Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on many of our customers in the MidAtlantic Region, especially in New York and New Jersey. In some cases, the devastation was so extreme that these businesses will have to rebuild from the ground up. Although this process can be time consuming, costly, and, quite frankly, very emotional, there is a sliver lining; rebuilding is a chance to start new and get it right this time.
So often, business owners learn from the experience of opening a new business and; therefore, may regret choices that were made when less experienced. For example, a customer recently called me with a concern about their gondola purchase. The customer had purchased gondola that was 7’ high. Although this allowed for more merchandising space, the Store Owner was not able to see his customers over the larger gondola and theft became a serious issues in his store. This may not be your particular issue, but here are some are some specific areas to consider during your rebuild or redesign:
1. Store Layout.
One of the most crucial aspects of a store is the layout. Customers will purchase more if the store setup in a way that promotes more buying. One of the most simple and cost effective ways to make this change is by using store fixtures that display more merchandise. Slatwall is the perfect option for displaying the most merchandise possible. Slatwall comes in 8’ x 4’ sheets. When two sheets are positioned on top of one another, you have created an 8’ x 8’ merchandising wall for under $100. Additionally, Slatwall has a variety of hardware (baskets, hooks, and racks), which makes it a very versatile and cost effective option.
2. Upgrading your Fixtures.
More often than not, Store Owners, understandably, try to save the most money possible when opening their store. A redesign or rebuild is a great time to upgrade to the fixture you have always wanted. An example of a very common upgrade is going from Value-priced to Premium showcases. Our Value-Priced showcases are great for simply displaying merchandise. However, the premium showcases add additional aesthetic to your visual merchandising by using an all glass display, mirrored doors, and aluminum frames.
3. Adding more Fixtures to Your Existing Layout
Unless the fixtures have been destroyed, Store Owners will often try to use their existing fixtures in a redesign. This course of action, obviously, reduces the bottom line, however do not be oversold when you could be paying less. By knowing the brands of your store fixtures you may be able to save money on your additions. A common example of this is Gondola Shelving. Gondola Shelving is a common member fixture. The first section of gondola (the starter section) supports any additional sections (add-on sections). The add-on section attaches to the starter section; therefore, creating a longer row of gondola. When purchasing more add-on sections to your gondola, you must make sure that the brands match. All of our sales associates at MidAtlantic Store Fixtures are experts at identifying all brands of gondola and we have extensive supply of gondola in stock for your convenience.