Look to Unexpected Source to Provide Inspiration

Where do great ideas come from? Everywhere! So if you’re only looking inward for inspiration, you’re missing out on valuable growth opportunities.

Be sure to regularly take stock of the strategies your colleagues in the industry are implementing to reinvent their showrooms. How can you learn from them?

At the same time, don’t overlook successful companies outside our industry whose innovations in marketing, merchandising and customer experience can inspire your own “ah ha” moments.

I recently “looked out to look in” when I spoke with Furnitureland South, a successful family business just outside of High Point, NC, “the furniture capital of the world.” Here, I gained incredible insight by examining the company’s highly customer-centric approach. This showroom has been carefully crafted to its best advantage. Is yours?

A Big Small Store

Furnitureland South is North America’s largest retail furniture store with 1.3 million square feet of showroom space – but it didn’t start out that way. The company, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, began in a small rental office with a modest loan and no working capital.

Over the years, the owners took smart risks, investing in growing their business. Today, Furnitureland South stands as a model of showroom innovation and a destination that, for all its size, still allows consumers to connect.

Although Furnitureland South represents 1,500 brands, it’s the company’s ability to replicate a smaller showroom – by creating a customer experience that feels personal and intimate – that drives the company’s success. Those brands, organized and showcased in multiple, interactive experience centers throughout the store, encourage customers to engage. This, along with responsive and resolution-based customer service and true relationship selling makes the competitive difference.

Join me in applying the practical knowledge gleaned from this large retailer to your business.

The Customer Experience

“We want to bring a one-of-a-kind experience to every customer,” says Jason Harris, president of Furnitureland South. “Otherwise, we’re just another furniture showroom.”

Are you just another kitchen and bath showroom? Let’s see what a quick walk through Furnitureland South reveals – and how that might look for your business: