Kitchen & Bath Design News

SEP 2015

Kitchen & Bath Design News is the industry's leading business, design and product resource for the kitchen and bath trade.

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36 | Kitchen & Bath Design News | September 2015 By Janice Costa RICKI Survey T he digital age has impacted society on every level, and the kitchen and bath showroom is no exception. While most agree that the "see and touch" aspects of a live showroom will never be replaced by digital-age substitutions, technology is defnitely transforming the traditional showroom, giving a boost to business as it impacts everything from software to displays to marketing tools. Additionally, many dealers are rethinking their showrooms to ac- commodate a changing client base, whether giving greater play to Gen X clients, Baby Boomers, higher income homeowners or budget-conscious consumers – and this more careful targeting is helping to grow business. Showrooms are also evolving in terms of product mixes and types and numbers of displays, as well as the type of experience consumers have in the showroom. That's according to a new study conducted by the Research Insti- tute for Kitchen & Cooking Intelligence (RICKI) in conjunction with Kitchen & Bath Design News, which polled 243 kitchen/bath dealers and designers who currently have a showroom. The study looked at how show- rooms are evolving in terms of size, display types, product lines, technol- ogy, marketing and more. TECHNOLOGY Technology is clearly a driving factor in today's evolving showroom, with technology being increasingly used by showroom personnel and on the showroom foor. Nearly half (47%) of those polled said they had either added new technology to their show- room in the past two years or planned to add it to their showroom in the next 12 months (see Graph 1) . Interestingly, the survey showed that respondents with either a large or small showroom were signifcantly more likely to have added or be plan- ning to add new technology compared to those with mid-sized showrooms. When asked what technology tools they were currently using, 91% cited smartphones, 83% said they were us- ing desktop computers, 83% noted CAD software, 78% cited product or- dering software and 74% pointed to laptop computers as important to their business. Another 67% said they use a tablet or iPad, 65% use kitchen- or bath-related apps, 50% incorporate TV projection and 48% rely on Web-based presentations (see Graph 2) . SQUARE FOOTAGE Over the past four years, showroom sizes have remained stable, with the median square footage for kitchen and bath showrooms among those polled being 2,419 square feet (see Graph 3) , compared to 2,362 in 2011. However, 16% said they will be expanding their showroom space in the coming year, with that number holding constant regardless of current showroom size. But, while showroom sizes don't seem to be changing much, there are defnitely changes going on with re- gard to the feel of the space, and how the showroom experience is evolving. As one dealer noted, "I see [the showroom] changing to be more of a spa-like experience. We are designing our showroom to enhance the experi- ence the client has when they work with us. People are busy, and plan- ning is a big part of their remodeling project. They appreciate meeting with Showroom Evolution Today's showrooms are evolving with the times, with interactive technology increasingly in evidence as showrooms work to 'wow' a more sophisticated and knowledgeable client base. 1 DEALERS ADDING OR HAVING ADDED TECHNOLOGY TO SHOWROOM 53% NO 47% YES Source: RICKI 3 MEDIAN SHOWROOM SIZE Less than 1,500 sq. ft. 31% 25% 1,500 - 2,999 sq. ft. 33% 40% 3,000 – 4,999 sq. ft. 20% 16% 5,000 – 7,499 sq. ft. 8% 8% 7,500 or more sq. ft. 8% 11% Source: RICKI 2011 2015 4 DEALERS PLANNING TO ADD SHOWROOM DISPLAYS Source: RICKI 45% YES 31% YES 32% NO 46% NO 23% MAYBE 23% MAYBE KITCHEN BATH 2 TECHNOLOGY TOOLS USED BY SHOWROOMS Smartphones 91% Desktop Computers 83% CAD Software 83% Product Ordering Software 78% Laptop Computers 74% Tablet/iPad 67% Kitchen or Bath Apps 65% TV Projection to Showcase Products 50% Web-Based Presentations 48% Project Management Software 38% Contact Management/Marketing Software 35% Regular (Not 'Smart') Mobile Phone 27% Skype/Video Conferencing 22% Video/Webcam 20% Source: RICKI

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