Franchise Expo South

Not too long after we ring in the New Year this week, F.C. Dadson will be gearing up for Franchise Expo South, Jan. 15th-17th at the Miami Beach Convention Center. We're sending Tim Matey and Collin Gruthoff to man our booth, #342, and they're looking forward to meeting with franchisors, franchisees, and fellow industry suppliers interested in learning more about F.C. Dadson and our capabilities.

If you're heading to Miami for the show and are interested in meeting with either Tim or Collin while you're there, please call Tim at (800)728-0338 ext: 137 prior to the show to set up an appointment.

Hope to see you there!

Happy Holidays from F.C. Dadson!

As we wind down our work week and get ready for our holiday festivities, we at F.C. Dadson would like to take a quick moment to say thank you for taking a little time during your week to stop by The Diaries, and to wish you all the merriest of holidays.

I found this gem last week over at the OPEN forum and thought it'd be fitting to share on this, the day before Christmas. Enjoy! Twas the Night Before Christmas-Small Biz Style.

Project Pictures: Doctors Express

We talk a lot about what F.C. Dadson can do on this blog. Now here's some pictures to show you what we can do -- courtesy of Doctors Express.

Below are pictures from Doctors Express's recently-completed Atlanta location. F.C. Dadson developed the design concept and was responsible for the construction management and installation on the project. Additionally, F.C. Dadson supplied all the cabinetry, graphics, furniture and decor and coordinated with Henry Schein, a medical supply company, to procure the required medial equipment.

5 Signs Your Store Needs a Makeover + 4 More

How do you know when your store needs a makeover? Sadly, there isn't a magical answer like "once very 5 years" though that would be nice. No, it's more like "when any number of factors begin to occur." Vague, I know.

If you're trying to find where your store stands, Bob Phibbs adds some clarity with this RetailCustomerExperience.com piece titled, "5 signs your retail store needs a makeover." In it, he covers traffic patterns, design consistency, merchandise selection, and display layout, asking questions like "Does your merchandise scream sensory overload?" and "Does your store look old?"

After reading through the article, I immediately jotted down 4 more questions I would ask retailers pondering a redesign.

• Does your design still communicate your brand, products, and/or services? Things change over time and it's important that your store(s) continue to communicate the right message to consumers. Just take a look at Walmart and the transformation it's undergoing.
• Are your displays and decor out of shape? More than just looking dated (which is really what Mr. Phibbs meant by "old"), store components wear over time. Are your displays chipped, broken, etc.? Is your flooring past needing "just a good cleaning"? These are signs it's probably time to go out with the old and in with the new.
• Are you noticing a decline in sales? While this could be caused by a number of things, a lousy design could also be a contributing factor.
• What is the competition doing? Obviously you want to set your store(s) apart from the competition. However, if the industry is changing and upgrading, the last thing you want is to be caught in everyone else's dust.

I was really hoping to come up with a 5th, but my brain stopped short. Care to help me out? What would you add to round out the list?

Floored!

Planning on attending the NRA Show 2010 next May? If you haven't already, head on over to Floored!, the official show blog to help you get ready. More than just show-related updates and news, the site also features commentary on the restaurant industry, advice for restaurant operators, and -my personal favorite- plenty of tasty recipes.

What a great way to get people excited for the show while providing a lot of other content readers can benefit from in the meantime!

How To Be A Good Client

Too often when we're on the client-side of a transaction, we think, "It's their job to please me," and we kick up our feet and wait to see what we get. True, it is a vendor's job to please clients; and sure, in a handful of situations, you can go to a business and simply give them your money and get what you want without much effort on your part. In the store design and build out business, however, the process is a little more involved than that.

I've mentioned Seth Godin's blog here before and today he makes it again with this post titled "How to be a great client." Every one of the points he makes fits the client-designer (or build out professional) dynamic. Two highlights:

• Hire the right person. You'll get the most from and client-designer relationship if you take the time to find a partner who believes in the project as much as you do.
• Be honest about resources. One of the first things we'll ask about is budget. We can design an elaborate masterpiece, but if you can't afford it, then we're back at square one.

Remember, we do our best work when we work with you, not just for you.

Rapidly Redecorated Retail

Fantastic locations and favorable rent aren't the only attractive things about vacated stores. There's also what can be found inside like abandoned counters and displays. Taking a page out of many seasonal retailers' playbooks, retailers are making the most of what they inherit when leasing a space. Could this be a trend going into 2010? We think so.

With all the retail buy-outs and scooping up of empty spaces, retailers looking to quickly put their brand on their new locations while saving a few bucks are opting to use existing fixtures and marking their territory with a new coat of paint and signage. Some leave the fixtures as is while some refurbish them with new laminate, paint, stain, etc. to better match their branding - all at a fraction of the cost of doing a complete store remodel. For some, this is a temporary fix with the retailer planning to update the store with its complete branded design when the money's there. For others, this will be the extent of their store makeovers.

Do you see this form of quick retail turnaround gaining popularity in 2010 and beyond? Leave your thoughts here.

More Names Join the Pop-Up Game

Is it December already? Time flies as the year ends. In fact, this post should have been put up yesterday, but I ran out of time. So, here it is a day late, but better late than never, right?

Oh, one of our favorite topics of the year at The Diaries is back in the news. Yup, pop-up stores are still making waves, this time in Boston where this article on The Boston Globe's website discusses how retailers are taking advantage of vacant storefronts and mall spaces with temporary shops.

Often we think of larger retailers and manufacturers using a pop-up environment to promote a specific product line or brand, but as this article points out, that's not always the case. Toys "R" Us is getting into the mix with its "holiday express" stores and, along with Learning Express, is helping fill the mall toy store void left by KB Toys.

Online brands are also making the jump to temporary retail. eBay recently opened a pop-up shop in NYC and other online companies like Boldfacers.com are hosting pop-up shopping events as a way to generate revenue and build business.

The challenge for retail designers and fixture manufacturers now becomes how to build environments that attract shoppers and function like a traditional store, yet break down quickly to be stored until the next event.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year, F.C. Dadson is so thankful for our AMAZING customers, employees, and friends. We're taking the day to enjoy lots of food, family, and fun. But worry not. The Diaries will be back Monday with new material for you to check out.

Until then...

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Black Friday Deals for Small Businesses

If you're a small business owner feeling the pinch of a tightening budget, listen up!

In the spirit of the endless press being given to this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals comes this USAToday.com article on how small businesses can take advantage of the shopping holiday savings both online and off. Make a list, check it twice and get ready to take advantage of deals on computers, accessories, media storage and other office equipment. (Cool bonus: the article includes previews of Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals from Staples, Office Depot, Best Buy, HP and Dell!)

Are you a small business owner planning to take advantage of a Black Friday deal or two? Perhaps we'll see you in the crowds!

Hot Trend: From QSR to Fast Casual

A formidable hybrid that takes the speed of quick-service and combines it with the quality and atmosphere of casual dining, fast casual restaurants have a good thing going during this recession. Perhaps impressed by their slightly more upscale kin, we've seen a number of quick-service restaurants (QSR) add higher-quality, more sophisticated menu items (think premium burgers and lattes) while other have revamped their interiors to encourage lingering. With brands like Baskin-Robbins, Toppers Pizza, Captain D's and even McDonalds joining in the movement, "going fast casual" is turning into one hot trend.

Looking at the design side of things (as we're apt to do at the Diaries), what designates a fast casual interior from a traditional QSR? To begin, the seating is generally more comfortable and there tends to be more of it in a fast casual design. In place of vinyl-covered chairs, you'll find fabric. There may even be a "lounge" area with soft furniture and a coffee table. Cozy booths are also making a comeback.

Also, much more thought is put into and emphasis placed on the materials and finishes incorporated into the space. Less plastic and more wood tones, metallic finishes, and other natural (or at least natural-looking) materials. Recycled materials are also a hot design commodity right now.

To sum it up in a word, fast casual design puts more focus on ambiance. Which make sense because it all plays into the idea of wanting customers to stay and enjoy their food as opposed to the "in-and-out" mindset of quick-serve.

Environmentally-Conscious

Here's an interesting thought offered by Paul Glover in a recent post for Fast Company's FC Expert Blog:

"...to a great degree, everyone's actions are determined by their environment."

While a store's over all design aesthetic is incredibly important, just as important is the store's layout, or floor plan. It may not seem like there's a lot of science involved in placing displays and counters, but did you know that a store's floor plan can help facilitate the sales process and improve employee efficiency?

So, when you're thinking about what you want your store to look like, also think in terms of what you want your customers and your employees to do in your space. With that decided, an experienced designer or architect can take that information and create a space that's not only attractive, but will also help you achieve your desired results.

A Retail Designer's Challenge

If you're even remotely connected to the marketing profession, you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't regularly check out Seth Godin's blog. Lots of riffs and rants and things to make you go, "Hmm," and the best part is that more often than not, his thought for the day applies to more than just marketing. Today is one of those days.

"Here's a rule that's so inevitable that it's almost a law: As an organization grows and succeeds, it sows the seeds of its own demise by getting boring. With more to lose and more people to lose it, meetings and policies become more about avoiding risk than providing joy."

As creators of retail environments, I'd argue that our job is to give our clients the best of both worlds...as far as their retail spaces are concerned. Of course, being safe is a priority -- not just in the literal sense of keeping shoppers and store employees out of harm's way, but also that what we provide is "safe" in the sense that it fits our clients' budgets and helps them achieve their goals. But at the same time, we also strive to create environments that shoppers will find exciting and memorable, places that facilitate a "joyful" experience.

It isn't always easy to marry the two concepts together, but isn't that part of what makes a brilliant retail space so remarkable?

3 Lessons from the World Series

The Yankes win in 6. Over the course of the 6-game play-off for the worldly title, there was speculation, surprises, heroics, and everything else expected from a competition between the two "best" teams in baseball. And as the season comes to a close, The Dadson Diaries offers some takeaways for our readers beyond the "Yankees: World Series Champions" swag available for purchase. So, without further ado, here are 3 lessons we can take away from this year's World Series.

1. Superstars come in all shapes and sizes.
Cliff Lee. Mariano Rivera. Chase Utley. Hideki Matsui. Superstardom doesn't rely on a list of predetermined constructs. Do what you do best and take care to do it well. You may not garner national media exposure like these big leaguers, but people (your customers, your peers, your boss) will notice your efforts.

2. You're not out until the last out.
The Phillies could have gone down in Game 5, but they fought to bring on Game 6. Even when the odds are stacked against you, don't pack it in and head home. Inspiration can strike at any time and help propel you past that hurdle.

3. Fans, not just customers, are what to aim for.
Customers may come buy your product, but fans are the ones not only buying your products but also loving you unconditionally and spreading the word about you every day.

Thought of other lessons to add to the list? Leave 'em here.

1 Part Franchise, 1 Part Independent Business

It appears there's a new trend afoot in franchising and it involves being a little less cookie cutter and a little more unique and local. Starbucks did it with its 15th Ave. Coffee & Tea cafe in Seattle. Other big names including Marriott and Great Harvest Bread Co. are also doing it, opening new franchise locations that are designed and merchandised in a manner more befitting to their surroundings than national chains are traditionally thought to be.

Could this be the end to standard store designs and layouts as we know it? Probably not because there is a lot to be said for a recognizable look, a consistent merchandise offering, and the economies of scale national franchise brands often enjoy. But I think there can still be some room for customization. Just look at what McDonald's is doing (and finding wild success with).

What do you think? Should franchises stick with a consistent model across the board or allow franchisees the freedom to be local and unique? Or is there an opportunity for franchise systems to develop some sort of a "hybrid" that's 1 part franchise, 1 part independent business?

Mary Queen of Shops: Part 2

On Monday I posted about my discovery of a new store makeover series on BBC America called Mary Queen of Shops. Last night I caught my first episode of the program and, as promised, here is my take on the show.

In the promo commercials leading up to 9/8c, Gordon Ramsay (think Kitchen Nightmares) was told to "meet his match." Having seen some pretty fantastic screaming matches between Mr. Ramsay and unlucky restaurant owners, I pictured Ms. Portas to be a brash know-it-all. The start of the show set the stage for such dramatics with her "What I don't know about stores isn't worth knowing" voiceover, but sadly no head-to-head shouting matches ensued. There were a few "tough-love" moments, but they weren't as explosive as those that Kitchen Nightmares fans are used to. Perhaps she's more sharp-tongued in other episodes, but not so much in this one.

On this episode, the Queen of Shops came to the rescue of a small clothing and accessory boutique called One One Seven. The store's owner was a kind-spirited woman who was a bit clueless as to what her target customers (the 40-year-old-or-older woman) wanted. Throughout the show, the two women speak with customers, meet with designers, and visit competitors to gain insight into why One One Seven wasn't working and what could be done to improve it. The store was given a facelift and the merchandise was updated and more attractively displayed, and voila! The cash registers started ringing!

The advice Ms. Portas shared on the show would come as nothing new to a seasoned retailer. The point she stressed the most was that you need to know your target customer inside and out. That goes beyond demographics right down to her lifestyle and what she likes and doesn't like. She also encouraged visits to competitors' locations to see what others in the industry are doing and to possibly pick up ideas for your own stores.

The most exciting part of the show for me what the actual transformation of the shop's design and layout. Here Ms. Portas suggested creating an accent wall in the back of the store to bring customers into the space. (At One One Seven, this was done with wallpaper, but you could use a clever wall display, an interesting piece of art, an unexpected splash of color, etc.) She also noted that customers like to be guided in their shopping. By displaying complementary items together, you help the customer put it together and encourage additional sales.

All in all, my first taste of Mary Queen of Shops wasn't bad. As I mentioned before, an experienced retailer may not get much from it, but someone new to the industry might find a few take-aways in each hour-long episode.

Mary Queen of Shops: Part 1

Earlier this year, I came across a post on RetailDesignDiva.com that pitched a pretty interesting TV show idea: The Retail Reality Show. On the show, retailers would compete against one another to determine, in a weekly, head-to-head competition format, who was the best retailer. Considering some of the reality TV shows out there, the idea seemed intriguing. Remember the excitement of Supermarket Sweep? Retail could make for some pretty entertaining TV.

Last week, I read a news blurb promoting a new retail-inspired reality show playing on BBC America. It doesn't put retailers against each other, but the store makeover theme sounds promising. Mary Queen of Shops originally aired in the UK, and now the concept has crossed the Atlantic to America with the first episodes airing earlier this month. The idea behind the show involves experienced retail veteran Mary Portas helping struggling retailers rehab their concepts and bring them back to life.

While the show, which airs Wednesday nights at 9/8c, is currently replaying episodes from the UK series and features UK boutiques, maybe we'll see the show's host coming here to shoot a few episodes featuring US retailers? Until then, I have plans this Wednesday night to settle in and check out Mary Queen of Shops to see what it's all about. Check out my review Thursday morning, right here at the The Dadson Diaries, in Part 2 of this post.

The Sustainable Shift Drink

The food service industry isn't traditionally seen as being an "environmentally-friendly" industry. Still, that isn't stopping some operators like Arby's from greening up their restaurants.

If you're in the restaurant industry and looking for a sustainability resource, there is a new addition to the blogosphere that you should check out: The Sustainable Shift Drink. Produced by Sustainable Foodservice Consulting, the blog will cover a wide variety of topics related to sustainability and will also feature guest bloggers and commentary on current issues (as detailed in this release featured on FastCasual.com).

While still in its infancy, this blog shows a lot of promise and could prove a valuable find for the environmentally-conscious food service operator.

Win the War on Walk-Aways

The Dadson Diaries has posted on the importance of cash wraps and engineering a well-designed check out process before. And now I've found some pretty convincing back-up to that claim courtesy of RetailCustomerExperience.com.

According to their article, "Smart retailer fight walk-aways at the check out," it's suggested that retailers see an average of 1.6 percent of its customers bailing at the check out line. While that doesn't seem like a lot, it does add up. And these days, it seems absurd to watch those sales dollars walk right out the door.

Apparently some retailers are beginning to agree as they are turning to queue management experts to help them solve their check out challenges and keep those "walk-aways" from walking away. Queue management isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, so these experts work with individual retailers (sometimes even down to the individual store level) to create a solution and with the new technology and merchandising solutions available, these "new and improved" queues aren't just keeping customers in line, they are also enticing them to buy more.

But don't worry if you don't have the budget for a queue management expert. Be an observant customer. Make note of the check out experiences you like and don't like at the retailers you visit. Not only will you be picking up the items on your shopping list, you can pick up ideas to use as a starting point for your own check out queue make over.

Steve Jobs Is a Smart Man

Now, we're sure you read this post's title and thought to yourself, "Well, hello, Captain Obvious," but hear us out -- we all know that he's a tech guru, but turns out he possesses great retail design and build out prowess as well. His Apple stores are a hit sensation. And now his influence will soon be experienced in Disney stores across America and Europe.

Admittedly, the new stores sound really, really cool, but in reading this New York Times piece about the new Disney store design, two things stuck out and they weren't Disney-related. The first was Mr. Jobs' message to the Disney design team: "Dream bigger." It's not uncommon for all of us to think at some point, "Well, that's how it's been done so that's how we'll keep doing it." Competition in the retail world is fierce -- don't be afraid to include something unexpected or different in your stores. That's what creating a unique, memorable customer experience is all about.

The second was that Mr. Jobs "insisted" that Disney build a prototype store. Because of the extra cost involved, the prototype phase is often passed over by retailers. But what often isn't realized is that, while they do create higher upfront costs, prototypes can save time and money in the long run. How? It turns out to be more cost- and time-effective to tinker around with and replace dysfunctional design elements in one location than it is to make changes to a bunch of stores.

So, yes, we knew that Mr. Jobs was a smart man before typing this post, but we only had an inkling of an idea of how retail design savvy he was. Now we know.

Franchise Business Network

Did you know that in addition to the BIG annual convention and franchise expos, the International Franchise Association also promotes a wide variety of regional programming through its Franchise Business Network (FBN)?

Tomorrow night, F.C. Dadson will co-host a FBN meeting in the Detroit area. Along with Greenbaum Marketing and FranchiseCompany.com, we are excited to provide area franchise owners an opportunity to meet with other franchisors and suppliers. In addition to networking, the attendees will also be able to hear marketing guru Martin Greenbaum talk about how franchisors can "supercharge" their online presence and maximize their ROI. It's no secret that Web 2.0 is changing how people do business and Marty has extensive experience helping businesses harness the power of the World Wide Web and put it to work for them.

In addition to Detroit, quarterly FBN meetings are hosted in cities all around the country. To find out more about upcoming meetings in your area, contact IFA's Director of Development and Member Services, Paul Rocchio, at (202)662-0790 or procchio@franchise.org.

Moving On Up & Franchise Expo Recap

As the F.C. Dadson sales and marketing team are getting ready to move offices, I can't help but think that the idea of moving is really exciting BUT the actual packing up, moving, and unpacking parts are a pain. We aren't moving far (just to the other end of the building and up a floor) and we should be settling in tomorrow afternoon. Until then, we appreciate your patience as we try our best to respond to calls and emails in between loads.

In addition to the moving excitement, two of our sales reps returned from the West Coast Franchise Expo on Tuesday with a full plate of follow-up to get through. Didn't have a chance to stop by the Expo? KBAC-TV (Los Angeles) covered the show and you can check out the segment here.

Color Trends 2010

You know January must be getting closer when the "Trends for '10" lists start popping up. First up for Dadson Diaries coverage are color trends for the New Year. Thinking about freshening up your store, restaurant, office, home, etc. with a new coat of paint? Both Sherwin-Williams and The Paint Quality Institute have published their predictions, and it's no surprise that all the selections are tied to hues that project positivity and comfort.

Let's start with Sherwin-Williams. Categorized into four groups titled "Rooted," "Simplified," "Treasured," and "Refreshed," they predict a movement towards melding the past with the present and future.

• Rooted: Earth-tones inspired by African, Aboriginal, and Native American culture.
• Simplified: Clean and tailored lines creative with clear and translucent materials.
• Treasured: Aged and weathered, giving the sense of history.
• Refreshed: A nod to the vibrant, energized colors of the '60s.

The Paint Quality Institute also grouped their predictions into categories. The three groups, titled "Good morning," "Good night," and "Good bye," are tied closely to the colors of nature and comfort.

• Good morning: think the golds, yellows, and warmth of a sunrise.
• Good night: the pastels and deep blues and purples of a sunset and the night sky.
• Good bye: soothing colors that create both a friendly welcome and a calm goodbye. Think off-whites, mid-tone blues, and crisp whites for entries and exits.

Thanks DDi.com, for inspiring this post. Find the full reports here: Paint Quality Institute Color Trends 2010 and Sherwin-Williams Colormix 2010 Forecast.

4 Common Mistakes to Avoid During Kiosk Deployment

Opening a kiosk takes a lot of work. With the investment involved to get from "site selection" to "ready for business," it's very tempting for new kiosk owners to cut corners to try and save some time and money. Occasionally owners do just that and their efforts end up costing them more in the long run. Not wanting you to suffer a similar fate, Dadson Diaries' editor Liz Sachse teamed up with Executive Account Manager of our kiosk programs, Marie VanDrisse, to compile a list of the most common mistakes owners make during deployment and tips to help you avoid them.

1) Failing to thoroughly review proposals to verify what is actually included.

When comparing proposals from multiple kiosk vendors, it's important to look at more than just the grand totals. Sure, each proposal is for the same project, but what's included can vary as widely as the companies that submit them. Two common things that are included by some (and excluded by others) are shipping and installation. Certain companies may also include additional services such as submittal and permitting assistance, site preparation, and utility work that may bring the cost up but add value to their programs. Without a thorough review, you may think you're getting the best deal, but actually end up passing on the best program for your needs.

To find out the other 3 mistakes, check out the latest issue of the F.C. Dadson newsletter, which hits the world wide web today.

West Coast Franchise Expo

According to a PricewaterhouseCoopers study conducted for the International Franchise Association Educational Foundation, there are more than 900,000 franchised businesses across the United States, providing for 21 million jobs and generating $2.3 trillion in economic output . BIG numbers that are anticipated to only grow larger as many turn to franchising during the downturn and beyond.

This week, F.C. Dadson heads to Los Angeles for the West Coast Franchise Expo where potential franchisees will have the opportunity to meet with a variety of franchise companies representing a variety of business types. From food service to specialty retail, from home-based to inline and free-standing locations, the perfect franchise opportunity may be just down the show aisle.

Always eager to show our support for our franchise clients and the industry as a whole, we'll once again be exhibiting at the Expo. Stop by Booth #353 where Tim and Troy will be more than happy to tell you a little bit more about our company and how we can help improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of your build out programs.

Great American Dine Out

If you're anything like me, the closer it gets to the weekend, the less inclined we are to cook dinner when we get home from work. All this week, September 20-26, Share Our Strength and participating restaurants across the nation will come together to present the Great American Dine Out, a national dine out to end childhood hunger. Since we'll probably be eating out anyway, let's make it count for more than just calories.

The restaurants (click here to find one near you) are doing a variety of things like donating a portion of their sales, selling t-shirts and coupons, and even offering special menu items throughout the week. The proceeds will go to programs around the U.S. that offer support to children at risk of hunger.

Looks like a Buffalo Wild Wings night for me. Where will you go?

Franchise Leadership and Development Conference

On the heels of the IFA's Public Affairs conference comes Franchise Update's Franchise Leadership & Development Conference, this Wednesday through Friday at Chicago's Drake Hotel. F.C. Dadson's Larry Myer and Tim Matey will be there. Will you?

F.C. Dadson's been a sponsor partner of the Leadership & Development Conference for several years, but this year's show holds particular significance for the company as Mr. Matey will pick up the final few credits he needs to earn his Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designation. Tim's often described becoming a CFE as "sort of like earning a masters degree in franchising," and while Tim won't receive his official certificate until the International Franchise Association's national conference in February, The Dadson Diaries would like to be among the first to congratulate him on this huge accomplishment.

Mr. Myer also has big plans for the show as he'll once again take the stage with his trusty guitar and rock out with the rest of the Franchise All Star Band during the STAR awards banquet. Get info about the band including pics and member bios (including some pretty fantastic pictures) here.

Out with the Old

When executing store remodels or updates, it's easy to get caught up in what the new graphics will look like or where the new displays will go. But what about all the old stuff? It can't stay in the store and it has become increasingly passe to simply throw things out. Always looking to help retailers and franchises out, The Dadson Diaries has complied a list of things to do with old decor items.

1. Sell it -- there is a bevy of companies that specialize in display resale.
2. Donate it -- while it may not work for you anymore, it might be perfect for a non-profit or small start-up.
3. Repurpose it -- turn it into something else. Target's making waves with their plans to turn their giant Times Square billboard into custom totes.
4. Recycle it -- either bring it back into the store (classically-designed elements rarely go out of style and out-of-date items can be cosmetically enhanced) or break components down and recycle as much as you can.

Know of any companies doing something cool with their old decor items? We'd love to hear about it.

IFA Public Affairs Conference

Be Empowered, Be Educated, Be Effective. America's at a crossroads and The Diaries doesn't need to tell you that our country has seen better days. If ever there was a time to speak up and make your voice heard, it's now.

The International Franchise Association has given the franchising industry the opportunity to do just that through its annual Public Affairs Conference (formerly Franchise Appreciation Day). On September 14-15, members of the franchising community will gather in Washington D.C. to dicuss the hard-hitting issues and the impact lawmakers' decisions have and will continue to have on franchising.

F.C. Dadson's Larry Myer will be there, advocating for our franchise clients and fellow industry suppliers. Are you going? Leave a comment to let us know.

EXCITING NEWS from F.C. Dadson

There's been a bit of excitement in the sales office this week that can't be directly attributed to the upcoming Labor Day weekend (though we are all itching for the 3-day weekend).

Larry Myer, F.C. Dadson's veteran sales team member, has been promoted to the position of Vice President of New Business Development! During his time here, Larry's cultivated many successful accounts for the company and played a big part in steering F.C. Dadson towards the franchising industry. In his new role, he'll have to opportunity to focus on doing what he does best: building networking partnerships and uncovering new sources for leads. Additionally, he'll also be working in tandem with the sales team to develop new sales strategies and close new accounts.

Join us in congratulating him and wishing him luck in his new role!

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Getting back to the Labor Day weekend, though, we at The Dairies fully intend to avoid anything work-related over the 3-day weekend. That said, we'll be back with a fresh post a week from today. Have a safe and relaxing holiday, everyone!

Revolving Storefronts

With an expansive list of open retail space on their hands, perhaps landlords should take a hint from NYC's 303Grand and start thinking in the short-term to fill their spaces.

According to this post on PSFK's Retail blog, 303Grand is "a 'revolving storefront' operated by digital marketing agency Street Attack. There mission is to offer people, brands, artists and organizations the chance to create temporary and engaging retail environments on a limited budget or time commitment." Rentals can last from one day up to three months with rents starting at $300.

Short-term and low cost, this revolving storefront concept seems like the perfect answer to a variety of space needs, playing host to one-night-only events or even providing a launching pad for products or brands. And it also seems like a potentially profitable solutions for landlords with empty retail space on their hands.

What do you think about the revolving storefront concept? Leave your comments here.

Insight from The Ledge

Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of heights. I'm not deathly afraid by any means, but I do prefer to keep my feet as close to being "firmly planted" on the ground as I can get them. That said, as cool as The Ledge at the Skydeck of Chicago's Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) sounds, I would have a very hard time getting my two feet out on its glass-bottomed platform that hovers 103 stories above the street below.

I'm sure the views are breathtaking and the engineering is incredible, but what I found just as interesting was the story behind how The Ledge came to be: it started with some custodians complaining about having to clean forehead prints off the Skydeck's windows all the time. Talk about a creative solution to a pesky problem!

If you're thinking about re-energizing your retail locations with a new design, why not ask store employees what they like and don't like about the current design? Create more than just an attractive space, design a store that will help them do their jobs too.

A Store's Personality

Think stores don't have personality? Think again. Here's an entertaining post from over at the Retail Design Diva blog that compares stores to boyfriend types.

While very tongue-in-cheek, it proves a very important point: image is everything in retail. Are your stores giving off the right impression? Does your decor do your brand justice? If you aren't sure, you might just be selling your brand short.

This is why it's so important to show your brand personality when working on a store design. Show us "who" you are, tell us what kind of impression you want to make, and don't be afraid to let us designers know if we're missing the mark. Sure, "sleek and sexy" looks cool, but if you're really the boy or girl next door, that perfect match (i.e., your target customer) may walk right on by.

Back to Basics

When you're living in a Web2.0 world, it's all too easy to get caught up in the glitz and flash of the internet and the endless amount of tech tools available to businesses today. Social media and e-commerce are surely effective ways to reach customers, but if the recession's taught us anything, it's that the basics of business are even more important -- offering a quality product and great customer service for a fair price.

A short commentary, provided by Steve Strauss for USA Today, echoes that sentiment and then some. He even pits Smith and Wollensky Steakhouse against his local Outback Steakhouse to prove his point -- and Outback wins!

When asked about the secrets of his success, the owner of the local steakhouse offered:

• "'It's all about your people' - whether its customers or employees, helping them helps you.
• 'Make it local' - especially with a national franchise, but really with any business, [the owner] believes that contributing to local charities and participating in local community events creates connections which pay off for everybody.
• 'Business is a marathon, not a sprint' -- think long-term."

Normally here is where we would share our take on the subject, but Strauss pretty much sums it up for us:

"This idea, that old school business values, traditions and strategies, can still make a big difference in this e-world, makes a lot of sense. So often these days things like leveraging assets, social networking, e-commerce and branding are discussed so much that they may seem more important than traditional business factors like service, value, hard work, appreciation, courtesy and know-how.

But they are not."

Financial Freeze Starting to Thaw?

Over the past year or so, when talking with our franchise clients, one thing became painfully clear: the interest in franchising was high, but the franchisees were having one heck of time securing financing to launch their new businesses.

In recent months, however, we've been seeing signs of hope. So have a few of our clients, with some noting that more of their financing requests were being approved. Though not the case for everyone, it still comes as welcomed news of better days ahead.

Small Business Administration Chief Karen Mills has also seen "measurable progress" in getting financing to the nation's small businesses. Check our excerpts from her interview with Raymund Flandez of The Wall Street Journal here.

Reading the comments to the article, it's clear that many are still critical/skeptical of the SBA's plans to stimulate financing and support for small businesses. What do you think of the SBA's efforts in recent months? Share your comments here.

Best of Greenville?

A lot of spam email flows through my inbox. Generally I don't give the title more than a passing glance before hitting the big, black X in my Outlook toolbar.

Today, one came through informing me that F.C. Dadson was the winner of the "Best of Greenville" award. Wow! Finally being recognized as the best of our modest town in northeastern Wisconsin by some sort-of official-looking association? It must be our lucky day.

Upon opening, here's what I found:

"I am pleased to announce that F.C. Dadson, Inc has been selected for the 2009 Best of Greenville Award in the Cabinets category by the US Commerce Association. In recognition of your achievement, a 2009 Best of Greenville Award has been designed for display at your place of business. You may arrange to have your award sent directly to F.C. Dadson, Inc by following the simple steps on the 2009 Best of Greenville Award order form."

So the US Commerce Association picked us as a Best of Greenville Award recipient in the "Cabinets" category? I'd have to agree with them. We do have some really nice cabinets around the office and we made them all ourselves. Double score!

But what's this about us having to ORDER our award? I thought we'd already won it. Now we have to purchase it too? Really?

While we think F.C. Dadson is the "Best of Greenville" in the Cabinets category, we'd prefer our satisfied customers spread the word:

"Great designs. Great customer service." -Samantha Lawhon, Messermeister

Ah, priceless.

Something That Can't Be Copied

As a designer, F.C. Dadson is accustomed to working with clients who have specific ideas for what they want their retail spaces to look and feel like. But what if the only requirement a client has is "give me a design that no one can copy?"

In this post from PSFK.com's Retail blog, we see how architecture firm took on just such a challenge and the space that resulted.

Would you find it more fun or frustrating to work on a project where the only request was "make it something that can't be copied?"

The Dadson Diaries Wants You

It's hard to believe that we've been at this blogging thing for almost two years now. We've covered a lot of territory during that time and hope that we've provided you a place to find some industry insights and food for thought.

But we also realize that we're nothing more than words in cyberspace without our readers. We mentioned a few posts ago that we're making some changes to the blog and we want your help.

What would you like to see on The Dadson Diaries?
What topics would you like us to cover?
What commentary would you like us to provide?

We can't wait to make this place even better for you and we look forward to seeing your ideas.

Supporting Our Troops

There are a lot of cool things about the franchising industry, but one that The Dadson Diaries finds the most rewarding is its sense of community. From industry suppliers helping franchisors and franchisees get started to fellow franchisors and franchisees helping each other out, it's clear that every stakeholder wants to move franchising forward and see it succeed.

Within the last month or so, we've really seen this sense of community come out as franchise systems and suppliers set out to help military veterans achieve the dream of owning their own businesses. 7-Eleven announced that it was offering lower franchise fees to honorably-discharged veterans. Last week, the Daily Dose blog at Entrepreneur.com featured a post on Maid Brigade's decision to give away over 100 franchise opportunities to qualified veterans.

And other franchises are showing their support in other creative ways. Green Beans Coffee, for example, opens coffee shops in some of the world's most dangerous places for active soldiers to find a bit of calm and a good cup of coffee as well as running programs for civilians and other soldiers to show their support for the troops.

F.C. Dadson is also showing our support through our Veterans Incentive Program that offers discounts on product orders placed by qualified veterans whose franchise system participates in the International Franchise Association's VetFran program. For more information on our incentive program, call (800)728-0338.

Defining Characteristcs

When you hear the words "state fair," you may think of amusement park rides, fried food on a stick, or grand stand. For Wisconsin residents, two words immediately come to mind: cream puffs. If you head down for the fair, you have to have at least one of these cream-filled pastries, and you can expect a bit of a wait to get yours as there will be a line. But people do wait in line because they know it'll be so worth it.

So why all this talk of cream puffs? Well, they were talking about them on the radio this morning, and, in addition to making me a little hungry, it made me have this thought: when thinking about my company, what comes to peoples' minds? What about F.C. Dadson will people wait in line for? What is our defining characteristic?

A few of the most important questions any business needs to answer, brought to my mind and now yours courtesy of the Wisconsin State Fair cream puff and The Dadson Diaries. Talk about some real food for thought. (I know, lame joke but I had to make it.)

P.S. If you're interested in trying a state fair cream puff or two, the Wisconsin State Fair runs from Aug. 6-16 in West Allis, WI (right next door to Milwaukee).

Lofty Goals

While some make the argument about setting seemingly unattainable goals and instead sticking to those easily within reach, today's celebration of the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the moon has me thinking otherwise.

In 1961, then President Kennedy expressed this notion: "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth."

In 1969 it happened.

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

What Makes YOU Different

If you've ever wondered just how important a store's atmosphere is to the overall brand experience, head on over to the Retail Design Diva blog and check out Ron Knoth's lament over his neighborhood Dunkin' Donuts being turned into a Tim Horton's.

When you're selling a product such as coffee, which people can get in practically any food service establishment, you need another point of difference. A signature menu item at the very least. But even better than a signature menu item is a signature store experience. Slapping a new paint color on the walls and hanging new signage is a start, but is that enough? Not according to Ron, and I think I'd have to agree.

Bistro-In-A-Box

Since F.C. Dadson started offering its "Store-In-A-Box" program last year, I've started to notice that "In-A-Box" has been added to quite a few things. Most of the time, it's intended to imply something is all-inclusive or turnkey. But Muvbox is a restaurant coining the term "Bistro-in-a-Box" and that's exactly what they are offering: an outdoor restaurant concept that folds up into a shipping container at the end of the day. Compact, customizable, and eco-friendly? This is just too cool.

It seems that we're seeing more and more restaurants and retailers scooping up unique real estate and popping up in unexpected places. Could these adventurous and untraditional businesses like Muvbox be giving us a glimpse into the future? If so, being a "store-in-a-box" provider is about to get even more exciting.

F.C. Dadson Gets Even More Social

You've been hearing word of new things coming from F.C. Dadson in the social media world for a couple weeks now. It's with great excitement that The Diaries announces that F.C. Dadson is now on Twitter and Facebook too!

Seeing all the cool things going on online, F.C. Dadson thought it was the perfect time to join in the fun. Don't worry, The Dadson Diaries will continue to feature new posts every Monday and Thursday. But if you're itching for more, follow us on Twitter and/or join us on Facebook where we'll continue the conversation.

Consistency

Why is it that when vacation time comes to an end, I always feel like I need another vacation to recover? Every 4th of July since I can remember, I've participated in some sort of city celebration. There's always been a parade or band and I've ended the day with a fireworks show. This holiday, I bucked tradition and spent the weekend on a lake in north central Wisconsin. No parade, no band, no official city fireworks. While it was fun, it wasn't what I've come to expect. Maybe this will start a new tradition, but it just wasn't the same.

Though some out there will argue that people enjoy variety, the popularity of the nation's top brands says otherwise. When away from home, we may try the local cuisine, but it's just as likely -if not more- that we'll stop at that national chain because we know what to expect. This is why consistent branding among all of your franchise or retail locations is incredibly important. If people can easily recognize your brand from the outside, they'll know they can count on the experience and quality inside.

That's where modular store design fits in. There's enough flexibility to ensure a perfect fit in a variety of location types, yet the branding elements remain the same. No matter where a location is, people are still able to recognize it as part of a franchise or retail chain. And that improves your chances of making a sale, which is always good for business.

Public Enemies

Want to know something cool? A portion of Public Enemies was shot less than 30 minutes away from the F.C. Dadson office. For a few weeks last spring, downtown Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with its already historical appeal, was transformed into a full-blown movie set. While it was a little unnerving to hear so much gunfire in a normally quiet city, people (including yours truly) turned up day after day to catch a glimpse of filming. Talk about the coolest sneak preview ever AND if you were lucky enough, you may have actually gotten to meet Johnny Depp (sadly, I did not).

Just as public enemies are problems for the FBI, financing (or lack thereof) is causing problems all its own for franchisors and franchisees alike. The good news is that franchise industry lenders are coming up with creative financing options to help franchisees build new stores, purchase equipment, refinance, or with any other business need they may have.

While F.C. Dadson isn't in the franchise lending industry, we're definitely connected to it. If a client asks for help finding financing, we can introduce them to a lender that fits their interests. Using our network to help our clients grow -- just another value-added service FCD provides.

The Social Media Movement: We're in. Are you?

Touring the blogosphere this morning, I saw that our friends at No Limit Media Consulting had posted this "call-to-action" for franchisors to join the social media movement. If you're a franchisor who's not currently blogging, hosting a Facebook page, or tweeting, you should really check out their post out for some compelling reasons to start. (One that we found particularly interesting: 93% of consumers feel that companies should have a social media presence." 93 percent, people!)

With franchisors' involvement in various social media outlets growing, there's no better time for the rest of the franchise industry (suppliers included) to cultivate our own presence within these channels. For F.C. Dadson, it started in 2007 with this blog; and you can expect to find us broadening our social media reach in the near future. Why we do it (and why you should too):

• We want to make our company as approachable as possible.
• We want to make F.C. Dadson as easily-reachable as possible.
• We want to give the F.C. Dadson name as much personality as the people who work here have.
• We want to share our experiences.
• We want to spread our knowledge.

But most importantly, we want to give our clients and prospects a sounding board, a place to share experiences, express concerns, become part of the conversation here at F.C. Dadson.

By no means is this list all-encompassing. The longer we think about it, the longer the list gets. This is just the "highlight reel," but still more than enough motivation for us to be a part of the social media movement. F.C. Dadson's in. Are you?

Speed Bumps

Who doesn't love a forward-thinking company? Add U.K. supermarket chain Sainsbury's to the list with their introduction of a "'people-powered' kinetic energy system" at its store in Gloucester, U.K.. Cars driving over special plates placed around the store's parking lot will generate energy, which in turn will be used to power all the store's check outs. While reading this article about these energy-producing bumps in the road, all I could think was "That is so cool!"

It's a fortunate coincidence I found this article because it makes a great lead in for this next bit of news I have to share. The Dadson Diaries will be undergoing some changes in upcoming weeks as our marketing department works to align our social media efforts. There may be some bumps in the road along the way, but as Sainbury's shows, some bumps actually help make for a better business. In our case, we're hoping they'll lead to a better experience for all of you Diaries readers.

So please bear with us and pardon our dust. We promise it'll be worth it.

Recession's Discounts

Retail sales were up in May --the first increase in months. Partially attributed to rising gas prices, some see it as a sign that consumer spending is picking up and the recession might just be nearing bottom.

If you're eager to do your part in spurring the economy by spending some cash at retail, I found this handy list on Forbes.com of 10 things to buy before the economy improves. Some obvious choices include a house, car, and TV. Some of the not-so-obvious? Diamonds (prices down 14%, on average), laptops (increased interest in netbooks is bringing prices down), and toys (lower-priced options to arrive in time for holiday shopping).

Rounding out the top 10:

1. House
2. Car
3. Vacation
4. Toys
5. High-Dividend Stocks
6. Laptops
7. Diamonds
8. Women's Clothing
9. Televisions
10. Furniture

I don't know about you, but I see a few things on that list that are on my wish list. I guess there's no time like the present to take advantage of the discounts and cross of few items off. Looks like I have some shopping to do!

Popping Up for Summer

There was span of weeks where it seemed the Diaries was consistently making mention of one pop-up store or another opening up around the nation. Seemingly the store concept-du-jour, there were news releases everywhere announcing the arrival of these temporary spaces.

Well, it's been a while since we've come across word of new pop-up locations, but thanks to Forbes.com, we've gotten the low down on what's popping up this summer.

• The Save Fashion Store, located in New York's Port Authority Terminal, featuring designs from independent designers like Charlotte Ronson, Earnest Sewn, and Rag and Bone. (This store closes tomorrow, so you better make a run for it quick!)
• Reebok's pop-up gym on West Hollywood's La Brea Drive, promoting its new JUKARI Fit to Fly exercise program. Hosting classes through the end of July, people can sign up through Reebok's website.
• Gap has teamed up with Havianas to open a flip flop shop next to its New York flagship, giving customers the ability to customize a pair of flip flops as well as purchase the latest in Gap khaki shorts, tees, and polos.

Some other interesting tidbits about pop-up shops:

• Brands love the buzz; new designers love the potential sales.
• For smaller endeavors, "the costs to open a temporary space run about $150,000."
• For larger brands, the cost could run as high as $1 Million.
• Pop-ups serve as viable testing grounds for new products/services and can help brands decide whether to take the plunge into a permanent storefront.

So, pop-ups are still popping up and if you live on the east or west coasts, you're set (Middle America, our time will come!).

Taking Care of the Retailer

If someone was to ask us what our number one priority in doing business here at F.C. Dadson is, we wouldn't hesitate in answering with "making sure our clients are taken care of." That simple statement encompasses a number of things from responsive and personalized service to quality products and keeping promises.

In recent years, F.C. Dadson -along with a number of other fixture providers- is finding our commitment to "taking care of clients" has transformed our business. Retailers are treating us more like a partner than a vendor, meaning we are now being asked to provide more than just fixtures.

This meant branching out into design, space planning, installation, fulfillment, and eventually construction management and consulting. It also meant building a strong network of vendors across a variety of industries that F.C. Dadson and our clients could turn to for help in areas outside our reach.

Isn't it great when a company's commitment to its clients not only satisfies client needs, but ends up making the company itself stronger? The recession is causing a lot of client needs to change. Embrace the change. You might just end up better for it.

For more commentary on how retailers are changing the fixture manufacturing industry, check out VSMD's special report Fixture Trends: Together We Stand.

Danger Surfing

In a recent Entrepreneur article, management columnist Scott Halford introduced a new phrase to my vocabulary: danger surfing. As the term sounds, it involves the brain searching situations for danger. If danger is picked up, the brain will stop us from continuing, keeping us out of harm's way. The upside is that it's a perfectly fine survival technique. The downside is that danger surfing in an innate tendency. It's just happens; and because of this, it can also hamper our creativity and prevent us from implementing new ideas within our businesses.

In the retail design world, creativity and problem-solving are two key ingredients for a project's success. Often new ideas are thrown out on the table, and our brain's danger surfing will cause us to find all the things that are wrong with the new ideas instead of seeing all the possibility they possess.

Fortunately, danger surfing can be overridden (as evidenced by all the creative design solutions that have made it to the retail environment). To do it, Halford suggests we:

• Play the "Yes and..." game - Instead of shooting down an idea, add to it and let the creativity fly.
• Hold separate meetings for creating and evaluating - Being creative uses one brain process and critiquing uses another. Once you enter the critical frame of mind, it's hard to revert back to the creative side.
• Take a moment - Halford writes that it "takes approximately six seconds from the time a negative emotion is felt (i.e., disgust or disdain) and the dissipation of the hormones that make you want to blurt out a nasty remark." He suggests counting to 10 before responding. This should help you be more productive instead of hurting the creative process.
  

Fixture of the Year: Pure Poetry

The Association for Retail Environments (A.R.E.) recently announced the winners of its fixture design contest. Just another affirmation that retail design inspiration can come from anywhere and anything, the winning fixture's design came about from 3 lines of poetry written by the person responsible for the store's design.

In addition to the "inspiration can be found everywhere" lesson, two other take-aways can be drawn from this year's winners. First, fixtures and interaction should go hand-in-hand. A touch-sensitive table top, a mirrored eyewear display, and a giant double-decker bus housing stuffed animals all work to engage customers.

Second, fixtures prove perfect places to make strong design statements. Varying heights, unexpected shapes and angles, and strong colors attract the eye and can work as additional branding opportunities within the space.

See A.R.E.'s Fixture of the Year and other winners here.

Writing the Prescription for a Green Kitchen

We've mentioned the new LEED for Retail program on this blog a few times, but up until this point, we've focused mainly on the RETAIL side of things. Obviously, as the program's name implies, retailers benefit from these new guidelines. However, restaurants are also finding benefits especially where their kitchens are concerned.

Included in the latest version of LEED for Retail is a more straightforward way to address the energy and water usage of commercial kitchens. Prior to this latest draft, energy modeling was the only way of showing energy and water usage. Given a restaurant's unique energy loads, modeling becomes a taxing challenge that's often outsourced to consultants charging costly fees.

Providing an alternative to energy modeling, LEED for Retail's "straightforward" method includes a relatively easy-to-follow guide for restaurant owners to use when selecting kitchen equipment. The guide provides current industry baseline standards and the new LEED minimum efficiency standards for an array of appliances and equipment pieces. Instead of relying on costly model analysis, all one has to do is select equipment that meets or exceeds LEED's minimum efficiency. This would eliminate the need for hiring a consultant to complete energy modeling, saving restaurant owners both time and money.

This has all been good news so far, but there is a small drawback to this new "prescriptive measures"way of doing things. A restaurant owner completing an energy model to demonstrate efficiency could earn up to 4 LEED credits whereas the new system, as of today, only results in 1 credit.

Despite the credit situation, it still makes it easier to understand and may prompt more restaurants to work toward LEED certification. That sounds good. And better yet, as suggested in this Foodservice Equipment & Supplies article on the topic, even restaurants that may not necessarily want LEED status but would like energy savings benefit from the guidelines as well.

"And pay attention to those restrooms"

In his book Retail Superstars, author George Whalin profiles 25 small businesses that have found success despite their size (or lack thereof). After reading through Paul Carroll's review of the book on the Wall Street Journal's website, it seems Mr. Carroll found that at least one pattern emerged from these businesses' success stories: restrooms are an important piece of the puzzle.

I know that I've been in more than a few restaurants and stores where the bathrooms made a not-so-great impression on me. In fact, there are even places where I just avoid them all together because of past experience. Maybe I'm a bit of a germaphobe, but is it really too much to ask that a business keep its restrooms clean and well-stocked with toilet paper?

A few of the businesses featured in Retail Superstars go beyond providing a clean bathroom, they've turned a trip to the restroom into an experience in itself, complete with unique design elements. For example:

• Abt Electronics' bathrooms were designed with five-star hotel quality in mind and include marble floors and counters.
• A Celebration of Golf's bathrooms mimic those found at Augusta National, the site of the Masters golf tournament.
• At Jungle Jim's International Market, the bathroom entrances resemble Porta Potties, but beyond the doors, shoppers find "beautifully appointed" restrooms inside.

Even though they aren't part of the sales floor, restrooms are a big part of the overall experience. Why stop the branding at the door? Take advantage of the opportunity, have some fun, and bring touches of it into the space. Whether you choose a standard restroom design or add a touch of whimsy, be sure to keep it clean. Your patrons -myself included- appreciate it.

The Popularity of Popularity

Top 10 and Best Of lists abound in cyberspace. Even The Diaries is guilty of posting our own lists from time to time, and not too surprisingly, these end up becoming some of our most-viewed posts.

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal's "Numbers Guy" posted about the popularity of these most-popular lists and it's interesting/scary to read about popularity's implications on our behaviors and actions.

If a news item's been tagged as "most read," I admit I'm more apt to read it. It may not be the most significant news piece of the day, but I'll check it out. Turns out a lot of people do the same thing, helping these stories stay on the lists and keeping other ones off them.

Some businesses have been able to harness the power of popularity to their benefit (i.e., a hotel increased towel reuse by promoting that 75% of past guests reused towels).

But popularity can also have a downside for businesses -- especially if your business or products don't make the cut. "Frequently, popularity rankings speak less to the merits of what's being observed and more to the fact that crowds are observing it," writes Carl Bialik, the post's author. He sums it up in two words: peer pressure. It may not be the best in its category, but because a lot of people show interest in it, it becomes most popular.

I guess we never really outgrow that desire to "fit in." The question is: how do we help our customers feel like part of the in-crowd when using our products and services? Any ideas?

Banks, Reborn

When businesses shut down shop, there's really no telling what will happen to the spaces they leave behind. It think it would be fairly safe to say that the majority of these storefronts end up being leased by another players from the same industry (i.e., retailers for retail stores, food service for restaurants, banks for banks). However, there are exceptions to every rule and PSFK's Retail blog points this out in their commentary on a Slate magazine slide show titled "Banks, Reborn."

The Dadson Diaries commented a few weeks back on how shopping malls were creatively filling empty spaces with wave riding machines and community colleges. Looks like they aren't the only landlords eager for tenants. If the price is right and the location is too, a little outside the box thinking and a talented design and construction team could make it work.

Putting Vacant Storefronts to Work

It seems like everywhere you look these days, there's an advertisement. Some are kind of "out there" (i.e., printing on urinal cakes, anyone?), but others actually make some sense. I think this would fall into the latter category.

Store vacancies are on the rise, leaving empty -and often unsightly- storefronts scattered around cities; and, as landlords are learning, finding replacement tenants isn't always quick and easy -even for locations that are considered "prime real estate." Instead of leaving these empty storefronts empty, some enterprising landlords are trading in the traditional "For Rent" window signs and paper covering for paid advertisements.

Talk about turning lemons into lemonade. The "window billboards" are proving to be pretty attractive with advertisers like Intel, Nestea, and Snickers because of their relatively low rates and their desirable locations -street-level in high-traffic neighborhoods. But the advertisers aren't the only ones benefiting. The property begins generating some money for the landlord and the neighbors no longer have to look at an unsightly eyesore.

The one question that I have, though, is how do these ads affect a landlord's ability to rent out the space? Do you have any insight to share? We'd love to hear it.

Corporate Style Takes Cue from Retail

One of the main tenets of retail design is incorporating the brand and products into the space. This goes beyond a logo here and product display there. It's about using carefully-selected materials, colors, and design elements to immerse store visitors in a complete brand experience.

It looks as though at least one consumer products giant is taking a cue from retail when it comes to their corporate offices. P. & G. Global Prestige Products group recently revealed its newly-renovated office space to the New York Times' audience and it's clear that the group's line of luxury products drove the design.

The result is an "airy, sunlit labyrinth of glass partitions, mother-of-pearl finishes and romantic air-brushed photographs juxtaposed with views of the city skyline." And the conference rooms have become a sort-of sales floor as "white dominates the color scheme to better highlight products on display in horizontal lighted shadowboxes on a wall in each conference room." Lifestyle graphics mounted above the shadowboxes finish off the look.

Could this be a new trend in corporate office design? Have retail designers found yet another outlet for their creative visions? Leave a comment and share your opinion.

Starbucks: Designed for Mental Downtime?

The coffee wars are on. McDonald's is launching a campaign touting its McCafe drinks. Starbucks, not to be outdone, has launched a campaign of its own.

Promoting its coffee as more than just coffee, a new Starbucks print ad includes this statement: "Our stores are designed to encourage daydreams, doodling, and general mental downtime with comfy chairs and the soft hiss of the espresso machine as your soundtrack." Wait? Was that a nod to its stores' interior design? Even though F.C. Dadson didn't create the design or provide the fixtures, it's still a pretty proud moment. A retailer, and a big one at that, is advertising its stores as being a point of differentiation from its competitors -- an idea that we've been sharing with our clients from day one.

Compete on price and you may lose. Compete on value and ambiance -- now you might have something. Because can you really daydream in a plastic booth at a fast food joint with all those rambunctious kids, giggling teenagers, and scolding parents?

CNC Technology: A Display Manufacturer's Best Friend

Display makers are really stepping up their game these days. Their incredible creations are capturing attention everywhere. Sure, this wave of innovation can be attributed to the creative, new materials and design techniques that are emerging, but a large part of it stems from improved manufacturing processes.

While it isn't new to the scene, computer numeric control (CNC) technology is still making waves in the display industry. These CNC machines are improving the display making process and providing benefits that even the end-user can appreciate. First, the level of automation CNC offers improves efficiency by increasing the machine's available work time (they can be left to run overnight or over the weekend) while decreasing the possibility for error. This can lead to reduce costs, and who doesn't like saving money?

CNC also offers unparalleled consistency and allows the machines to perfectly replicate pieces. This ensures that point of purchase programs and other projects that require several identical displays to be produced end with just that -- several identical displays.

Who would have thought that three little letters could change manufacturing in such a big way? With all it has going for it, it seems like CNC couldn't get any better...but it is. Machine fabricators are pushing the technology into new dimensions, opening the door to even more design possibilities, and I, for one, can't wait to see what comes next.

Stores-within-Stores

Say you're an existing retailer with locations throughout the country, and say you have this cool idea of a new business concept that piggybacks on your original retail concept. How would you go about rolling out this new concept? Well, if you're anything like Toys 'R' Us, you would feature the new concept as a "store" within your original locations. This is exactly what the toy retailer is doing with its new 'R' Market convenience concept and it's a pretty crafty idea.

Stores-within-stores present some interesting opportunities for retailers. First, they allow proactive retailers to roll out new concepts without the total investment of opening up a new location. Second, they allow retailers to "test" the concept. Should it prove to be a roaring success, these stores-within-stores could also provide a good springboard for opening up separate locations when the money's there and the time is right.

What do you think about this whole "store-within-a-store" idea? Leave a comment. We'd love to hear it.

Looking for start-up money? Ask the Frequent Fliers.

It's no secret that traditional funding for entrepreneurial pursuits is all but dried up. But the great thing about entrepreneurs is that they are a creative group of people and one of that group's fearless leaders, Richard Branson, is providing yet another avenue for entrepreneurs to get their ideas off the ground(literally): PitchTV.

Entrepreneurs can create video clips (no longer than 2 minutes) and upload them to the Virgin website. Visitors of the site then vote on their favorites. The top 5 vote-getters each month win the prize of having their pitches aired on PitchTV, a new channel in Virgin Atlantic's in-flight entertainment line-up.

The goal of the project is to put aspiring business people in need of funding in contact with those current business people who might just want to do some investing. It's a clever idea (leave it to Branson to come up with it). It'll be interesting to see which, if any, pitches get any traction with this service.

Decision-Making Is a Science

So it's the day after Earth Day and I think the environmental focus is still with me. Perusing through my usual suspects for blog post fodder, I came across a New York Times Magazine article titled "Why Isn't the Brain Green?" and I immediately clicked on it. I wasn't sure what I was expecting to get from it, but what I got wasn't something I would expect: insight into decision-making.

The brunt of the article focused on people's decision-making when it came to environmental topics --not the particular decisions being made but how people came to them. Taking away the environmental overtones, the article's author presents some ideas that could most definitely apply to consumer decision-making in the retail environment.

Here are some tidbits I found particularly interesting:

• People can behave unexpectedly when faced with seemingly simple choices.
• We all possess "automatic biases" such as being "more adverse to losses than we are interested in gains."
• We are "extremely susceptible" to how questions are posed.
• We have different processes for assessing risk (analytical and emotional) and both present their own unique problems.
• We enjoy knowing we're part of a group, and if reminded of that membership, the group becomes "sort of the decision-making unit."

My take-away: It's hard to anticipate the decisions people are going to make, but tinkering with how the decision to be made is framed could help shape the outcome.

Look Before You Lease

You would think that something as important as a lease should come in easy-to-understand terms. I mean, it would really be a win-win for the landlord and tenant if the fine print was cut out and replaced with wording that was straight-forward and to the point. The tenants would know exactly what they were getting into and wouldn't sign leases with terms that they knew they couldn't meet. That would leave the landlords with tenants that could make timely rent payments and accommodate the other lease requirements.

BUT in the real world that's so not the case, and it's up to the prospective tenants to do their due diligence before entering leases. Helping provide some direction on what to think about is this article from Womenentrepreneur.com. Suggested items to consider include:

• Length of lease
• Additional rent
• Tenant improvements
• Maintenance costs and fees
• Penalties for breaking the lease

And of course it is always recommended that you have a lawyer review the lease before signing it. They are essentially paid to pore over the fine print and will help you score the best lease for you and your business.

The New Look of Laminate

Today, everyone seems to be on the hunt for less expensive alternatives to their favorite things. Even retail fixtures aren't immune from the trend as we're finding that many of our clients are looking for a way to get the same look and feel but without the high price tag. Lucky for them, one durable, flexible and -most importantly- economical material is coming to the rescue.

There seems to be a preconceived nothing that because laminates play the more "economical" role, they also have to dress the part. The reality, however, is that the laminates on the market today are not your mother's laminates. Nor do they have to be of the solid color variety so popular in the '80s and '90s. As paper assortments grow and printing and coating technologies continue to improve, so too does laminate's ability to mimic costlier building products like wood, metal and stone.

Wood grain laminates have broadened their horizons and now include patterns for virtually every species of tree imaginable. New laminate designs showcase the nuances that make wood so stunning while finishes add a wood grain texture realistic enough to fool the fingertips.

Metal laminates have come a long way as well. What always seemed to be lacking was that luster, but new finishing options have turned laminates into reflective surfaces, shiny enough to entice a second look.

Scaling back on budget doesn't mean you have to scale back on your design. Laminates have proven themselves as cost-effective alternatives. Combine the realistic looks with the surface durability and flexibility and one might even argue that these materials are better than the real thing.

CompUSA: It's Alive!

CompUSA is making a comeback with its "Retail 2.0" strategy, according to this post on Wired.com's Gadget Lab blog. Yes, this is the very same CompUSA that declared bankruptcy and shuttered stores a little over a year ago. Now, Systemax, the electronics retailer's parent company, is hoping that it can use its online retailing success as a springboard for success in the physical marketplace. New tactics include "agressive prices, remodeled stores, improved lighting and in-store web access for comparison shopping."

While in-store web access isn't anything new, what is pretty revolutionary --and gutsy in my opinion-- is that CompUSA isn't limiting what pages can be accessed. That means I could walk into one of the 30 new CompUSA stores, head over to one of the display computers, and update my Facebook status, post a new blog entry, or see what kind of deal Amazon.com has for the very computer I'm using at the moment.

It takes a pretty confident retailer to let customers carry out that last action in-store, but maybe CompUSA is smarter than we think. After all, it's hard not to have some respect for a store that isn't afraid to help its customers find exactly what they are looking for instead of letting them settle for less. Not to mention, it allows customers access to a wealth of product information --more than any in-store signage can display.

It's hard to say whether this "Retail 2.0" strategy will fully revive the once-successful electronics retailer, but the absence of competitors like Circuit City and The Sharper Image doesn't hurt its chances. It's also hard to say whether the idea of open internet access will catch on with other retailers. Perhaps we'll be finding more kiosks and computers in our favorite stores. Then again maybe not. We shall see.

Kiosks Get Personal

Online shopping is a personal experience. For starters, you can do it from the comfort of your own home. Returning visitors are greeted with a "Hi [insert name here]" and given recommendations based on past purchases. Even new visitors are treated to the "You might also like" list of recommendations based on what you're searching for. It's like having your own personal sales associate who is trying his best to be genuinely helpful.

Not to be outdone, bricks-and-mortar retailers may soon get a boost in offering a more personal in-store experience through advances in kiosk technology. This article on NYTimes.com tells of new prototypes being built by the likes of Intel that will be equipped to deliver a purchase experience similar to what you would find online. With the swipe of an identification care (i.e., something similar to customer loyalty cards given out by grocery stores), the kiosks can greet the customer by first name. They can also make product recommendations and even allow customers to virtually try on products before deciding whether to buy or not. Instead of relying on a sales associate, customers could essentially serve themselves.

So, does that mean that sales associates are doomed to become a thing of the past? Eh, probably not. Just as with any technology, you'll have people who are afraid to try it or who need help using it. It might, however, mean that sales people will need to get more tech-savvy in addition to learning customer service.

Riding Waves at the Mall

Money might be tight, but there's no shortage of creativity coming from the retail industry these days. To see the latest of their creative works, look no further than your local mall. With vacancies rising, mall owners are turning to some unusual solutions to fix this growing problem reports the New York Times.

Some are harnessing the power of waves and filling vacant stores with increasingly-popular wave-making machines. One adventure sports retailer, Adrenalina, has even added the water ride to its stores. The contraption may not be that aesthetically-pleasing, but the experience is attracting enthusiastic crowds and repeat visits.

Some other solutions that may not be as exciting as a wave-making machine but still effective include: inviting non-traditional mall tenants like grocery stores to set up shop, dividing up larger spaces to accommodate more than one retailer, and turning empty anchor stores into community colleges. Some mall owners have also been encouraging smaller tenants to take over larger spaces. Pop-up environments have also been providing temporary relief.

Walking through my local mall this weekend, I saw quite a few vacant storefronts with "New construction starting soon" signs hanging in the windows. I don't think we'll be getting a wave-riding machine any time soon, but this article has me a little excited to see what'll be opening up in coming months.

A Gin and Tonic & That Pair of Jeans, Please

First, there were coffee counters and in-store cafes. Now one of the hottest fixtures in the retail environment is: The Bar. I suppose that there are very few things that can put people at ease quite like alcohol and it looks like some men's clothing retailers are hoping that it will make guys comfortable enough to stick around and make some purchases.

This article on WSJ.com digs deeper into the bar craze, but I think this little trend goes beyond the counter and stools and spreads to the rest of the store environment. It really comes down to creating an atmosphere. Color schemes, material selection, lighting patterns, graphics, and even the music help further convey that lounge feeling many of these retailers are going for. If men don't generally care for the traditional shopping experience and store environment, why not make it resemble an activity and place that they enjoy?

But this trend isn't limited to lounges for men. Once you have a good idea of your target market and their likes and dislikes, there's a huge variety of design elements that can be used to tailor the experience to these shoppers.