Jay McIntosh –
\nConsultants Rich Kizer and Georgeanne Bender will give a presentation during the Las Vegas furniture market at 10 a.m. Monday, July 24 (see page 30 for details).
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\nHere\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a summary of the talk they gave at the Western Home Furnishings Assn. annual meeting in Hawaii in May.<\/p>\n
KONA COAST, Hawaii \u00e2\u20ac\u201d A store starts making an impression with a shopper in the parking lot, say retail consultants Rich Kizer and Georgeanne Bender.<\/p>\n
If it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s dirty or has potholes \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and especially if it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s too poorly lighted to feel safe after dark \u00e2\u20ac\u201d then some cleaning or repairs are essential, they say.<\/p>\n
Kizer and Bender led a WHFA seminar here on store design with a fast-paced talk loaded with suggestions on how a retailer should present itself, inside and out. They covered the basics, such as what color scheme is most pleasing and where to place the most important signage, and offered tips on how to best serve today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s aging consumer.<\/p>\n
After the parking lot, consumers quickly will form opinions about the rest of the store, said Bender.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153People judge books by their covers. Shoppers judge stores by their storefronts,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d she said. She recommends a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153nice, clean, simple storefront that represents your brand.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Signs are fine, but make sure they can be read in four seconds \u00e2\u20ac\u201d the usual attention span, she said.<\/p>\n
Another suggestion: Managers should try approaching their stores from various directions, since store windows look different from different angles. For this reason, window displays often are more effective if some product is shown at an angle rather than facing front.<\/p>\n
Just inside the door, Kizer and Bender said, is a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153decompression zone\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of five to 15 feet, where the shopper is getting used to the store. Oddly enough, product displayed in this area might be overlooked, while something a little farther in will command attention.<\/p>\n
After the decompression zone, they said, a store should slow the shopper with a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153speed bump\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a display of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153fabulous merchandise\u00e2\u20ac\u009d that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard to resist.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Speed bumps should be changed frequently,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Bender. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I would not leave a speed bump in longer than 30 days.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n
Kizer said the right front portion of most stores is the prime real estate, the place to display a design story, or high-profit or seasonal items, since most people will walk a store floor counterclockwise.<\/p>\n
The end of the journey, the left side or left center, is the logical place for a cashier.<\/p>\n
The consultants also suggested taking steps to make shopping comfortable for aging baby boomers. Some 55% of people over age 55 have some form of arthritis, Bender said, and don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to stoop down to look at something.<\/p>\n
Aging eyes also need more light to read and larger letters \u00e2\u20ac\u201d nothing smaller than 16-point type in product information, Kizer said.<\/p>\n
And while a shiny floor might seem classy, it also can look slippery. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Older customers are afraid they are going to fall,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Bender.<\/p>\n
They also suggest that a store\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s interior colors be 80% neutrals and only 20% accent colors. Any more bright colors will make shoppers uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Everywhere customers look in your store they should immediately be drawn to something intriguing,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Bender. She and Kizer, who are online at www.kizerandbender.com, also recommend marketing to senses other than sight:<\/p>\n
*\u00c2\u00a0Hearing. Disco is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153the sound of money,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d but don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t play it too loud.<\/p>\n
*\u00c2\u00a0Smell. Stores can use scented candles, if they can be safely lighted or placed on a candle warmer, or other ambient aromas.<\/p>\n
*\u00c2\u00a0Taste. Customers always appreciate food, such as cookies or cups of coffee or hot cider in winter.<\/p>\n
*\u00c2\u00a0Touch. Furniture retailers can welcome customers to sit or lie on the merchandise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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