Weldom looks to attract more women

This peripheral store, which is located 100 km south-west of Paris at Vernouillet, a suburb of Dreux, is the flagship of the Weldom marketing arm. Here Domaxel has put into practice its new distribution policy on a retail area of 5 150 m2. “This store serves partly as a full-scale test bed and also as a normal store where we can try out our ideas and products,” explains Florent Gérard, director of integrated stores and responsible for the large-format outlets within the marketing arm. What is more, the store also serves as a showcase for presenting new ideas to the group’s affiliated partners.
A view of the generously proportioned central aisle.
The Domaxel teams were given a free hand in designing the store. It is grouped around eight product categories with around 45 000 articles in an innovative framework. Domaxel’s virtual catalogue, Domédia 2000, increases the product offer to 60 000 articles.
Within the store itself the underlying principle consists of bringing together the technical and decorative products of one category into a coherent grouping that is comprehensible to the consumer. This arrangement offers the customer a greater amount of freedom in selecting his purchases, since he does not have to turn constantly to a member of the sales staff. The store fixtures and fittings put the emphasis on the quality of the products. Flooring, surfaces, display windows and aisles were all drawn into the analysis, with the result that each product grouping has an atmosphere that is very much its own.
A great deal of space is devoted to the creative leisure department.
The range of products, in parallel to the store layout, is in harmony with Domaxel’s express desire to attract women customers. Decoration as a theme occupies one quarter of the store. The creative leisure segment covers a considerable area, offering a range of products that is both broad and deep. The atmosphere there is warm and welcoming, and there are examples of projects displayed above the gondolas. Wallpaper, paint, curtains and lighting are all displayed in a pleasing environment that reminds customers of their own home. The aim is to put them at their ease.
The garden range is to be expanded in the spring.
Other product categories also have an important part to play. These include the outdoor garden area, where a great deal of space is dedicated to seasonal products. Although the store does not sell any plants at present, there is still a wide selection of traditional products. Live…