BEHR Displays Help Consumers Coordinate Paint Colors
BEHR Paints, Santa Ana, CA, has launched a new interactive kiosk at Home Depot stores. The kiosk provides shoppers with guidance on colors that work together and also gives users assistance with matching colors to existing furniture or decorative accessories.
“We created the new BEHR system to provide consumers with revolutionary color inspiration tools that help them match and coordinate paint colors,” said Mary Rice, V.P., Marketing, BEHR Paints.
The kiosk allows consumers to browse a collection of inspirational palettes, color match and coordinate to an existing color, or find their favorite color using an electronic color wheel. Consumers can calculate how much paint they need and select the right sheen for their project. ColorSmart by BEHR provides consumers with project tips as well as a list of supplies needed to complete their project.
Users can preview their colors on-screen, see how they look in a sample room or on a home exterior, and than print them.
California Paints Introduces Large Color Sheets
California Paints has introduced an assortment of large-scale Color Studio sheets for nearly 300 of its most popular colors, to help consumers visualize how a specific paint color will appear in its intended surroundings. Measuring 11.5" x 13", the new Color Studio sheets greatly magnify the subtleties in color often overlooked in traditional, 1" x 2" paint swatches.
Ron Boyajian, Product Marketing Manager, said, “Often, consumers become dissatisfied when the color they have chosen for their walls isn’t quite what they envisioned from the tiny swatch they brought home from the store. California Paints is setting the new standard for color samples by providing visual tools to make paint color selection easier than ever before.”
California Paints has developed special permanent merchandisers to distribute the large Color Studio sheets.
Evviva Launches In-Store Virtual Art Galleries
Evviva Virtual Art Galleries is deploying self service kiosks that provide a virtual art gallery in Home Depot’s Expo Design Center Stores. These virtual art galleries consist of two different kiosks: one with a 15-inch touch screen from which the shopper navigates to the product of interest. It connects to a second kiosk which drives a 52-inch plasma screen, presenting the item in full size.
The shopper can use the kiosk to select the style of artwork they would like to see based on colors, style, artist or subject matter. The shopper can make frame and matte selections and instantly see the new choices on the life-size image on the plasma screen. Shoppers can print a color sample of their framed artwork and take the sample home or to the order desk to purchase the artwork. The item is then produced, framed, and matted to the selected size and shipped to their home.
This kiosk program was created for Evviva by Apunix, a San Diego, CA-based kiosk firm.
Interactive Kiosk Promotes New Kitchen Appliance
Icebox, Inc., a subsidiary of Salton, is using this colorful kiosk to demonstrate its Icebox Flip-Screen, an all-in-one internet appliance and entertainment center for the kitchen. In addition to providing broadband internet access, the Icebox features a TV, DVD/CD player, FM radio, keyboard and remote and a touch screen LCD monitor. It also provides video monitoring of different rooms in the home.
The Icebox is the first product available in Salton’s Beyond line of innovative networked devices that make life simple, efficient and fun.
This display was created for Icebox by Precision Point-of-Purchase, an Illinois-based p.o.p. display firm.
Home Depot Redesigns Millwork Department
Home Depot wanted a new concept for its Millwork department where customers could easily educate themselves about products and be empowered to design their own home millwork features. It turned to Brandow, a Minneapolis, MN-based design firm in conjunction with Chandler Exhibits, Hudson, WI to create a new shop-in-shop program for its 1,500 sq. ft. millwork department.
The Millwork department, which includes windows, doors, mouldings and garage doors was separated on different fixtures, so it’s easier for the consumer to understand.
The window ‘hedge’ is a central curved component that organizes the windows in front of a large mural backdrop. The door ‘trees’ are tall cylindrical components creating focal points from which the entry and patio doors fan out for organized viewing. Wing panels provide promotional space for vendors to feature service and benefit messages.
Franke Features Slatwall Display
This revolving tower display allows product placement on four sides and facilitates easy shopping for the consumer to the entire Franke Faucet product line.
The “high end” look clearly communicates the product's style and quality and provides an attractive display for retailers while requiring minimal floor space.
The permanent freestanding display was constructed of powder coated sheet metal base with a cherry laminate MDF slatwall tower construction and a stainless steel silkscreened header.
The Franke Faucet slatwall permanent display was produced by Array Marketing Group, located in Los Angeles, CA.
Ethan Allen Offers New Approach To Kids Furniture
Ethan Allen Interiors has announced a new approach to furnishing kids rooms. Freestanding Ethan Allen Kids stores will be opened, and there is also a new store within a store concept.
“Over the past several years we have reinvented the way we market our products to consumers by offering them a desired lifestyle instead of just product. We are now expanding this concept to reach kids,” said Farooq Kathwari, CEO, Ethan Allen Interiors.
Ethan Allen’s Contempo Kids has been designed with high-tech styling. Classic Kids offers relaxed, back-to-basics, simplicity. The new Kids collection is offered with coordinated upholstery, functional accents, and decorative accessories.
Home Fragrance Report Is Published
While final sales figures for home fragrances for 2002 remained at essentially the same level as in 2001, there was a significant shift in category performance, according to a report published by Kline & Company, a Little Falls, NJ-based research firm.
Candles and diffusers have traditionally driven market growth for the home fragrance market, averaging 14% and 8% growth, respectively, per year over the last five years, according to Kline’s Home Fragrances report. Sales for these stalwarts fizzled in 2002. “Marketers that were focused only on candles have been forced to expand to other categories,” said Lenka Contreras, Group Director of Kline’s Consumer Products Practice. In addition to expanding their product lines, marketers are also expanding their distribution channels. Companies like Yankee Candle and Blyth Industries’ Colonial Candle at Home have had to look beyond specialty stores and their own outlets and are now trying to find growth by selling their products in retailers like Bed, Bath & Beyond and Linens ‘N Things.
There was a resurgence in product categories such as specialty room products and potpourri, which both saw respectable growth last year. Room sprays also rebounded, growing 5.6% after two years of double-digit declines. This upturn was stimulated by new product launches in the mass-market segment, including Glade’s Press ‘N Fresh products and Airwick by Wizard Click Spray. Other promising new product introductions that should boost industry sales include S.C. Johnson’s Oust air sanitizer, and Benckiser’s Neutra Air, which are aerosols that kill odor-causing germs.
Coldwell Banker Issues Luxury Homeowner Profile
The recently issued Coldwell Banker Luxury Homeowner Profile reveals that 31% of today’s luxury home buyers are cash buyers. Some 68% are considered “new money,” and 11% have inherited their money.
The No. 1 profession among these home buyers is classified as “large business executives.” Entrepreneurs who own their own businesses are a close second. Other top professions of buyers of million dollar plus homes are: doctor, banker, lawyer, stockbroker, actor, musician and inventor.
Some 66% are from the “baby boom” generation, 28% are moving into luxury properties as they approach their retirement years (56 years and older). Only 4% are under 34 years of age.
Designer kitchens are the top priority with regard to luxury-home amenities. Following kitchens, the top five most requested amenities are: media/entertainment room with theater-style seating, wine cellar, tennis courts/basketball courts, indoor pool and ballroom/cigar room.
Americans Are Continuing Home Improvement Trend
The trend toward investing in the home, has led the American D-I-Yer to a fixation with home improvement, according to the latest Lowe’s Trendex, a quarterly survey of homeowners conducted by Harris Interactive.
Trendex research reaffirms homeowners' faith in the home as a good investment opportunity. 81%of homeowners (down only one percentage point from 2002) say they consider their home to be a better long-term investment than the stock market. What's more is that homeowners are steadily investing in their homes, spending an average of more than $3,700 on home improvement projects in the past year: up $500 from February.
“The re-renovating trend is taking the mainstream home improvement industry by storm," said Greg Bridgeford, Lowes Senior V.P.of Business Development. “People depend on their homes -- and at a time of low interest rates plus a marketplace filled with affordable, innovative products, homeowners recognize they can increase the value and enjoyment of their homes by renovating and remodeling time and again.”
When Americans aren’t at home, home isn’t far from their thoughts. Nearly half (46%) of all homeowners surveyed say they most enjoy spending time in home improvement stores, followed by bookstores (23%), clothing and department stores (17%) and music stores (6%).
The passion for home continues as 58% of homeowners say they like to work on home improvement projects: it’s something they enjoy doing, and only one-third (33%) say they only do home improvement projects because they have to.
GE Launches Harmony Clothes Care System
The GE Profile Harmony Clothes Care System, is the first washer that communicates electronically to the dryer.
Once the wash options are selected, there’s no need to program the dryer. The washer delivers load information to the dryer, so that once the dryer gets the message, it automatically determines which settings will deliver the best results.
Milliken Introduces Carpet Panel Systems
Milliken has introduced the Legato and Tesserae Carpet Systems, do-it-yourself residential carpet systems that can be installed directly over hard surfaces including ceramic tiles, concrete, vinyl and hardwood.
The systems’ panels can be easily picked up and replaced in areas affected by staining or excessive wear.
“Homeowners now have more flexibility with their carpeting needs with these new systems,” said noted interior designer and author, Sharon Hanby-Robie.
Roppe Design Center Roll About Merchandiser
This Roppe Design Center Display holds 24 sample boards that show the product material and wide range of colors available, with lifestyle shots showing the product in use. The display features a large die cut, curved 6-color laminated header which provides strong brand identity. It also has a work top and literature holder. It is constructed from tubing, metal, wire and MDF. A silver powder finish gives it a rich appealing look. The display presents the full product line with material and color s available in a visually exciting display. It also provides flexibility and space to add future new product introductions. The Roppe Design Center was created by Nashville Display, l4l5 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, TN 372l0.
Clorox/409 Wipes Display
Clorox required a display for cross-merchandising as part of a fall program for cold and flu prevention. The displays will be refilled at least once and possible two or three times and remain in place for 3 months. The display had to look like the Clorox and 409 canisters, narrow enough to fit in the pharmacy department and large enough to accommodate at least l00 units of product. It also had to support the weight of the product and the stress of refilling the display. Using a combination of SBS and corrugated paper, the display succeeded in providing a strong, life-size, refillable, 4-color canister display. The display was cost-effective at a low quantity and will provide a high return in product sales. The Clorox/409 Display was created by Meridian Display, l62 York Avenue East, St. Paul, MN 55ll7.
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