With high consumer expectations and shorter attention spans, having a showroom that is eye catching and welcoming—but not necessarily overwhelming—can make all the difference. To that end, design-savvy floor covering retailers are utilizing all the tools at their disposal to not only make a positive first impression but a lasting one as well.
FCNews rounded up several retailers that are excelling when it comes to showroom design and merchandising techniques.
Create a destination
America’s Floor Source, which opened a sprawling, 265,000-square foot store here last year, scores high marks in this regard. The 30,000-square-foot-plus showroom features an interactive area featuring a dog house built with pet-friendly soft and hard flooring options. Customers are also given devices to scrape the materials to mimic how the product would hold up if actually scratched by someone’s pet. “The kids love it, which also ensures that the parents see the display and how well our products perform,” said Katelin Ahern, director of marketing.
The interactive space also has a putting green to showcase artificial turf, cornhole boards that are brought to local events and patterned stickers that allow people to play throughout the store.
Let’s just keep it simple
Sifting through the gauntlet of brands available today can be extremely daunting for consumers. That’s why retailers like Red Deer Carpet One Floor & Home keep it simple by organizing samples and dealers by color and style. By removing references to brands or specific labels, customers no longer have to attempt to differentiate between all the manufacturers’ marketing materials, according to Andrew Wiebe, president.
“Customers do not come in looking for a particular brand of laminate or wood,” Wiebe explained. “They come in requesting an off-white hard surface. We bring them to all our options and let them pick the product that works best for them based on their needs. It has made customers’ shopping experience a lot easier.”
Showroom within a showroom
Nebraska Furniture Mart, which peddles everything from appliances, electronics and wall coverings to flooring and, of course, furniture, changed the game when it partnered with Shaw in adopting a showroom-within-a-showroom concept. The goal was to create a space that consumers naturally gravitated toward, according to David Chambers, director of flooring.
The space, the Shaw Anso Gallery, is displayed using minimalist racks so the products themselves drive customer interaction. “This piece of artwork is front and center and is backlit to make the area pop no matter where you are in the store,” Chambers explained. “We switch this piece out every year to 18 months to keep it fresh.”
Put your best foot forward
Successful flooring retailers do much more than sell and install flooring; the really good ones double as design consultants. That’s precisely where Minshall’s Uptight Flooring, a family owned and operated business entering into its 54th year, shines. The store showcases 24 x 24 tile design boards filled with products of different shapes, colors and textures. All the concept boards hang from slotted walls but can be removed so clients can touch, hold and feel the products up close.
“Clients sometimes struggle with putting different texture and color selections together,” said Sarah Minshall-McCain, senior sales advisor. “Our concept boards offer inspiration and allow an easy way to choose multiple products in a short amount of time.”
