Grasch goes home
Home decor defines Grasch Food's floral
This is the story of what once was a tired, worn out floral department. Remodeled about eight years ago, the department had served its customers well, but the almond white, laminate counters had lost their warm glow. And the space seemed cramped and overcrowded. Even a little dull.
Such was the floral department at Grasch Foods in Brookfield, Wis. As the department began to age, Bill Grasch, owner, took notice. With partners brother Bob and sister Mary Jo Stark, Grasch made plans to give the department a look that fit into the family-owned store, which was being redesigned.
What had been a bottlenecked work space and sales area doubled in size to become a two-level department that includes 1,750 square feet on the main level and 1,500 square feet of work space downstairs. The department has an upscale, fashionable home-inspired look.
High-end, cherry laminates add a rich, warm hue to the department. Imported granite countertops provide durable, classic work surfaces. A walk-in cooler has double sliding doors that open 5 feet wide. Convertible step merchandisers allow for visual variety in displays.
"We maximized every inch of floor space to provide him merchandising flexibility and maximum exposure without it being overly congested," says Marcy Britigan, owner of LaGrange Park, Ill.-based refrigeration and fixture supplier MEI. "The image projected is very upscale. Nothing was spared."
Shoppers know the warm-toned woods, natural work surfaces and inviting lighting.
"These trends are going on in homes," Grasch says. "People are gravitating to these work surfaces and colors. We've created a feel-good atmosphere for people to shop."
Halogen and jewel lights spotlight products such as high-quality glassware.
"Customers appreciate everything - all the changes - and the nice part of it all is that the rotation is there. Everything is so fresh, customers can depend on their flowers lasting," Grasch says.
Providing consumers with that freshness is assisted by a double-sided elevator that helps the staff move easily from the lower-level processing area to the sales floor. Flowers also stay fresh in a 22-foot-long, 7-foot-wide, walk-in cooler; a 15-foot-long, 6-foot-wide, back-up cooler on the main floor; and a 20-foot-long cooler shared with other departments.
The Grasch floral staff of four full-time employees and six part-time employees love what they do, Grasch says. Undoubtedly, the staff enjoys the department's atmosphere as well as the customers do. And their enjoyment may be all the greater considering the wait.
"I met Marcy two years ago," Grasch says. "When I first talked to her, this was a dream and she was good enough to hang in there until we were able to achieve it all."
The store's family history was a point in favor of success. The business has been owned by the family for years and has grown consistently. Half of the store was redesigned this past year, and the complete face-lift will be completed by year's end.
"We just finished the produce department," Grasch says. "We're using cherry and granite throughout. We have beautiful oak valances that were put in about 12 years ago, so rather than pulling out that rich, warm look, we're adding a cherry railing to tie the whole store together."
It's this eclectic design mix Grasch has seen in home décor and expects to continue seeing into the next millennium. Britigan, who gathers trend information from sources such as the Store Fixturing Show, also has seen this mixed media design style.
"Stores in general are following trends in retail design more so than in the past," she says. "Homes are taking on a softer look, and supermarkets are adopting that warm, contemporary look."
The look created in Grasch Foods has a feel similar to an upscale department store. Those stores are warm with soft corners and soft wood grains, Britigan says. They're mixing materials such as wood and faux stone.
How important is it to watch the latest department store looks or incorporate store design trends into your floral shop?
"A well-fixtured, well-engineered department earns sales," Britigan says. "A client refixtured a good, profitable store with a new cooler, workstation, wall treatment and step fixtures. Within one month, sales were up 175 percent. Although that level wasn't retained, sales remain up 70 percent on average," she says.
Article by Jennifer Derryberry, from SUPER FLORAL January 1999.
