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.