retail news
WORDS BY LAURA KEMMERER
KarTele Mobile Electronics Refreshes Look with Shop and Showroom Remodel Waterbury, Conn.-based KarTele Mobile Electronics recently celebrated the completion of its shop and showroom remodel, a 15-month venture that both refreshed the business’ look and proved to be a challenge with the disruption of the pandemic. Owner Mike Hungerford noted that since he took over the business, the change was
something he wanted to do from day one. “It had been here for 23 years when I took over and it looked exactly the same. It opened in 1994,” he said. Before the remodel, when a customer walked in, they would be looking at the side of a counter. Now the counter is pushed back, facing the customers and the waiting area. This helps customers
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feel welcome and helps boost sales. Audio is on one side of the room, and additional categories on the other side. “The day I took over, I looked around and felt it could use a refresh, so I started with the shop area. Got that organized, set up, painted. More efficient,” Hungerford said. “More productive. Everything where it needs to be. We laid down an
epoxy floor because we do a lot of vehicles and with the snow, the epoxy floor is so much easier to push the water out, and no dust, which is awesome.” In terms of remodel work that needed to be done, the previous cabinets were old. “We refinished them and added new hardware and a new top,” he said. “That helped keep the cost way
