Kitchen & Bath Business - November/December 2017 - 27

FERGUSON BATH, KITCHEN & LIGHTING
GALLERIES, NATIONAL

The nearly $15-billion company has 280 showrooms and offers more than 100 brands. The
brands under Ferguson's Preferred Vendor Program can take advantage of the company's national footprint, and many are stocked in its 10
distribution centers - all receiving access to 1,000+
professional sales associates who guide the selection process for customers.
"Some of the brands we feature have preferences for product placement, so we work together
to understand their needs,"explained Kate Bailey,
Ferguson's director of showrooms."We've worked
hard to build our brand and communicate the
value of our showrooms. At the end of the day,
we have to make decisions that are good for our
business while still being the best path to market
for our vendors."

Dealer Dish
BELOW Because there is rarely

enough room in a showroom
to feature every available product, Bailey says Ferguson uses
its website as the "endless
aisle." Company associates
carry tablet PCs so they can
give customers an automatic
visual for a seamless process.
According to Bailey, most
of their clients visit the site
first, and then they visit the
showroom to validate their decisions and double check their
selections. - Photo courtesy
of Ferguson Bath, Kitchen &
Lighting Gallery

Ferguson looks for locations that are easily accessible and in well-known
areas of town. Each showroom displays the categories it represents in an open
setting as soon as someone walks through the door.
"Even if a customer is coming in to buy a toilet, we educate them on the
other products we offer," said Bailey. "That said, our displays are not overwhelming and can help facilitate decision making."
She explained that Ferguson prides itself on building relationships with
the trade, since that is where the company exceeds with repeat business.
Showroom consultants cater to trade professionals with whom they have
worked for years; the rapport is developed over time. Customer service reps
are cross-trained on all categories and work less on large projects and more
with any type of customer who comes into the store on a given day.
"We know the consumer is driving the decisions, so for us it is a balance,"
said Bailey."We are getting more consumer-driven traffic approaching us as
do-it-yourselfers, or their designers are letting them steer the ship."
She explained that Ferguson is doing more research on how to connect
with consumers; its extensive marketing plan includes a mix of print, broadcast and social media. On the trade side, the company also participates in its
local NKBA chapters, hosts events in the local kitchen and bath communities
and participates in industry trade shows.
"We call our showrooms destinations," she explained. "The majority of
our customers made a decision to come here and were not just driving by."

THE SHOWROOM AT RUBENSTEIN, SAN JOSE, CALIF.

This showroom carries everything from plumbing fixtures to heated floors
to cabinet hardware. Heath Vaught, the showroom manager, chooses topquality brands that keep up with today's trends and provide top-notch
customer service.
"Having the support of the manufacturer is paramount whenever I decide
what to show and what to sell,"he added."If you limp into a brand and show
it just a little bit of love, you end up getting only a little bit of love back. When
we make a commitment, we go all in."
At Rubenstein, the prime real estate space for products is around the sales
counter where customers go to wait for a quote,pick up an order or ask questions.
"If you have a commodity line people ask for by name, you can move that
toward that back; if they want it, they will walk your floor to find it,"explained
Vaught. "You will get the customer to see a lot more of your showroom and
possibly get them moving into a line that is better for you to sell."
Because floor and wall space is often limited, the company limits the
number of manufacturers it features. Vaught believes that instead of having
too many small displays from a lot of different brands, the better choice is to
go large on the brands with which you want to work.
"When you show confidence in a particular product line, it gives the customer confidence in it as well," he added.
He also keeps the showroom and its offering
fresh by shuffling and updating displays, explain- BELOW Visitors to the
Showroom at Rubenstein
ing that when designers and builders bring their can go on a virtual tour of the
customers into a showroom as often as they do at space before making the trip
Rubenstein, it's nice for them to see that things to convince them that the
location is worth the drive.
are always changing. He also said that with today's The showroom features 20+
online shopping craze, showrooms need to offer working fixtures, including
tubs, showerheads, toilets and
competitive prices.
steam showers.
"This does not mean we have to match internet
pricing - and we don't - but we need to be close
or we will not sell product," he said, adding that
building relationships with the trade is also key to
making sales. "Most of our top builders will tell
their clients they will not install a product if it was
purchased online."

Kitchen & Bath Business - November/December 2017

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