James and Joseph Ship’s Chandlery

Classically a ship chandlery is a land-bound supplier of boating equipment. It’s long been since the days of grog, keel-hauling, and walking the plank, and the chandlery concept has evolved. Case in point: The James and Joseph Ship’s Chandlery in San Diego, California. While the chandlery stocks the requisite yachting essentials, it has earned a reputation in the hardcore spearfishing community for its selection of spearfishing paraphernalia and the knowledgeable staff.

That would explain the plans to suspend a life-size spearfisherman amidst fake seaweed from the ceiling of their remodeled store.

“We’re definitely designing a more active retail environment,” said Bill Mondigo, TRIO Store Designer. TRIO took on the remodel after owner Damien Salerno decided that the store needed an update. “It’s been basically unchanged for thirty years,” said Damien.

Damien anticipates moving in the next few years, so the new fixtures had to be mobile. The TRIO design team designed rolling gondolas as the keystone of the floor merchandising. The gondolas are just part of a fixturing effort to get more product on the floor.

The shop will be closed for two weeks for remodeling, but should be open by late November. If you’re in San Diego, be sure to drop by.

It’s a balmy Saturday night at Phil’s BBQ in San Diego. As usual, the line for dine-in meals snakes well past the front door, about 100 would-be diners strong. And once they get to the head of the line and place their order, they’re handed a pager that’ll tell them when their meal is ready – probably in about a half-hour. In the meantime, they’re free to look for an empty table among the 300 or so seats and booths.

No doubt about it. Phil’s is an iconic presence. The great barbecued meat is what keeps them (and me) coming back for more. But management has figured out what it takes to move a San Diego landmark to the next level: a true icon.

Phil’s used to be in a smaller space – a remodeled older house near a pricey neighborhood of well-kept older homes. Street visibility was OK, seating was for about 100 and parking was limited. But none of that mattered much, since everyone who wanted great barbecue in San Diego knew where to find Phil’s.

Earlier this year, though, management decided to kick things up a notch. They found a former Wherehouse records store for lease in a much busier neighborhood: the city’s Sports Arena district. It’s on a busier street, too, with a huge parking lot and great visibility since it’s a strip-mall anchor. Larger signage is allowed in this district, which the new Phil’s takes advantage of. So it’s hard to miss the place by sight and smell as you drive down Sports Arena Boulevard.

Although it looks chaotic inside the restaurant, Phil’s manages to keep the crowds flowing smoothly. The not so best-kept secret is that if you have a paper menu, you can phone in your order. You’ll get an estimate of when it will be ready. When you get there, just to go the Phone-In line, which is rarely crowded and right next to the walk-in line. A greeter at the head of both lines sends you off to the next available cashier, where you pay and get your pager. If you phoned ahead, your wait for food will be much shorter.

You can wait for your meal at the bar, or an indoor or table, when you can find one. Even if there is a wait, no one seems to care. The busy atmosphere puts you in anticipatory mindset. You’re part of the experience and you know the food makes the wait worthwhile.

You’d think customer service might be an issue in a place this big. But managers wisely circulate throughout the tables, making sure everyone is happy with their meal. There are no waiters, but the bus staff is eager to help, bringing more paper towels, silverware and drink refills, then clearing your table as each diner finishes. This is great for keeping diners happy, as well as speeding table turnover. Someone’s doing a good job of training Phil’s staff to put the customer first, even in such a crowded space.

Yep, Phil’s is always hoppin’. They successfully transitioned from an established location to a larger, busier space while maintaining food quality and customer satisfaction.

Why is it that certain retail spaces like some malt shops, sporting-goods stores and clothiers achieve iconic status? Why is it that your retail space isn’t among them? I have no pat answer. It takes an unidentifiable combination of merchandise, layout, attitude, location and word-of-mouth to become an icon.

My best advice is: Visit your favorite icons regularly and study them. Take pictures on your cell phone. Take notes about the place. Then go to a place like Phil’s BBQ and chew on it awhile. If you figure it out, let me know so I can treat you to a meal at Phil’s the next time you’re in San Diego.

Are retailers really as sneaky as this article in U.S. News & World Report claims we are? Written for consumers, it makes it sound like storeowners know how to trick shoppers into buying by manipulating what they smell, hear and see in a store.

If only it were as easy as the article claims. Yes, you might entice some customers by spraying fake pine-tree scent on you Christmas display. You might put them in a better mood with appropriate background music. You might attract rather than repel them with soothing colors in your displays. And you might have sales only rarely so customers perceive your merchandise as high-quality.

But odds are none of those so-called merchandising tricks will work unless your store is properly designed from the outside in. Drawing customers through the front door depends on numerous factors including front window and door display, location of cash wrap, shelf height and many more.

While interesting, I hope the article doesn’t contribute to the myth that retailers can magically force customers to make unnecessary purchases. You’d be surprised how many people I meet who still think subliminal advertising could be the answer to their prayers.

I say focus less on the subconscious elements of in-store merchandising and focus more on the conscious. There’s plenty you can do design-wise that will attract customers besides spraying pine scent. It doesn’t take getting bawled out by a shopper who’s allergic to pine to realize that.