JCK [jckonline.com]
Michael Fleck, owner of Occasions Fine Jewelry in Midland, Texas, says a green wall was one of the first design elements he chose when remodeling the store in 2021. “Everything sort of sprouted from that,” he says (pun not intended). “We have a prairie desert around Midland, and my main idea for my showroom was I wanted to show off that prairie desert view.”
Working with Leslie McGwire, owner of Leslie McGwire & Associates Interior Design, Fleck decided on a desert color palette of earth tones to complement the green wall. Customers often assume the plants are fake, he says, and are “amazed” when they find out they’re all real. An irrigation system connected to the building’s water lines spritzes the individual plant containers automatically. Once a week, a local landscaper comes in to trim and prune the greenery, and replace sickly plants as needed.
Academic researchers in environmental science have found that plants improve people’s moods and stress levels. This finding carries through into the customer experience, with shoppers more willing to linger in retail settings where plants are present.
“When you have plants in a shopping area, it does give positive emotions, and the experience will translate, hopefully, to receptiveness and an increase in sales,” McGwire says. Plants in a jewelry store make people more comfortable, she adds. “The environment they’re shopping in is more of a relaxed environment instead of so formal.”