Page 58 - Lighting Magazine March 2019

retail spotlight
Mirrors, stools, o omans, and accessories are a growing part of the business.
rst, the Outlet Center served as the place to move old inventory plus close-outs and over-runs from manufacturers. Almost immediately it became a destination for the surrounding community, and of- ten drew browsers to the main store just a few steps away.
Noticing the uptick in oor tra c thanks to the Outlet Center, Rick and Cynthia decided to move that portion of their business into the back room of the showroom where the store’s stock was kept. This relocation meant customers must pass through the main portion of Rick’s Lighting – therefore automati- cally perusing the new merchandise on display – on their way to the outlet. This step further increased the amount of foot tra c inside the showroom and, in fact, converted many clearance browsers into customers who decided to purchase a higher-priced new item they had noticed while walking through the store. The Outlet Center merchandise sells through so regularly that Rick and Cynthia o en purchase
lighting, mirrors, and furniture speci cally for it.
In addition to decades of word-of-mouth referrals among Charleston-area families, Rick’s Lighting does newspaper advertising, participates in local home shows, and has an active presence on Houzz, Pin- terest, Instagram, and Facebook. It’s not the former computer programmer who handles that part of the
business, however; it’s Cynthia.
Cynthia Mappus grew up in South Carolina, but
didn’t meet Rick until one of her sorority sisters introduced them. Now married for 26 years, Cyn- thia raised their kids as a stay-at-home mom while Rick worked at the store. “The business was totally foreign to me, although our boys grew up working with their dad,” she recounts. Later, Cynthia utilized her background and bachelor’s degree in Commu- nications by serving as Public Relations Manager at Gibbes Museum of Art for seven years.
That marketing experience led to her involvement in social media for Rick’s Lighting. “He’s let me dust o the dinosaur bones from my P.R. days,” she jokes. Over the past few years, Cynthia has handled all of the store’s marketing e orts.
“She’s been a life-saver and a huge driving force in ge ing us to where we are today,” Rick remarks. Part of that strategy includes actively participating on Pinterest and Houzz – where Cynthia posts de- sign inspiration – as well as Instagram and Facebook, where she features products and promotes store events.
For the past two years (2017 and 2018), Rick’s Lighting has received the “People’s Choice” Award in the Lighting Store category. “We try to make any- one who comes in here feel important,” Rick says. The showroom has also won a “Best Lighting Store” award from Charleston Living magazine. “It’s so nice to see all of the e orts of our salespeople ge ing recognized by these awards,” Cynthia adds.
Most of all, Rick and Cynthia are thrilled that shopping at Rick’s Lighting has become a tradition among local families. “It’s really sweet to hear a cus- tomer come in and say she wants her [grown] child’s rst lighting xtures to come from Rick’s,” Cynthia comments.
The recent addition of the words “+ Home” to the showroom name is a nod to the popularity of the store’s selection of furniture and mirrors. “People have always known us for lighting, but now we’re hav- ing people come in speci cally looking for furniture,” she states. “It can get crazy-busy in here with a lot of customers in a small space, but we’re so thankful.” 
54 enLIGHTenment Magazine | March 2019
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