Interior designer in a DIY store

The first advisory centre of this kind was launched in Karlsruhe under the name of “Design-Partner” last March. A second followed in Osnabrück in June. Between three and five members of staff provide customers with assistance in all questions involving the design of their living spaces and facades, taking as their motto “Find out in advance what the final effect will be”.
Hornbach’s “Design-Partner” centre in Karlsruhe.
The customer can choose between four different service packages. The first is free of charge and includes PC-based living and design solutions, instructions for doing-it-yourself, organising contractor services, as well as advice and project organisation through in-store sales coordination. A charge of € 15 is made for Service Package 2, which in addition includes a shopping and materials list, a folder with suggestions for sample rooms and computer-generated colour photos that were produced in-store, along with a rented digital camera to be used for photographing the customer’s own home, so that exact colour schemes can be worked out. The third package costing € 198 provides for an on-site visit by a home design advisor, who will record the actual situation and the lighting conditions in the rooms (every additional room costs a further E 98). What is more, it also includes design suggestions for two rooms, individual suggestions with a visual presentation as well, a listing of the necessary shopping basket and the required materials, as well as home delivery if desired.
An intensive advisory session is intended to make it easier for the customer to select his design.
A special façade package at € 70 offers four individual suggestions based on pictures of the house, a folder with the appropriate colour coding and colour prints plus shopping list.
Design proposals for all the packages apart from the first one are put together and then presented within five working days of the initial advisory session.
The idea is to develop this project further still if it proves successful. Hornbach is not releasing any information about how many times it is to be implemented. However, the company will not be limiting itself to Germany in this matter.