Flooring The Consumer

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Bathroom Brand Manifestations: Mickey Mouse

No discussion of brand manifestations - especially in a Bathroom Blogfest - can be complete without Mickey Mouse.

After all, I Have Met The Mouse and I see the Mouse everywhere. Don't you think that I have signs of Bathroom Brand Manifestations relating to Mickey Mouse?

I do.

And, having addressed Bathroom Brand Manifestations involving M&M's and Bass Pro Shop, it's definitely time to turn to the Disney Yacht Club Resort in Orlando to visit with Mickey Mouse.

Lovely bathroom, isn't it? I thought so. I thought the grey striped wallpaper worked well with the marble counter top and the white sink bowl.

In the bath area, I immediately saw this bath stuff 'arrangement.' I particularly like the strong Mickey Welcome message with the playful graphic of Mickey's eyes, nose and partial ear.

Hard to see, but the soap has Mickey embossed on it and the bottles have a white Mickey outline.

Interestingly, if it weren't for the bold, contrasting Mickey welcome sign, the effect wouldn't be as noticeable or as welcoming.

Although the tub display above is what caught

my eye initially, when I washed my hands, I saw this other Mickey Welcome sign and two
fantastic coasters.

Aren't they engaging? No surprise, they came home with me.

As you've seen with M&M's and Bass Pro Shop, Bathroom Brand Manifestations are powerful. Take your brand and make sure that you express it even in the bathrooms. Not only will you convey that you pay strong attention to details, but also that your brand never stops making an impression and creating an experience.

Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:

Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
Stephanie Weaver—Experienceology
Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
Katie Clark—Practical Katie
Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
Katia S. Adams—Transcultural

October is National Kitchen & Bath Month!

Bathroom Brand Manifestations: Bass Pro Shops

Earlier this year, when I spent ten days in Dallas, I visited the Bass Pro Shop in Grapevine, Texas.

What an amazing outdoor emporium, filled with animal dioramas, fish tanks, boats, a snack bar, a fly shop, golf driving range, hunting paraphernalia, sports gear or anything else you might need. No wonder it has a hotel connected to it!

What impressed me was the attention paid to details throughout the store - starting in the parking lot - to reinforce the Bass Pro Shop brand and the impressive commitment to all things outdoor. Coyotes, rabbits, cougars and armadillos carved out of wood grace the front entrance. Within, a three-dimensional lake still-life greets visitors.

The details abound. Even in the bathrooms!

Continuing, then, with M&M Bathroom Brand Manifestations, let's explore how Bass Pro Shop manifests its brand in the ladiesrooms.

Look at the handle to the ladiesrooms door. Note the door plate and animal motif. Notice the rough hewn door - appropriate for an outdoorsy themed place.

Step inside the bathroom.

Not only are there plenty of sinks and stalls, but the overall effect is quite elegant, with individual white pedestal sinks. Note that the rough hewn wood detail gets repeated in the [plentiful] trash receptacles conveniently placed under the paper towel dispensers.

The stall doors echo the trash bin details, with the wonderful addition of hammered tin inserts. This creates a color contrast with the wood as well as textural contrast for the eyes and the hands.

Note the flooring and wall tile details, too.

The walls are particularly enchanting as they include these special fish details: peacock bass and a grouping of sunfish and walleye [yes, a little crooked] by the diaper deck sign.

Someone put thought, humour and care into all of these details, not only creating a more fun bathroom experience, but also bringing the adventure and learning within the store to a space that otherwise gets ignored.

To highlight how smart this is, note this wonderful wall painting in the fishing area with the caption "Free the Fighter." Can you feel the strong emotions of the scene? A kid with his or her grandfather, learning about fishing responsibly. Sharing a tradition.

This area also features an elaborate aquarium where many of the fish featured in the ladiesrooms can be seen swimming. Doesn't it make you want to go fishing and experience it all firsthand?

I was impressed with this store, with the number of interactive displays capturing the attention and curiosity not just of the avid sportsperson, but of accompanying children and less engaged adults. Details, down to a 'gone fishing' sign to indicate that a checkout lane was closed, delight and bring the brand to life.

As you see in the bathrooms, Bass Pro Shops wastes no opportunity to engage its visitors in its brand and in its experience.

Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:

Bathroom Brand Manifestations:M&Ms

Day Two of the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest.

Yesterday, it was about Taking Bathrooms To The Next Level with Kohler, and into flight, in support of conservation and into the future, and then to new flooring levels...

Today, it's about Brand Manifestations in bathrooms -- a very rich topic!

To start the day, Marianne Cone, Marketing Director for Wear-Dated and Ultron, contributes the following:

When C.B. invited me to participate in this year's Bathroom Blogfest I was skeptical. I was a little like the men Stephanie Weaver referred to in her October 29, 2006 posting, “Bathroom Blogfest Begins" with their “you’re a weirdo” looks.

I also wondered where I might find inspiration as public restrooms are definitely not places I like to visit. I’ve been known to walk blocks, or drive miles out of the way to find a bathroom to my liking! But, I thought, what the heck – I travel nearly every week so surely there would be inspiration out there somewhere.

Sure enough my first stop was the ‘Big Apple’ where I ventured into the M&M store at Times Square. Immediately, upon entering the store, I was bombarded with sensory overload: a riot of color at every turn – plain and peanut M&M’s in

every conceivable color stored in six foot clear glass cylinders. Branded merchandise available in every form you can think of, and then some. Music…..loud music. And did I mention the aroma of chocolate wafting throughout the store? Ahhhh, the sweet scent of indulgence.

The M&M brand is everywhere – from book bags to pencils, clothes to coffee cups, and everything in between, including the M&M “brand” of Lady Liberty. There is even a race car with an outstanding example of co-branding: M&M’s and NASCAR! Indeed, had I wanted to purchase something other than M&M’s as a reminder of my trip to the Times Square M&M store, I simply needed to reach out an arm.

In this bastion of branding it suddenly struck me that I would surely find a wonderful example for the Bathroom Blogfest. There was no doubt in my mind this retailer would reach beyond the retail sales floor to take advantage of the few minutes spent in the bathroom to connect the M&M brand with shoppers. So I set about finding the bathroom - three flights of escalators past even more branded merchandise - and I see a small sign in the shape of a brown M&M pointing to the restrooms.

As I approached I was thinking of all the ways the brand might be extended to the restrooms… I couldn’t wait to see how the M&M brand would be manifested… Large primary colored M&M’s on the walls perhaps? M&M buttons on the water fixtures? I knew it would be clever, and I was certain it would call out to the small shoppers who frequent the bathrooms of every establishment they enter.

As I turned the corner, I stopped short. There it was... Nothing. No M&M signage other than a bit of color on the stall doors – everything else was stark white. No branding whatsoever – nothing. The M&M store restroom certainly provided for basic human needs in a clean environment, but what a missed opportunity to extend the brand to all aspects of this fun retail experience!

If you’ve been to Times Square you know the Hershey Store right across the street from the M&M store. I'm not sure which store came first in that particular geography, but -I thought to myself- if M&M’s was first, Hershey most certainly would have done their retail surveillance and taken the chance to out-do the competition.

So away I went across the street in search of a retailer who had seized the opportunity to extend a well known and loved brand to the bathroom. Upon entering the store and after looking around for a few minutes to take in the essence of the store, I asked to be directed to the bathroom.

Imagine my surprise and amazement when told, “There is no public access to our restrooms.” What are they thinking at Hershey? On a hot, sticky afternoon in New York City, this store was a cool retreat from the crowded, steamy sidewalks that characterize a summer afternoon in Time Square. Access to a bathroom would most certainly prolong the stay and “extend the spend” of shoppers…especially those with children. How much revenue is lost from shoppers who hurry up the Hershey experience in order to find a restroom?

Missed opportunity? Yes. Missed revenue? Definitely.

Thanks, Marianne!

My take on this? Stay true to your brand. If you have a playful brand, be sure to extend that playfulness to every aspect of your branded store experience.

And, if you want your customers to linger and come back to visit you again [hint: that's how they will spend more money in your store], be sure to offer them a bathroom. And, then, make sure your bathroom manifests your brand!

-----------------------------------------
The latest postings on 'ladiesrooms' include:
+ Bathroom Blogfest: The Disney Experience
+ For a Better Experience, This Is the One Thing a Restroom Should Have

Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:

Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
Katia S. Adams—Transcultural

Don't forget to check the Bathroom Blogfest group site.

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Monday, October 29, 2007

Taking Bathrooms To The Next Level: Michigan Tile & Carpet

And, now, it's time to take flooring bathrooms to the next level!

Michelle Burnett, our Wear-Dated Representative in Michigan excitedly told me last week about Michigan Tile & Carpet in Battlecreek, Michigan and their bathroom which -she says - is sooooooo cool!

I love enthusiasm, especially around bathrooms and particularly around flooring bathrooms, so I followed up with Ashley Kipp at Michigan Tile & Carpet. Oh, my!

Isn't this a spectacular bathroom! Doesn't it give new meaning to ladiesrooms experience and taking that to a new level?

Here is how Ashley describes the space:

"For centuries, glass tile has been one of the prime materials that fuses art with architecture. In Michigan Tile & Carpet's Design Center Restroom, we sought to create a modern yet stately space. Classic architectural details -with a twist- are represented by the glass block column lighting fixtures.

Modern attributes consist of the Polished Porcelain floor and wall tile, along with the bright orange glass tile counter top and mirror frame.

The back lit tempered glass lavatory bowl is the finishing touch giving the total space a translucent and sparkling feeling."

Materials used:
+ Floor and Walls: 24x24" Polished Porcelain by Laufen
+ Lighting fixtures mounted inside Glass Block columns
+ Counter top and Mirror Border: Florida Tile Orange Glass tiles.

I asked Ashley what kind of response the bathroom has generated from consumers. She says:

"Christine, our customers love, love, love the bathroom. I believe that the bathroom has a big city feel, and - coming from a small town- we hope that it inspires our customers to think outside the box for their own projects.

We don't often redo our bathrooms, but we make sure that they are modern and tasteful so they don't date quickly."

Next time you are near Battle Creek, Michigan, visit Michigan Tile & Carpet at 99 E. Columbia Ave. [tel: 269-962-6227] and be inspired by a bathroom that truly takes the experience to the next level!

-----------------------------------
The latest today, from David Polinchock: Welcome to the Bathroom Blogfest.

Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:

Taking Bathrooms To The Next Level - II

After Taking Bathrooms To The Next Level - Kohler, it's time to go even higher -- into flight, in support of conservation and into the future.

This article, titled Jet Green from the September 2007 issue of Metropolis magazine, caught my imagination and attention. I love airplanes, and this beautiful new bird, the Boeing Dreamliner 737, represents a feast for the senses. Check out Boeing's New Airplane and click on 787 Dreamliner site. You'll find all kinds of information and imagery that bring to life how unusual this beautiful machine is. [By the way, if you love planes, consider reading Randy's Journal, by Boeing's Randy Tinseth. His blog is also on Peter Kim's The M20: Top Marketer Blogs.]

The article above details how the Dreamliner enhances the passenger's experience, down to the universal bathroom with touchless features. It's even considered a Dream Toilet for Boeing 787 Dreamliner for people with disabilities and Boeing 787 Dreamliner explains that, with windows tinting automatically, there's no fear of being seen.

Boeing Dreamliner Interior Design and Boeing Dreamliner A More Sustainable Aircraft offer additional perspective on this magical aircraft.

Thanks to David Polinchock, we have the opportunity to appreciate Silverjet: In the Air, complete with bathrooms for women only! Unfortunately, the Viral Video from Silverjet he refers to is no longer available.

Although B.L. Ochman's Toto Takes Covering Its Ass to New Heights focuses on the expression of Toto's $5000 "Clean is happy" Washlet toilet, Marie Hunt says that It's ok to be a TOTO potty mouth especially if you find a low-water version. Check out her post including her endorsement of Terry Love's toilet review site.

Did you know that, according to Bathroom Sink Faucets to Bear EPA's WaterSense Label, "Consumers will soon be able to identify high-performance, water-efficient sink faucets for their bathrooms now that EPA has released a product specification for ones that use about 30 percent less water than conventional models."? They can already locate WaterSense labeled toilets. Saving water saves energy, two critical resources for us all. Learn more about the EPA's WaterSense.

This article from 09/05/2007 titled Citigroup Tries Banking On The Natural Kind of Green describes the retrofitting of Citibank buildings to consume less energy. I enjoyed the article on a number of fronts. First, from a flooring perspective: "...replacing marble floors in its hospital lobbies with recycled rubber ones reduced the incidence of slips and falls by patients and staff." [In Pounding Las Vegas Pavements, I showed pictures of the new shiny marble flooring that the Atlanta airport has installed. I wonder how many bad falls those floors have caused?] From a Bathroom Blogfest perspective, the article says that "building managers are testing a new urinal design that doesn't use water."

And, as it relates to the future, AdAge's 07/16/2007 article titled Look, No Hands! K-C's Bathroom of the Future. Marketer Does Deep Dive Into Consumers Washroom Habits by Jack Neff [registration required], discusses not only high-speed hand drying and automatic vocal reminders to wash hands, but also automatic toilet-paper dispensers [This, too, yields savings.], and whether people are "scrunchers, folders [or] wrappers of toilet paper"....

Finally, David Polinchock again comes through with Springwise newsletter/15 December 2006 in which he refers to London's first Superloo.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say that the ladiesrooms experience is definitely being taken to a higher level, whether flying, conserving resources or simply reinventing today's basics.

Latest Bathroom Blogfest 2007 posts:
Bathroom Blogfest visits American Girl Place.
Meeting in the Ladies Room - Prelude.

Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:

Taking Bathrooms To The Next Level - Kohler

Peace and serenity originally uploaded by frisamusic.

Today, in honor of Bathroom Blogfest 2007, I address 'taking bathrooms to the next level', starting with Kohler.

For perspective: our coveted woman consumer, ever more sophisticated, is stressed as she juggles more in less time. How to alleviate the stress? Increasingly, via relaxing and luxurious spa environments, that she looks to recreate in her home. As her standards rise dramatically, she expects better bathroom experiences where ever and whenever she goes to spend money. Men aren't far behind.

Bathrooms are fast evolving beyond basics to the next level. Retailers: be warned!

In June 2007, I attended a Neocon seminar titled "Hospitality Influences Residential Bathroom Design" during which Lynn Shrage and Jean Kolb from Kohler shared knowledge and perspective on bathrooms.

The seminar description read:

"Making guests feel at home has long been a strategy of the hospitality industry. The spa industry is rapidly translating individualized spa offerings into new treatments. Consumers look to ... incorporate these features into their homes."

In other words, hospitality bathrooms influence residential ones. Take that to the next level, and rather that say 'bathroom' consider living bath or sanctuary for the senses. Hmmmm.

I hadn't realized that Kohler had such a presence in hospitality. Did you? They have two serious properties where they do considerable experimentation as you can see from Destination Kohler: A Kohler experience in Kohler, Michigan and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Some stats [pay careful attention to the last points]:
+ one in four American adults has visited a spa [this includes day spas [79%], resorts & hotels [9%] and other]
+ the spa industry is the 4th largest leisure industry in the United States with 13,757 facilities generating $9.7 billion in annual revenue
+ Spa goers are 69% women; 31% men [men are starting to get 'it']
+ 20 million people visit spas per year and 51% only started going in the past 5 years!
+ Generations: Millennials 11%, Gen X 41%, Boomers 38%, Mature 10%
+ 3 out of 4 consumers report a need to find balance in their lives, actively seeking well-designed, easy-to-understand products that help to nurture and restore
+ Consumers value control/simplicity, balance/nature, customization/escape which translate into efficient, accessible spaces using technology and innovative design.

[Note that flooring choices, including carpet, definitely play a role in creating a nurturing and restorative home environment. Do you address these trends with your customer? Note, too, that the simpler and more soothing your store environment, the more your shoppers will appreciate you over your competition. Don't forget to feast the senses!]

Trends in residential bath design include anything that promotes a "sanctuary for the senses" to soothe, invigorate and connect with the senses. They appeal to the values of control, simplicity, balance, nature, escape and customization through some of these examples:

+ indigenous products and settings
+ concealed technology
+ gender specific
+ customized experiences
+ healthy/sleep
+ greening [mindful of treatments, products, materials]
+ medical spas
+ lifestyle spa communities [e.g., spadominiums like Chicago's Canyon Ranch condo]
+ fusion mind/body/spirit
+ efficiency [everything within reach vs. spread out]
+ simplicity

To highlight the relevance of this spa trend - or taking bathrooms to the next level - consider this 06/13/2007 article from The Dallas Morning News titled Many stores now offer spa services. Can you guess which stores are mentioned? How about Whole Foods, JC Penney, Coldwater Creek, the airport and the car wash.

Not only do ladiesrooms matter, but they are rapidly evolving to the next level and becoming havens of relaxation.

Have you seen the most recent Bathroom Blogfest posts?
+ From Experieceology: Bathroom Blogfest starts today
+ From PurpleWren, two contributions: Let the '07 Bathroom Blogfest Begin! and
+ Review: Restrooms in Des Moines
+ Curious Shopper asks that you take a poll in Where it counts.

Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Let the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest Begin....

As mentioned in Announcing the Bathroom Blogfest 2007, it's time to get the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest going.

You may have noticed other recent announcements from Blog Till You Drop, Customer Experience Crossroads, Customers Rock, and The Engaging Brand. Do note how each demonstrates an unique approach and perspective in addressing the topic of 'ladiesrooms.'

In fact, here are the two latest postings: Potty Propaganda and Funny Bathroom Experiences.

Are you are still wondering - why bathrooms? How do you answer the following questions?

Do you take your retail experience seriously? Do you care about the messages your environment projects onto consumers? Do you care whether consumers breathe a sigh of relief upon entering your store or shudder in disgust and escape as quickly as possible? Do you want your customers to tell everyone they know about what a fabulous experience they had, and what impeccable service they encountered at your store?

Or, are you indifferent to it all?

Bathrooms matter to women and to men. Particularly to women and especially to men with children. Clean bathrooms send a strong message that you CARE about your consumers, and that you take care of DETAILS.

Women have high standards for the bathroom experience. We will judge you by your bathrooms and reward you through their purchases. Why? Because the attention you pay to your bathrooms reflects a similar level of attention we can expect from you in your service and in your overall retail experience.

Are you with me? The best retailers in the business are...

Here's what you can expect during this years' Bathroom Blogfest from Flooring The Consumer :
+ Monday: taking it to the next level
+ Tuesday: brand manifestations
+ Wednesday: extreme solutions
+ Thursday: measuring it
+ Friday: bringing it home

Be warned: I have a wealth of examples and ideas to share with you!

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Participating in the 2007 Bathroom Blogfest are:

Kate Rutter—Adaptive Path
Laurence Helene Borel—Blog Till You Drop
Iris Shreve Garrott—checking out and checking in
Susan Abbott—Customer Experience Crossroads
Maria Palma—Customers Are Always
Becky Carroll—Customers Rock!
Toby Bloomberg—Diva Marketing
Stephanie Weaver—Experienceology
Linda Tischler—Fast Company Now
C.B. Whittemore—Flooring the Consumer
Ed Pell—K+B DeltaVee
Helene Blowers—Library Bytes
Claudia Schiepers—Life and its little pleasures
Katie Clark—Practical Katie
Sandra Renshaw—Purple Wren
Reshma Anand—Qualitative Research
Marianna Hayes—Results Revolution
Carolyn Townes—Spirit Women
Sara Cantor—The Curious Shopper
Anna Farmery—The Engaging Brand
Dee McCrorey—The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
Katia S. Adams—Transcultural

Don't forget to check the Bathroom Blogfest group site.

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Saturday, October 27, 2007

California WildFires

Life after fire, Govets Leap, Blue Mountains originally uploaded by kurtmate_ezs.

It's humbling to witness the fury of the California wildfires from the comfort of the wet and somewhat-seasonably cool East Coast.

I can't even fathom the scope of this disaster, or how people are coping with the upheaval. The idea of having at most 7 minutes to exit your home with no assurance of finding anything upon return staggers my brain.

Although network news have been covering the story heavily, I have a more immediate understanding of this chaos through social media, and specifically through blogposts from friends in Southern California.

Masi Guy's Tim Jackson has posted many photos and descriptions of what he has witnessed. I can feel the smoke from his photos.

Becky Carroll from Customers Rock! examines the communications channels that have been most effective in providing information. Really fascinating to witness the power of citizen reporting, and seeing the tools of social media - blogs, Google fire maps, Twitter - being used to gather and disseminate information. Talk about creating life after a fire. Becky was evacuated, but is back home.

Mary Hunt from In Women We Trust, although surrounded by the fires, manages to find good news in all of this.

Stephanie Weaver celebrates in Wildfires in San Diego all of the wonderful and amazing actions she has witnessed. And, yes, thank you to the firefighters!

Maria Palma from Customers Are Always reports that she is okay as she lives to the south of San Diego.

I spoke briefly on Friday with Tom Menzel, our Wear-Dated Regional Manager for the Western Region of the country [where California features prominently]. Although he lives in Sacramento, he has lived several times in the areas affected by the fires. He and Cindy Wilson [whom you may remember for Passion In Baseball, Business and Flooring] are working hard to determine which flooring stores have been affected. Cindy, just back from vacation in Hawaii, lives 10 miles from Rancho Bernardo and can see flames from her house...

Tom says that a Mohawk representative has lost his home. Our hearts go out to him and his family and all of the others who have been affected.

As we get more information, I will put a list together and publish it here.

Here is contact information for the Red Cross. Tom reports that the Sacramento Red Cross strongly encourages cash donations over stuff so that the cash can be spent locally in the areas affected by the fires and help jump start businesses there.

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Thursday, October 25, 2007

Flooring It Differently - Gardner's Flooring America, Topeka, KS

Gardner's Flooring America in Topeka, KS represents a store that is definitely Flooring It Differently.

Featured in my very first post - Women Of Flooring America Making Their Mark, Gardner's Flooring America is run by sisters Renee and Tracy Gardner.

Our Wear-Dated Rep for Topeka, Renee Bolton, shared the following with me:

I have had a great time getting to know Tracy Gardner over the past several months and would love to share what I've learned. This Flooring America is a family business that started with Tracy and Renee's parents.

Their father - Marvin Gardner - started installing carpet when he was only thirteen years old. He worked with their grandfather who also was a carpet installer.

When Marvin met their mother, both continued with their own installation company for the next seventeen years. Imagine, their mother and aunts used to sew carpets together! This was in the days before seam tape was invented. The store displays a wall of installer tools that have been in the family for three generations.

Then, in 1976 their parents opened the retail store known as Gardner Floor Covering. In 1991, they became an original member of CarpetMax, which is now Flooring America, a national flooring cooperative. That's why today, they are Gardner's Flooring America.

When you first walk into Gardner's Flooring America, you immediately notice color and texture as you can see from the photo on the left. Notice the bold area rug and how the pillows and accessories [candle, lamp] reflect the colors from the rug. How welcoming!

This is not an overly modern or cold store. Quite the opposite. It's extremely inviting with vignettes of wallpaper, fabric and carpet paired together placed as transition areas between the store's flooring categories (hard surfaces, area rugs and carpet).

The main vignette shown in the photo below is located in the carpeting area, beside their wall of fame - a popular stopping place that displays

awards and recognition for national contributions to the flooring industry as well as their local community.

For one of this year's community projects, Renee and Tracy Gardner are using the colors from our What is Blue? color forecast to design a Christmas Tree. This tree and a coordinating designer area rug will be auctioned off during the Festival of Trees which benefits Sheltered Living [This article/clip from 2005 Festival of Trees returns for 19th year gives a feel for the event], a local organization that assists people with developmental disabilities.

[Here are photos from Adopt a Pet day at their store.]

The latest is Go Red for Women sponsored by Flooring America and the local Topeka Chapter of the American Heart Association.

This store offers everything possible to make their woman consumer's life easier and better. It not only carries carpet and hard surfaces, but also wallpaper, window treatments, area rugs and accessories. Lighting throughout the store is actually conducive to color selection!

The store offers ample seating. In addition to the sofa and chair [editor's note: many stores offer NO seating], customers have several work tables available to sort through concepts and ideas.

If a consumer requests personal shopping, no problem! The store designers qualify the customer over the phone then bring appropriate samples to them at their convenience. Once there, the designer can measure and easily help with one room or the whole house.

Sure enough, the store has created an enclosed area for kids with movies, crayons and toys. The rest rooms are whimsically decorated in a trendy aqua blue and are kept spotlessly clean. Furthermore, Gardner's Flooring America offers its consumers fresh coffee and Renee's home-baked cookies - always a hit!

Here's a really unusual touch: each customer receives a decorative gift bag that includes coupons for carpet cleaning service, trial sized floor cleaners, and promotional items such as coffee cups, pens, magnets and koozies [i.e., can insulators] as well as coupons for designers services and products.

The overall effect is so conducive to creating a beautifully decorated home that customers willingly linger.

The Gardner sisters attribute their success not only to the high caliber of their work force, but also that everyone shares in the longtime Gardner family vision of providing superior customer service.

Renee explains the photos: the blue awning and bright flowers out front catch the eye - and send a strong message welcoming visitors.

As a consumer walks down the diagonal checkered path, she finds refreshments and the wall of antique tools across from the blind display.

At the end of the checkered path, the scene pictured on the left greets a customer wanting to look at wallpaper samples or needing work tables.

Gardner's Flooring America and sisters Renee and Tracy Gardner, are definitely Flooring It Differently in Topeka, KS. Congratulations and thanks for exuding so much passion for beautiful flooring and for making life so colorful for your customers!

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Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Reactions to the Target Store Experience

If you remember from Target Grand Opening Riverdale, NJ, my friends and I eagerly awaited the opening on our new Target.

We haven't been disappointed!

Jill went to Target with her 2 year old -Devin- in tow. She says: "FABULOUS store. VERY friendly sales people who are surprisingly knowledgeable! I asked where I could find some packs of wash cloths for the girls and a salesperson showed me 2 different locations for them (baby isle and towel section). Obviously the shelves were packed with goods for their first day. It was so great to find clothes for Sydney [her 6 year old] in her size as I never get lucky with cute stuff!

I checked out the “family bathroom” and it was clean and large. I painfully passed by the home good section which happens to be amazing at most Targets as Devin was getting a little cranky. I plan on returning when I can browse in peace and harmony.

Parking is going to be a nightmare, though. I love the store and can’t wait to get back in!"

Dina says: "I enjoyed my shopping experience at Target-not a fan of the new carts… Bumped into many a fixture. Great layout; clean, inviting-tons of great merchandise…dressing rooms very large; like the family dressing room…smells from snack bar and Starbucks pleasant. Cashiers and workers very friendly and quick…. A+."

My other friend, Lisa Contreras, has a unique take on retail establishments. You may remember her from Bloomingdales Bathroom Makeover. Her expertise is about designing retail spaces, and I treasure her perspective on the Target Store Experience.

Lisa says: "I often feel that the Target Corporation has a disconnect between their advertising, merchandising and store design. The excitement of their commercials and their ability to rethink the advertising of a "discount" store has truly revolutionized the market... In fact, many commercials look like theirs now, even Macy's. I have often wished that their stores conveyed the excitement, uniqueness, and brand identity that their commercials do. With this skepticism, I visited Target, Riverdale tonight on my way home from work.

As I drove north on Rte 23, I was excited. I exited onto the causeway that connected Rte. 23 to the store.

The parking lot was well marked and I could feel the Target brand beginning. I liked the building. Usually, the buildings are boring blocks of concrete; here, the architect used glass penetrations to see into the store, to give the customer a glimpse of what was to come... Here, the signage became the brand. The big round red balustrade balls reinforce the Target brand, as well as a large open cut out painted red to the right of the door. I had trouble determining the "in"... I think it should have been on the right. Instead, it was on the left with only a small sign saying "in".

As I entered the store, I was pleasantly surprised. The Target brand had made its way into the store. Large red graphics with the signature bullseye in neon decorated the perimeters of the store. Circulation was clean and straightforward. Toilets to the left as you entered, with customer service. Merchandise throughout the store was neat and nicely organized (it really was the first day!).

I was interested in how Target continued their brand identity throughout the customer enhancement opportunities. The fitting area is communal - men, women, kids - with a central desk where I was greeted by a friendly associate. I was happy to see that Target had implemented the "family fitting room" with larger rooms for the entire family...great idea. The individual fitting rooms were also equipped with a red mushroom shaped stool and carpeting that hinted at the Target brand. A large mirror and many "hooks" made it easy to try things on.

The toilets were simple and straight forward and, of course, clean as it was the first day. There was a family toilet, reflecting the needs of the Target Customer.

I walked the store and found the plan to be typical of that of other stores. As always, the merchandise raises the bar for discounters. I can never leave a Target without buying something. Today, I bought a herringbone brown wool skirt with a faux suede waist, a grey "wool" shirt dress with hidden accents of lime green, a gift card for a birthday party, and a cool Halloween bucket.

I wish, though, that Target would experiment more with new ideas for the store interior. There are still racks upon racks of merchandise.... I wish they would rethink their display ideas in the same way they have excited the public with their commercials. Maybe that isn't what they wish to convey? Maybe what they do now adequately speaks to all segments of the population? "Big Box" retail seems to have become the norm in the US lately and I wonder what the future evolution of this type of store will be: accessible to everyone, with just enough "savvy" to excite, without intimidating, but still able to sell toilet paper."

As you think through these various reactions - from coveted target shopper to discerning professional - keep in mind that the subtle nuances of the professional are ones that the shopper may not verbalize, but still reacts to.

I've always enjoyed how Target stores exude the Target brand, in a way not too dissimilar from The Apple Store and the Apple brand. This store doesn't disappoint. In fact, it's the best Target brand execution I've seen so far.

Given this intimate exposure to Target in my backyard, I've been paying more attention to Target's presence online. In Target Grand Opening Riverdale, NJ, I was disappointed in my poor search results. Well, did you know that Target has created a Facebook group, strongly branded as you can see in the image above, with close to 15,000 members? [Starbucks has too many to count with over 100,000 members; those look to be user created. Apple has an Apple Students site with 400,000 members.]

I learned recently that Target has a strong direct marketing heritage, having hired many former Fingerhut marketers. That explains the focus on traditional direct marketing activities to drive sales, and exploration with new venues like Facebook to promote contests. It will be interesting to see if Target's interactive marketing groups integrate efforts with corporate communications, advertising and local store activities in the future.

In the meantime, the Riverdale, NJ Target retail store experience does not disappoint, with great attention having been placed on reinforcing the iconic Target brand at every opportunity starting with the large bulls eye signaling the turn off to drivers, to parking lot symbology, to numerous examples in store. Are you as consistent with your store experience?

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