A group of 19 Platteville Main Street merchants made a bus trip to Prairie du Chien to attend a workshop presented by award-winning designer Lyn Falk April 1.

Falk and her team of professionals have spent more than 25 years studying the subtleties of consumer behavior and applying a proven holistic philosophy to retail store design. The company helps merchants create beautiful, productive, and profitable environments in their stores where customers feel welcome, and spend both more time and more money when they shop.

Successful businesses have an image or signature look that tells a “story.” When stores have remodeled using the principles of design, appealing to the six senses, they realized an increase in traffic and sales of 25 percent or more, according to Falk.

Falk was in Platteville Thursday for one-on-one visits with several of the stores who attended the workshop.

Falk’s workshop and 1-on-1 visits were sponsored, at no cost to Main Street merchants, by the Wisconsin Main Street Program and coordinated by the Platteville Main Street Program.