MyWren’s Director suggests showcasing premium ranges helps shift end-users’ focus from price to quality
Gemma Hirst, Director of MyWren Ltd, a newly formed business bringing a range of well-designed, aesthetically pleasing wheelchair and mobility scooter accessories to the market, has highlighted how retailers can maximise the visual effectiveness of premium products in store.
Having spent the last 17 years in the industry bringing textile-based mobility equipment to market, Gemma and her husband Marc decided to draw on her expertise in design & fabrics, alongside his expertise in business, to develop a range of scooter storage covers and mobility bags that offer exceptional quality and unique features.
Recently shopping for a school bag for her young son, Gemma pointed out the difference between how national retailers such as JD Sports, Blacks and Smiggle display their bags in comparison to how most mobility retailers merchandise such products.
“Not one hid their bags away in guess what… a bag,” she noted.
“I perhaps am partially responsible for the way the majority of bags in the mobility sector are packaged since I created the first fabric packaging bag which has since been replicated many others.
“The bags are lovely, don’t get me wrong, but as you stare at them on the shelf what are you looking at? Well, a packaging bag.”
According to Gemma, there is still a lot of scope for improving how mobility accessories such as hers are showcased in retailers’ showrooms.
“The packaging bag stems from the days when this market was full of dusty old stock which sat there for months, however, the majority of shops have moved on from that and have really great showrooms,” she told THIIS.
“Strangely, we still seem stuck in the days of displaying a bag in a bag.”
In particular, Gemma emphasises that by only displaying products in their packaging, the end-user cannot see the difference in quality of the products and so their focus becomes the price tag, rather than the range’s features and USPs.
“Staring at bags in bags means everything becomes about price,” she said.
“What I want people to be looking at is my heavy-duty 1680 denier oxford, my attractive grey trims, my easy grip zip pulls and the ingenious new design which holds your walking sticks even securer.”
Gemma’s recommendation is for their stockists to celebrate the quality of the product by having it proudly on display. This naturally turns the stockists conversation with the end user from simply which is the cheapest, to one of product attributes and features.
“Hang it from its handle, display it on a wheelchair or scooter, get people to really look at it, feel it, test it. They won’t be disappointed,” she suggested.
This prudent advice is valuable for retailers looking to sell premium products, helping shift the focus from being squarely on price. By helping to create an opportunity to upsell and cross-sell to end-users, stockists can improve the customer buying experience, increase their chances of recommendation and improve their bottom-line.
To find out more about the new company and its new range, visit www.mywren.uk
