HomePlace pushes value message; new superstore charms savvy suburban shoppers - Brief Article

Discount Store News, Nov 6, 1995 by Teresa Andreoli

WESTBURY, N.Y. -- Getting a value message out to consumers in this densely populated, upscale New York suburb is a priority to the executives at HomePlace, the housewares/domestics chain that opened a superstore here last month. This 54,000-sq.-ft. store is equipped with new hunter green signs suspelqded above the store's power aisle, many declaring an everyday-low-price strategy.

"The value message was missing from our other stores," said Robert Hurwitz, chairman of the Solon, Ohio-based, 14-unit, fast-growing chain. Slogans include: "Our prices are always at or below department store sale prices" and "We will match any competitors' advertised sale price."

The "great home buys" icons--a silhouette of a house shaded in red--appear on end caps alerting consumers to exceptional buys. The icons also appear in the store's direct mail pieces, which are distributed every two weeks.

New in-store signage, a micromarketed seasonal department and a new cooking demonstration area were some of the subtle changes made to the site before the company introduced itself to this retail-intensive region in the Long Island suburbs.

Wooing the core consumer (the 25- to 55-year-old female who is part of a household earning $40,000) is paramount for HomePlace, especially in this location.

The high-income, highly educated consumers of this region are learning more each day about vast retail choices as national retailers flock here. Expo, Home Depot's fine-furnishings megastore, opened in the strip earlier this fall. There is a new Modell's Sporting Goods chain and an as-yet-vacant storefront that observers believe will be filled by a baby or children's goods superstore of some type is on the way. The demographics drew Tandy's The Incredible Universe to a nearby site earlier this fall.

Nearby, a Fortunoff, the newly expanded (and upscaled) Roosevelt Field Mall, a 3-year-old Kmart and a Price Club are just a few competitors vying to gain wallet share in the area.

Regarding the intensity of the competition, Hurwitz said, "We shop them, we look at them, but Fortunoff doesn't tell us what our customer wants. Our store managers and associates do."

Both Christmas- and Hanukkah-themed merchandise get the spotlight (during Holiday time), from small packages of Hanukkah gelt (chocolate coins) at 79 cents, to a $59.99 Shalom decorative lamp.

"The decision to display the Hanukkah seasonal items was based partly on business reasons and partly on emotional sensibilities," the chairman said. "We can't afford to offend anyone," he added.

Seasonal offerings span the central area of the store, greeting consumers as they enter.

A walk down the power aisle first brings shoppers to glassware, a category HomePlace intends to dominate, Hurwitz said. Sensuous lifestyle photography, a back-lit wall (25 linear feet) with 11 long shelves of open stock, and offerings from Mikasa to Oneida to imports could give the chain the edge it seeks.

Also of note: Endcaps, tables and displayers situated closest to the main walkway often revolve around bridal registry needs, such as gift boxes from Oneida, barware sets (entertaining supplies) from Kraftware and glass party serving sets for chips, dips and even margaritas. Since the inception of its registry in September 1994, (when the first Horneplace opened), 10,000 bridal accounts have come on line, Hurwitz said.

Natural adjacencies abound at the store, such as tabletop situated across the power aisle from dinnerware. Similarly, vignettes know no category boundaries. One tabletop display featured a chair pad, napkin, tablecloth, picture frame, dish, glass, fork and knife.

Bedding displays, outfitted with on-trend colors, fabrications and designs, dominate the left side of the store. For example, a huge and complete Eco-Ordinates collection, an upscale brand by Park B. Smith, known for its natural fibers and colors, dominates the left front of the area.

Nested within the domestics side, between towels and bedding and across from the personal care appliances display, is HomePlace's Bath and Body concept. H&BC lotions, bubble baths and stress relievers from brands VitaBath and Naturals dominate the 12-ft. linear display

Other add-on selling techniques:

* Open stock napkin rings are merchandised with every napkin, thanks to the built-in compartments in the display shelves.

* In-store signage explains how to buy the right size tablecloth.

* Bed linens are merchandised according to thread count, easing the search process for consumers.

* A touch-friendly educational display allows shoppers to feel the differences between the various thread counts, and is designed to encourage consumers to trade up.

* Demonstrations in the cooking area result in aromas of bread baking, coffee brewing, and at the time of the store opening, chicken fajitas grilling, creating excitement and piquing shoppers' interest in products.

* A table of several personal care appliances, out of the box and attached with Velcro swatches to hunter green felt, is another example of touch-friendly merchandising. Some items, like the personal massagers, were plugged-in and ready to be tested.