In some retail spaces, the design of the building means that certain physical obstacles are unavoidable. For instance, the building may have bulky poles that extend for the entire height of the structure, creating awkward breaks in the retail and office spaces within. So if you’re faced with these types of physical obstacles, what should you do?

For starters, you can wrap them in brand or product-oriented messaging. But once you’ve maximized their media value, you’re still left with an unfortunate truth: the products you put on display near poles and other obstacles will be harder for customers to see and reach. Plus, if more than two or three customers try to get into those areas at once, things will get cramped very quickly.

With this in mind, the only viable solution is to make sure that customers don’t congregate near physical obstacles. To accomplish this, use the shelves nearby for easy, inexpensive products that people buy without too much thought. At the same time, don’t put expensive, complex items in these areas. When shoppers can grab and go, they won’t pile up in your tightest areas, and traffic flow will be more efficient.

In fact, that brings me to my point: high-decision products tend to require more comparison and contemplation by shoppers. For this reason, you should place them in areas that have lots of breathing room, so people feel comfortable picking up a few choices, comparing the ingredients and value for the money, and taking home their choice. These are precisely the people you don’t want to rush, since rushed shoppers are more likely to leave without buying those items. By keeping high-decision products away from physical obstacles, you’ll help customers feel calm and collected, which means more sales and fewer abandoned purchases.