ViewIT Technologies Inc.

Technology - The Future of Design Centers

by Donna and Ross Barlett

In an uncertain retail climate, today's design center can be a major source of profitability. This is a major opportunity to attract tech savvy consumers with disposable income who want to be sure, before they invest, that their decisions will be right the first time. The tech savvy consumer wants and expects the bells and whistles they know exist online from an industry that professes to sell "fashion and design." If you give consumers the necessary means to visualize their home environment as it could be in an environment that is stimulating and creative - you will win their loyalty.

The Buying Experience

Experience is best described as something that you "go or live through." Most can be described as either good or bad. If the experience is fun and exciting, chances are you will want to do it again and will rave about it to your friends. But if it was a bad one - well, think about your first roller-coaster ride, it either thrilled or petrified you. Now equate this to the furniture buying experience - do your customers return weekend after weekend to have fun and see what's new? Do they recommend your store to their friends?

Leslie Carothers, from the retail consulting group Kaleidoscope Partnership, said, "Having a beautiful home creates a sense of inner harmony - something that is sorely needed in our world today. Being able to take the stress out of the furniture buying experience by being able to visualize options in an environment that is friendly, creative and comfortable is very important for today's consumers. They will purchase when they know that they've reviewed all of their choices and have made the best decision possible for themselves and their families. This peace of mind is key to their purchasing decision. Anything that technology offers that can enhance their sense that they're making the right decision is critical for retailers to offer to today's consumer."

By creating a useful design center, you can create a great buying experience for your customers - one that they will want to share with their friends.

A Successful Design Center

The design center concept is certainly not new. Ethan Allen refers to theirs as "Design Centers" and Thomasville bills theirs as "Idea Centers." There are many unique variations but whatever the name is, a well-appointed design center is your opportunity to entice customers to shop in your store and not your competitor's.

Your design center should be your signature or fingerprint of uniqueness. Staff it with your best employees and make it a place that they aspire to work in. It should reflect your design mission and special abilities. It should be inviting but private, comfortable and efficient. Most of all, it should be inspiring. A haven where guests can view samples and catalogs, work with your designers while using visual tools to make confident design decisions and place orders. They can see it, visualize it and buy it - all while having an enjoyable and personalized experience tailored just for them.

Design centers can, and should be, a very important aspect of your retail business. In addition to promoting your design center in your advertising, you should promote it on your website. Make sure your website entices your customers to come into your design center. Get your customers excited about the sensory experience an in-store visit will bring to them. By creating a professional, personalized design destination for your customers, you can help them unlock their dreams and drive sales.

It's All About Their Experience

It's not about us - it's about them. We hear it repeatedly but we often don't listen. That elusive customer is out there waiting to visit your place of business and give you a chance to earn their business.

But why should they visit your store? What makes your store different? After visiting three to four traditional furniture stores, many customers feel confused and tired as they all tend to look similar. It seems everyone is selling furniture these days; customers can shop for veggies and furniture at their local grocer or big-box store, or shop from the comfort of their own home, ordering from catalogs and websites. It's no wonder the industry is worried. With a multitude of design decisions to be made, having a beautiful, comfortable and inspiring design center with professional guidance available is one way that your store can become a preferred destination once more. Your customers will return again and again because they enjoy the experience, and the once daunting task of shopping for furniture becomes easy and fun.

Inspiration

Design centers are a source for styles, colors and trends. The physical design and materials used in your design center should be state-of-the-art and reflect the image that your store wishes to portray.

To inspire your customers, your design center must have:

• A technology hub containing a wall-mounted LCD Screen (bigger is better) and a computer connected to the Internet.
• Proper lighting to view fabrics, paints and finishes.
• A comfortable "idea-generating" seating area.
• Shelter magazines, catalogs and books.
• Spare magazines or books for clipping and copying.
• Visual, hands-on magneticplanners and sketch pads to create accurate room plans.
• Design assistance available to help organize or copy ideas, folders to save projects, notepads, etc.
• Design seminars and educational events to encourage conversation, sharing and a sense of community.

Knowledge is Key

For anyone contemplating large purchases, Internet research has quickly become the first step. Although they cannot touch items via the Internet, consumers have immediate access to mountains of relevant product information and resources. Your staff must be educated and more knowledgeable than your customers regarding what's available on your website - otherwise customers will not see the added value of your "personalized" service. Product information in the way of specifications, manufacturing processes, warranties and safety information should be right at the tip of your consultant's tongue.

Design Technology

Your technology hub should be the focal point of your modern design center. The wall-mounted LCD screen connected to the computer can be used to display product images and information, room planning software, fabricdraping technology and the latest technology - software that lets your customers create virtual three dimensional views of their room. With these technologies your customer can no longer say to your design consultant, "But, I don't know what it's going to look like in my room."

By visually guiding your customer's selection process, answering questions, helping them through the process and creating a strong relationship, your customer will realize the value of working with a trained and knowledgeable design person.

"When you are selling as a retail sales consultant, it's very tough for consumers to visualize what their whole room will look like. The sales consultant's special gift is the ability to visualize in three dimensions. Most consumers don't have that ability… by utilizing the new technology that is available you're actually putting the consumer on an equal playing field. The consumer will feel more in control of the sales process and be able to make a more informed, educated decision," said Carothers. "In addition, your customers will be willing to spend more money at one time and with less negotiating because they can actually visualize the final product and realize the enhanced value that the creativity of the design consultant brings to the process."

The main benefits of showcasing your design abilities within a technologically enhanced design center format are:

• An increase in average sale.
• Increased productivity per employee.
• Lower return rates and increased margins.
• The ability to differentiate your store from your competitors.

When your potential customers become aware of your store's ability to offer them these services in this type of environment, watch your consultants get excited and your sales explode.

The Final Presentation and Closing the Sale

Now that the space planning is completed and the furniture has been selected, it's time to put it all together in a clear, concise manner. Today's consumer wants to spend money but they want to do it right the first time. If the customer has any uncertainty, the deal may fall through or get delayed.

The presentation is really just a step-by-step explanation of the many design decisions the customer has made up to this point. Previously "storyboards" were used to finalize the design phase, and its explanation would begin something like, "this fabric, on this sofa, with this trim," which would often lead to your customer being confused or overwhelmed.

Today, by using technology for space planning, fabricapplication and 3D virtual walk-throughs, the possible confusion can be eliminated.

To finalize the experience, consumers should be presented a personalized design report listing every possible detail in their project. If further changes are required, it's easier to complete it at this point than after the delivery. Your next question will be, "When do you want it delivered?"

The benefits of having a technologically up-to-date design center are many. The tools are all available - it's now up to you to use them and position your store for your customer's excitement and your sustainable success!

Donna and Ross Barlett, co-founders of ViewIT Technologies Inc. and creators of "The Board" magneticroom planners, have used their combined 45 years of experience in the furniture industry to design and develop a series of interactive sales tools to enhance the consumer experience. In touch with the evolution of technology, they developed and recently introduced www.3dream.net, an online virtual design tool. Interview excerpts from Leslie Carothers, Principal, The Kaleidoscope Partnership - specializing in creative design sales training, coaching and strategicconsulting for retailers and manufacturers.