Members of the NATM Buying Corp. took time out from myriad meetings during the group’s annual spring conference here last month to embark on a retail road trip.
The destination: a Conn’s unit, located near the host hotel, which represents the latest incarnation of the 42-store chain’s evolving format.
According to senior VP David Trahan, the 30,000-square-foot store was the result of extensive consumer research that focused on making Conn’s locations more female-friendly. To that end, the new unit, housed in a former Toys “R” Us, is well lit, spacious, and boasts an open, easily-negotiated layout. The fifth-generation format is also notable for its video department’s innovative flat panel display fixtures and indirect lighting.
Conn’s chairman Tom Frank said the company will likely employ the format in five new stores that are slated to open this year in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Fellow NATM members and guests also visited a nearby Conn’s regional distribution and repair center, which services the greater San Antonio area.
