Join HomeCare at Medtrade 2004 and learn to Create Stores that Sell

“Although the term ‘showroom’ has traditionally been used to describe HME stores, you should realize that you are really trying to create a successful retail space,” says Ed Lemar, vice president of Gladson Store Design, Lisle, Ill.

According to Lemar, the design of any up-to-date and successful home health store is based on the individual image that an HME provider wants to convey. It sounds easy, but there are any number of design principles and customer requirements that must be considered — not to mention building codes and budgets.

“Stores should communicate the caring, warmth, convenience and information that customers are depending on you to provide,” Lemar says. “These attributes can be achieved through store layout, product variety, decor and knowledgeable personnel.”

At Medtrade Spring last April, Lemar and Jack Evans of Malibu, Calif.-based Global Media Marketing, two of the HME industry's leading retail design experts, explained much about retail philosophy in a hands-on store design workshop. Nearly 200 providers crowded the room as the two explained the basics of creating showrooms that make the best use of every square foot of floor space.

Using these key components, session attendees worked to create their own “perfect” showrooms. “It's clear providers have a long way to go to optimize retail sales,” says Evans, “but it's also clear that, with a little effort, providers can easily increase their cash business.”

If you missed the spring workshop, you've got another chance. Join HomeCare once again for this special Medtrade session to see what successful home health retail stores look like and how they:

• Create a great first impression

• Utilize effective store layout

• Make shopping a comfortable and educational experience

• Set traffic patterns that draw customers through the entire store

• Use better displays

• Meet their customers' home health care needs

Learn how to increase add-on sales and sales-per-customer by merchandising to meet 100 percent of your customers' needs in any category. Toss out your old fixtures, open up your aisles and see how your showroom can stimulate customers to touch, try and buy.

The retail design workshop will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 26, from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon. For more information, visit www.medtrade.com.