Makeover magic: Designing the perfect retail space for your business

by charlene_voisin | August 1, 2014 9:00 am

By Jacquie De Almeida

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When Andre Pommier decided to redesign his Cornwall, Ont., store, he turned to a local designer whose work he’d seen previously.

Although a bit modern for his taste, the overhauls to those businesses looked professional and embodied the clients’ spirit and brand identity, which was exactly what he was looking for.

With the 75th anniversary of Pommier Jewellers a few months off, a store makeover seemed a fitting way to mark the milestone. As a staple in the community for more than seven decades, the store had distinct ambiance, reflecting the warmth of the four generations of Pommiers that had stood behind its counters. Although he wanted to spruce up the place, maintaining the store’s unique character was also a priority for Andre. So was wanting a professional to guide the process and distill the mountain of ideas family and staff had for the store’s new look.

Enter said designer, who came highly recommended by colleagues.

Early on in the process, however, it became clear he had an entirely different vision for the store, and one based on the very modern makeovers from past jobs, not the warm, friendly, inviting atmosphere Andre had in mind. Installing metal halide lighting strong enough to light up a parking lot and painting over Andre’s grandfather’s mahogany showcases were just two of the ideas that didn’t sit well with the Pommiers. The lack of synergy in sharing a design vision for the store became quite clear, and Andre decided to back away from the collaboration, although he remained grateful for the effort the designer had put in so far.

“I wanted a charming, vintage, yet updated store with a character that represents our family,” Andre said. “What he allowed me to do was realize what I didn’t want.”

Work continued on the redesign, only this time, Andre looked to his clients, suppliers, staff, and himself to makeover the store. He’s pleased with the results, and there is no shortage of complements.

Match made in heaven

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What’s the lesson learned? Redesigning a space you’re happy with doesn’t necessarily entail working with a designer. But if that’s the route you’ve decided to take, finding one you click with and who you feel understands your needs are critical.

“It’s really important you feel comfortable with your designer and not intimidated,” says Camille Marcotte, a partner in Marcotte Design in Toronto. “When working with a designer, you have to always feel they are listening to you. And you know when they’re listening to you because they’re asking all the right questions and it’s reflected in the design. You need to feel you’re getting something out of it right off the bat.”

So how do you find a designer? A recommendation from past clients is one place to start. Another, says Marcotte, is to consult the local associations for interior designers or architects. If you’re located in a mall, check with management for a list of designers they work with. See a particular store design you like? Ask who did it. You could also scour online portfolios and set up interviews with designers whose style seems to match yours.

Mickey Minagorri, principal in Artco Group in Miami, says most projects begin with understanding the client’s goals and what category they specialize in. This helps determine things like optimum flow of traffic and showcase options.

“A good company gets you thinking about the whole process, not just putting cases next to each other and seeing what happens,” he says. “The first thing we do is understand who the client is. Everybody has a particular niche market, particular goals they’re trying to achieve”¦ The articulation of an intelligent approach is to ask what the breakdown of the business is. Are you a bridal store? A watch store? Who is your competition? Where do you want to be in the market?”

Whether picking lighting, showcases, or even deciding on an overall look for your store, always ask to see images of past projects. This also gives the designer or supplier a sense of the kind of styles you prefer.

If you’re thinking about giving your store an overhaul, here are some things to keep in mind.

Budget

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They say money talks, but that all depends on the conversation. One related to how much you’re budgeting for your store’s redesign can be tough, but Marcotte says there’s no room for tiptoeing around it. The direct approach is best.

“A budget impacts everything we do,” she says. “When we’re looking at how to spend the money, we can do it in stages to meet a tighter budget. Or if the budget is tight, we design to that.”

Neal Claassen, president and designer in chief of SoShowcases Schadebo, takes a slightly different approach. “If you don’t have a budget, start with your wish list. Sketch out what you have in your wildest fantasy and always ask for the range of pricing. You see if people have sticker shock right away, but then you also start to understand where the design is going.”

Inventory

Before you tear down walls and haul away furniture, think about the general focus of your business. In other words, what is your product mix? Do you show lots of inventory in displays, or just a few pieces? “That makes a huge difference in terms of showcases, not only in how many you have and where you’re going to place them, but the kinds of displays you’ll be able to use,” Claassen says. “If you’re a high-volume store, you’ll need as much surface area as possible.”

Understanding your customer base is also critical. Are you a high-end store? Middle of the road? “When there is no market research and only one jewellery store in the area, we will work with the client to find those answers,” Marcotte explains. “We use this as a base, then we talk to the client about what styles they like and even what stores they like. From there, we help them visualize it and develop a concept.”

The competition

Take note of what your competitors are doing. After all, part of your goal is to design a unique and memorable shopping environment. “You don’t want your store to look like your competitor’s,” Marcotte says. “You have to develop your store’s own personality. Also, be aware of competitors refreshing their stores. If you’re not doing that, you could be falling behind. To keep up to date, you have to be on top of knowing your business and look at what everybody else is doing, and not just in jewellery. Competition hits you in the head if you’re not careful. You might think your store looks great, so ask your customer their opinions. Put together a questionnaire every couple of years. A few questions from key and non-key customers will let you know if you’re falling behind.”

Shop-in-shop displays

In the last few years, big-name brands have made inroads into the Canadian market, and with them, shop-in-shops have become a fixture in many stores. So how do you create a space that not only conveys your store’s personality, but also accommodates one, two, even three shop-in-shops that may or may not fit with the rest of the décor?

Claassen says it’s not as hard as you might think. “You want to make sure you have a geographical area that is distinct from the rest of the store,” he explains. “Trying to blend in a shop-in-shop often works against what you’re trying to achieve. The whole point of having one is that you have an identifiable brand that draws people into the store.”

Minagorri agrees, adding the goal is to create design elements between brands, such as vertical and horizontal frames that serve as a transition between where the traditional store ends and the shop-in-shop begins. “You give them their dedicated space that goes with the generic look of the store, but still allows the ability to brand strong with their colours and logos, and for people to know it’s a shop-in-shop for that brand.”

In some cases, you may be able to tweak the shop-in-shop’s design to better match it to your own colour scheme. Just ask Andre, who worked with manufacturer Corona Jewellery to bring its display more in line with his store’s redesigned décor.

Showcases

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No doubt, showcases are one of the biggest design elements in a store and also one of the priciest. You may find the ones you have already fit with your store’s new look, but if they don’t, refinishing them is one option to consider. Before you start shopping for a supplier, check out their portfolio online to get a sense of the kind of look with which they are comfortable. And don’t forget about security. The less expensive a lock, the less secure it is in comparison. Top-of-the-line hardware runs you in the neighbourhood of $200 apiece, however, Claassen says most offering reasonable security cost about $60. In addition to floor pattern or lighting, showcases also serve as a way to direct the flow of traffic through your store. Your goal is to get people to walk around and spend more time in the store, so really consider how showcase placement will work to your benefit.

Lighting

Coaxing the sparkle out of a diamond is critical, particularly if bridal is a substantial portion of your business. But be warned. Lighting conditions vary depending on the product you’re showing. Yellow gold and red, yellow, or orange gemstones look best under warm light (i.e. 3000 K to 3500 K on the Kelvin scale), while diamonds look dirty unless under cool light (i.e. about 4000 K to 4200 K). Lighting is expensive up front, Claassen says, but pays for itself over time. “You should educate yourself on what the options are and what the focus of your business is,” he notes. “Engagement rings are the profit centre for most jewellers, so don’t skimp on lighting.”

Interactive displays

More and more, interactive displays are becoming fixtures in the retail space. Whether allowing clients to peruse inventory on an iPad or to virtually try on rings or watches, stores are going high tech. And it’s not just during business hours, says Marcotte. Storefront displays are becoming more popular as a way of enticing consumers to come back. “The store may be closed, but there’s an LCD monitor in the window telling you what’s going on inside. You can show jewellery or different themes like Christmas and weddings.”

Overall, the goal of any store redesign is to generate the optimum return on investment, Minagorri says, and that’s directly related to the ambiance it creates. “You want to be able to walk into your store 10 years from now and still feel the ‘Wow’ factor. You also want the store to match the beauty of your products. Imagine being an employee walking into a place that has positive energy. That transfers to the way the employee feels and how he or she is going to [sell].” Marcotte agrees. “When you do a redesign, not only do customers get excited, but staff members do as well. When they get excited, that generates business just by itself.”

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