Look for the 'special' touch to help drive sales
Lisa Casinger, retail editor -- Home Accents Today, 8/1/2004
You know you're In the "dog days of summer" (the hottest, muggiest period between early July and early September, at least in North Carolina) because by the time you get home to rest on the weekends, you're packing for another show. Depending on whom you talk to at any given market, traffic has been up or down. Rather than talking about traffic, I think the bigger question for retailers is "did I find anything special?"
One thing I like about shows is talking to vendors and retailers because I always learn something.
While I've known the wall decor industry has been hot on the heels of copyright infringement with the inception of the ACC, I've wondered how other vendors combat the copycats. Many vendors, like Austin and Roma, seek designers or artists who do exclusive work for them. Whether it's a young artist found at a Canadian art show or a well-known industry veteran, these companies have found a way to bring more innovative designs to retailers searching through a sea of look-alikes.
Mary Frye, president of the Home Furnishings International Association, told me they are re-launching the popular Haven magazine in September. The magazine, written to consumers, features brief articles on decorating, trends, furniture and home decor in a way that will put your product at the top of their mind. Call 800-521-4663 for more information.
Although I'm by no means a trend or product guru, I have seen a few neat things I thought were fun - at least they caught my eye, which says something considering the plethora of product out there.
Luna Bella's temporary showroom in Atlanta was noteworthy. Displaying lighting creatively can be a challenge, but they rose to it beautifully and with some unique designs. I also liked the woven egg chair at Continental Home. It was large enough for two people, or an adult and two children, to sit in - a great reading nook if they suspended a light from the inside.
The writer in me was drawn to the Storey Sticks from Griffin Creek. The story of the wrought iron Storey Stick is that you plant one in the garden (or display indoors or out on stands) and each has its own story tag. Products that have stories to tell help the selling process.
At shows, I usually get out to visit local retailers. We ventured out to Dalton, Ga. to visit Carpets of Dalton, which includes a campus of stores offering everything from carpets and outdoor to furniture, accessories and appliances. This is the first time I visited the Designer Dream Home (a Southern Living home) built inside the main store, American Home Showplace. Few retailers have the floor space, time or capital to build a complete home inside the store, but this is amazing. No detail is overlooked, from the towels stacked in a bathroom armoire to the food in the pantry and the blankets and toys in the baby's room.
Question of the month
Speaking of copyright issues and exclusive product - how do you, as a retailer, feel about knock-offs? Do you care? Do your customers care? If you see similar product in showrooms do you shop price or brand? Do you seek vendors who offer exclusive product? Email me your two cents worth at lcasinger@reedbusiness.com or post your response on our message board.
Home Accents Today's Best Retail Ideas
C.S. Wo & Sons, Honolulu
Owners: Bob Sr., Bub, Wendell, Michael, Bennett and Scott Wo
This Top 100 furniture retailer coordinates over the top store events not related to selling-it's more image and good will building. They have an annual Chinese New Year party complete with traditional food and favors, lion dancers, etc. To add interest they usually feature work from a local artists (this year is the year of the horse on the Chinese calendar so they commissioned a local artist to create horse pictures which they also used on their invitations) and a fashion designers in their events.
Florida Retailer
Employee theft and shoplifting account for the largest source of property crime in the nation. For retailers it can be devastating. One retailer takes preventative measures such as stringent background checks, using clear trash bags (to prevent product from walking out with the garbage), a loss prevention specialist on-staff to analyze vulnerable spots, CCTV (which is also used to monitor productivity) and sensor tags similar to those found on apparel.Quick tips:
- When setting up displays, keep these ideas in mind: never display product on the same level (in lamps, stagger your shade heights to create interest); keep product off the floor (placing items on a pedestal instantly turns them into a piece of artwork); use fabrics or wall coverings that accent but don't distract.
- Gift wrap purchases with a signature color/themed paper.
