Kate Rowe, founder at Spaceworks Interiors, and Ben Swan, Managing Director at Regency Beds and Furniture, share an insight into a recent collaboration at the Guernsey-based store.
Embarking on a store refit project is no easy task. Helping to smooth that process is Spaceworks Interiors, shopfitting specialists that have an eye for detail and design, especially in the furniture retail sector.
Family-run beds and furniture retailer, Regency, which has been in the Channel Islands for over 40 years, approached Spaceworks Interiors with a specific brief in mind, to make better use of its space at its St Sampson store. “Ben Swan approached us to meet in his showroom to understand his business better – naturally I love visiting new clients and the draw of a few days in Guernsey had me on the plane like a flash,” Kate said.
“The ground floor space was under-performing, a confusing proposition, little sense of layout and focus and customers didn’t spend any time looking around. They rather headed straight up the stairs to the bedroom and living departments. Our brief – how can we get clients to spend more time here, browsing and keep them looking before finding the stairs? How can make this area attractive and what departments should we lead with?”
With the brief in hand, Kate and the team got to work. Spaceworks Interiors dedicates time with clients to ensure every detail and business need is met. “We can recognise early on in the programme any constraints around the building, from access to timings etc… and engage our trades to recognise them and adapt / work around,” Kate says.
“It gets to the budget a lot quicker so the retailer can plan the project, investment needed and only having to deal with one contract, which eliminates managing multiple parties and creates one port of call for all – communication is key.”
With Regency, like every project, there are challenges that present themselves. For example, there was a slight delay to kick-starting the project, but this couldn’t be helped due to a seasonal storm that hit. That said, the Spaceworks team still boarded the ferry despite the 4m swell seas and arrived in St Peter Port “slightly green” but with enough energy to “crack on” once the storm passed.
“Other challenges included were to ensure customer safe passage through to the staircase and up to the first-floor trading area over the ground floor construction site,” Kate added. “We planned the build around this, while material availability also proved tricky being on an Island, but all specialist items were shipped in advance to ensure it got there, which we organised thoroughly.
“The project itself was a great experience and the end result is fantastic, completely transforming the space, where we can proudly say, we absolutely nailed the brief.”
This was echoed by Ben. “The refurbishment was completed to the highest standards and completed efficiently. Spaceworks Interiors were very professional, organised and easy to work with throughout the project. Any queries or challenges that arose during the project were dealt with promptly and communication was excellent form start to finish.”
Ben added that the refurbishment has transformed a “long-held vision into reality” by creating an aspirational showroom that truly reflects the Regency brand. “It has significantly enhanced the presentation of our products and the feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive. The space is now far more inspiring for both staff and customers alike.
“The refurbishment has revitalised an underutilised area of our showroom and enabled us to showcase our product ranges much more effectively. It has provided the ideal platform to launch new suppliers, improve the customer journey and maximise the use of the available space. Overall, it has elevated the image of our business and strengthened our retail offering. All of our customers have been very complimentary.
“We are delighted with the outcome and would recommend Spaceworks to any business considering a commercial refurbishment. Their professionalism, attention to detail and commitment to delivering a quality finish made the entire process straightforward and enjoyable.”
