Remaining relevant

By Amy Joyce Rush

Don Robert’s first column for FCW — “Are the big box stores really taking our business or are we handing it to them?” — really struck a chord with our readers. First, the column reached more than 1,000 people on our Facebook page organically and in a very short period of time. It also sparked a lot of conversation that was at times heated with folks firmly planted on one side or the other of the issue.

At the core were the hours and days that specialty flooring retailers are open. Store owners are clearly passionate about the subject. I’ve had conversations myself, even among our other columnists, in the wake of Robert’s column running.

Chris Ramey who was once president of IDG, owned his own retail business and now runs The Home Trust, is no stranger to the challenges of retail and quite sensitive to plight of the specialty store — manpower versus capital and capability. He contends that for some stores, longer hours, more days just aren’t possible.

I also spent some time talking with Keith Spano and Frank Chiera at Flooring America and we discussed a lot of things — they are astute and progressive when it comes to flooring retail. They spend a lot of time planning, executing key initiatives that are often ahead of the curve and then digging in to do the heavy lifting for their dealers. Spano talks often about remaining relevant to today’s consumer.

When it came to store hours, he offered, “You need to be there when the customer wants to buy. We have that debate fairly often. I think to capture that Millennial customer, you need to be available at times that are not always convenient.”

I see all of the business angles and personal limitations as well. I get that you can’t work 12 hour days, 7 days a week. And having just come off a deep recession, you may not have the resources you need.

But I also believe that there is a fork in the road for specialty flooring dealers as the Millennials start to wield their buying power. They are a generation that feels empowered to have it all — job, family, house. Most of them will be two-income households.

My own lifestyle requires I shop later in the evening and weekends. But I’m also willing to pay a little more for a good experience — service, selection, some guidance and a bit of inspiration. If you aren’t open at 6:00 or 7:00 at night, you likely won’t get my business.

It’s a challenge that needs to be faced head on, now. And there are many other issues that have been exposed as we continue a slow economic recovery and adjust to a rapidly changing customer base and world in general. Use technology to reach consumers where they are looking. Engage and inspire them. Have a clear succession plan. These are just some of the things that Flooring America is smartly and aggressively addressing. 

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             Amy Joyce Rush