Interview with Canova Home

Shay Elder and Chris Godfrey, co-owners of Eangee Home Design, recently visited with one of longest standing retail partners, Susan Robinson. Susan is the owner of Canova Home located in Colorado. She has been working with us for more than 12 years.

The conversation with Susan included questions to gain insight into what has made her successful with our products, specifically lighting.

 

1. How long have you worked with Eangee?

“I have worked with Eangee since 2010. Right from the start, I knew we were on to something special! I reordered as we were unpacking the first shipment and never stopped!”

Susan’s first order was a handful of lamps. Over time, her orders grew to fill up entire pallets. She continues to place orders on a regular basis for pallets of lamps to keep her store stocked with inventory and a wide selection for customers to choose from.

In addition to growing her store orders, Susan was instrumental early on with helping us develop our drop ship program. She continues to rely on drop shipping to produce additional sales and revenue.

To preserve her retail display and better serve out-of-town guests, we ship lamps from our warehouse directly to her customers. Drop shipping offers Susan some additional benefits as well:

• Susan generates profit from an item she never actually had to stock.
• Susan is able to sell all color options without displaying them all.
• Customers do not have to transport items, especially larger lamps. They can also schedule shipment based on when they will return home.
• During the holidays, Susan uses the program to encourage gift purchases for customers shopping for family and friends.

 

2. What is your favorite Eangee lamp?

 “My favorite is the Wave! These 6-foot lamps are our best sellers. The drum pendants are also such a solid design choice and so affordable!”

The Giant Wave in Multi (457 xl m) is one of our bestselling lamps!

We recognized early on that there weren’t a lot of options for extra-large luminaires, even though customers were hungry for bigger lamps. So, we wanted to come into the market with something uniquely “Eangee”. It started with giant, six-foot floor lamps, which evolved to our pendants, and most recently led to our giant wall lamps.

In all three cases, our goal was to create a sculptural piece that could be a focal point in any space. The size, beauty, and craftsmanship of these lamps accomplish our objective and customers have responded in the form of sales.

 

3. What is the most common question customers have about Eangee lamps and what is your answer?

 “Customers always marvel at the real leaves! They then ask how long they last, assuming they are very fragile. I point out that they are laminated to a regular lampshade material, and that I have had a pair of original 6-foot lamps in my home since 2010! They still look fabulous, and I love them!”

That is a common question we get at Eangee as well. Each leaf is carefully selected by hand before it is cleaned, fossilized, and then stained. The final stage of adhering the leaves to the standard lamp backing and sealing them makes sure the product will last for years to come.

Durability has always been important to us, and we feel using real materials and supportive structures will lead to a combination that is both aesthetically pleasing and long term functional.

Customers love hearing the stories and process that goes into making our products. The conversation may start with a question about the leaves, but people are equally as impressed with the fact that our lighting is handmade by skilled artisans. To help tell the story about the material used and artisans behind-the-scenes, we offer free retail signage and videos that can be displayed with our products.

 

4. What is most important when displaying Eangee lamps?

“First, (and always) LIGHT THEM UP! Use 2700k LED bulbs so you have the same “glow” in all your products. They sell best in groups- we mix it up, sometimes doing a corner all in natural with different styles, or a fun mix of multis. Grouping by style makes it easy to choose, too! The more choices you have, the more you will sell, always!”

Our lighting is attractive when it is turned off due to the texture of the leaves, the bold colors, and the design itself, but they are even more exceptional when lit. Having them turned on brings out more details, makes the colors and hues appear more vibrant, and naturally draws your eye to the light. We even suggest leaving them turned on at night in your store windows to attract attention and take advantage of foot traffic even during those hours when you aren’t open for business.

The majority of our lamps us a standard, medium-base A19 bulb, while our mini lamps and a couple other styles us a candelabra-base E12 bulb. In both cases, we highly recommend using warm light vs cool white (daylight). Warm light comes across as softer which brings out the color of the leaves best.

Learn more about Medium Base LED Bulbs (A19) and Candelabra Base Led Bulbs (E12)

As Susan mentioned, grouping the lamps also helps overall sales and she isn’t our only retailer who has mentioned this technique. We have learned our most successful clients saw sales increase by clustering lamps in groups and displaying them together. Mixing up styles and colors will enhance rather than detract from your display. It allows your customer to focus, compare, and make buying decisions faster.

A few styles of our lamps can be stacked, which not only creates a stunning display but also saves space. For example, our Mini Table Lamps and Cylinder Table Lamps can be stacked in groups of three or five into a pyramid shape. The display draws customers in while showing off the different color options. See more display ideas on our Client Resource Page.

 

5. What is one thing that has surprised you about Eangee lamps?

“People come back for more! They may start out with one, then realize that these make excellent gifts at all price levels- from a nightlight as a teacher gift to a pair of six-foot lamps as a beautiful wedding gift – they are always a hit! We gift wrap them for locals and the six-foot ones are especially impressive!!!”

Our lighting is not a one-and-done product. Customers love the uniqueness and quality of our lamps, which results in additional sales opportunities. Some customers purchase additional lamps for themselves, while many will purchase lamps as a gift for someone special. They are proud and excited to share the story with the recipient as well as where they made the purchase. In that sense, customers become great brand ambassadors for our products and your store.