Making Over Your Store on a Budget
Kathy Krassner -- Gifts and Dec, 1/1/2012 2:00:00 AM
Are you tired of looking at your same-old store but think you're lacking enough extra cash flow to do something about it?
The good news is that it is possible to make over your store and stay within your budget. You just need to be smart about what you do and how you do it.
"Makeover needs can range from new fixtures, wall paint color, floor plan layout and improved lighting," explains visual-merchandising designer Paul Thompson of Paul Thompson Signature in Dallas. He acknowledges that many shops were originally put together in an ad-hoc fashion and, over time, can become cluttered with too many co-op fixtures and without a clear focus of a branded store look.
Thompson explains that the purpose of a makeover is to break away from standards of display and decor that are not allowing the product to turn as quickly as planned. "This often means making significant changes in the floor plan and cross merchandising efforts," he says.
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At Flore, faux plaster walls were created with inexpensive, storebought
brick paneling and plaster specialty paint. |
| Things Remembered
before, right,
and after.
The redesign
features
inviting
graphics and
unique wall
features. |
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Maintenance vs. Makeover
"Don't confuse maintenance with a makeover," asserts Ken Nisch, chairman of JGA, a retail design and brand consultancy based in Southfield, MI. "Putting down a fresh carpet, a coat of paint or adding a few fixtures often is not enough to get the customer to consider or even reconsider [entering] the shop."
For some, however, it's a start. "Don't give up. There's so much you can do without spending a fortune," states Michael Lindsay, global brand director at retailer Elizabeth W in San Francisco. "A fresh coat of paint and a deep clean can immediately transform a store."
Lori Friedlander, owner/ president at retailer Flore in Woodbury, CT, seconds that notion: "Never underestimate what paint can do. A fresh coat of paint on the walls can make a space look entirely different. Paint can also transform furnishings. There are specialty paints on the market that can simulate stucco, metallic, crackle, leather, plaster walls, even chalkboard paint. Hydrochloric-acid stains can completely transform a plain concrete floor into a masterpiece."
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The Store at the Museum of Arts and Design in NYC, a JGA client,
features flexible and movable display blocks to accommodate an
ever-changing collection of items. |
| Cost-saving
measures at
elizabethW
included creating
their
own custommade
tables
at a fraction
of the cost. |
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According to visual-merchandising consultant Linda Cahan of Cahan & Company in West Linn, OR, the easiest, most-effective thing that retailers can do to make over their store on a budget is to choose up to five focal areas and concentrate on them. "If the area is on a wall, give it a fresh, fun color," she says. "If it's on a tabletop, consider adding a prop or colorful chair or ladder - anything you can paint that will add height." Cahan recommends keeping these focal areas well lit - "that alone will change the look and feel of your store."
Says Nisch: "If it can't be bold, don't do it! In most cases, it's not worth the investment. On the other hand, bold does not necessarily involve a lot of dollars spent, but guts." He urges retailers to resist the impulse "to take the easy road rather than the more creative one," such as ripping out an inadequate lighting system and replacing it with another new but equally inadequate system.
Minding the Budget
"There will be unexpected expenses, so be sure to stay under your budget, because you will probably end up spending the entire amount, if not more," remarks Elizabeth Allen, president of Elizabeth Allen Atelier in La Jolla, CA. Allen advises making a list of priorities of the design features that matter - lighting, fixtures, flooring, etc. - and deciding which is most important to the overall image you want to create. "Then, figure out which of them will have the most impact. There may be expensive details that seem imperative to you but that most customers will never notice," she observes.
Lindsay also advises against unnecessary splurging. "That elegant countertop may look great, but will the customer notice if you opt for something else that is within budget? At the end of the day, you want to sell merchandise. A beautiful store that costs years to pay for was not our end goal!"
To help keep within budget, Lindsay says that Elizabeth W took the D.I.Y. route. "We built our own display tables - buying the marble tops and the legs separately to construct them ourselves. It allowed us to create custom-made tables at a fraction of the cost." Allen concurs with this direction, saying, "Do some of the work yourself, like painting."
Lindsay mentions that craigslist, eBay and the local flea market have been great resources for display cases and accessories. Friedlander is on the same page: "Let craigslist, ebay and consignment shops and used-furniture stores become your new best friends." Adds Allen: "Look for unusual pieces that can be repurposed and add charm and personality. I made frequent trips to the Salvation Army, flea market and secondhand stores."
Making Sales While Making Over
Once you've decided to make over your store, the next decision is how and when. It's important to understand the effect of a makeover on daily store operations, according to Thompson. "Most retailers cannot afford to close during normal business hours, and keeping the store open through the various makeover efforts can be a bit disorderly," he says. "Major construction or other work that may cause loud noise, clutter and sawdust might need to be done before and after the store is open or done off site and delivered to the shop."
Thompson believes that staying open during a makeover can actually be an advantage, however, since the activities of a redo promote conversation with customers. "Customers visiting during a renovation often want to come back to see the final improvements but tend to be motivated to purchase on the spot even as products are being displayed," he notes.
Friedlander of Flore has experienced this firsthand: "Customers love the excitement of the change in progress and, amazingly, you will sometimes even find that sales increase during a changeover," she remarks. "Always keep your customers' and employees' safety in mind, but a little disarray can be good for business."
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Paul Thompson Signature's client, Spaces, seen before, above, and after its makeover, at right. |
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Simple changes make a big difference. At Sokol Blosser Winery, Cahan & Company took the doors off of this fixture, added light, and repainted the entire space. |
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To fixture her retail space, Elizabeth Allen scoured the Salvation Army, flea markets and second-hand shops for furnishings that she could refurbish. |
To keep the disarray at bay, Nisch recommends taking a more long-term approach. "Realistically, it is almost impossible to redo everything all at one time, short of closing down your store for a day or two and sequestering the staff to make these big moves," he states. "It really happens as a part of everyday business, with one part of the store or the other getting attention weekly or monthly. Putting a plan together makes sure that you have a bigger sense of a theme, with the theme being tied together by communication, color palette and/or merchandising techniques so there is a consistency versus the visual anarchy that is so often found in the gift industry."
Additionally, it's important that the store be adequately staffed during a makeover, asserts Thompson. "Store staff can assist in locating and relocating products from stock or the sales floor. This assistance can greatly speed the makeover, and this interaction helps to educate the staff on where products are being relocated while keeping inventory controls intact," he relates.
To keep your store looking updated on a regular basis, Nisch suggests that retailers balance their spending on brick-and mortar changes with their spending on ongoing visual-merchandising support. "This way, your great idea is not a one-day, one month, or one-year wonder, but instead something that can be refreshed and reworked on an ongoing basis."
The main thing is not to be afraid to make over your store when it's needed. "Change is what makes retail stores stay up-to-date and appealing to both new and existing customers," says Thompson.
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