 We’re
Planning a New Gift Shop. What Approach Does the
Advantage Program Recommend?
Before you design your new shop,
design the business! In our experience, many gift
shops operate at only 50% effectiveness and profitability.
For example, these shops typically "fly by
the seat of their pants" when making merchandise
buying decisions. The retail ‘best practice’
leading to a successful new shop is to plan the
business first, and then base the new shop’s
design on the requirements of the business.
How
Does the Advantage Program Help Design a New Shop?
Doesn’t the Architect Do that?
You must design your new business
before you meet with your facility’s planning
team or the architectural team. The architect
can design the new shop around the needs of the
business. For example, you will be able to tell
the architect exactly how much selling space you
need to meet sales and profit potential. A hospital
or healthcare facility gift shop designed from
the beginning, as a mainstream retail store would
be planned, can increase sales by 50% or more.
What
Is Involved in Designing a New Gift Shop With
the Advantage Program?
The
Advantage Program typically
begins with a one-day visit to your site to
observe your current operation and personnel.
We will take a close look at your current
design, merchandise assortment and services
offered. This helps us to evaluate what is
working well and what needs to be changed.
Our
consultant will help you plan the department
layout for the best flow of traffic. The Advantage
Program will also assist you in planning the
use of space to maximize sales and profits
per square foot of selling space. We will help
you select attractive, functional, flexible
fixtures that will complement the shop and
the hospital lobby design concept. We will
assist you in creating your own signature look.
Among
the other topics covered in this visit are:
management structure, cash register point-of-sale
systems, hours of shop operation, storage,
merchandise receiving, marking and back office
accountability. Once Advantage Program has
reviewed your shop, we begin designing the
new shop with "new
shop basics,’
which includes projecting sales and profit potential.
What
is the Next Step After the One-Day Visit?
Within 21 working days after our
visit, we will provide you with your customized
‘New Shop Planning Guide.’ This is
a comprehensive report covering all aspects of
your gift shop’s design and operation. The
new design will be described in detail, so you
can simply refer the architect to the Guide. The
New Shop Planning Guide will give you sales and
profit projections for the new gift shop. Your
Guide will contain specific recommendations on
how you can achieve the design and the sales plan
for the new shop.
This Guide has detailed plans
for every aspect of your new gift shop, from a
financial operations plan to a master floor plan
to a buyer’s assortment plan. We also include
a Vendor’s Directory with information on
where to find new and interesting merchandise
product lines for your shop.
Will
Advantage Program Help Us Through the Implementation
Phase Once We Have the New Shop Planning
Guide?
Yes!
We will be available to answer questions via telephone,
regular mail and e-mail. This service extends
from the time you receive your New Shop Planning
Guide to six months after the date on which your
new gift shop opens.
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