Increasing showroom sales by creating the ultimate customer experience

Make the transition

A pool and hot tub retailer’s transitional space should be filled with items that encompass the fun and joys of owning a pool or an outdoor recreational item that has yet to sell. The ‘Main Street’ is the path the customer has to travel to get to the ‘castle.’ One retailer may have a different castle than their competitor. For example, for one retailer the castle might be a pool with coloured lights and fountain in the showroom, while for another it might be a hot tub in an outdoor setting, or a backyard setting with a fire pit and an outdoor kitchen. Either way, the path to the castle has to be impressionable. Therefore, items along this path should appeal to almost every customer who visits the store. They do not even have to be items that correlate to a pool; they can be products such as outdoor speakers, light-emitting diode (LED) lighted globes, water bottles, paddles boards, sunglasses, etc. The path to the castle encompasses some of the most valuable real estate in a retail store and should be reserved for items that are nonessential to the business. Essential items such as chemicals, maintenance accessories, parts, and 
major equipment should be placed in areas which are considered the lowest dollar per square foot.

For those retailers that are not sure of 
the value each area their store represents, they should treat each space like property, e.g. beach front, near beach front, and swamp land. Clearly, the former is the most expensive and the latter is the least expensive. The following can be used to determine the different property types in the store.

Beach front

1. Near the door or entry of the store since a consumer has to walk by this area twice (on the way in and on the way out).
2. Front counter or water lab.
3. Back wall of the store.
4. In the ‘Main Street’ path.

Near beach front

1. On the sides of the ‘Main Street’ path.
2. Centre of the store or shopping area.
3. Side walls of the store.
4. Behind the front counter or water lab.

Swamp land

1. Corners of the store.
2. In a room or closed off area.
3. Front of the store away from the door.
4. Up or down stairs (other than part of the main store).

Now that the value of the ‘property’ is known, it is important to understand how to properly use it. In general, the following items should be placed in the different zones.

Beach front

1. New items, introductory, or upgrades to existing products.
2. High-margin products which are non-essential.
3. Toys, games, and other fun impulse items.

Near beach front

1. Major product lines such as pools, hot tubs, grills, outdoor kitchens.
2. Pool cleaners and gadgets to make maintenance easier.
3. Maintenance (pool tools) and testing supplies.

Swamp land

1. Chemicals.
2. Bulk items such as filter media (e.g. sand, cartridges, diatomaceous earth, etc.) and liquid chlorine.
3. Parts
4. Office and work spaces.