New Brookstone chief intrigued by high-end challenge - solar air purifier

Ron Boyle likes to fix things.
In October, after reversing the North American business of the toy chain, he left toy fight city as chief executive of the troubled Brookstone brand. Now the 48-year-
The old man tried to make a comeback in New Hampshire-
The company is known for its quirky range of home and lifestyle products, suchSnore pillow.
Boire is taking advantage of the lessons he has learned from his experiences with Toys "r" Us, Best Buy and Sony to survive in the toughest retail environment he has ever seen.
Brookstone, with annual sales of more than 40% in the holiday season, is now losing a clearer image of its competitors, and he hopes to make this more clear.
Boire recently spoke to Jenn Abelson, a global journalist.
Why did you leave toy fight city to a small company like Brookstone?
Brookstone has had a hard time in the past few years, just like many professional retailers.
Came to Brookstone to get the company back on track, to make it very customer-centric, very innovative in the product, and to expand the brand in the future.
It's exciting to take such a great brand to a new level.
I like fixing things.
Brookstone Reports Third Time
Quarterly sales fell 24%.
This is a big slump.
We are faced with a consumer whose value system is changing.
They are very careful about their money and spending on their own products.
When you walk into Brookstone, there's absolutely nothing the consumer needs.
How do you survive in an environment where shoppers adhere to basic principles?
We have to be the indulgence people want.
People will always pay more for what they want than they need.
People want to be more comfortable, they want life to be easier, they want to feel better.
Our massage, our Tempur-
Our anti-pedophile bed.
Our pillows, wine, and quiet products all benefit to a certain extent.
Is Brookstone trying to make its own product more affordable?
One on the neckand-
The shoulder massage we sell is $99.
This is a very good value, a very powerful product.
Before that, we might set the price at $129 or $149.
However, the team launched a $99 product last year, which is still very profitable for us and creates a good customer experience.
What features are missing for $99?
Last year, we might put the heat in while we were massaging.
Or we might put an LCD display instead of a simple button.
The massage is the same and the quality is the same.
It is important to change this way.
What changes have you made as part of the shift?
We have staff in front of the store to show the product.
We are more positive about our story.
On Black Friday, our first timeever 16-
Newspaper insert.
We also put more Labor into the store, especially during weekends and rush hours.
We are about the experiences of these products, telling people what these products do and how they make their lives more interesting and interesting.
How did the bankruptcy of last year's rival Sharper Image affect Brookstone?
More opportunities for Brookstone
We are unique if you look at the mall.
How will Brookstone avoid the same fate as Sharper Image?
A clearer image is very dependent on a part of the business, mainly the ion Breeze [Air Purifier], which drives a lot of traffic.
When this product is no longer new, fresh and growing, it has a significant impact on their top products.
Brookstone is a much more diversified company.
We have a lot of core categories so we don't rely too much on any of them.
We have massages, we have homes, we have health, we have sleep, we have comfort.
What is your forecast for the holidays?
We think this season will be better than last year.
We believe that consumers have certainly become more valued and less free to use their dollars.
But we see the potential for a solid holiday.
It was a new base last year.
People are looking at how to grow on this basis.