Article Number : 4789 |
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Article Detail |
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| Date | 8/31/2009 9:33:28 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=4789 |
| Abstract | By Mollie Surratt Marketing communications manager, Shaw Industries There are so many options and choices in hardwood floors today that the typical customer can feel overwhelmed. And if that customer is a woman, experts say her needs must be... |
| Article | By Mollie Surratt Marketing communications manager, Shaw Industries There are so many options and choices in hardwood floors today that the typical customer can feel overwhelmed. And if that customer is a woman, experts say her needs must be evaluated and considered differently from male customers. Remember that the spending power of women equals $5 trillion, and women account for 85% of all consumer purchases, including everything from autos to health care. Women also represent the majority of the online market. Mary Liz Curtin is a retailer, author and speaker on the topics of running a small business and specifically attracting female consumers. Throughout her store, which sells furniture and gifts, Curtin has styled vignettes that tell a story and appeal to her female customer base. “We approach in low-key ways and engage in conversation,” she said. “We never start selling until we know what they’re looking for. We never talk down to them, and we ask them a lot of questions. ‘Do you have pets or children?’ ‘Who is going to be using this product?’” Overall women want control, respect, appreciation and meaning when they shop. They appreciate extras and form brand alliances. They want the retailer to solve her problem, but also to make her the pilot. Fiona Pietruski is chief marketing officer at SheSpeaks, the leading women’s insights and word-of-mouth marketing network. Pietruski suggests that flooring retailers encourage women to bring photos of their home to the store. “This type of interactive and involved interaction... [will] give women comfort before they make a purchase.” Companies that take the time to understand how people consume and don’t treat women as one mass population will be successful, according to Pietruski. “Have a good understanding of what is important to them.” Sandi Graham, hard surface stylist, Shaw Industries, says women want as much style as they can afford. “They respond to color and look for texture. Flooring manufacturers are treating surface texture differently to give the consumer more variety than ever before with smooth and high-gloss products and techniques like embossing, hand-scraping and wire brushing.” Graham notes that the female consumer “is educated and savvy” and often has a preconceived notion of what she wants her home to represent. She is looking for a story. “Consumers want well thought-out color palettes and design ideas they can take home and easily use,” she explained. “Theme boards are a great marketing tool- collections of flooring and paint samples supporting the color story. They offer a pre-determined, coordinated selection consumers like.” Graham says today’s customer sees the floor as a design statement. “She doesn’t want her grandmother’s wood floor. So retailers must give her products with unique characteristics that exemplify her personality.” |