More advice for retailers this month, as Home Accents Today’s designer panel discusses store and showroom “yucks” — decorating or merchandising mistakes that prompt some to wonder, “Why in the world did(n’t) they do that?” Look for the panelists’ complete responses as well as fresh input from other product, showroom and interior designers at homeaccentstoday.com, where Designer Insight is now welcoming discussion and feedback on a new redesigned Web blog.
One thing I really don’t like is dried floral arrangements. They don’t appeal to any of the senses and they make the room look worn and dated. Another absolute is an approachable staff that should be friendly and welcoming when a client enters the store. — Barclay Butera
I hate walking into a store and the first thing you see is old, tired merchandise. Too often, better stores put “sale” merchandise in the front entrance to entice customers with lower prices and promotional goods. But you get the picture: piles of discontinued, mismatched merchandise. To make it visually worse, the “sale” entrance is usually poorly displayed. Put your best presentation in the front entrance. Customers should walk in and be excited about seeing new, well thought-out displays that have a point of view. Give them the WOW, not the red tag sale! — Mark Abrams
Clutter is really a turn-off, as are doubts about what type of store it is, say, furniture or accessories. People don’t know what they’re there to buy. Having things in a vignette when it isn’t clear if they’re for sale is not only confusing, it’s pretty annoying. Bad lighting is also unfortunate — just like the restaurant in which you want to feel comfortable and welcome (and be able to read the menu), bad lighting just makes you want to leave. — Emma Gardner
When I go into a shop and the shelves are too muddled I immediately switch off! The more product thrown together on a shelf, the less inclined I am to buy. I also think that lighting is really important — it can be so awful and unwelcoming and, more importantly, distort the colour of things. In my own shop, I like to group colours together for customers. I also love finding new colour combinations to put together that people may not have thought of before. — Nina Campbell
Why do so many retailers use the same accessories — or the same price point — in all their groupings? They’d never dream of putting a $99 side table next to a $5,000 sofa — why in the world would they think it was OK to put an $89 lamp next to such an expensive piece of furniture? — Babette Holland
I know that vendors send branded fixtures to display their products and this is a terrific cost savings to stores, but too many are bad for the store. A sea of spinner racks and bad knock-down fixtures give the impression the store isn’t viable. Your store should have a style and appearance separate from the products. The fixtures should be appropriate to the various product categories in terms of size, weight and quantities so the look is never cluttered. — Paul Thompson
The biggest mistake in store display is when a store bases its visual merchandising and display around a theme as in, “I have a great idea! Let’s make the store feel like a library!” Umm… let’s NOT! A themed display is hard to execute 100% so it only gets halfway there, or it feels weak because you don’t own enough inventory to complete the theme. Themes also have a short life, as they become boring quickly. — Greg O’Neal
The right mood for your product is paramount. Unedited collections, horrible color combinations, cluttered floors, messy shelves and busy walls look indecisive and clueless. The days of throwing lots of things against the wall and hoping something will stick are over! — Doug & Gene Meyer
Don’t crowd the store so it is difficult to walk through or see the statements. Create areas where the customer can be comfortable and relax. Develop a big idea, stick to it as long as it works and, after it’s run its course, go on to the next. Don’t try to do too many things in the same space. Edit down to only the best. — Rick Janecek
Two things that drive me absolutely crazy are loud music, and disgruntled or disinterested salespeople. What about loud, abrasive music says “Relax, take your time and shop with us?” Why do retailers believe that any music played at deafening levels makes people believe you are fashionable and hip? I don’t know where that unfortunate trend began, but I will be quite happy to see its demise. — Dorian Webb
“YUCKS” are a favorite subject of mine because taste is so subjective. Walk into a KMart or Wal-Mart store. Is there anything that catches your eye… that can be considered inspiring design? Even my favorite mass retailer, Target, leaves you cold on first encounter. Can you argue with their sales philosophy? Their success? Their bottom line?
Two years ago I had the pleasure of designing my first mass-market furniture collection for Bassett Furniture Direct. To help promote the line, I did some personal appearances in their stores. There, I could hardly find the furniture on the floor. You walked into a store surrounded by confusion. Groupings were arranged in their own niche without concern for the overall impact. If you show enough product and display it right, you will make sales… otherwise you won’t. They didn’t, and it didn’t sell.
I visited their High Point showroom this past market and it was a changed scene. Sagacious Rob Spilman, the company’s president and CEO, saw the light … room settings were color coordinated, and the eye was drawn from one rich setting to the next. Merchandise seemed to have a cohesive look. Odd fits were pulled. The company understood what it was, and what it wasn’t. — Vladimir Kagan
