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| February 1998
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WINDOWS ON THE WORLDBig front windows break down threshold resistance
Mark Moeller, owner of R.F. Moeller Jeweler, is a big believer in big windows. When he renovated a store he bought in the posh Minneapolis/St. Paul suburb of Edina, he put in huge, welcoming windows. The windows account for about 75% of the wall space fronting the street, and Moeller expects them to draw customers inside. The windows are one reason Moeller expects sales at the 2,650-sq.-ft. store to hit $2 million for the fiscal year ending in April, nearly four times their level under the previous owner. "Threshold resistance is a terrible problem for jewelry stores," Moeller says. Big windows help to break it down - customers don't feel they're penetrating a fortress when they enter the store. Big windows are especially effective in the evening, he says. "When it's dark, they're just like a huge neon sign. You can't not notice them." Inside the store, they give a light, airy feeling, and they're good for security. Employees can see everything that's happening outside, he says. Moeller finished the Edina renovation in July 1996. It ran 100% over budget, costing $500,000 ($375,000 for the contractor, $125,000 for such things as safes and security systems). But given the payback, who's counting?
Big windows help to break down threshold resistance and
are especially effective at night, says Mark Moeller, who added them to
his Edina, MN, store.
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