Flooring the Consumer

Here in the North East, tree pollen has attacked with a vengeance.  I've heard more tales of folks being affected, folks who until the last year or two have never been touched by allergies.

My six year old daughter is one of those.  She was affected by tree pollen last year [as was I], but this year her reaction is severe.  So severe that my husband took her to see the pediatrician.

My husband came home and reported the verdict: shower and wash hair every night. Zyrtec once a day.  Eye drops.  Wash hands after any outdoor activity.  Wash all bed sheets, pillows, stuffed animals. Eliminate carpet. 

I was stunned.

Stunned not because of all of the steps, but rather by the steps recommended.  Particularly the carpet one - which I know is wrong.

Wrong because of what I learned in writing Carpet Alleviates Allergies.

Wrong because of what I've observed in our own home where the bedrooms are carpeted and the common areas are hard surface with area rugs [except in the kitchen].  Try catching the hard surface dust bunnies.  I assure you it's no easy task.  Much easier to do so on carpet, with regular vacuuming, making for an environment with far fewer allergens floating around.

My daughter is not the only child in her school suffering from tree pollen allergies.  In fact, it's almost comical to hear six year olds talking about who else it taking Zyrtec.  The  moms I speak to  have been issued similar  directives for caring  for our precious charges....

I've not had a chance to ask about the carpet directive.  But, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that it's a common one.

And that worries me.  Not just because I'm involved in the soft side of the business.  But, more importantly, because the consumer is being given inaccurate information from a credible source.

That worries me enormously.

Tell me, what would it take to completely transform the flooring retail experience and make it as enjoyable, as compelling, as transformational as say that of The Apple Store?

Do you wonder about that?

I do.  And, I've had more thoughts relating to Please Write Your Elected Officials..., my last post here, in a related post - Which Is Better? Buying Cars or Carpet? - over at Flooring The Consumer.

In fact, I've been exploring the concept in a series of posts that I refer to as "The Flooring Display Challenge," announced in How Might Flooring Displays Tell Better Stories?

The responses are fascinating and represent perspectives from outside the industry as well as within.  Read them for yourself:  The Flooring Display Challenge - Part I, The Flooring Display Challenge - Part II, The Flooring Display Challenge - Part III: Design Centers, and The Flooring Display Challenge - Part IV.

Improving the retail experience comes up in an interview with Chris Ramey titled What Luxury Marketing Can Teach Us. Kim Gavin even weighs in on the topic in Meet Kim Gavin, Editor, Floor Covering Weekly.

So how do we make a carpet buying experience that totally floors consumers happen?  It's a serious matter, and we shouldn't be ignoring it.  In fact, the lousy market environment makes it even more critical to connect effectively and compellingly with our consumer.  She has so many options for her hard-earned dollars that she will seize on any reason to postpone a purchase.  Wouldn't it be awful to have our flooring retail experience be the reason for her decision to postpone?

So, let's make the flooring retail experience be the reason for her to want to come back and purchase.  If we do, we are on our way to establishing a relationship with her for life.

If we don't, she will NEVER come back.

Please, share your ideas with me. Send them to me at cbwhit [at] solutia [dot] com and I will recap them here.

Anyone who doubts the frustration level that our consumers feel when trying to purchase flooring products, and more specifically carpet, please read this Letter to the Editor of The Connection Newspapers from March 13, 2008 by Alex Cullison, a consumer in Fairfax, Virginia.  He titles it "Buying Carpets or Cars?"

To whet your appetite, I'll include a section:

"Unfortunately, unlike just about any other purchase one can make in this civilized world, the carpet industry has effectively established a marketing culture making if almost impossible to determine general values of quality and pricing. This culture of imposed confusion is embraced by all the companies that make carpet. This is exacerbated by the fact that fiber selections are not directly related to actual rug construction. You can choose a great fiber and good luck finding out what company actually made the carpet out of that fabric. Further, each carpet manufacturer has its own cute criteria/system for determining wear ability, stain resistance, static protection, etc. Lastly, the industry refuses to use the same terms from one manufacturer to another...."

"Buying carpet is not fun. It is easier to buy a used car in terms of decision-making."

There's more and I suggest you read it.  It's serious stuff.

The letter ends with "Please, write your elected officials."

What is your solution to this oh-too-real consumer scenario?

Technorati Tags: Buying Carpets or Cars? buying carpet Alex Cullison  Del.icio.us Tags: Buying Carpets or Cars? buying carpet Alex Cullison

An interesting discussion has been going on at Stephanie Weaver's blog - Experienceology - during the month of February.  All about what happens when the Experience Economy meets the Recession Economy.  I urge you to read through the posts and think about the implications for your business. 

I contributed.  And after contributing what I thought were my two cents, I realized that I still had thoughts and ideas churning through my head.  It led me to post What Happens when Experience Economy Meets Recession Economy? 

It's a serious topic that won't be going away any time soon.  If you have doubts, read through Ben Kinlaw's Zeitgeist.  That should certainly settle the matter.

How 'bout you?  What are your thoughts?

What the Experience Economy makes obvious is our high expectation around excellent customer service.  One aspect of that is The Flooring Installation Opportunity.  Another has to do with Kizer & Bender - First Impressions: The Art of Store Layout.  Yet another has to do with how authentic and truthful the expression of our overall brand is as Tim Girvin describes in Trends in Story, Brand and Experience...

Whereas expectations of excellent service used to be the realm of only a few, it has now become the due of an ever increasing majority of consumers.  Luxury Marketing Surrounds Us!

Our opportunity in the floor covering industry is to translate our overall retail experience into one that not only matches, but surpasses the standards set by other purveyors of luxury.  Our consumer expects it.  She should receive it.  We should delight her.

The alternative is no consumer at all.

Is that what you want?

Technorati Tags: customer service retail experience the new luxury floor covering industry Del.icio.us Tags: customer service retail experience the new luxury floor covering industry

In my last post - Focus on the Consumer?, I mentioned Tom Jennings' Surfaces 2008 presentation, describing it as follows:

Tom Jennings looked at installation from a consumer's lens.  Isn't it amazing that no floor can be delivered to her home without it being installed. And, yet, do we consider the installation portion of the retail experience in as critical a light as we should?  It's the last touch point we have with her.  How memorable is that last encounter?

Tom fires me up about installation and the opportunity it offers retailers to forge relationship with customers, to change the customer's perception of our industry, and to generally reinvent the flooring retail experience.

If you've ever heard Tom, you realize that he's not about theatrics or false promises or mismatched expectations.  Quite the opposite.  He's calm and reasonable and dead serious about satisfying that consumer, about being professional, and straightforward and authentic.  It's all about her initial perceptions.  Her expectations.  Her satisfaction. Her trust in us.

That is music to my ears.  Actually, it's more like an opera to my ears.

But, in a way, it shouldn't. 

Why?  Because that should be the standard that we all embrace, all of the time, regardless of our geographic location.

Therein lies the opportunity!

The opportunity to transform our industry into a service industry.  An opportunity to delight and surprise and enable our consumers to create an entire home experience that she thought only possible in her dreams, but -- because of our focus on her -- we were able to make real AND make her feel really good about it all.

Why should we care about this opportunity? 

Well, it sure beats competing on price or on product; it sure separates us out from the competition; it sure makes the business more interesting; and it sure means that she and her friends will be back to do it all over again a lot sooner than we might have expected.  This opportunity enables us to build a positive relationship with her and eventually turn her into a loyal fan.

You can read my notes on Tom Jennings' Installation is not a dirty word presentation.  I'd love to hear how you have turned installation into an opportunity.

 Technorati Tags: CB Whittemore Flooring The Consumer retail experience carpet flooring Del.icio.us Tags: CB Whittemore Flooring The Consumer retail experience carpet flooring

Did you make it to Surfaces 2008?

It was an amazing experience!  Yes, traffic was down.  But those who came were fully engaged, focused and upbeat about business.  Was that your experience, too?

When I attend Surfaces, I do my best to absorb all that I can -- from Las Vegas, the educational sessions, and my conversations.

Las Vegas amazes from a retail experience perspective [here's my take on FAO Schwartz].  If you think casinos use all of the tools available to contribute to your gaming pleasure, then you should check out Las Vegas retailers and retail layouts....   Paths that force you into one direction so you walk by every single store and not bypass a single one.  Store placements that strongly favor the resort brand store over another.  Do you know that I didn't notice a single Webkinz throughout the Las Vegas casino-associated malls?

From an educational perspective, I appreciated the relentless focus that presenters [including me!] had on the consumer.  It's thanks to her that we are in business, but we often forget that.  Some examples:

+ Tom Jennings looked at installation from a consumer's lens.  Isn't it amazing that no floor can be delivered to her home without it being installed. And, yet, do we consider the installation portion of the retail experience in as critical a light as we should?  It's the last touch point we have with her.  How memorable is that last encounter?

+ Sam Allman, while focusing on what to do in a down economy, discussed the importance of developing rapport with the customer, of building a relationship of mutual trust and affinity with her.  That means total focus on her regardless of the economic climate!

+ My presentation - What Your Register Tape Doesn't Tell You - highlighted the importance of creating a store environment where consumer and product come together, where all of the senses come into play to engage the emotions and lead to a consumer purchasing.  The better you understand how consumers interact with your store, products, displays, salespeople [and everyone else involved in delivering that experience], the more you are able to enhance and improve and create a more magical retail experience.

My conversations were intense.  Are you aware of WFCA's Shannon Bilby and her blog, Blog Talk!?  If you aren't, you should.  Her passion for flooring is contagious.

As intense as Surfaces is  - it's the only event of its kind to bring together the entire industry, I look forward to it.  Don't you?

Technorati Tags: Surfaces Floor Talk! Las Vegas flooring Del.icio.us Tags: Surfaces Floor Talk! Las Vegas flooring

Yes, times are tough.  It's no secret. 

Yet, as much as our consumers have retrenched, we still face amazing opportunities.  It's up to us to take advantage of those opportunities so that when the market takes off again - as it will - we are poised to benefit from every aspect of that business.

Many of the opportunities closest to us have to do with getting our house in order.  To that end, I ask you the following:  how well do you know your consumer?

Do you realize that the majority of your consumers are women?  And that those women are smarter, wealthier and savvier than ever?

From Marketing to women, I share with you some facts:

Women represent 51 percent of the population and 47 percent of the labor force. Women hold 50 percent of managerial positions. There are more women graduating from college and graduate programs than are men. They represent 47 percent of Americans with assets over half a million dollars. The long and the short of it is that women are a significant force in the marketplace.

They are the chief decision makers on a whole bunch of fronts. Relating to the home: 40 percent of home improvement projects and products; 61 percent of major home fix-up projects; 83 percent of consumer purchases – and I’ve seen that go as high as 85; 91 percent of home sales. There are more single women purchasing homes; and about 94 percent make the decisions on home furnishings. Retailers who don’t make an effort to address that core consumer are going to lose business.

Some additional facts from Women hold the power of the sale:

In addition to women representing 51 percent of the overall population, as the population ages, it becomes increasingly female.

Women are better educated than men, representing the majority of college students. They earn more than half of all bachelor degrees, 57 percent of masters and 42 percentof doctoral degrees.

Sixty percent of women work. They represent 47 percent of the labor force. Women are taking on greater responsibility and becoming not only chief purchasing officers at home, but also in business: 10.6 million women business owners generate $2.5 trillion in sales and employ 19.1 million workers.

What about money? In 55 percent of US households, women make half (or more) of their family’s income. Thirty percent of women out-earn their husbands. They represent 47 percent of Americans with assets greater than $500,000. They control more than 50 percent of private wealth, and manage family finances in 75 percent of households.

Also, baby boomer women are benefiting from a double inheritance factor as they outlive their spouses. They stand to acquire more than 85 percent of the $12 trillion growth in US wealth between 1995 and 2010.

This matters because women are the major purchase decision makers for:
– 61 percent of major home fix-up projects
– 66 percent of all home-computer purchases
– 83 percent of all consumer purchases
– 94 percent of home furnishings
– 91 percent of home sales – single women are the 2nd largest group of homebuyers at 21 percent and 18 percent of all first time homebuyers [vs. 9 percent men].

Women carry 76 million credit cards [8 million more than men]. Yet, they are thoughtful about spending; quality matters when making major purchases, ahead of price. Think how powerfully strong brands succinctly communicate quality to consumers, particularly to women who are more brand loyal than men, in complex and potentially expensive categories like flooring.

Women are more profitable than men. Not only via shorter repeat purchase cycles, but they freely give referrals [and depend on referrals for their decisions]. Companies like Starbucks, Whole Foods and Anthropologie count on word-of-mouth referrals -- considering them the strongest and most effective marketing tools available.

Your in-store environment counts today more than ever with this powerful consumer. So make sure to understand who she is and how your store meets her needs.

So much for the data.  Look around your world.  What do you see? Who do you see calling the retail shots?  And, what is it that matters to her in the environments that she chooses to patronize?

How well do you know your consumer?

Technorati Tags: marketing to women retail experience Christine B. Whittemore Flooring The Consumer CB Whittemore Del.icio.us Tags: marketing to women retail experience Christine B. Whittemore Flooring The Consumer CB Whittemore

From my article in the July 23/30, 2007 issue of Floor Covering Weekly.

Feast (fe-st) v. tr.: 1. To experience something with gratification or delight.

Idiom: To be delighted or gratified by the sight of.

What do Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, The Apple Store and Anthropologie share? They have each created havens of relaxation – environments that call out, invite visitors in and exude welcomeness. Despite that they sell relative commodities [books, electronics, coffee, clothing], they connect emotionally and sensually with consumers. They feast our senses, charging us a premium in the process, and we pay willingly.

What comes to mind with a Barnes & Noble experience? Big leather club chairs, the smell of books melded with the aroma of coffee from within? Do you hear music playing? It’s in the background, but it’s always intriguing… maybe a Samba or some Baroque?

You can always count on the children’s area. Lots of kid-sized chairs beckon, inviting young ones to discover worlds of magic and adventure in the pages of books.

And, if books aren’t totally your thing, then consider the amazing selection of book-related products: book lights, pencil pouches, greeting cards, organizing tools. The juxtapositions enchant and take ‘books’ to new levels!

Look at how Barnes & Noble then builds a community with visitors interested and passionate about books. They invite authors for book readings and signings. They host book discussion groups. They offer activities for children.

Starbucks has successfully created a place that is neither home nor work, a ‘third place’ where all are welcome, java lover or not. Notice the wonderful coffee-related artwork gracing the walls: black and white photos of coffee beans and whimsical, colorful wallpaper. Music represents such an important part of the experience that Starbucks has even formed a relationship with Hear Music, thereby extending the "music of Starbucks: to your car. Friendly baristas produce your java fix, and regardless of your purchase, you can hang out with or without your computer for as long as you’d like while the smell of coffee envelops you.

The Apple Store captures the essence of simplicity. Have you ever appreciated how totally Spartan, simple, and severe the actual stores are? And yet, there is nothing boring about these places where product and user come together. The simplicity of the setting lets the product shine. It beckons to users saying “Come, play with me. Try me. See how easy I am to interact with! Take me home!” Look at the visual cues. Listen to the buzz of people excitedly interacting with the product or with others. It’s infectious!

Anthropologie [part of the Urban Outfitters and Free People family] openly disavows the hard sell. Imagine! Even if you aren’t in the market for women’s apparel, door knobs, plates or soaps, do visit and absorb it all. The eclectic mix of products makes for eye-catching juxtapositions. No two stores are laid out the same way, leading to unexpected journeys of discovery every time. The store scents tantalize, the music relaxes, the product range enchants and the end result is a store environment that welcomes consumers and encourages them to make purchases.

What have these four distinct retail organizations created? A memorable shopping experience that people want to talk about beyond the actual physical visit.

A place where they enjoy spending time because careful attention has been paid to engaging the consumer other than through a hard, antagonistic sales approach.

A place where employees share the passion and the strong brand image extends beyond the store, to the website, printed materials, etc.

Think about your experiences with stores that connect with you. What do you see as you walk by those stores, open their doors and enter within? Are you intrigued, delighted, enchanted? What do you smell? Is it so compelling that it draws you into the store before your brain realizes your actions? What about the sounds within? Are they soothing? Energizingly toe-tapping? Or irritating?

Is there anything to taste? Maybe a few tools of hospitality like just-baked chocolate chip cookies and freshly squeezed orange juice? How do you react to these sensory delights? Does the store take on a larger-than-life dimension the minute you walk it, or does it recede from blandness and boredom?

Create a retail environment that feasts the senses and you will have a store that connects emotionally with your consumers.