Talking Shop

How to make sure your store says all the right things — from its layout to its colors — and makes customers feel comfortable.

That’s too bad because if you can get those first-timers to stay for a bit, chances are they’ll make a purchase, and maybe even become return customers. In fact, 73 percent of purchasing decisions now are made in the store, according to research by the Henley Centre, an international strategic marketing/consulting firm.

Making customers feel at ease when they walk through the door is the challenge of every retail establishment. But because many shoppers have never visited a pool and spa store and don’t know what to expect, industry retailers have an even more difficult time of it, according to experts.

“The first-time customer is, in part, there to get information and feel out the pool and spa market,” explains Paco Underhill, an internationally recognized expert on shopping psychology, who is also director and founder of Envirosell, a New York behavioral market research and consulting firm. “They don’t know where to go and the floor isn’t usually jammed with people, so they can’t look to others for cues on what to do.”

Underhill and others say that’s a recipe for high shopper anxiety, a state in which customers are least likely to make a purchase. But fortunately, retailers can do a number of simple things in their stores to help put customers at ease — and encourage them to shop.

Environmentally friendly
Putting customers at ease starts the moment they enter the store.

“The first impression is the most important,” asserts Kathleen Carlson, chair of the National Spa & Pool Institute Retailers Council and senior vice president of sales and marketing at Aqua Quip in Seattle. “What do they see when they walk in the door?”

The store’s character leaves a lasting impact on consumers. The sightlines, smell, temperature, cleanliness, color, floor plan and openness will determine if it’s a place where customers want to stay and shop. Underhill agrees, saying that the first 10 to 20 paces into the store are the most important moments in forming the consumer’s perception of that business and setting up the disposition to make a purchase.

After customers decide to walk through the door, it’s up to the store’s ambiance to continue to make them feel comfortable enough to stay and shop awhile. That’s where good design comes in, Carlson says.

“There are many things that can be done to get the customer instantly comfortable, from the coloring of the store to the music playing,” Carlson says. Her goal is to relax a customer and get them into their right brain, which makes them more easily influenced. Carlson says the store’s comfort level is most essential. If it’s cold outside, the store should be warm and inviting, or if it’s hot, then cool and soothing.

Jim Trine, vice president of sales at Spa Brokers in Aurora, Colo., explains that his stores also sell hearth supplies, so when customers come inside, there’s usually a fire going and an enticing scent in the air. He believes that creating a pleasant odor in the store is key because customers don’t want to be hit by a harsh chemical smell as soon as they walk in.

Color also plays a large role in maneuvering the consumer into an appropriate state of mind, according to Rebecca Ewing, owner of In Living Color, an Atlanta color consulting and design firm. Ewing’s research indicates that 60 percent of a buying decision is based on color. That includes the color of a product, the packaging and the store itself.

Ewing explains that color psychology is based on three responses: emotional, behavioral and physical. Each color elicits a response in each of the three categories. Objective responses affect everyone in the same way, but with varying intensity; subjective responses are based on individual experiences and history.

For example, blue induces objective responses of security and trust-worthiness, so it’s a good color for a place of business. Plus, it makes most people think of water or the sky, which makes it a practical color for a pool and spa store. It also decreases the respiratory rate and blood pressure to relax consumers. Red promotes decision-making, orange reduces irritability, brown evokes feelings of stability and safety. Having a design consultant who understands color psychology gives retailers a big advantage, says Carlson.

Along with using proper colors, Underhill recommends providing basic amenities for customers. Amenities might include a seating area for spouses, or a play area where children can keep themselves amused while both parents concentrate on shopping — all to keep people in the store longer. After all, the longer consumers stay in a store, the better their chances of buying — and buying more than intended.

“Buying a spa isn’t a 15-minute decision,” says Trine. “Customers could be there for hours, so making sure they’re not thirsty or hungry frees them up to concentrate on their purchase.” He says his store always has snacks available and, because it’s usually warm and humid inside, a beverage is offered to everyone.

Space age advice
But making customers feel comfortable is just the beginning. The next step is guiding them to make purchases. It’s here that many pool and spa retailers could do a better job, says Underhill. Too many want to display as many products on the showroom floor as possible, he says. But a more thoughtful layout guides customers past displays that the retailer wants noticed, while affording people plenty of space to browse, thus keeping them lingering longer.

“What is the journey that someone is going to take through your store?” Underhill asks. Understanding the nature of the pathway makes it easy to catch a customer’s attention right away and takes them past any merchandise that could motivate a purchase they hadn’t originally planned. Underhill says to make sure the obvious pathway is not only from the front of the store to the back, but also from the back to the front.

Because North Americans drive on the right hand side of the road, the tendency is to veer to the right upon entering a store. “If you want to get my attention,” says Underhill, “it better be to my right.”

Besides a clear path, organized product placement and well-marked locations allow customers to get what they came for and frees them to look at other products. Explains Underhill, “Part of what pool and spa dealers have to recognize is that every customer visit is a cross-selling opportunity.”

Chemicals and safety items are mainstays for pool and spa retailers, so Carlson suggests focusing on the placement of those items. She puts chemicals in the back so consumers have to walk past all other items that can be impulsively purchased. As for safety items, Carlson says they’re a great way to show consumers you care about their well-being. She displays safety items to demonstrate ways for consumers to make their homes safer rather than scaring them about the risks of pool and spa ownership.

Open for business
Carlson also advises keeping your store open. Too much clutter makes customers feel overwhelmed and prevents them from looking around. Underhill agrees, maintaining that Americans are a “posterior-sensitive species” and you must give people room to browse and bend over without worrying about hitting something.

Shoppers also must be able to find what they need — and how much it costs. “Pricing should be transparent. Somebody should know what something costs,” Underhill says. One of a retailer’s major challenges, he adds, is letting people know what the cost is without being in their face with it. This is especially true for portable spas. He advises telling customers the price as well as approximate installation costs right away. Otherwise, you risk scaring them off later.

Regardless of the product, Underhill says it’s critical to explain why something costs more. Typically, if you make a good case for selecting the more expensive product, people will buy it.

Finally, be sure the store is accessible to customers of all ages, says Underhill. Especially with pools and spas, a big percentage of consumers will be older people with greater disposable income. Factors such as bright lighting, keeping important items within easy reach, and making signs big and clear not only helps older customers, but also makes shopping easier for everyone.

MORE INFORMATION
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