How to redesign your store layout to make financing more visible and compelling
A store remodel is the best opportunity to build financing visibility directly into the customer journey. By treating Snap Finance as a design requirement from the start, retailers can place financing information where customers actually make decisions: at the product, not the register. High‑ticket placement, signage clearance, and a well‑planned application station all shape how customers understand their financing options. With support from Snap’s Client Success Managers and no‑cost point‑of‑purchase materials, retailers can design a layout that makes financing clear, accessible, and part of the natural shopping flow.
Key Takeaways
Financing visibility starts with layout, not signage: Placing signs after construction limits their impact because the best locations are already taken.
Customers decide at the product: Financing needs to be visible where shoppers pause, compare, and consider high‑ticket items.
A remodel is the ideal moment to plan for financing: Retailers can design decision‑point coverage, signage clearance, and an application station into the floor plan.
Application stations need intentional placement: Semi‑privacy, connectivity, and a dedicated device help customers complete applications confidently.
Snap provides no‑cost materials and support: Signage formats, marketing assets, and guidance from a Client Success Manager make planning easier.
Most store remodels are designed around product flow. The ones that drive financing adoption are also designed around the customers' decision moments.
Most store remodels focus on how people move through the space, what they notice first, and how quickly they reach checkout. But stores that want to fully embrace financing think about something else too: the moments when customers make decisions.
When financing isn’t part of the early design plan, retailers often finish a remodel and then ask, “Where should the Snap Finance sign go?” By then, the best spots are already taken. The store may look great, but the layout won’t support the financing conversation.
A remodel is your chance to change that. When you treat integrating Snap Finance as a design requirement from the start, you can build financing visibility into the places where customers actually decide what to buy. A customer who sees Snap-branded lease-to-own financing or loan options while standing in front of a $2,000 item has more time and confidence to consider the purchase than someone who sees financing for the first time at the register.
Snap makes planning easier by providing point‑of‑purchase signage and marketing materials at no cost through your Client Success Manager. Once you know what formats are available, you can build them into your design plan. Remember, financing visibility is a layout problem before it’s a signage problem, and a remodel is your best chance to get that placement right.
Mapping the customer decision journey before you design
Walk the store as a customer before the remodel starts
Before you move any fixtures, walk your store the way a customer does. Enter through the front door. Browse slowly. Notice where you stop, where you compare items, and where you look for help. These are the customer decision points where financing can make the biggest difference. A remodel will shift these points, but understanding them now helps you design for them later.
If you’re not doing a full remodel but want to improve financing visibility on your current floor plan, see What an In‑Store Layout Change Can Do for Financing Visibility.[JE1]
Identify where high‑ticket items will live in the new layout
High‑ticket items shape the entire store. These products are where customers pause the longest and where financing matters most. Decide where these items will go before you design anything else. Once you know their location, you can plan the rest of the layout around them.
Map the gap between current decision points and current financing visibility
Next, look at your current layout. Mark every place where a customer makes a decision. Then mark whether financing is visible in those spots. The gaps you find will show you what the remodel needs to fix. This simple exercise takes about 30 minutes and gives your designer a clear, useful brief.
Define the application moment in the new layout
Think about where customers will fill out their Snap application. This spot needs:
A little privacy
Reliable internet
A dedicated device or a comfortable spot to use their own device to apply
A location close to your high‑ticket items
Plan this early. If you don’t, the application station will end up squeezed into leftover space, which hurts the customer experience.
Layout decisions that can improve financing visibility
Anchor high‑ticket displays away from the entrance
Customers who see high-ticket items right at the entrance may not yet be focused on evaluating purchase options.. They’re still adjusting to the space. High‑ticket displays work better deeper in the store, where customers are already in browsing mode and more open to information, including learning about Snap Finance.
Create a visual break between general browsing and high‑ticket sections
A clear transition helps customers understand they’re entering a different part of the store. This can be a change in lighting, flooring, or fixture height. This transition zone is a great place to introduce financing messaging before customers focus on a specific item.
Position the financing information station near the application moment, not the register
A small counter or tablet station near your high‑ticket area works as a financing help point. It should have:
A dedicated device with the Snap application accessible
Snap point-of-purchase signage and brochures to help customers make an informed decision
This station is not a checkout. It’s a place where customers can explore financing when they’re already thinking about a purchase. This is also a natural place to mention Snap‑branded lease‑to‑own financing or loan options.
Design signage clearance into fixture placement
Financing signs need to be:
At eye level (54–66 inches for most people)
Well‑lit
Easy to see
If your fixtures place merchandise at eye level in the same spots where financing signs should go, the signs lose. Plan the clearance before fixtures are built.
For signage dimensions, available formats, and information on ordering from Snap, see When and How to Refresh Your In‑Store Financing Signage.
Keep the register area as reinforcement, not the primary location
Register signage should support financing, not introduce it. By the time customers reach checkout, they should have already seen information about Snap Finance in several places. The register is supplementary, not your main financing strategy.
The application station
Semi‑private placement that doesn’t interrupt traffic
Customers filling out a Snap application are sharing personal information. They need to feel comfortable. Place the station slightly away from heavy foot traffic, with the screen turned away from the main aisle. This small detail builds trust and will perform better than one in the middle of a walkway or next to the checkout counter.
Connectivity requirements for the location
Before you finalize the station’s location, test the internet connection there. Slow or unreliable Wi‑Fi can stop an application in its tracks. This is a facilities issue, not a merchandising one, so make sure your network team checks it during the remodel.
Dedicated device specification
The application station needs its own device, not one shared with point-of-sale or other tasks. It should provide convenient access to the Snap application during store hours. Specify the right power outlet, security mount, and counter space during the design planning so the station works smoothly from day one.
How to brief a store designer on financing visibility
Provide the decision point map before the design starts
The map you created earlier is your most important tool. It shows where customers make decisions and where financing needs to be visible. Give this map to your designer before they start sketching. Otherwise, they will naturally optimize for aesthetics and traffic flow rather than financing visibility.
Specify signage locations and dimensions in the fixture plan
Ask your designer to include exact spots for financing signage with the right clearance. Before you approve the plan, request Snap’s current signage formats and dimensions from your account manager so everything fits.
For the full process of ordering and installing materials, see When and How to Refresh Your In‑Store Financing Signage.
Include the application station as a named fixture in the design
If the application station isn’t listed as a fixture, it will end up being relegated to whatever space is left. Make it a named element in the design brief with clear dimensions, power needs, and placement rules.
Measuring whether the redesign worked for financing
Establish baseline metrics before construction starts
Track application volume, offer rate, and customer questions about financing for at least three months before the remodel. These numbers give you a baseline. Without it, you can’t tell whether the new layout helped.
Measure at 30 days and 90 days post‑reopening
Customers and staff need time to adjust to a new layout. The 30‑day check helps you spot early problems. The 90‑day check shows whether the layout is performing better than before.
Ask staff what changed in customer conversations
Your team sees how customers behave every day. Ask them whether more customers are asking about financing since the remodel. Their feedback can reveal issues or wins that numbers alone won’t show.
If the remodel didn’t improve financing applications, the next step is a signage audit. See What an In‑Store Layout Change Can Do for Financing Visibility.
Start planning your remodel today
If you’re planning a remodel and want to make financing more visible for your customers, your Snap Client Success Manager can help you get started. Reach out today to make sure financing is built into your remodel from the very beginning.
Not a Snap merchant retailer yet? Apply today and learn how you can make financing part of your remodel.
Snap Finance, its affiliates, and partners offer consumers a range of solutions, which may include lease-to-own financing, retail installment contracts, installment loans, and credit cards. Product availability may vary by state, merchant, industry, and qualification criteria. Certain products are issued by independent merchants or bank partners and serviced by Snap Finance LLC. For more information, visit https://snapfinance.com/legal/products.