BE AD Feature

In the dynamic world of retail where stores stand elbow to elbow you have a small window of opportunity to entice a shopper to enter.

“Understanding how and why people shop” can aid in having that shopper become a regular customer. Once inside, what type of environment you have created for your customer turns a comfortable selling space into a buying environment that will hopefully induce extra sales.

John and Karen Lamothe, owners of Impact, purchased an established fixture company to have a stream of revenue while they developed an avenue to promote their retail design services.

The experienced team at Impact includes, from left, Lloyd Aikenhead, Elaine Govindasamy and John Lamothe.

John’s background in store operations management for a retail chain helped him identify a lack of retail design assistance for independents, small chains and new franchisers. By adding their knowledgeable services for retail and commercial space design to their own company, they grew over 125 per cent in the first two years.

Whether you are a new or established independent retailer, national or international chain, or a franchiser, Impact can help you to improve your visual communication and shopping environment for your customers. “We can do this because we are not interior designers in the sense that we will not tell you what color walls or floor tile you should have, but we are retail designers,” declares John Lamothe. “We are retailers designing buying environments for retail.”

“Retail space today comes at a premium price and maximizing the usage sometimes results in poor shoppable environments,” states John, “and through performing a store analysis consisting of 10 key points, we can quickly assess any areas of weakness in your layout and merchandise presentation.”

This may involve fixture style, profile, heights, layout; traffic patterns; product presentation; lighting; and even customer service standards and loss prevention.

These come together in a seamless presentation to create a positive shopping experience for the customer. Understanding the importance of sound business principles when operating a company, Impact assists their new store clients by starting them off with the necessities in fixtures and store design.

This hopefully creates a revenue stream in which to build their business. “Our message to startups is: Do not over build or over fixture, but add on as you grow,” emphasizes John.

This is accomplished by providing as part of their extensive fixture lines various economical knockdown packages; from customer service counters and showcases to modular shelving systems.

“It is important to ensure our client’s success so we can ensure our own,” says Karen.

With National companies and franchises, Impact designs custom fixtures to aid in promoting new product lines, display point of purchase materials, and provide pre-pack fixtures for standardization.

“Retail is change and by regularly attending display and design seminars in North America we keep current with today’s trends in what consumers are looking for and expecting from their retail experience,” divulges John.

Successful retailers are the ones that consistently change their layout and product presentation every 16 to 24 months. Seasonal change is important in ensuring your customers are always presented with different formats to keep them interested and on their toes. Research has shown that 85 per cent of the customers’ buying decisions are made after entering your store; they usually have come for a specific need but, by smart impulse merchandising, retailers can create extra sales.

Impact’s success to date lies largely in the fact that they work with the client in the redesign or design of the space using:

* Client’s product knowledge; and

* Target market and store vision.

They then introduce the retail design principles that include:

* Fixtures that are functional;

* Layouts that are shoppable; and

* Environments that aid in buying.

Visit John or Karen Lamothe at Impact Store Equipment & Retail Design at 11408 – 119 Street or phone 780.453.5702.

Or go to their website at www.retailstorefixtures.com.