SAN DIEGO — Customers can feel trapped in a furniture store, leading to the loss of prospective sales, according to a merchandising and store display specialist who spoke at the Myriad Software users conference here.
Carmine Caruso said shoppers look at a narrow aisle — say between parallel rows of recliners — and if they don't see a way out, they probably won't go there, especially if there's another customer blocking the way.
"Give your customer a way out," said Caruso, of Bryant-Forney Associates in San Francisco. "You will keep customers in the store longer, and I know you want that."
Instead of dozens of recliners side-by-side, go with six and take two out, six more and two out, providing exits along the way, he suggested. Or arrange furniture in settings or, like La-Z-Boy, in pods. "All of a sudden, we're not intimidated by walking in there because we have two egresses," he said.
Among Caruso's other tips:
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Provide curb appeal. Make sure store windows reflect what you sell, and that they're not blocked by cars or glare, making it impossible for motorists to see as they whiz by. Don't use muted colors like beige because they fade away. At night, fluorescent lights work well, projecting a store's merchandise like a billboard.
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Make way for the new. Stores replace up to 20% of their merchandise a year, but Caruso advised buyers to know where new products will be displayed before writing the orders. Otherwise, it becomes difficult finding a place to fit new things in.
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Give tired goods a new location. "It's really important to move the stuff around," he said. "It gives new life to old things." When products get old and shopworn, donate them to charity.
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Light up lamps in displays. And match lamps with the right products; for instance, don't pair a $700 lamp with a $500 sofa.
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Keep walls fresh with paint. Stores may have employees with talents for techniques like faux looks. "Often people in sales or the office are good at it," Caruso said. "It gives them a pride of ownership." Stores should have kits with paint samples, rubber gloves, wire, picture hooks and a staple gun. Touch-up can be handled with a sponge and a squeeze bottle containing paint.
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Accessories often drive the sale by raising the perceived value of the merchandise with which they're placed.
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Don't be afraid to have "white space" to keep floors open and airy. And use vertical space; display products on pedestals, for example.
Caruso suggested that savvy accessories buyers might study magazines like Vogue for a glimpse of the fashion future. "Watch ladies' fashions because that's going to lead you into what you're going to buy a year, year-and-a-half down the road," he said.
