Page 57 - Lighting Magazine October 2019

Tips From
Retail Superstars
At the summer Las Vegas Market, a panel of renowned interior designers shared their advice on how showrooms can stand out in a crowded field.
retail spotlight
Jamie Bernal of Jonathons Coastal Living and Shay Geyer of IBB Fine Furnishings
While websites such as Houzz and Pinterest have given consumers more exposure to creatively designed interiors, it has also made the retail environment more difficult in the age of online shopping. Bradley Priest and Jonathan Tuff of Garber’s Interior Design in Elkhart, Ind.; Jamie Bernal of Jonathons Coastal Living in Fountain Valley, Calif.; and Shay Geyer of IBB Fine Furnishings in Frisco, Texas revealed some of the
practices and ideas that have led to their design showrooms’ success.
“I think the state of retail is extremely challeng- ing,” explained Jamie Bernal. “We’re competing to grab consumer attention with companies [Wayfair, Amazon, etc.] that are better-funded. Being ‘good’ these days is not enough; you have to be excel- lent in what you do. Consumers have always had a lot of choice, but we have to realize that we’re up against players who weren’t here 10 or 12 years ago. Don’t be fearful of change. Instead, look for opportunity.”
Bernal believes one of her showroom’s strengths is going the extra mile in ways chain stores cannot. I try to create customer experiences that can’t be done in a larger store,” she said. “For example, I instruct my staff that when they have a sale of a certain monetary amount, let me know and I’ll cut a gift certificate right away, put it in a padded mail- ing envelope with a note – signed by me – thanking the customer for their business, and mail it to them.” She told the audience not to worry over the cost of giving away gift certificates for $50, $100, or more since the money is only applied toward a
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