Situation:
Furnishing Solutions came to ThinkingKap as a referral from Morris Habitat for Humanity. Similar to the ReStore, Furnishing Solutions serves as the retail fundraising arm for Homeless Solutions, Inc. (HSI) of Morristown, NJ. All proceeds from Furnishing Solutions sales of donated furniture, housewares and women’s clothing support Homeless Solutions’ shelter programs and services. After effectively setting up shop within a large and costly retail space, HSI determined that they lacked knowledge of how to drive awareness and customer traffic. They sought marketing counsel on how, when and where to best spend their marketing budget.
Solution:
Initially, Furnishing Solution’s main objective was to drive shoppers into the store and increase sales. ThinkingKap provided a comprehensive marketing plan that outlined strategies and tactics to employ (with detailed timing) to generate awareness of the store, engage customers and drive sales. We also performed customer surveys to gain brand insight and determined that consumers did not understand what Furnishing Solutions was, nor it’s connection to HSI. Since there was no budget for a re-brand, ThinkingKap proposed an interim solution that included a logo modification and tagline development. ThinkingKap has also developed a creative look and feel for the brand with consistent and effective messaging, which has expanded beyond “shop” to include advertising to solicit donations as well. In less than a year of our partnership, Furnishing Solutions began to show an increase in profits, which it has maintained month over month.
