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Signs of the Times – A Modern Approach to In-store Design by Martin Roberts

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Martin Roberts

There has been an enormous shift in the way people shop once they’re inside the store. It’s all about clearing obstacles for the customer. Recent research shows that easing shopper frustration is the most promising path to higher sales. That’s why Walmart is replacing its 15-foot-high shelves with lower-profile displays, to give shoppers a clear view of the entire store. At the same time, successful chains such as Walgreens are reducing SKUs to make it easier for shoppers to find the top-selling items. Continue reading →

Posted in Martin Roberts, Martin Roberts Design, Store Design, Visual Merchandising | Tagged Design, Interior Design, Martin Roberts Design, Retail, Store Design, Technology | Comments Off

Women Have a Unique Ability to Tell if an Environment is Clean

Posted on October 19, 2010 by Martin Roberts

Is it intuition or a sixth sense?

For women, it begins with breathing in. When she opens the fridge, she can easily evaluate whether or not the food is edible. When she enters a room, she can quickly tell if the room is dusty, dry, musty, fresh or clean just by smelling the air. Women evaluate the smell of every bedroom in their house, restaurant bathroom they bring their children into, grocery where they buy food and every store where they are going to buy a product that will end up in their home.

A smell can evoke strong emotions or memories. A fragrance can be the deciding factor in whether a shopping experience is pleasant or not. Every environment and every product—even a piece of furniture—has a smell to it. When a woman chooses to buy a piece of furniture, she is agreeing to take that fragrance into her home and add it to the environment that makes up her identity and her family’s. Continue reading →

Posted in Visual Merchandising | Tagged shopping experience | Comments Off

The Recession’s Lessons

Posted on July 1, 2010 by Martin Roberts

As published in Home Furnishings Business

Even as we start to emerge from the recent recession—which caused literally thousands of furniture stores to close permanently—there are hard-won lessons to reflect on. Simply surviving in such a difficult environment is a victory, and the good news is that the stores that remain (along with their battle-tested owners) are clearly poised to gain market share as customers finally begin to replace some of their aging, outdated furniture. Continue reading →

Posted in Martin Roberts, Store Design, Visual Merchandising | Tagged furniture retailers, home furnishings business, recession, Visual Merchandising | Comments Off

The Power of Paint

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Martin Roberts

As published in Home Furnishings Business

There is an abundance of examples of retailers who have used consumer-centric retailing (CCR) to boost sales. Last month, we discussed how a 
CCR initiative at Walgreens increased the chain’s earnings in a down economy while freeing up $500 million in cash through inventory reductions.

In the furniture sector, retailers we speak with see the benefits of revamping their stores to focus exclusively on consumer wants and needs—as Walgreens did. Yet, in the current economy, it’s hard for some furniture stores to consider making substantial investments in store renovations. Continue reading →

Posted in Visual Merchandising | Tagged color, home furnishings business, paint, Visual Merchandising | Comments Off

A Prescription for Higher Sales

Posted on May 1, 2010 by Martin Roberts

As published in Home Furnishings Business

Know your target customer and give the products they desire, the services they need, and a great shopping experience.

Given today’s economy, Walgreens has captured attention across the retail landscape by boosting sales and revenues as it freed up $500 million by trimming excess SKUs.

Last month, the 109-year-old chain announced its “consumer-centric retailing” initiative is boosting sales by 2 percent in test markets. That comes on top of the 4.6 percent increase in net revenue the 7,180-store chain posted in its most recent quarter. Continue reading →

Posted in Store Design, Visual Merchandising | Tagged home furnishings business, retail store design, Visual Merchandising | Comments Off

Lessons in Consumer Behavior

Posted on March 3, 2010 by Martin Roberts

As published in Home Furnishings Business

Using qualitative research methods to better understand your consumer.

As the upset at the recent New Hampshire primary demonstrates, what people say and what they do are not always one and the same. Perhaps that’s because people are more complex than polls would have us believe. The polls are intended to provide quantitative insight into the minds of voters, but like a single furniture shopper survey, the numbers can’t tell you everything.

Shop-alongs and video audits are two qualitative methods for analyzing the vagaries in consumer behavior. The observations made from this type of analysis can complement numeric data gathered in other consumer studies. Then, the idea is to put all this good information to use to improve customer communications and facilitate sales. Continue reading →

Posted in Store Design | Tagged home furnishings business, retail merchandising, shopping behavior, Store Design | Comments Off

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