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Leslie Carothers

What's their secret?

Last month, as I listened to many retailers having conversations about business, the most common lament I heard was about the slowdown in traffic in their stores. 

Everyone was asking, “Why?” There are predictable answers- higher gas prices, Katrina and Rita, interest rate creep, etc.  I got bored.  That started me thinking.

Why are stores like Pottery Barn, West Elm, etc. generating strong traffic into their brick and mortar locations? What is it about these brands that is attracting more and more consumers? 

A logical answer that comes to mind is their catalog distribution and, yes, this is one reason, but I don’t think it’s the only one. What I think- and this is only a guess on my part (verified by my own personal random consumer survey) is this: Consumers know IN THEIR MIND’S EYE the look they’re going to SEE when they walk into one of those stores.

Think about it for yourself. Right now, as you’re reading this, can you picture in your mind, approximately what the look of Pottery Barn is or West Elm or Restoration Hardware or Crate and Barrel? Why?

To my mind, it’s because each one of these retailers has BRANDED a completely distinct visual presence into the consumer’s mind that is absolutely consistent, focused and reinforced through all their various contact points with the consumer- website, catalog, print and tv advertising, visual display at retail, etc. 

This distinct visual presence is the key because today’s consumer is overwhelmed by options and choices and they have less time than ever and what they want is SIMPLICITY. 

These stores have identified their“core” style- transitional, hip contemporary/clean modern/ and never stray from it.  This makes it easy for the consumer to know where to go once they’ve identified their own individual style. So, while many retailers carry “looks” identical to or similar to those of the stores listed above, it is not as clear to the consumer- in her mind’s eye and BEFORE SHE SHOPS that she can find those looks at a full-line retail store.

In addition, in each of those retailers listed above, ALL of the accessories, etc., complement the “visual story” being told. You don’t find an eclectic mix of accessories-some traditional/some transitional/some contemporary.

Everything in those stores is chosen with regard to reinforcing and complementing their visual themes. In other words, when a consumer enters those stores, she doesn’t HAVE to decide what her style is and there is no anxiety-  the visual story is so strong and so tightly edited that she knows right away if she likes it or not-even if she had never been exposed to their catalogs, advertising, etc. before entering.  She can’t make a mistake in those stores. It’s simple.

However, there’s another key. All of those retailers have an extensive assortment of accessories, lighting, rugs, window treatments, etc. Why is this extensive selection so important? Why isn’t it enough to just be focused on, for instance, sofas and forget accessories?

Because, even though the consumer may enjoy shopping in a lot of different stores and she may derive a lot of pleasure from that process, she just doesn’t have that much time.

In addition, it’s just too easy to get side-tracked and confused. So, as long as a store provides her with a LIMITED selection of her major pieces, but an EXTENSIVE selection of the accessories that let her personalize her home AND she knows that everything will work with everything else, it becomes much SIMPLER for her- and that is the key.

A no-friction process that gives her exactly what she wants-quickly and easily AND she can add to her purchases  online, via catalog or by going to the retail location. She gets exactly what she wants, how she wants it, and the extensive accessory selection lets her personalize it according to her unique vision.

Lastly, these stores don’t carry the least expensive product on the block, either and, perhaps, there are even higher quality products available for lower prices that give the same “look.” 

So why doesn’t she care (assuming she’s even aware of this-which she probably is through her internet research)?  Why is she still choosing to spend a little more? Because she can “see” the entire look merchandised to perfection, she can buy it when and where it’s convenient for her, new seasonal accessory items are added all the time so she can freshen her look without another major investment and, even though there are lots of choices, she knows that everything works with everything else so she knows she can’t make a mistake.

It’s just so much …simpler. A fourmula for success if ever there was one.   (to add public comments click on "Add your Comment" below, or to email Leslie directly click here.)