Ask the Expert: Why it pays to display

SPONSORED: Kevin Carr, UK sales director at Insinkerator, highlights the importance of displays and in-store demonstrations and explains why maximising their potential is the secret to winning orders

Q. Why is it so important for retailers to get displays in their showroom just right?
A.
The showroom is a retailer’s main asset – it’s what sets them apart from the online channel so they should make every inch of it count.

For many consumers, it will have been years since they last shopped for a new kitchen, so it’s extremely important for showrooms to feature displays that inspire visitors and allow them to visualise how products, styles and finishes, etc, will look in their own home.

Q: What advice would you give to retailers who are looking for ways to maximise the potential of their showroom displays?
A:
It’s important for customers to be able to relate to a product, and imagine it in their own home. Therefore, lifestyle displays play a huge role in inspiring consumers and helping them to plan their own projects.

Realistically, a retailer isn’t going to be able to include one of every product in their showroom, so I’d advise making use of brand POS, where possible, to help them build a picture of the breadth of products, styles and finishes that are available on the market for your clients.

At Insinkerator we understand the pressure on retailers to keep a number of brand partners visible in-store so, while we encourage retailers to have as many 4N1 Touch taps on display as possible, we also provide material that highlights the range of finishes and colours available, so there’s no pressure on retailers to feature multiple versions throughout the showroom.

My last piece of advice would be to encourage them to try to keep showroom displays as up-to-date as possible to give their staff the maximum opportunity to sell.

Q. How key are working displays, and in-store demonstrations, to closing a sale?
A.
Never underestimate the power of working displays and demonstrations. Not only are they a great way for showroom retailers to differentiate themselves from online dealers by engaging with the consumer through interactive theatre, demonstrations give the consumer the opportunity to understand how to use them, the features they offer and, ultimately, how they will benefit their lifestyle.

Working displays are more expensive to install but today’s consumer responds well to experiential retail, so it’s worth the investment.

Kevin Carr, UK sales director, Insinkerator

Take hot taps, like the Insinkerator 4N1 Touch, as an example – this product offers new technology and multiple functions. So, from a designer’s perspective, it’s important that they’re able to demonstrate the features that set it apart from standard taps.

Though the hot water tap market is growing, for many consumers, a visit to a retail showroom will be the first time they will have seen one of these multifunctional taps in real life. So, using them either as part of a cooking demonstration, or even just to make a cup of tea or coffee, is a great sales tool.

A working Insinkerator 4N1 Touch tap on display in a kitchen studio

Q: Installing working displays is expensive, how realistic is it for retailers to include them in their showroom?
A:
Working displays are more expensive to install but today’s consumer responds well to experiential retail, so it’s worth the investment. 

At Insinkerator we offer fantastic display deals for retailers, which are available via our distributor partners. We ensure that we’re offering the retailer opportunities to put the product on display at a very reasonable cost. We like to give them working displays where possible and again, as keeping the displays up-to-date is so key, we can get involved where and when the retailer is upgrading the displays.

If there is a water pipe there, then our 4N1 Touch taps are very easy to install. However, having one on display, regardless of whether it’s in working order or not, is still very important, so the consumer can see the product, visualise how compact the tank is and how little room it takes up in the cupboard. This is an important aspect, as kitchens aren’t getting any bigger. The compact design of the tank is a huge USP for the 4N1 Touch because it means the user doesn’t have to compromise on space.

Q: What advice would you give to retailers in terms of offering in-store demonstrations?
A: Make demonstrations relative and, where possible, ones that pick up on points you’ve gained from conversations with the customer.

If the product is suitable to use during the greeting, such as a steaming hot water tap, then always offer the client a hot drink. Then ask them what they love to cook and use any examples to demonstrate how much easier and more convenient it will make life going forward. Always talk through the other assets of the product as well, such as how a hot tap, like the 4N1 Touch, eliminates the need for a kettle and how they aid everything from cooking to cleaning – just making life easy and more convenient.

You can also tap into your client’s eco-conscience. With the 4N1 Touch tap, which provides filtered cold water, buying bottled water is a thing of the past. Therefore, the 4N1 Touch helps to reduce the amount of single-use plastic bottles sent to landfill, while also saving the consumer thousands of pounds per year.

We have a national sales team who offer in-store training fully backed up with various marketing communication material and digital assets – all available free of charge. What’s even more important here is that we tailor our training and support package to suit the needs of individual retailers.

 

For more information on InSinkErator’s 4N1 Touch tap collection, please consult your account manager or contact:
T: 01923 375 349
insinkerator.emerson.com/en-gb

  • This content has been produced as part of a commercial partnership between kbbreview and InSinkErator
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