Know-How Exchange : Taglines/Names

Thanks Gary, Your questions are valid.
The current name of the store is the Town name with Home Interiors added to it. The stock is stock that can be shopped anywhere including the local walmart and Costco close by. It is common particle board with veneer product similar to Ikea. The buying habits is somewhat unknown so far as we just purchased this store a few months ago. However I ran the only other furniture store in the town for about 5 yrs selling high end solid wood furniture similar to what I want in this store I am running now. We did a good business, had great clients ( I have that client list now to work from) and we pulled in a variety of customers from the neighbouring major city about 25mins away. The current store was just purchased by an investor. He handed it ovr to someone to run it for him and this shyster was only interested in the commission so the product being sold was not much above cost. There fore the store was loosing money. The manager was doing very shady actions and promised customers a lot of things he could not deliver. Sadly prior to the current owner buying the business, the store was owned and operated by a guy who also took 100% deposits on special orders and did not deliver the goods. So the store has a really bad name and has soured a lot of customers in this town of 25,000 people. The establishment originally opened its doors only 3 years ago to a franchise that was going under but they used this location to clear out stock from all the other stores. This owner too, took deposits on special orders and bailed before the customers got their goods. To this day, I still get someone coming in every day to complain about the product they did not get.
I was recenty at the world market trade show with my badge on. Absolutely no one could pronounce or even spell the town name.
The suppliers all have been taken for a financial ride too and our current store name is flagged for bad credit, even though we are the new owners.
By knowing what works in this town (from the other store that is now closed due to the owner wanting to retire and could not find a buyer to pay what she wanted....too much really) I would like to go that route and continue with a quality product that is unique but functionable.
Wanting to let people know that we are new owners with a new product to offer and conveying this to our suppliers is crutial.
So yes I do want to change the perception of the store as it has a very bad reputation.
Our marketing budget is tight to say the least after having to recover from the last owner and the last manager who helped himself to about $40,000 in 5 months time before I took this on.
I took this job because I was going to be out of a job from the closeur of the last store I worked for and I do like a challenge. Had I known how many people were ripped off in the past by the old owners...I may have reconsidered. I am here now and see huge potential being to only furniture store in town.

Thanks Gary, Your questions are valid.
The current name of the store is the Town name with Home Interiors added to it. The stock is stock that can be shopped anywhere including the local walmart and Costco close by. It is common particle board with veneer product similar to Ikea. The buying habits are somewhat unknown so far as we just purchased this store 6 months ago. However I ran the only other furniture store in this town for about 5 yrs selling high end solid wood furniture similar to what I want in this store I am running now. We did a good business, had great clients ( I have that client list now to work from) and we pulled in a variety of customers from the neighbouring major city about 25mins away. The average income is $50,000/yr here. The current store was purchased by an investor who knows nothing about furniture. He hired a manager to run it for him and this shyster was only interested in his commission so the product being sold was not much above cost. Therefore for 5 months the store was loosing money. The manager was doing very shady actions and promised customers a lot of things he could not deliver. Sadly prior to the current owner buying the business, the store was owned and operated for 2 years by a guy who also took 100% deposits on special orders and did not deliver the goods. So the store has a really bad name and has soured a lot of customers in this town of 25,000 people. The establishment originally opened its doors only 3 years ago to a franchise that was going under but they used this location to clear out stock from all the other stores. This owner too, took deposits on special orders and bailed before the customers got their goods. To this day, I still get someone coming in every day to complain about the product they did not get. They do not believe that we are new owners at all because the name and the same cheap product is on the floor with the same look inside..except cleaner now.
I was recently at the world market trade show with my badge on. Absolutely no one could pronounce or even spell the town name. When the suppliers scanned my badge there were notes coming up on the computers.
The suppliers all have been taken for a financial ride too and our current store name is flagged for bad credit, even though we are the new owners and have no part of that.
By knowing what works in this town (from the other store that is now closed due to the owner wanting to retire and could not find a buyer to pay the enormous amount she wanted) I would like to go that route and continue with a quality product that is unique but function able.
Wanting to let people know that we are new owners with a new product to offer and conveying this to our suppliers is crucial and a new name is step one.
So yes I do want to change the perception of the store as it has a very bad reputation.
Our marketing budget is tight to say the least after having to recover from the last owner and the last manager who helped himself to about $40,000 in 5 months time before I took this on.
I took this job because I was going to be out of a job from the closure of the last store I worked for and I do like a challenge. Had I known how many people were ripped off in the past by the old owners...I may have reconsidered. I am here now and see huge potential being to only furniture store in town.
Thank you for your posts..keep them coming!

Dear sendittocat

Thank you for coming back with more detail. I'm beginning to see what you're up against. My opinion (and that's all it is) is that you need more than just a name and tag line: you need a powerful, fact-based, multi-point PR campaign ... and one that you clear with a lawyer before it goes public (to protect you from getting sued for liable or slander by former staff).

Although your obligations to previous customers may be nil, if there's a way you can offer them some kind of partial refund, substantial discount, or something else to help change their visions of the store, it might be worth seeing how you can help them. Your willingness to do this will speak volumes to these people about YOU, and by default, the new store.

You mentioned World Market. If the goods you'll be selling are in any way in that niche, there might be milage in a name and identity that echoes World Market's approach but that isn't a direct copy.

Press ads, local newspaper editorial, radio station guest spots,
sales letters to all former clients explaining the new change in ownership, the new approach, and the new way of doing business and fulfilling orders and exceeding expectations will all help reposition the store as a NEW place that can be trusted, and do much to help recondition people's thinking about what was, and about what will be.

NAME AND POSSIBLE TAG LINE: Terra Nova Emporium: Quality furnishings and accessories from around the world

I hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Thanks again Gary. I have been honouring all sales that were not fulfilled by the previous owner...thousands of dollars worth so far. I have had to now limit it to getting them the goods at landed cost, which they are still elated with. To step in and be the Savior is working well for us because they are telling others of the positive outcome and we all know what word of mouth can do. I fortunately know a lot of these customers and they do know that my word and actions are honest and trustworthy.
I Will be letting everyone know that we are a new store with new product. The name is still out there, but have a choice of 4 that I am polling people for to see which one will excite as speak of what we are about.
Terra Nova Emporium is one of them. Niche is a great one too..but someone has it already.
Thanks again for all your time and input. Nice to know this site is here.

NovaNiche ....?

Nova Niche is a good one so thanks for that, will include it in the poll.
All the others are great too...however I am trying to stand clear of "trendy" words that will be dated in time like the Eco word. I am all about it in a tag line though. The "decor and design with the planet in mind" is one that I would love to incorporate.
I favour the name ?????? Emporium, unique furnishings and decor, but after polling over thirty five people so far there are many cements on the word Emporium and what it means to them. They relate it to a cheap store full of fowl inscence with greasy vendors. Mercantile I like as well but do not agree that it is a good fitting for a furniture store.
Depot sound too much like the big orange warehouse, Bazaar reminds me of church like events, boutique is too pricey with a feminine note, Store is just plain boring and shop is too small.
Any new names to describe a retail space?