Visual Merchandising and Store Design | VMSD.com

Micro Center, Paterson, N.J.

By Lauren Mang

Micro Center has adopted the concept of the third place – an idea that mostly appeals to coffee shops and comfy cafés – but with a more technical twist. The computer and electronics vendor opened its latest space in Paterson, N.J., with an upscale warehouse environment that invites computer enthusiasts and neophytes alike to explore, sample, create and relax.

“We think it’s important to differentiate ourselves from all the other computer and electronics retailers out there today,” says Matt Herman, Micro Center’s director of visual merchandising and store design. “We have to give customers reasons to drive by all the others and shop with us. A comfortable, upscale environment does just that.”

The store is divided into three main areas: general sales, where polished concrete floors and a brightly lit open ceiling showcase electronics accessories; a value-add section with carpeting, a lowered ceiling and soft music to foster an intimate buying experience; and a BYOPC (build your own PC) department that gives off a home workshop vibe with garage-style fluorescent lights.

Shopping ease and leisure are the main tenets of the Micro Center experience. A Knowledge Bar encircled with large photos of gigabyte gurus Bill Gates and Steve Jobs is clad with an attractive honed granite counter for consumers to belly up to and ask those difficult questions. (The free coffee might also be another attractive perk for those who need a more extensive chat.) LCD monitors embedded in the countertops display diagnoses of customers’ computer problems.

The bookstore features more than 3000 titles of technology books where shoppers can take a break to read in an oversized leather chair, browse the Internet or jive to light jazz.

Client: Micro Center New Concept Store, Paterson, N.J. – Matt Herman, director visual merchandising and store design; David Mann, visual planning manager; Lucy Wickersham, senior store visual planner; Amber Nelson, senior space planner; Rick Mershad, president and ceo

Architect: Brian Kent Jones, Columbus, Ohio

General Contractor/Ceilings: Rushton Industries, Fairfield, Ohio

Audio/Visual: Audio Authority, Lexington, Ky.; STORS Network, Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Fixtures: Blair Fixtures, Altoona, Pa.; Temeka Fixtures, Perris, Calif.

Flooring: Mohawk Group, The, Calhoun, Ga.; PatCraft Carpets, Dalton, Ga.

Lighting: Holophane, Utica, Ohio

Signage/Graphics: Micro Center Visual Communications, Hilliard, Ohio

Wallcoverings/Materials: Sherwin-Williams Paint, Chicago

Photography: Micro Center Personnel, Paterson, N.J.