Color Psychology: How to Use Paint Color in Your Retail Store

Brands use colors to influence your thoughts.

You may not think that you are mind-controlled, but subtly using colors can change how we think, feel, and react to certain objects and situations. This is called color psychology.

If you are interested in the power of color psychology and how you can use it in your store, then read on. This short guide will take you through how each color you use could subtly influence how your customers shop.

Consider Your Audience

Men and women see and react to colors differently. Both genders tend to prefer blues and green and dislike oranges and browns. However, men, in general, are not big fans of purples but love blacks. On the other hand, women love purples which they perceive as a luxury color and hate grays.

When color branding your store, you need to think about who will be walking through the doors. How old will they be? Is your brand more masculine or feminine? Is it a modern or a more classic brand? Playful or serious?

You need to consider these aspects of your customers and how they are likely to react to your brand. For example, if they are outdoorsy and rugged types, they may be influenced by colors representing that aspect of their personality. So greens, blacks, and earthy browns are likely the way to go.

Younger shoppers are more likely to be attracted to bright and bold colors. If your brand is a youth brand, you can afford to be a bit more experimental. Older clientele will be attracted by more subtle shades and put off by anything too garish.

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Stir Their Emotions

Many different studies show that color affects us emotionally and that simply changing our clothes or a room can impact how we feel.

Pink, for example, evokes a feeling of calmness and serenity. It can also make us feel romantic. Sports teams often paint their opponent’s locker rooms this color to help drain their energy.

Red give people a sense of urgency and alertness. It drives people to take action, so be sure to paint tills and sales areas with a red hue. Sales advertisements and discounted signage should also be red to draw the shopper’s attention.

Whereas red attracts the eye, grey-green makes things invisible. Disney famously invented a color called Go Away Green which psychologically makes people forget something is there.

Once you know the trick, you can start to notice how they use it to hide access doorways, bins, fences, and unattractive street furniture. You can use the same trick if you want to make your customers ignore parts of your store. Paint the backrooms this color or any access doors that you do not want them to notice.

The Colour Psychology Chart

There are lots of color options to choose from that will have different psychological effects on your customers. Let’s dive into some of their meanings and why you may want to use them to color your brand or retail store.

Yellow

Yellow is the color of happiness. It brings a sense of optimism. It is more difficult to feel sad when surrounded by bright yellow colors. It also gives a sense of clarity and warmth and is good for brands that wish to be associated with the home.

Use yellow to make people feel upbeat and cozy.

Brands that use this color: UPS, IKEA, Nikon, Best Buy.

Orange

This color is all about radiating energy and a sense of activity. It is good for brands that want to energize their customers. Orange is a great color for mobile phone companies (hence the Orange brand) as it gives customers a sense of speed.

It is also used as a color scheme in gyms to fill their patrons with psychological energy.

Brands that use this color: Fanta, Orange, Harley Davidson, Amazon

Red

As we have already covered, the color red is something that captures the attention of shoppers. When used in branding, it gives a feeling of excitement. It is best used when targeting a youthful market as older customers tend to prefer more subtle shades.

Use red to draw attention and make bold statements to a younger audience.

Brands that use this color: Coca Cola, Nintendo, Lego & KFC

Purple

Purples are very popular with female shoppers who see them as a luxurious color. It is also generally perceived as the color of wisdom and creativity. It is a color that makes people stop and think and give the illusion of great knowledge, even when this is not the case.

Use purple to convey a superior sense of wisdom in your brand, like in a book store. Alternatively, use it to evoke a sense of luxury goods.

Brands that use this color: SyFy, Yahoo, Hallmark, Cadburys.

Blue

Blue is many people’s favorite color, and blue color psychology evokes a feeling of trust and dependency. Many IT companies use blue to encourage customers to believe in the reliability of their products.

If you are painting a store that sells health products, then blue is a good choice as it will encourage customers to have faith in your products.

Brands that use this color: Dell, IBM, HP, JP Morgan.

Green

Green color psychology is and always will be associated with good health. It evokes the feeling of the countryside and nature. It makes you feel like the cereal you are eating is filled with nature’s bounty, even if it is full of sugar.

Use greens to encourage customers to feel that your store is one with nature, especially if you are selling health food products or camping gear.

Brands that use this color: Animal Planet, Whole Foods, Land Rover.

Black, White, and Grey

Shades on the color-free spectrum are very neutral and calming colors. When paired with a bold color, they can make a real statement and draw a customer’s eye quickly. Black is an extremely trendy color, and if you decorate your store in full monochrome, it will evoke a sense of coolness.

Use blacks to highlight high-priced items as it will bring the customer a sense of luxury.

Brands that use this color: Apple, Times, Puma, Nike.

Color Psychology Is A Powerful Marketing Tool

Color psychology marketing is used by every store that you go into. They use colors to attract your attention and sometimes to divert it. They use brand color psychology to affect your mood and make you more inclined to buy their goods.

You can make use of this powerful tool too. Study your audience and learn how to reach them through the power of color psychology.

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