Even if you aren’t already one of their hundreds of storefront customers, chances are you either know of Palmer Promotional Products or at least looked at something they’ve built, screen-printed, manufactured, and designed. After 35 years, Palmer’s products have had the brief attention of millions upon millions of consumers around the country with their promotional works and point of purchase displays. Over the past decade, however, their path has lead to specialization in Wireless store construction. Palmer’s displays and store systems cross carrier coops and the ‘independently owned and operated’ as well as presentations for OEMs that sit on store counters and hang on walls and kiosks. Whether called upon to tidy-up a neighborhood shop, build shopping center kiosks or launch a newly branded chain, Wireless stores around the country often begin with Palmer’s store installations.
The price for in-store makeovers is far less than losing customers to the new, better-looking stores. After so long in the industry, Palmer manufactures everything they design and sell. This is why their prices are so affordable; because they are prime manufacturers who make everything from store fixtures and furniture, 3-dimentional, lighted signage to point-of-purchase displays and branded products. Their product repertoire will keep you calling upon their expertise for developing floor facilities and promotions long after they’ve installed the store. “We are affably known in the industry as the Wireless grocery store,” says Vice President, Jim Wennechuk
“We’ll truck it to your store and put it on your floor,” Wennechuk adds with a note of sales humor, but that is exactly how the company operates. “We make custom kiosks that are managed straight from our catalogue and out of our stock.” Working from stock is counter to how most companies who build store interiors function. Wennechuk says that most companies who work in the Wireless store sector build stores to order. Building to order requires planning at least four months ahead with storeowners first leasing the space then “white boxing it”, meaning fresh carpet, fresh paint, ceiling tiles, etc. then they draw a floor plan based on the dimensions of the space and submit the plan. It’s at that point that manufacturing starts and the process is completed one store at a time. “There’s no efficiency to that” says Wennechuk. “It’s incredibly inefficient and expensive; we considered it ‘old school’.” That’s when they designed the concept, ‘Store in a Box’.
Palmer’s Store in a Box model was a retail turnkey solution where they took a prototypical wireless store and drew a floor plan to contain the base minimum “DNA” of what was required to open and operate a successful store. The model included: cash wrap counter; wall units; slat wall and hand set holders, poster holders; brochure holders; a floor mat; an “open” sign for the window; table and chairs and an accessory rack.
“By managing fixture programs that cater to the carriers’ in-store designs, dealers could call us last minute to install a new store. We then shipped the ‘Store in a Box’ within a few days. With this facility support we were speeding the dealer to market.” This concept also allowed Palmer to provide the same high-quality store fixture packages unique to each carrier for brand consistency nation-wide. “The wireless channel has become so competitive in the race for the right retail location, that getting open with the right fixture, signage and operator is critical and days can make a difference. Everyday that the new door or remodeled store is not open for business they are loosing activation, data and accessories sales.” Wennechuk adds that the marginally outfitted stores with outdated fixtures and merchandising inadequacies are not doing well in this competitive market. “The operators that focus on ‘total customer experience’ are reinvesting in their stores. It’s one of the least expensive ways to keep up with corporate giants.”
Palmer’s ability to respond quickly to new store openings was the result of manufacturing hundreds of these Stores in a Box that they could simply pull from inventory at a moment’s notice when a new space was ready. It also evolved into the development of their now popular ala carte program. In a kind of modular way, they manufactured additional floor pieces such as credenzas, glass display cases, accessory displays, wall units, collateral point of sale etc. then put them in a catalogue and sold them separately along with the basic package. Palmer Promotional Products builds product to replace what’s sold from their inventory; they do not build to order for their current, carrier-specific programs. They do, however, build custom kiosks or chain-specific visual merchandising displays by request.
Through design engineering, manufacturing, packing and even installation Palmer Promotional Products has become the most recognized brand for store fixtures. They manage and maintain over 300,000 square-feet of manufacturing, warehousing, and a fulfillment center. With 125 employees, they are headquartered in St. Clair’s Michigan with a warehouse and distribution center in Detroit. The founding company owner and CEO, Jim Palmer is an active member of the wireless community who is continually forging new relationships. He frequently travels on behalf of the company’s outreach to dealers and if you are a dealer, there’s a good chance you’ve spoken directly to him. His passion still leads and his day-to-day involvement in the operations is evidence that sustainability is bred on commitment to service.
Find out more about Palmer Promotional Products
www.palmerpromos.com
Phone: 1-800-444-1912