Kohler Debuts New Showroom Design & Branding Program
Designed to maintain the consistency of the Kohler brand image, the new Kohler Showroom program offers Kohler distributors a turnkey showroom solution and a powerful selling tool for working with today’s kitchen and bath design-savvy consumers.
“It’s a new level of commitment with our current independent showrooms and a key component in our strategic message of Kohler as a lifestyle brand,” said Christopher Lohmann, Vice President-Fixtures Marketing, Kohler Plumbing NA. “With an increased emphasis on design and lifestyle, the Premier Kohler Showroom program represents the evolution of effective showroom design.”
Bold imagery and a stunning array of products in a gallery presentation capture the craftsmanship and leading edge design at the heart of the Kohler brand. The inviting space, which includes two complete lifestyle suites that promote current bath design trends, merges the connection between fashion, industry and home design.
Modular merchandising displays facilitate easy product change-out to update thespace as new Kohler product is introduced.
Framed images and video presentations within the showroom space support the lifestyles suite and other Kohler product found throughout.
Pennington Seed Places Merchandiser At Lowe’s
Pennington Seed Co., the world's largest packager of grass seeds and wild bird feeds, recently joined with Lowe’s to revitalize the category in all of its 700 stores.
Pennington enlisted Showtime Enterprises of Paulson, NJ, to create a new icon system and interactive display to serve as a “silent salesperson” to help consumers shop for the right seed for their needs. An icon system of suns, rain clouds, footprints, and stars was created to represent the various lawn conditions. An electronic seed selector was created, which was an interactive program for the consumer, incorporating these icons to help them select the right seed. While many consumers can’t discern between different grasses, they can answer questions about the weather and traffic at home.
Amerock Displays Cabinet Hardware
This permanent display showcases Amerock premium cabinet hardware.
The island display features special order samples mounted on two sides, arranged in hardware style and finish groupings. Clear tilt bins on the remaining sides provide an in-stock selection of popular sellers.
This display was developed for the kitchen cabinet department of a home improvement warehouse.
The Amerock cabinet hardware display was produced by Heinzeroth Marketing Group, Inc. of Rockford, IL.
Weyerhaeuser Hardwood Flooring Display
A variety of finishes of Weyerhaeuser hardwood flooring sample boards are displayed on this wire rack produced by Creative Displayworks Corp. of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Each of the eight 18" x 22" boards can be easily removed so that the full effect of each finish can be examined.
The rack, powder coated forest green, is 82" high x 20" wide x 23" deep. Full color graphics are displayed on each side and above the unit.
Three hundred units were produced.
Liz Claiborne & Carpet One Announce New Flooring Line
Liz Claiborne Inc. has signed an agreement with Carpet One to produce a flooring line under the Liz Claiborne brand name. The new flooring collection will offer an unprecedented number of coordinated flooring choices including carpet, vinyl, wood, laminate, ceramic tiles and area rugs. Covering a broad range of price points, Liz Claiborne Flooring will be in Carpet One stores exclusively.
Barbara Friedman, President, Liz Claiborne Licensing, said, “The Liz Claiborne brand translates well from fashion apparel and accessories to the home. In Carpet One, we have a highly regarded partner who is a leader in the flooring industry.”
“The addition of Liz Claiborne to our branding strategy will allow us to continue to be the leader of innovation and style in the floor covering category and separate us from our competition,” said Howard Brodsky, Co-Chairman of Carpet One.
Liz Claiborne Flooring will feature an exclusive color-matching system that will allow consumers to bring fabric, paint and other color samples to Carpet One and have in-store designers coordinate the flooring.
Survey Reveals Furniture Shopping Trends
Furniture quality, not price, is most important to women without children…one in four Gen-Xers is thinking about a new bedroom…and members of $75K+ households are more willing to drive more than 50 miles looking for the right furniture, according to Customer Focus 2002: Retail, a study commissioned by Vertis, Inc.
In 1998, the average respondent said they would travel 40 miles to buy furniture; that number dropped to 37 miles in 2002. Generation Y's (18-25) would drive the furthest, (40 miles) while Seniors would drive the least, (22 miles). Some 20% of households earning $75k+ said they’d drive more than 51 miles to purchase furniture.
Bedrooms and living rooms are on more than twice as many shopping lists as dining rooms. In every room, the group most likely to over-index is Gen-Xers (age 26-37). When asked, what made you choose the store where you made your last purchase, lowest price just beat out highest quality for the top motivator (26% vs. 23%). Gen-Xers, perhaps because of the volume of furniture they plan to purchase, were among the most price sensitive, with 30% pointing to lowest prices as their primary reason for selecting a furniture store. Another price conscious group is women of all ages with children. Quality attracts the kids-free set (23%).
Home Improvement Tops ‘To Do’ Lists
Seven out of 10 households plan to embark on some form of home improvement project in the next six months, according to a recent eBrain Market Research Online Poll.
A tighter economy isn’t keeping consumers from spending on their homes, but it is forcing them to cut back in other areas. Vacation spending in particular, is negatively effected with 24% of those surveyed saying they would eliminate or reduce vacation spending to fund a home improvement project. Additionally, 21% will put off buying new clothes, 18% plan to delay buying a car and 17% said they would wait to purchase a computer.
“Do-it-yourself is overwhelmingly the home improvement method of choice,” said Tim Herbert, Director of Research for eBrain. “Almost two thirds of home improvers, representing 27 million households, plan to do the work themselves.”
USA Detergent Introduces Wash’N Go Singles
USA Detergents is launching Wash’N Go Singles, a convenient alternative to lugging heavy bottles of laundry detergent and fabric softener to the laundromat. Wash’N Go Singles are pre-measured cups containing 3.2 oz. of Xtra laundry detergent or Nice’n Fluffy fabric softener, making them ideal for the busy-lifestyles of Americans on the go.
Wash’N Go Singles are available at mass merchants, drug and convenience stores and college campus stores.
CATEGORY: Permanent Displays
DISPLAY PRODUCER: Nashville Display
P.O. Box 491, Nashville, TN 37202
The Whirlpool Home Care Products Display is a permanent 3-sided display which features three different dramatic, eye-catching 4-color header signs which utilize the same theme and graphics as the national advertising campaign. Whirlpool home care appliance products are merchandised effectively with good product presentation for easy consumer selection. The display, which has a small footprint offers excellent flexibility. It is constructed from metal, wire, tubing, slatwall and plastic. It has a durable textured blue powder finish that ties in with the color scheme of the graphics and product packaging.
CATEGORY: Permanent Displays
DISPLAY PRODUCER: Harbor Industries Inc.
14130 172nd Street, Grand Haven, MI 49417
The Bruce “Vista” hardwood flooring display is a modular display system which can be arranged in various configurations. The system provides a comprehensive floor covering system with maximum product presentation that promotes product through brand, product style, color and demographic variations. Uniquely designed lighting enhances and creates visual excitement to the color and product assortment. The display exceeded sales expectations by 25% in four months.
CATEGORY: Display Packaging
DISPLAY PRODUCER: Archbold Container Corp.
800 West Barre Road, Archbold, Ohio 43502
This packaging was produced for display bakeware products, produced by DoughMakers. The bakeware items will be sold through the Cracker Barrel Stores in the U.S. The packaging is six color with a matte varnish coating, all applied through direct print.
CATEGORY: Permanent Displays
DISPLAY PRODUCER: Display Design & Sales Co.
11500 B Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19116
This display created for DeGussa, was designed to be flexible so that it could be used for multiple color systems with or without lighting for international or domestic use. It can fit into an existing structure or hung on a wall. It combines such materials as vacuum-forming, extrusion, pressboard, metal and biax lighting. Distributors can attach customized header graphics into the top area. The vacuum-formed back was used for background, along with extruded color pockets allowing for permanent and take home chips.
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