Customers notice the details.  They can tell if a contractor has cut corners.   The transition detail in B above was installed instead of the one shown in A below.  As architects we can observe the construction and point out discrepancies, but it is the client that must insist that a contractor exactly follow the details shown on the construction drawings.  It is to their advantage to do so.

This bargain-basement installation detail interferes with the nice contrast between the carpet and tile.

What makes a store look expensive?  Way back in 2013 I wrote a post on this site asking if a higher price could be placed on merchandise because the store design looks expensive? The post was about the impact that a curved ceiling might be expected to have on what is generally considered inexpensive merchandise.  I concluded that answering the question about pricing was related to how well the design feature performed, which in the particular case in questions was quite well.  I bring this up again here because I want to consider the topic in a more subtle, yet possibly more important context, that being what makes a store design look expensive?

Customers notice everything.  Answering this questions means that a retailer needs to pay attention to what people notice, which is everything, whether consciously or not.  The importance of “creating a shopping experience” has been a fact of retail life for quite a while now.  Back in 2013 one of the retail marketers summed it up nicely when she said,  “..retailers should use stores to create a brand experience that customers couldn’t possibly get online.”  She went on to cite the “old adage” that “retail is detail,” saying, “stores can engage all five senses;”  the online world cannot.  Few would argue that the perception of quality involves more that just an online image;  that tactile contact with a product is critical, including how it is displayed;  that successful retailers aspire to demonstrate quality in every possible aspect of their store, because quality sells, often for more.

The refined transition detail in image A above sends a message of quality,  It is what we typically specify in this situation.  This contractor exactly followed the details on the construction drawings with positive results.

A refined transition strip is barely there, putting the attention on the contrasting finish materials.

The importance of quality.  Clearly, since sales are seen as directly effected, most retailers are acutely aware of the quality of products they bring to the market, including a range of related price points.  This is their main business and most get it right.  Merchandise displays, because they are driven by practicality, are also less prone to failures in quality.  Matching their actual store environment, on the other hand, is where things can begin to fall apart.  Finishes, In particular, are vulnerable.  Think:

  • sagging carpet,
  • old leaks exposed and never repainted,
  • light fixtures with burned out lamps,
  • cheap, broken  or mismatched ceiling tiles & floor tiles,
  • stained and dirty hvac supply and return air diffusers,
  • dirty windows.

Is it really possible that customers do not notice these things, that they do not reflect on the perceived merchandise quality, that they do not contribute to a customers notion of the brand? Another marketing pundit put is this way, ” a business should always strive and prove to be the best that money can afford because that solid reputation will establish a top brand that’s reliable and worthy of respect.”  I couldn’t agree more.

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