Creating showroom vignettes
So what does the ‘dream’ backyard look like? Many times consumers have ideas of what they want as individual items (e.g. barbecue, swimming pool, hot tub or furniture) but have problems pulling together the entire concept as a whole. This is why many consumers tend to seek professional help putting together an outdoor space. This issue is one of the most compelling reasons to consider using lifestyle vignettes to create a gorgeous showroom that is both esthetically pleasing and retail functional.
These vignettes can help the customer see his/her dream outdoor room, even if they are not sure what that looks like yet. The vignette should create an emotional engagement with the products and help customers envision themselves living the lifestyle they want to enjoy. Vignettes are also great ways to cross-merchandise a store. For example, setting up furniture next to a hot tub with a water feature or a fire pit can really help set the tone for a display. The furniture is also a great way of having customers interact with the products. Many times, the best sales conversations occur while sitting inside a properly-designed vignette. If the room is available, having a few different styles and sizes of vignettes can be very helpful.
Showing a compact corner setting for those who have small backyards, in addition to a large, full-featured outdoor kitchen with deep seating and hot tub, helps show the store’s diverse product range while playing into the different types of customers that need outdoor living products.
Successful vignette designs promote interaction and provide enough information to help the customer determine if the design fits their outdoor lifestyle needs. Make sure there is proper information around the vignette to show pricing and what is included if the vignette is priced as a package deal.
Customers often want everything they see, and helping them make that decision with good signage is important. Interactive kiosks are also becoming popular and can help customers visualize their dream backyards. Locating a kiosk near complimentary products also helps consumers customize the options to suit their particular needs.
Dedicated service area
Since most swimming pool and hot tub dealers will be involved with the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the product they sell and install, it makes sense to account for this in the layout of the store.
Having a dedicated parts and service area inside the store is both effective and professional. It allows consumers who need only those services to quickly go to a designated area for assistance and it shows new customers the store offers a full range of professional support for the products it sells.
Make sure the location of the service counter is appropriate, as some customers arrive to resolve a problem. The lesson here is to have a place where complaints can be heard out of the range of other customers.
