THE DEMAND FOR WHEELCHAIRS is expected to keep rising, making them an attractive revenue stream for home medical equipment providers. But which wheelchairs roll out the door-and how quickly-depends in part, experts say, on how well they are displayed.

"People don't come into [HME] stores to window-shop," says Kirk Schnack, chief executive officer at Mobility Unlimited, Cape Coral, Fla. "So selling wheelchairs is not a typical merchandising situation where we just put stuff on the floor to sell, so to speak. We're putting solutions to customers' medical needs on the floor."

Which wheelchairs should be included in your display? There are many to choose from: manual and power, standard and lightweight, front-wheel, mid-wheel and rear-wheel drive,etc. The challenge, providers say, is to select those chairs that not only meet reimbursement criteria but also meet the customers' needs and desires.

Durability In Demand "I try to look at what I think the consumer would like in a wheelchair and then match that with which chairs I bring into the showroom," says Brian Serratore, vice president of operations at Phil Care Home Medical Equipment, noting that his showroom in Warminster, Pa., displays 12 wheelchairs from four manufacturers.

Several factors come into play in selecting wheelchairs for display, he and other providers say. Durability and reliability are key, because customers expect their chairs to function with few problems. The chair's longevity is also a factor because of Medicare's tightened wheelchair reimbursements.

Providers say they particularly value wheelchairs from manufacturers that have good warranty policies and offer the proper level of support service. "We looked at the maintenance records of the different manufacturers and just picked the top ones because we didn't want a lot of maintenance problems," says Steven Musgrave, vice president and treasurer at Scooters Plus, Beaumont, Texas. "We also looked at the maintenance support they had in place so we would be able to have that type of backup if we had a repair problem. We want something that's going to hold up and something the customer's going to be able to adapt and repair."

Musgrave says his company currently displays more than 30 chairs from 10 manufacturers.

Features vs. Price When selecting which wheelchairs to carry and display, you should also consider more qualitative issues such as patient comfort and extra feature packages. Choosing on the basis of these factors is a challenge, however, because manufacturers produce a variety of wheelchairs with different features at different price levels.

In an attempt to cover all the bases, many providers say they show as wide a selection of wheelchairs as possible. "I display as many wheelchairs as will comfortably fit in the showroom," says Mitchell Squires, vice president at Scooters to Go, Houston. "I don't think there's a good, set number. I like to keep a lot of different units, but I don't keep a lot of the same units. I like customers to have a choice because no two people are going to be comfortable in the same chair."

The showroom at Scooters to Go is 1,700 square feet, 40 percent of which is used to display 12 chairs.

While it is advantageous to display a variety of wheelchairs, say providers, it is also important not to overwhelm customers with too many choices. "We want to have a number of chairs on display without getting carried away," says Mark Stinson, general manager at Barrier Free Access, Byron, Minn. "We found that if we have too many on the floor, it just confuses customers."

Stinson has found a happy medium between choice and confusion by displaying seven chairs from just two or three manufacturers.

The Wheelchair Setup Once you have selected which wheelchairs to display, the next step is to set them up on the showroom floor. You can use any number of layouts and merchandising techniques, ranging from impressive (and space-efficient) lineups to displays that draw attention to select chairs with spotlights. To highlight certain models-and give customers the chance to take a closer look at what's available-some providers also set up displays on stands that bring the chairs up to eye level.

"Even putting the wheelchairs on a ramp display works just fine," Squires says. "My ramp manufacturer makes a display for his ramps, and I just park some wheelchairs or scooters right on the ramp; [it] displays them perfectly, the ramp and the scooter or chair."

You might also consider placing your top-selling wheelchairs toward the front of your display to encourage sales. If you have room, it also helps to leave open space in the showroom where customers can test drive the equipment.

Aesthetics is also an issue with some customers, says Musgrave. "We put up large mirrors in our showroom because we want our clients to see themselves in their chairs," he says. "Many clients come in with a tunnel vision of the old-style wheelchair with two motors on it, thinking that's what they're going to get. So we help them see what they look like in their chair and what other people are going to be seeing."

Accentuating Accessories In conjunction with displaying the wheelchairs, you can help increase revenue by showing an assortment of wheelchair accessories, such as bags, cane holders, cushions, oxygen tank holders, rearview mirrors, trays and the like. The amount and type of such ancillary products you should display will depend on your market, providers say.

"It's based upon where we see our customer demand--and that's based upon what they ask for," Schnack says. "For example, we won't do full light packages because we find that our market really doesn't demand that."

To demonstrate how the accessories can be used, many providers attach them to the wheelchairs, but only on certain models. "We're going to have our main-selling chair without a lot of options on it, sitting there ready to sell as is, and then we have some other chairs we accessorize with bags and cushions and other products," Stinson says.

The Investment Question How much time and money should be put into setting up a wheelchair display? Many providers say their investments are minimal, adding that if anything, daily maintenance of the display is more important.

"Not much time and money is required to set up the displays," Schnacksays, for one. "But I always make sure the display looks nice and is properly presented. It's not done consciously; it's almost done subconsciously in the normal course of the day."

As with anything else, the overall quality is directly proportional to the effort put into setting up the display.

"It doesn't have to take a lot of time or money, but it can if you want to make it look nice and set it off with lighting and such," Stinson says. "It involves more planning time than anything, just to utilize the space well and decide how you're going to lay it out. But again, it all depends on what you want to put into it." HC

WHEN IT COMES to wheelchair displays, home medical equipment providers expend floor space ranging from a little to a lot. Here's how the providers we interviewed stack up:

* Barrier Free Access, Byron, Minn. Showroom Floor Size: 2,500 square feet

Percentage of Floor Devoted to Wheelchairs: 8%

Number of Wheelchairs on Display: 7

Number of Manufacturers Represented: 2-3

Percentage of Revenue From Wheelchair Sales: 10%

* Mobility Unlimited, Cape Coral, Fla. Showroom Floor Size: 3,600 square feet

Percentage of Floor Devoted to Wheelchairs: 15-20%

Number of Wheelchairs on Display: 10

Number of Manufacturers Represented: 6

Percentage of Revenue From Wheelchair Sales: 20%

* Phil Care Home Medical Equipment, Warminster, Pa. Showroom Floor Size: 1,700 square feet

Percentage of Floor Devoted to Wheelchairs: 25%

Number of Wheelchairs on Display: 12

Number of Manufacturers Represented: 2-4

Percentage of Revenue From Wheelchair Sales: 8-12%

*Scooters Plus, Beaumont, Texas Showroom Floor Size: 3,000 square feet

Percentage of Floor Devoted to Wheelchairs: 70-80%

Number of Wheelchairs on Display: 32-33

Number of Manufacturers Represented: 10

Percentage of Revenue From Wheelchair Sales: 90%

* Scooters to Go, Houston Showroom Floor Size: 1,700 square feet

Percentage of Floor Devoted to Wheelchairs: 40%

Number of Wheelchairs on Display: 12

Number of Manufacturers on Display: 4-5

Percentage of Revenue From Wheelchair Sales: 70-80%

BANNERS, POSTERS AND BROCHURES provided by the manufacturers can help focus customer attention on the various features and benefits of a wheelchair-and in so doing, can help drive sales, report home medical equipment providers.

"To me, a display should also include literature," says Kirk Schnack, chief executive officer at Mobility Unlimited, Cape Coral, Fla. In fact, he says this is one of the best ways manufacturers can help him in his showroom. For example, he says, it's helpful to have four-color literature with specs on hand "so people can actually see what they're buying."

Other providers, however, say they want more of an assist-and don't always get it. "I don't receive anything other than literature from manufacturers-and with some of them, it's like pulling teeth to get even that," says Mark Stinson, general manager at Barrier Free Access, Byron, Minn. "As far as signage," he adds, "they have never provided anything for me at all. I haven't found any manufacturer that's knowledgeable, really, on retail display." -R.P.