The best candidate for a makeover is a furniture or home furnishings store. Beginning with an evocative name change and declaration of services as a comfort solution provider could put a store on the path to furnish dreams instead of selling furniture.
My guess is the perception of a furniture store collides with the reality of services, namely, furnishing interiors that help us live more stylishly, functionally and comfortably.
A gap exists between what people — shoppers — think or perceive and what they want, and how they go about getting what they want. That could be a gap many retailers are scrambling to bridge.
Selling furniture is passé in an online world. Creating and furnishing dreams is divine. People want divine, not just tables and chairs on sale.
Of course, people know they have to buy and pay for furniture, a function. They want the romance to validate their desire.
Still don’t get it? Then try this: At an ice cream shop, people are not excited about paying for the ice cream. They are excited about flavor, texture and experience of imagining it and then having or owning it by each delicious lick and bite. M-m-m-m-m and yummy.
Mention the words furniture store to people and assess their responses. In words and body language, they are likely to characterize furniture stores by past experiences.
What do they imagine, taste and want to own, as triggers to heighten the mercantile romance in store for them, literally and figuratively?
People are not flocking to furniture stores because they are being told in stolid communications:
“Get low prices here. Go someplace else and dream about living more comfortably.
And, oh, yes, do we have a deal for you this weekend, which is better than last weekend, but next weekend will be even better. Sale ends Sunday.”
Take furniture out of the store name and substitute magnetic concepts embracing design, style, comfort in words and phrases that people can taste as sweet as a delectable luscious chocolate parfait.
All marketing communciations, activities and image need to be in support of delicious new direction of helping people taste a different, more exciting and comfortable way to enjoy their homes.
Changing the perception to match the reality is not only good business, it can be your just desserts.
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