy of their youthful demographic. Above all, this hue would make a lot more sense for the retail logo design of a high-end women’s fashion store. After all they want to have looks to make its clientèle feel pampered and loved. 

Research the psychology of colors carefully and ensure your logo’s hues accurately represent your business. After all, using the wrong colors will alienate potential customers so it can limit your business’ success.

Another important aspect is the use of black and white as this also plays an important part in creating your brand’s identity. After all it is crucial that your retail logo design can succeed when the hues are stripped away. For instance, the best retail logos are recognizable when reprinted in black and white, as they often are in newspapers and on company invoices. Therefore, experiment with your unique logo in both formats to guarantee your brand’s success.

Logos for retail shops need to use the right typeface 

At a bare minimum, a retail logo design should feature the retailer’s name so potential customers begin to associate the design with its store. Some owners also include a short slogan or tagline which represents their business, or the year they were established to cement their credibility.

For instance, retailers often use bold typefaces, as they are memorable and legible no matter what size they’re reproduced. Narrow sectors often use specific varieties of type. For example, women’s fashion boutiques and jewelry stores often employ script-style typefaces to evoke a luxurious, feminine feel. In contrast, toy stores and children’s clothing outlets employ more playful novelty types, including those mimicking children’s handwriting or bold, bubbly lettering.

However, once you’ve settled on the type style you like, it’s a good idea to shrink it down. Logos often appear on a small scale, on invoices, on business cards, and on company stationery. Therefore, it’s essential that your company name, and its slogan if you’re using one, remain legible at any size. Important to remember, simple typefaces generally reproduce better than more elaborate ones.

However, it should also be interesting enough to look good on a large-scale. You could have store bags with a retail logo design that’s larger than the one you’ve designed. Making it likely that a larger version of your shop logo will appear on your storefront. Therefore, consider both large and small scales when settling on the perfect type.

Contact The Logo Company to discover how its expert design team can design a retail logo to boost your store’s customer base and retail sales.