Beyond 2000/Pedro Mendiguren
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DESIGN,
FABRICATION,
INSTALLATION
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Our window specialists canquote you an unbeat-
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NUTTER
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1 14 • WINTER 1995 • STYLE
BIRMINGHAM, 1705 S. Woodward . . . . 810' 647.5581
313 285.8010
SOUTHGATE, 15348 Fort
313 525-4420
LIVONIA
810 775-6128
ST. CLAIR SHORES
810 229-0051
BRIGHTON
313 994.6060
• ANN ARBOR
TOLEDO (419) 536.2900 GRAND RAPIDS (616) 4514705 LANSING (517)349-2810
warehouse - format stores with a high lev-
el of customer service, and have struck a re-
sponsive chord with consumers. Looking to
the future, retailers will offer larger than tra-
ditional stores with a significantly broader
and deeper selection of products and ser-
vices in the design areas.
Other consumer benefits include: a more
convenient layout; a professionally staffed
design center in a central-store location:
grouping of complementary product cate-
gories; and a variety of "how-to" clinics con-
ducted by in-house design professionals.
Customers are becoming more knowl-
edgeable and sophisticated and need to be
treated with respect. We're seeing a gen-
eration that is highly educated in many ar-
eas—high-tech, professionally—but have
had limited experience with "hands-on"
home improvement.
As baby boomers reach middle age, they
are spending more time at home, and in-
vesting more in improvement and updat-
ing of their homes. Younger consumers,
many buying or building their first homes,
are also focused on the home.
All of these consumers seek value; thus,
the increase in "doing it yourself ' and "buy-
ing it yourself." They take great pride in the
accomplishment as well. While many "baby
boomers" are comfortably "high-tech," they
are not necessarily "hands-on" when it
comes to their homes, and have high ex-
pectations of customer service. Important-
ly, they are reluctant to pay a premium price.
In coming years, retailers will need to pro-
vide extra design services and instruction to
consumers. Convenience in the form of fast
"in-and-out," convenient and ample park-
ing, easy access, and speedy checkout will
be the hallmarks of the successful retailer.
Faster checkout lines, with electronic coun-
tertop scanners and faster registers, as well
as a system to speed up check approval, will
be widespread in coming years.
Electronic Data Interchange offers larger
retailers a direct link with suppliers,
allowing retailers to order and pay for
merchandise through linked computer
systems, enabling the stores to have the prod-
uct on the shelf when the customer needs it.
The "power center" format is continu-
:ng to be strong, offering convenience and
ow prices. Consumers today want a one-
stop shopping format with everything un-
der one roof and with exceptional customer
service.