Blue- Catherine notes
Q: Who is your target consumer?
A: We target the last 5% of the market place
Not a company that is looking for product to buy and sell quickly- higher end
Price point £10-300 p/meter, so we aim it at business directors to students. (I wrote £10-200)
Price acts a lever eg. people just starting out. Can price accordingly
Most people know what they want but can't find it, so we make sure that we say hello to everybody who walks in. 99% of this store might not be relevant for them, but we make sure we can find that 1%. (Wrote 95% irrelevant- to match with 5% of market)
On the other hand of people knowing what they want, you have the people who are petrified of selecting.
They are often business owners who have very little time to research so rely on the staff to advise them.
They often work in groups e.g. surgeons or lawyers who will entertain one another, allowing them to see into each others houses, so we never give the same scheme twice. Everybody wants to be different and have something different in their home. Upset one of them, then loose more business as they all talk and this influences other peoples decisions/ views on us. Once you look into our customers- it is a very small world.
Q: Is there a gender difference when it comes to approaching the pattern books?
A: Men tend to use the staff more to help them whereas ladies like to take time and look through the books, much like shopping! Ladies need to touch and feel.
Q: How do you decide on the layout of your showroom?
A: It is set out like the world, so the UK are together with designers, such as ROMO who are fashionable to the UK because they are starting to get inspiration from LFW. You know what colours they will have in their collection as they run throughout. Then Europe who are softer in their style with muted colours. The Dutch, Germans, French... They all have different colour palettes. Easy classification, similar colour palettes
We find that our consumer has travelled the world so use their travels for inspiration. Hopewells need to make sure they are more global savvy. Come in,seen a fabric abroad, can direct them to that fabric in our showroom.
Q: How influential are online retailers?
A: We are aware that people use the internet for researching interior design collections and especially prices. We make sure that we match that price in store or make it cheaper.The internet is useful to look at collections but you will always need to go and look at the fabric yourself.
We get those that shop online, and we match the price. Of course we can. We aim to get a sale from everyone that enters the shop.
But shopping online, not the same colours. Useful to see but like fashion need to be able to touch and try it out.
Q: Do customers tend to use the same brands or mix and match?
A: Its very rare to use patterns from the same book. They mix brands. We want to give them a better way/knowledge of looking at things.
Customers may have seen a design in a friends home and ask specifically for a certain design without knowing who it is by. We offer customers a better way of looking, we are here to help. To make their selection more exclusive i.e. different from those of their friends, we often upgrade/ upsell a brand/ fabric (job of a salesperson?)
Q: Do your customers like to take away samples?
A: Our customers nearly always take the pattern books home with them. The thought of opening a book instore scare people. Samples aren't big enough to see a design. People need to be able to take the books away with them to think, reflect.
Q: How do you stay on top of the latest interior trends?
A: Following fashion, architecture is imperative. I also like to keep up-to-date with lighting, technology and even the servers that people have their homes. We sell blinds that people can operate with their iPhones!
It is vital to be trend aware. I need to know everything that is going on, be able to source it, and if we do not have it in store, be able to send our customers in the right direction either through an alternative instore or directly.
But by trade I am interiors trained at Trent Poly (NTU)
The salesreps and designers come in to give us background to the collections and ranges. We need to know everything about the collections. What is meant to be together as well.
Q: What do you do with the pattern books when they become discontinued?
A: Throw them out. If 2 fabrics get discontinued then we have to throw out the whole pattern book. Because it would be tempting fate- someone would be looking through a book and want the one that is discontinued. It is such a waste. The hangers are sometimes made into cushions. Sometimes we give them to schools.
Q: So you you think loyalty is important with your customers?
A: Yes. (gives case study of sending some bed feet to a lady who flew over to say thank you!)
Loyalty is everything. Showroom is dead but actually we are very busy.
Customers from the length and breadth of Britain and abroad- rubbish website, so rely on word of mouth. (Seems to work) Customer loyalty is very important. John Lewis customers are now often coming to us instead (answer given after we told of our bad experience) I believe this is because they no longer have their workshops.
Have had TV/ radio adverts, but word of mouth is best.
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