Eileen McClelland

Tips on Working with Your Chosen Store Designer

Published

10 years ago

March 10, 2015

Eileen McClelland

Each year as we near the deadline for entering the America’s Coolest Stores contest, my thoughts often turn to the process of designing and creating those cool stores.

If you haven’t entered, it’s not too late. The deadline is March 15 and the application can be found at americascooleststores.com.

Appropriately, the subject of April’s Category Focus section of INSTORE is how to choose a store designer.

If you’re in the process of considering a renovation, expansion, or brand new store, here are additional tips provided by Stephanie Wilson Maxey, consulting designer based in Jacksonville, FL, about how best to work with your chosen store designer.

Before hiring a designer for your new store, expansion, or renovation, do your homework, Maxey advises.

Establish a visual theme or a design concept to enable the designer to further expand on your ideas by researching various interior styles on the Internet or in magazines.

First consider if the interior is to be trendy, traditional, contemporary or transitional.

“I’ve had clients send me photos of restaurant interiors to adapt to specific areas of their store design,” she says. They’ve also sent photos of special interior features they are thinking of incorporating – everything from water features and electric fireplaces to wine bars and lounges.

If you’re not sure what you want, describe your products and client base and let the designer help you with an appropriate plan.

Be realistic about your budget; otherwise, the designer will be on the wrong track and that misunderstanding could delay your project.

Give your designer as much information up front as possible, to limit the changes needed during the process. Reconfiguring one area after the drawings are developed can snowball into changes in the electrical, lighting, finish plans and millwork drawings.

That can drive up your budget.

Finally, be realistic with how much time the project will take.

“Most stores I work on are usually like designing a mid- to high-level residence that involves much detail and coordination,” she says.

Allow yourself enough time in the course of the project to be involved, to the level you’re comfortable with.

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”