Although the term has traditionally been used to describe HME stores, you should realize that you are really trying to create a successful retail space,

“Although the term ‘showroom’ has
traditionally been used to describe HME stores, you should realize
that you are really trying to create a successful retail
space,” says Ed Lemar, vice president of Gladson Store
Design, Lisle, Ill.

According to Lemar, the design of any up-to-date and successful
home health store is based on the individual image that an HME
provider wants to convey. It sounds easy, but there are any number
of design principles and customer requirements that must be
considered — not to mention building codes and budgets.

“Stores should communicate the caring, warmth, convenience
and information that customers are depending on you to
provide,” Lemar says. “These attributes can be achieved
through store layout, product variety, decor and knowledgeable
personnel.”

At Medtrade Spring last April, Lemar and Jack Evans of Malibu,
Calif.-based Global Media Marketing, two of the HME industry's
leading retail design experts, explained much about retail
philosophy in a hands-on store design workshop. Nearly 200
providers crowded the room as the two explained the basics of
creating showrooms that make the best use of every square foot of
floor space.

Using these key components, session attendees worked to create
their own “perfect” showrooms. “It's clear
providers have a long way to go to optimize retail sales,”
says Evans, “but it's also clear that, with a little effort,
providers can easily increase their cash business.”

If you missed the spring workshop, you've got another chance.
Join HomeCare once again for this special Medtrade session
to see what successful home health retail stores look like and how
they:

Create a great first impression

  • Utilize effective store layout

  • Make shopping a comfortable and educational experience

  • Set traffic patterns that draw customers through the entire
    store

  • Use better displays

  • Meet their customers' home health care needs

    Learn how to increase add-on sales and sales-per-customer by
    merchandising to meet 100 percent of your customers' needs in any
    category. Toss out your old fixtures, open up your aisles and see
    how your showroom can stimulate customers to touch, try and
    buy.

    The retail design workshop will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 26,
    from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. For more information, visit www.medtrade.com.

    Ed Lemar says:

    “The results of designing an intelligent store layout
    and providing a high level of customer service are obvious. Store
    owners and managers who do so will see increased sales and improved
    return on investment.”

    Think about the basics

    • Guide your customer through the store
    • Enhance product visibility
    • Create a customer-friendly shopping environment
    • Store security
    • Employee efficiency

    Devise a traffic pattern that

    • Pulls your customer deep into the store
    • Predicts where they will travel
    • Exposes customers to more merchandise
    • Maximizes in-store time

    Take the physical needs of your showroom space into
    account

    • Ancillary areas
    • Storage (clean/dirty)
    • Office area
    • Consultation area
    • Repair area
    • Fitting room
    • Seminar room
    • Customer service

    Figure space correctly for every department, including any
    additional areas

    • Uniforms
    • Kids' area
    • Media center
    • Health foods
    • Aromatherapy
    • Nutritional/supplements
    • Women's health
    • Diabetic shoes

    Consider layout and display requirements, and keep these
    general notes in mind

    Minimum of 4' wide aisles

  • Minimum of 4' wide walk space behind service area

  • Minimum of 5' wide aisle along slatwall to allow for product

  • 5' wheelchair turnaround required for enclosed spaces (such as
    fitting rooms and restrooms)

    Jack Evans says:

    “A successful and profitable retail showroom is not
    something that magically appears out of thin air. Rather, it is the
    result of careful store layout, a thorough understanding of
    customers' wants and needs and aggressive
    salesmanship.”

    Remember the 80/20 Rule

    80 percent of your profits are generated by 20 percent of your
    customers.

  • 80 percent of your sales are generated by 20 percent of your
    salespeople.

  • 80 percent of your sales are generated by 20 percent of your
    products.

  • 80 percent of your sales are generated from 20 percent of your
    showroom (i.e., the front).

    One size = all

    • We are not selling Big Macs!

    Medical conditions and health care needs vary from population to
    population.

  • Demographics are unique to every community.

  • Seniors and baby boomers buy completely different models of the
    same products.

    Think about good, better, best

    Retail consumers make their purchasing decision based on product
    comparisons.

  • A choice of options, personal benefits and price points enables
    consumers to choose the product that best meets their own
    needs.

  • When retailers “sell high,” more than half of retail
    consumers purchase an upgraded product.

    Products should be easy to touch/try/buy

    Home health care products need to be demonstrated and tried
    before they are understood (and bought) by the average
    customer.

  • Consumers who touch and try a product are two-thirds of the way
    through making their purchasing decision.

  • 70 percent of consumers decide to buy a product after they are
    inside a retail store.

    Put demand products in the back

    Retail consumers usually take the same path from the front door
    to the demand product to the cash register.

  • Placing demand products at the rear of a showroom directs
    traffic through your other related and impulse product
    categories.

  • Cross-selling results when related products are displayed
    adjacent to demand products.