HOW MUCH thought have you given to your seating options for customers?
I received a column this week (which we’ll run in full in INSTORE later this year) from Gerry Gonda, an interior designer working for retailspaceplanning.com, on the topic of showroom seating. Some considerations he addresses include:
- Where the salesperson should be in relation to the client
- How tall the chair should be in relation to the showcase
- How tall the showcase display should be in relation to the seated client
- Whether or not the seating should have arms
- Whether a bench is a good idea for seating
In short, he covers more about seating in 500 words than I’ve ever considered! Gonda goes into detailed measurements regarding seating heights – and I won’t do that here – but in general, he recommends that the salesperson be seated if the customer is seated. It feels too awkward to the client, otherwise. The chairs you use should be about three inches from the top of the seat to the underside of the showcase. He also recommends against building your showcase displays too high where a seated customer would have to reach up to touch the item.
Gonda reminds retailers that if you put arms on the chair, it won’t fit under the showcase, which means the client will have to sit on the edge – not a comfortable position. If stools are used, recessed casters add a nice touch of mobility. But when it comes to benches, they are too large and heavy to be easily moved.
What are your own tips for seating clients?
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Ready to Relocate? Wilkerson Makes Your Move Seamless
When Brockhaus Jewelry decided to leave their longtime West Main Street storefront for a standalone building elsewhere in Norman, Oklahoma, owners John Brockhaus and Brad Shipman faced a familiar challenge: how to efficiently reduce inventory before the big move. Their solution? Partnering with liquidation specialists Wilkerson for a second time.
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Asked if they'd endorse Wilkerson to industry colleagues planning similar transitions—whether relocating, retiring, or refreshing their space—both partners were emphatic in their approval. "The entire process was remarkably straightforward," Shipman notes. "Wilkerson delivered a well-structured program, paired us with a knowledgeable advisor, and managed every detail flawlessly from concept to completion."
