Electrifying

Whitmer’s Lighting owner Dale Smerglia has recreated his entire showroom to feature the season’s brightest new trends in lighting.

By: Beth Newcomb
Date: 03/11/2009
This is the time of year when retail stores across the U.S. roll out the latest trends in everything from clothing and makeup to lawn ornaments and home décor.

A few months back, big box stores sent their buyers to merchandise markets held throughout the country to select the handful of items that would represent their “store brand” during the approaching season.

To maintain the uniformity of the corporation’s image in each of these stores, those items have to be exactly the same. They also have to appeal to a very wide audience.

That means that the half-dozen or so different styles of a particular product purchased by those buyers—carried in large enough quantities to ensure that millions of people have access to them—bring a distinct flavor to the store.

It’s called vanilla.

At Whitmer’s Lighting, in Fairlawn, the store buyer also happens to be its owner, Dale Smerglia. And when he visited the market in Dallas to plan for the shop’s spring offerings, he hand-selected hundreds of different sizes, shapes and styles of casual, formal and accent lighting.

He could have been cautious. After all, it’s a tough time for small business and the decision to bring in new inventory must be carefully weighed.

He could have been conservative. Stepping outside of the “big box” could be a risky move. Are the shoppers in Northeast Ohio really that fashion forward?

He could have even skimped on quality, for all the same reasons some storeowners do when push comes to shove.

But Dale doesn’t own one of the area’s most successful and well-respected lighting stores because he was hired to do a job. He’s passionate about not only offering customers who shop at Whitmer’s a quality experience—whether they’re buying light bulbs and lampshades or a showpiece for the foyer—he’s also committed to remaining on the cutting-edge of trends in the industry.

And, yes, he does believe that shoppers in Northeast Ohio do want quality, fashionable choices when it comes to the fixtures that grace their homes.

What they don’t want to do is settle for vanilla.

“We’ve packed the store with all-new displays and we’re featuring items that you can’t find elsewhere,” Dale promises. “I decided not to bring in just a few new pieces, I decided to bring in all new pieces. The entire showroom is different and exciting.”

Premium brands like Kichler, Quoizel and Maxim are making a prominent showing with trend-setting details like the new floating shade pieces that Dale says were all the rage at the Dallas market. “Chrome and polished nickel are making a big comeback,” he provides. “The look is more contemporary. Bronze metal now carries accents of amber crystals and the chandeliers with colored prisms—instead of traditional clear—are a hot choice for kitchens and bathrooms.”

Dale goes on to explain that of the new pieces in the Whitmer’s inventory, some are trendy while others will appeal to his more traditional customer base.

And because Whitmer’s is a full-service lighting store, you’ll also find the latest and greatest in accent lamps and shades.

In fact, the range of choices at Whitmer’s is so impressive it’s become lighting purveyor of choice for a number of area decorators. “We get a lot of interior designers in with their clients,” Dale says. “It makes a big difference to be able to see a piece in person instead of shopping by catalog.” That’s especially important if you’re having a hard time envisioning what a 50-inch fixture
is like in person.

“Because of our buying power, our prices are very competitive,” Dale adds. “We also offer volume discounts to builders and homeowners who are remodeling.”

How brilliant.

Whitmer’s Lighting is located at 3900 W. Market Street in Montrose Centre Plaza near Jared’s in Fairlawn. Store hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 5:00 p.m. Call 330-666-LITE, 800-391-2734, or visit www.whitmerslighting.com.

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