High-wattage competition: Seattle Lighting, Lamps Plus - now World Lighting
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Torchieres. Sconces. Chandeliers.
Uplighting. Downlighting. Accent lighting.
With the boom in home renovation and remodeling, lighting is big business.
Seattle Lighting leads the Puget Sound market, with five stores. California-based Lamps Plus has three stores, and there are a smattering of independents as well. Now World Lighting has moved onto the scene with three stores, and has plans to open three or four more within the year.
"Obviously there's a lot of people in the business because there's a lot of business to be had," said John Foucrier, president and chief operating officer at World Lighting.
World Lighting boasts it has everything, from banana-shaped nightlights to Italian glass lamps.
But what will make World Lighting stand apart from its competitors is customer service, said Foucrier.
David Heerensperger is the mastermind behind the three stores - ranging from 22,000 to 25,000 square feet in Bellevue, Lynnwood and Tukwila - and a 55,000-square-foot warehouse and corporate office in Kent.
Heerensperger founded Eagle Hardware & Garden in 1990. The home-improvement chain grew to more than 30 stores before it was bought by Lowe's in 1998. Heerensperger moved into the niche market of lighting because his agreement with Lowe's prevented him from opening a competing hardware company.
At World Lighting stores, bowls of candy sit atop the information desk and customers can sip free, fresh lattes or cold bottled water.
"It's all about the customer experience," said Foucrier, who was vice president of operations at Eagle. "It's telling the customer how important they are and how special they are."
The design concept is unique as well, said Bellevue store manager Bud Brown.
"The displays let you see and feel what the lighting will do," he said. Each store has dining room, kitchen, home theater and outdoor lighting displays that allow customers to see how different concepts work on various wall materials.
The lampshade section boasts more than 400 styles.
"We encourage people to bring in their lamps and try different shades," said Brown.
Since World Lighting's Bellevue store opened in December, its Lynnwood store in January and the Tukwila store last month, Seattle Lighting hasn't seen a drop in its business, said chief operating officer Dave McKee.
Seattle Lighting has been in the illumination business since 1917 and has stores ranging from 7,000 to 17,000 square feet. It is owned by Portland-based Dolan Northwest.
"It'll be interesting to see where it goes down the road, but so far, we're not seeing a big impact," said McKee. "Our stores continue to grow as they have for the past four or five years."
McKee said that what has kept Seattle Lighting successful is the company's long history in the business and the seven designers on staff.
"We design a lot of our own inventory. ... We have over 400 (styles) that wouldn't be found anywhere else in the Pacific Northwest," he said. "We have everything from everybody as well as our own products."
Iskender Berberoglu, the Lamps Plus Northwest district manager, was nonchalant about World Lighting.
"There are so many reasons we're unique," he said, citing selection, customer service and expertise.
His three Puget Sound stores range in size from 11,000 to 14,000 square feet.
Berberoglu said that 50 percent of the store's stock is designed and manufactured by Lamps Plus' Pacific Coast Lighting factory.
"We're still very strong," he said. "But this is going to be a very interesting next two years in this market."