Selling Shower Systems in the ‘New Economy’

Incorporating functional, plumbed water displays in your kitchen and bath showroom is a great way to encourage experience and set your business apart. Customers better appreciate and understand what they can experience first-hand.

Unfortunately, showers and plumbing fixtures are not always operational in many showrooms. More often, their perceived hassle – moisture, cleanup, expense – deters owners from taking this important investment step.

Without a word, an attractive, functional shower display can do about 75 percent of your selling communication for you. It lets customers view the components as well as hear and feel the spray – a multi-sensory experience that lets them more effectively evaluate the product’s performance. This interaction is especially important with higher-end products. Without it, customers are limited to style and price comparisons only. A value-added experience increases the odds that your customers will buy and, more importantly, stay and complete the purchase with you.

Shifting demographics are presenting new challenges. Tech-savvy, highly informed, perceptive and confident, younger consumers are seeking engagement at the point of sale. Otherwise, they could simply buy a showerhead on the Internet and have it delivered to their homes.

They want a relationship with the brand, a connection gained through a memorable and participatory shopping experience. More consumers are feeling greater buying confidence due to access to information over the Internet.

The best way to reach these customers is to maximize their involvement in the process. Establish an enjoyable, experiential environment that inspires shoppers to try – and to buy.

PAMPERING CLIENTS

From steam baths to whirlpools, rain showerheads to body-spray systems, the ultimate pampering experience occurs in the bath. What better way to invigorate the senses and create a strong impression with your customers than through persuasively merchandised bath fixtures?

Linda Kirby, a 22-year expert in plumbing and showroom design who recently started her own consulting business, offers some valuable insight. She talks about the importance of a showroom that visitors can interact with, focusing on live water displays that allow customers to experience the product. However, she notes, not every showroom requires that level of large-scale interaction. Store size, brand and product selection, customer expectations and other practical considerations will all help determine what approach makes the most sense for your business. Remember, even a smaller showroom can establish an experience area that works with the available space and budget.

“The interactive experience will never replace the personal touch, or the sales associate who guides the customer through the good-better-best aspects of the products,” says Kirby. “But the days of the dusty old display getting the job done are long gone if you want to make the sale. And, in a kitchen and bath showroom, the experience is understandably enhanced by running water.

“Consider investing in great-looking, functional shower spaces that sell the total bath experience,” advises Kirby. “Walk-in showers have really come into their own,” she adds, citing their ease of use and accessibility, particularly for baby boomers, as a large part of their appeal. Showers, too, are designed exclusively for personal pampering and escape, says Kirby, making them ideal for unique and interactive merchandising opportunities.

PRACTICAL ISSUES

That said, establishing a working shower display presents some practical issues: