Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM JANUARY 2015 62 MOVING FORWARD IN FURNITURE A S W E M O V E I N T O 2 0 1 5 , I T I S N O T A T I M E T O R E F L E C T O N T H E P A S T , B U T A T I M E T O L O O K T O T H E F U T U R E . T A K E A S T E P B A C K A N D T A K E A H A R D L O O K A T Y O U R B U S I N E S S … A L L A S P E C T S O F Y O U R B U S I N E S S . T H E F O L L O W I N G A R E A S O F Y O U R O P E R A T I O N S H O U L D B E A T T H E T O P O F Y O U R 2 0 1 5 " T O D O " L I S T T O E N S U R E A B A N N E R Y E A R . Bill Bazemore Furniture Trends • Web Initiatives: Today, 90% of consumers turn to the web and seek out the products that you carry. It is imperative that you have an inviting, and easily navigated website. The internet has become the new wave of pre-shopping at your store and is the first place consumers go. Does your website truly represent who you are, provide accurate and up-to-date information in an easy to use and friendly environment? What about your visibility in social media? The Millennial buyers are consistently immersed in social media and expect information to be at the tip of their fingers. These new buyers no longer want to make a phone call or go into a store to ask a question, they want the information now. • Are You Attracting the Up-and-Coming Millenials? This is a group to focus on, as they make up 70% of the population and represent the largest and most unique segment of customers since the baby boomers—and they have great expectations for brands and customer service. The Millennials are a generation of consumers who approach buying in a manner different from their parents. As they research and follow brands online before and after purchases, making up their own minds about quality, value and customer care rather than being told what they should know through marketing messages. • What Is the Message You Are Sending, Both Inside and Outside Your Store? Take a step back and look at your store both inside and out. Is it appealing from the outside? Is it warm and friendly on the inside? Does it appeal to your customer's senses? Are you offering the right product in the right environment or is it cold and, well, boring? Today's consumer wants to be wowed with product offerings, selections and displays. They expect and deserve well- educated sales personnel, products that match their lifestyle and a friendly environment to shop in. • Building the Ticket: Let's take a quick look at your typical consumer… Molly and Craig wake up early on a Saturday morning with plans to go shopping for the living room of their dreams. All week Molly has been excited about transforming their "hand me down" living room into a modern day masterpiece. All the while Craig has been dreading spending the entire day shopping for furniture and all the accessories that go with it. After first visiting your website, the day has come where Molly and Craig walk into your store. In their minds, they know the look they want that expresses whom they are. But, do they have the knowledge and expertise to create the perfect room of their dreams? Probably not but guess who does…YOU AND YOUR TEAM! Welcome to the art of bundling, a simple practice of creating an entire room package that WOWS your customer while addressing their wants and needs and taking the guess work out of creating their ultimate room. It also means greater average ticket sales, increased margins and profitability for you. • Empowering Your Retail Sales Associates To Be Successful: The consumers of today have access at their fingertips to gather information on varying products, basic knowledge of the furniture, appliances and electronics that they are looking to purchase. As

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