Gabberts scales down, styles up
By Clint Engel -- Furniture Today, February 25, 2007
Edina, Minn. — Gabberts has opened a scaled-down and more sharply focused store here, aimed at rejuvenating its brand and reclaiming its title as the place to go for upscale home furnishings and designer help in Minneapolis and surrounding markets.
The retailer, which exited Texas last year, "right-sized" its remaining location in the high-end Galleria shopping center here, to 78,000 square feet from the previous 150,000 square feet.
Most of the adjustment came from cutting office space, but the showroom and design studio were also trimmed back from 90,000 square feet to 63,000.
The $5 million project included a new logo and an overhaul of the two-level showroom. Gabberts updated the store's lighting and got rid of its maze-like walls, which had given it a somewhat dark and cavernous feel.
Taking a new approach to display, the retailer has moved away from a collections-oriented approach to one of grouping products in various lifestyle settings.
Traditional styles are on the lower level and the upper level is split between contemporary and casual. Each "lifestyle realm" is further defined by particular viewpoints (a total of 14 throughout the store), such as Penthouse and Classic 18th Century in the traditional area and Urban and Tribal in contemporary.
Other new features include center skylights above a central grand staircase, and bay windows that flood the showroom with natural light. There are seven decorated private client rooms for designer consultations and more semi-private rooms in the Inspiration Center.
Signs of the times
New digital signage is strategically placed throughout the store, giving shoppers updates on upcoming events and promoting lines and looks. Some signs show photos of Gabberts' designers and give their credentials and their approach. Designer Jennifer Sheffert's philosophy, for instance, is, "Listen carefully to the client's dream. Create a vision. Bring it to life."
Gabberts is pushing for more exclusive products and has culled out what its executive team refers to as more commodity-like, widely distributed lines, including Hooker, Stanley and Bernhardt, in favor of sources it can use to make bolder statements and differentiate itself from the competition.
Stickley is still a major source, accounting for the bulk of goods in the Arts & Crafts viewpoint area of the casual lifestyle realm, as well as Hickory Chair, Century, Hancock & Moore and many smaller lines, including Jonathan Charles, Robert & Robert and Francesco Molon.
"We've become relevant once again," said Rebecca Miller, Gabberts' new president. "We were always known as a fashion leader and for offering value, great quality and design, but the brand became dusty."
Everything about the new Gabberts speaks to the customer, she said. The store is designed to be easier to navigate, and to make the shopping experience more enjoyable.
Bright ideas
Seven former resource centers, for instance, were consolidated into one brightly lit Inspiration Center, where consumers can build on their choices and work on custom options with Gabberts design consultants.
It features a "tech bar" with room planning and other software from Icovia, ePreVue and dreamDraper; tools such as Gabberts' Personal Comfort Profile, a diagnostic program that Chairman Jim Gabbert developed a few year ago but that the retailer hasn't used consistently or promoted until now; and a Benjamin Moore paint lab.
The Inspiration Center is separate from Gabberts' signature design studio, staffed by 24 designers and new Director Michael Rabatin. The studio has access to a much broader range of resources than are in the showroom.
With the changes, Gabberts expects its interior design services business to become even more important, growing to about 50% of sales over time from about 30% before the changes.
In the new Gabberts, the line between designer business and regular store business is "purposefully being blurred," said CEO Michael Knight.
"One of the main ideas behind the rebranding effort is to support all (consumers) with the type of design service Gabberts studio is known for," Knight said.
The retailer is accomplishing that partly through better edited displays and better organized services and resources, and the easier-to-navigate store, he said. Gabberts also is training and encouraging its sales associates to move toward designer status.
"We expect new hires to advance in their careers," Knight said.
Miller said the initial response to the changes from both consumers and industry suppliers was one of excitement. She wouldn't disclose sales, but said opening weekend was "stunning."
Kathi Cunningham, senior account executive for Gabberts source Four Hands, said it was great "to see their dream had become such a fabulous reality."
"It was obvious that the Gabberts team did their research," she said. "The lighting and openness brought an upbeat and fresh feel to each vignette. They created great sight lines, inviting consumers to explore, but somehow they were also able to keep each display warm and intimate."
Hickory Chair President Jay Reardon credited Gabberts with creating a model environment for better product in the updated store.
"He's got a great design staff, and I think Minneapolis is going to benefit from it," said Reardon.
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