Boosting store sales by as much as 100% for a national home decor brand

THE CHALLENGE

Kirkland’s is a national home decor chain with hundreds of stores across the United States. The retailer planned to move 45 stores annually from enclosed malls to lifestyle centers. They asked Brian Pia for help.

THE WORK

Brian made several undercover store visits. He found stores stocked with so much merchandise that it was difficult for shoppers to find what they wanted. He saw them leave empty-handed. Brian decided to improve the consumer experience by turning Kirkland’s stores into home decor problem-solving centers.

He did this by positioning a top local interior decorator in the new store for the grand opening weekend. His local PR campaign began with a business story about the jobs, tax revenue, and other benefits of the store opening. That provided investors with a peek into Kirkland’s growth strategy. Brian’s team booked the decorator for TV, radio, and news site feature segments or product giveaways with local influencers. All storylines focused on interior decorating on a budget.

The feature stories promoted a call to action. We asked shoppers to take photos of challenging areas inside their homes and meet with the interior decorator. The decorator provided free expert advice and showed them merchandise options.

THE RESULTS

There was extensive positive media coverage before each store opened. Consumers bought the recommended merchandise. Sales soared by as much as 100%.