Win the Fight for Floor Space
Refrigerators and fixtures increase square footage

FLORAL DEPARTMENTS always seem to be at a loss for space. Merchandising, especially during special promotions and peak selling seasons, can be challenging at best and nightmarish at worst. And storage space is nearly nonexistent.

Floor space is generally acquired by begging, borrowing, stealing or overflowing into other departments, into the back room, behind the baler, on overhead catwalks, under stairwells-- just about anywhere space can be found.

These temporary solutions may take care of the immediate problem, but result in significant dollar losses because of:

• Inefficient use of department personnel--too many trips to and from the back room trying to find merchandise;
• Lost, buried and damaged merchandise;
• Excessive and duplicate ordering caused by the inability to accurately inventory stock and
• Frustration at all levels.

While technology has yet to solve the lack of display and storage space through flexible building materials, new designs and developments in floral refrigerators and display fixtures offer effective and inexpensive answers to the problem.

A common element in floral departments is the step display fixture. The typical 10-foot long display with three levels of 12-inch steps and 12-inch risers requires 120 square feet of floor space. It provides 30 linear feet of 12-inch deep display area, but no storage space.

A three-tier step display increases flexibility in merchandising while increasing storage space by as much as 30 percent.

A 10-foot unit provides three tiers, but two are convertible. With the ease of pulling open a drawer, the unit converts to a four or five step display with 6- or 6- and 12- inch risers, respectively. In the five-tier mode, the merchandising capacity includes 40 linear feet (6-inch deep) and 10 linear feet (12-inch deep). Additional floor space required: None.

The base of this new unit provides about 25 cubic feet of secure storage space. Increased merchandising flexibility, higher profits per square foot and two cubic feet of storage for each linear foot of display result, without loose parts to store.

Innovations have increased the interior space in floral coolers without requiring additional floor space.

Although using a standard approach to routine merchandising the display cooler works much of the time, occasionally the product mix or volume requires something different. Traditional shelving and hardware tend to limit flexibility.

By exchanging interior parts and hardware, merchandising options can be expanded to accommodate arrangements and bouquets at the same time.

For example, an 8-foot wide, open cooler display case set for five tiers of bouquets, (approximately 43 vases) can be adjusted to display a 50/50 mix of bouquets and arrangements. The result is 24 vases and more than 12 linear feet of 12-inch deep tempered glass shelf merchandising. The display also can accommodate 30 linear feet of shelf space when the product mix calls for arrangements only.

Not to be forgotten is the square footage in the back room. A simple unit- 6 feet wide, 5 feet deep and 6 feet tall-- provides more than 180 cubic feet of space. Such a unit, secured with a lock and key, will hold nine 3- by 2- by 2-feet boxes. Add 2-inch deep by 3-inch wide side door panels with adjustable shelving or compartments and the storage space grows.

Economical to build, such a storage unit returns its cost in savings from lost or damaged inventory. Additionally, time and labor costs are reduced because floral personnel spend less time searching the back room for misplaced product and more time on the sales floor.

If purchasing or building new display fixtures is not an option, maximize the space in your floral department by redesigning work centers and service counters. File drawers, ribbon drawers, storage compartments, sliding tissue platforms, paper roll compartments, balloon storage trays, helium tank storage, perimeter step merchandising and shelving can be easily designed into your counter fixtures. Such renovations can almost double your space.

Gain ground in the fight for square footage by asking for input from refrigeration, fixture and design professionals. They may be able to find space where none seems to exist.