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Minter's Message: March 2006
Store Renovations |
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Written by Brian Minter
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Store Renovations
What Does Your Flower Shop Say About You?
The most successful flowers shops are doing an
outstanding job of selling their number one product: experience.
‘Experience’ shopping is the main reason our best customers keep coming
back – they love what it feels like to shop in our stores. From the
types of flowers and plants we sell, the style of our arrangements,
products and giftware to our display merchandising, music, lighting,
signage and customer service – these elements are all part of the shop
experience, but they are not everything. The physical appearance of
our stores also says a great deal about how we do business.
In an industry of very dedicated and hard-working people, we focus on customers, the products they purchase and the delivery of those products. We are also very good at window and in-house display merchandising. What we often tend to overlook is the dating of the overall store appearance. The reason we seldom ‘overhaul’ is mainly due to the cost of major, or even minor, renovations. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s also very important to be leading edge for many reasons.
Our customers’ shopping experience will slowly but surely diminish, even if we do everything else well but don’t change our physical environment. They need to see that we are moving ahead, are in touch with the latest styles and colour trends, and are connected to innovative shop designs. As we keep bringing in the newest styles of giftware and floral accessories, they will no longer harmonize with the store itself. The synergy of new products in a new environment is pure magic and creates excitement.
Renovations can also refresh the workplace. Not only will customers notice a difference, but both you and your staff can also be revitalized. New structures, colours and display pieces offer new ways of merchandising and can bring out more creativity and professionalism.
Raising the level of the physical store can also add to the bottom line. Bringing up the quality level of the store adds value to your products. Consumer expectations of what they pay for products rises when merchandise is displayed in a more elegant and up-to-date environment. It allows a little more margin on your products and enables you to keep adding value to the shopping experience. The bottom line is always maintaining a leading edge shopping environment differentiates you from your competition and adds value to all your products.
One of the dangers in store renovations is the ‘do it yourself’ approach. As professional florists, we have a great sense of style. Store remodelling and renovations, however, are quite different. Not only do we need inspirational design, but we also need it to be architecturally significant, structurally sound and built to Code. In order to have the greatest impact, there also needs to be a flow and consistency of design, so all the elements work together.
I asked a restaurant designer about the latest trends in their field, and he said bold architecture is now a key element in restaurant design with decoration playing a lesser role. He also stressed the importance of making space work and using bold and rich colours. The new colour trends are chocolate and orange, suffused with modern yellows, golds and reds.
Current and future trends are just a few of the considerations when making renovation plans. Outside consulting from well-accredited design specialists is a must. There are so many factors to consider that their professional training and objective thought processes, added to our own, are the best combination. The ideas then need to be put into a specialized plan with no open ends. They must include everything from estimated plumbing, electrical, lighting and flooring to the cost of permits and of course, time frames.
In our experience, very specific plans, given to qualified contractors for quoting or cost plus arrangements, are the best way to go. The worst case scenario is an open-ended situation where the costs are not under control and the length of time to complete is not specified. The down time or business interruption factor is also a real part of the cost. Speed and efficiency are crucial.
If you own the building, renovating is an investment. If you lease or rent, you need to make certain that leasehold improvements are allowed in your agreement and approved in writing by the landlord. You must also consider the length of your lease or rental terms so you have ample time to recover your investment.
Before you even begin a renovation project, the key is a business plan. Even if you don’t need to go to a bank for financing, knowing the costs and estimated return on your investment is absolutely a must. Store renovations involve taking some risks, but this is what the most successful businesses do continually. It’s part of what makes them move from good to great!
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