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Proud CAESARSTONE Retailer

Archives for June 2017

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They paved paradise, and put up a shopping mall!

This is an issue that hits close to home. We, being a small family business, rely on the traffic of people visiting other stores and seeing our store as they pass by. With mall traffic declining we are lucky to be located close to a DISCOUNT TIRE which will always draw traffic.
This is still a larger issue we have been dealing with for almost 20 years now; the internet has changed the way we shop & buy. The problem became most evident with BEST BUY; consumers would view the products at BEST BUY, and then purchase on-line.
I believe now, as I did 15 years ago, that the solution is simple – little to no retail stores. That’s right, goodbye BEST BUY, SEARS, GORDMANS, and hundreds of others, you will be replaced by MANUFACTURER DISPLAY SHOPS. These will not be stores, you can’t purchase anything there, you can see all the products, get on your phone, and buy them from your preferred web retailer.
Now, unfortunately, this creates the very problem that manufacturers have never wanted; to get involved with having the cost & overhead of displaying their product. This is what retail stores did for them for hundreds of years. Not only free of charge – they would actually pay in most cases for the product they would have to display. By the manufacturers not enforcing price controls for brick & mortar VS web retailers, they have created this problem. However, manufacturers are not solely to blame; local and federal governments have for years refused to enforce a tax on the Internet. This has been the other crippling issue for brick-and-mortar stores to deal with.
No good news here, other than we are not a retailer, but a manufacturer so we are already displaying our own products. We are increasing our web presence and will eventually have a web store, but I still love working 1 on 1 with people in person to help them with the kitchen or bath of their dreams.

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What do you want to know?

We are excited to talk more with you about kitchen, bath, laundry room, or office cabinetry & accessories.  We will be also be bringing you along to our site visits for installations & remodeling projects.  Most of all we are excited to hear from you about what you want & need to hear about from us as the video shows.


 

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Video Blog Test

This is our first video Blog, we did this mostly to see the video & sound quality as well as to see how hard it would be to do this.

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How do you buy something you can’t see?

Purchasing a new kitchen or bath is as expensive as a new car. Unfortunately, these types of projects are so specialized to the individual space, needs, & style. We have a showroom & samples to assist in this, however, our best tool is 3D designs.


From the moment we meet with you, we are mentally cataloging all your likes & dislikes, project needs & wants to be able to create photos like these. The hardest part about remodeling is also the easiest part – you need to find the right people to work with to get the job done. Now, I am not saying it is always easy, we all hear the horror stories, but typically the horror stories leave out the part that they either didn’t do all their homework first, or they tried to over value engineer it!

Our skilled & experienced staff will always take the time to speak directly with you about your project & your project needs, whether or not your purchasing from us we will always give you the same direct advice.

So ultimately “How do you buy something you can’t see?” by doing your research, speaking with professionals, & finding a person/company that you can communicate with.

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Navigating the great river of home remodeling & maintenance

Some of us are trying to find ways to do more with less ever since 2008 the values of many things changed. Most of have simply gone without and now almost 10 years later, you can wait no longer. Now the puzzling piece is…..do you do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you? If you don’t have the time, energy, skill, or interest to do this yourself, but you still want a new kitchen or bathroom, or remodeled space, then you will be hiring one person or several people or companies. If you are doing the project yourself, don’t bother reading this any further, simply visit our Summer Sale AD and come in to see us when you’re ready.

  • If you are hiring someone to do this then the first questions you’ll be asking are….
  • Who do you hire
  • How do you know what you need for your project
  • How much will this all cost

Most people will ask a trusted friend, work college, parent, sibling, or friend if they “KNOW ANYONE” who does remodeling. This is typically where it starts, then massive google & facebook searches will ensue, followed by several print outs & late nights prioritizing & classifying as much of it as you can. The hardest & most time-consuming part is now upon you….you have a list of people, suppliers, & companies, you need to call & visit with them all. If you’ve done good research, are lucky enough to live in an area rich in resources such as installers & suppliers, & are very luck, some on the list will be the one and you’ll be off to the races! Typically that doesn’t happen, in fact, those calls & meetings probably left you more confused than when you began. That is because all of these people typically view these projects from very different perspectives with varying objectives, very rarely the objective being completing your project for you, but rather how much money can they extract from you. This is a business for them, we can all appreciate this, however, there has to be a way to get the answers you’re seeking. There are several.

  1. You can seek out architectural design-build firms to GC (General Contract) your project for you. This is simultaneously the safest way & the most costly way to get all the answers you need.
  2. You can work with a large retailer (Big Box Store) and work with their list of associates & contractors. This is typically less than the first option, but it is still a costly one. This is also the most frustrating & issue riddled way. This model works on using associates, designers, & installers who have the least amount of experience & are willing to work for typically the benefits alone offered by the companies such as medical, dental, & retirement. The unfortunate result here is a workforce of inexperienced people with a lack of vision for any project, but only a vision of the benefits they are there for. Still, if you oversee your project closely & are lucky enough to find someone competent & involved this could be the option you choose. Most people make this choice simply because they feel that by working with a Big Box Retailer they have some level of safety or recourse if something goes wrong. This is only an illusion, the price you pay affords them the ability to refund or re-work if necessary. Furthermore, what is your time worth!
  3. Another way is to simply visit Cabinetry Direct in Naperville, IL and speak with Steve about your project. If you’re honest with yourself & with him, he will give you the best advice possible for your project even if it means you need to work with someone else we’ll tell you very directly!