Each year we hear about the increase in online sales, and the talk of the demise of brick-and-mortar stores. But, brick-and-mortar stores aren’t going anywhere – if they adapt. And Pella Windows & Doors is adapting.
Rather than reducing or eliminating its retail footprint altogether, Pella is redesigning more than 200 of its stores, introducing new Experience Centers across the country over the next three years. The company currently has 16 Experience Centers open in key markets including Minneapolis, Houston, Lexington and Boise and plans to have 32 Experience Centers open by the end of this year.
The significant store redesign is a result of customer research conducted in partnership with design firm, Eleven, a creative brand consultancy and Star, a face-to-face experiential marketing company.
“Our research not only validated that physical stores are still important but indicated that there was an opportunity to make shopping for windows and doors more personalized and experiential,” said Emily Videtto, Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President, Pella Corporation.
The new experience centers are grounded in the philosophy of making it easier and more inspiring for customers to shop for window and door products. Built around functionality and flexibility, Pella Experience Centers are staffed with brand ambassadors who can personalize product selections and curate product comparisons based on a customer’s style or based on customers known preferences through online configuration options or in-home meetings with design consultants. Within the experience centers customers can operate fully-functional window and door products allowing them to experience the difference in performance and design offered by Pella.
“We’re working with our customers to build a relationship online that seamlessly transitions to our physical stores. Eighty percent of our customers are going online as part of their purchase experience and more than fifty percent visit a showroom,” said Stephanie Haywood, Omnichannel Manager, Pella Corporation. “We have seen a clear shift from people wanting information to people wanting to experience something as part of their decision process – especially when it comes to their home. They want to shop in a way that is personal, high-touch and enjoyable.”
The architectural design breaks the store space into manageable areas that naturally help the customer through the store and make it easier to navigate. The open floor plan features workstations and multiple screens throughout the space so designers, architects or builders can work on projects independently or with their homeowner clients. The Centers were intentionally designed to include large conference spaces available for events or group education, training, discussions and presentations.
