Successful showrooms drive sales with a dependable selection of popular products and fashion-forward features in an environment appealing to both professional trades and retail customers. American Standard's flexible, style-savvy display systems are designed to create the optimum in guest experience and business results, as evidenced in the 30 percent post-remodel sales increase experienced by Longley Supply of New Bern, N.C.

A redesign for freshness, flexibility and stronger sales

Longley Supply, a premier American Standard wholesale partner, was looking to increase sales by modernizing and adding flexibility to its 2,500-square-foot showroom in New Bern, North Carolina, for improved appeal to retail traffic as well as general contractors, designers, architects and engineers.

"It was an old-school layout," recalls Allen Broome, the store's general manager. "We had hand-built suites and very, very few faucets on display, and slat walls. It was tough trying to sell the suites, and when a particular product was discontinued, it was almost an act of Congress to tear down the related display and rebuild."

Broome and his team wanted a more contemporary environment for sales opportunities, with versatile displays and a wider product variety, all in the existing showroom footprint. They also needed a design solution that could be implemented via the least disruptive manner and most expedient timetable possible.

The transformation begins

By partnering with showroom design firm Systeme Huntingdon Inc. (Shi) of Canada, Longley Supply moved quickly toward a quality, time-saving transformation with specialists who understood their challenges.

"They were looking for modularity in the sense that they could upgrade products very often, since they wanted to attract the designers who come in on a regular basis and keep them from getting bored," says Shi project manager Stephan Roy. "They were also looking to get a good return on their investment, meaning that they wanted to be able to move the displays around without having to refresh the entire showroom."

Shi also offered a renovation approach that would greatly reduce construction down time: All showroom components would be fabricated off-site, trimming the timeline of on-site work from the typical three months to four speedy days of installation.

Once the pre-fabrication work was complete and Shi was ready to move the new look into the showroom, Longley Supply also had the help of their local American Standard representative to get all of the new products on display.

The results: Increased sales and customer satisfaction

After the remodel was complete and the showroom reopened for business, the new American Standard product display scheme racked up impressive, immediate results: a 30 percent increase in sales during the first year alone. As they had hoped to do, Longley Supply attracted both retail and professional interest with the showroom's accessible open floor plan, smart wall systems, and rich, contemporary finishes.

As the strong sales continue, Broome and his team have made effective use of the modular, easy-to-move displays and fixtures to the constant delight of their showroom guests.

"They love it-everybody loves it," says Broome. "We get a lot of compliments on our showroom, and it's doing well."