Kincaid Furniture Expands Kincaid Shoppe Retail Concept Nationwide

Furniture World News Desk on 5/21/2013

Kincaid Furniture Company reported that it  is expanding its Kincaid Shoppe retail merchandising program nationwide, recently adding furniture retailers in Denver, Colo., and Grand Rapids, Mich. Both of these stores and others are reporting sales success with an innovative in-store merchandising program that integrates with Kincaid’s proprietary Shoppelink™ touch-screen design and sales software.

“The Kincaid Shoppe is comprehensive, which makes our job easier in helping customers find everything they need all in one location in the store,” said Jason Israels, owner of Klingman’s Furniture in Grand Rapids. “The Kincaid Shoppe is a competitive advantage for us, and we’re seeing increasing sales as a result.”

Scott Larrabee, owner of Larrabee’s Furniture & Design in Denver, finds that his customers today expect retailers to not only offer well-laid out furniture settings, but to feature the latest in technology.

“The vast majority of our customers shop online before they come into the store,” said Larrabee, who opened the store in March of this year in a previous location of Kacey Fine Furniture. “This new generation of furniture shoppers enjoys viewing catalogs online and they expect that we will have this same level of technology inside the store. Furniture retailers who fail to adopt technology will find themselves challenged in the future.”

The Kincaid Shoppe is a comprehensive merchandising program that features Kincaid’s best-selling groups for bedrooms, dining and upholstery. Additionally, the program includes a 600-swatch fabric wall, interchangeable signage and Kincaid’s patent-pending Shoppelink touch screen computer system.

Shoppelink supports kiosks as well as tablets and smart phones, enabling sales personnel to assist customers in viewing the full range of Kincaid offerings while varying upholstery and finishes with a touch on the screen. The system is adapted to each retail location to provide instant price quotes based on the individual store’s pricing programs.

“Our goal with the Kincaid Shoppe and Shoppelink is to provide retail salespeople with all of the tools they need to assist customers in a way that is totally customer focused and fun,” said Max Dyer, vice president of marketing for Kincaid. “We support our retail partners every step of the way in implementing the Kincaid Shoppe, from design and installation of the Shoppe to training of floor personnel.”

The Klingman’s retail store brand has been an icon in Grand Rapids since 1896 when Grand Rapids hosted a national furniture market; Israels acquired rights to the Klingman’s brand and opened his new store in 2011. As a result of its furniture heritage, Grand Rapids homeowners have a deep knowledge and respect for well-made, solid wood furniture, which sets the bar high for a store operating under the Klingman’s name.

“Many furniture retailers today are operating from a smaller footprint, which makes a merchandising concept such as the Kincaid Shoppe all the more important,” said Israels, who committed 3,000 square feet to the Kincaid Shoppe. “One of the greatest strengths of the Kincaid Shoppe is the training and support provided so that our people can take full advantage of the new sales tools, such as ShoppeLink.”

Scott and Carolyn Larrabee are third generation furniture retailers who briefly retired from the business in 2010, only to be tempted back into the business this year when a Kacey Fine Furniture flagship store location became available in Denver.

“We’re working with a world class visual display specialist while we upgrade our technology in the store,” Scott Larrabee said. “Our goal is to provide every sales associate with an iPad so they focus on their customers’ needs. With an iPad connected to ShoppeLink, a sales person never has to leave a customer’s side during their entire shopping experience. Everything they need to make the sale is right there in their hands.”

About Kincaid: Founded in 1946, Kincaid Furniture Company is the nation’s leading manufacturer and marketer of solid wood furniture. Kincaid’s growth is based on a commitment to quality solid wood case goods, fashionable upholstery, and the best service the industry has to offer. Kincaid Furniture Company is part of La-Z-Boy Incorporated’s family of companies. For more information on Kincaid, please visit www.kincaidfurniture.com.