RetailSource: Retail Design, Construction and Visual Merchandising » Retail Trends

RetailMob.com Launches B2B Daily Deals for Independent Retailers. Get 50% or More Off Displays, Signs, Store Supplies, Advertising and More.

njohnson — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:34:57 +0000

RetailMob.com has launched a new B2B Daily Deals site for Independent Retailers. Store owners get 50% or more off on displays, signs, store supplies, fixtures, lighting, advertising, merchandise, professional services, employee training, business software and more. The site is dedicated to helping independent retailers be successful.

In this tough economy independent store owners need every break they can get. Many retailers are giving great discounts to their customers via sites like Goupon and Living Social. RetailMob.com is the only Business to Business Daily Deal site focused exclusively on serving the business, store operations, and visual merchandising needs of independent retailers. At RetailMob.com retailers get the deals!

RetailMob.com offers a free sign-up to retail store owners. Just go to RetailMob.com for an easy email sign-up. Get an email when great new B2B deals are available. Check it out!

8 Ways to Use Visual Merchandising in Your Storefront Window Displays to Improve Sales

Linda_Cahan — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:43:40 +0000

Perk up Your Sales With Improved Visual Merchandising.

“If you build it, they will come” is wishful thinking. If you build a store they may come but there’s no guarantee. As with all things in our lives it takes a good balance of many elements to stay healthy, enjoy life and have a successful, thriving retail business.

One of these essential elements is Visual Merchandising. VM encompasses everything you experience as you walk up to, into and through a store. Your image starts on the street with your façade, sign, front door and windows. If a potential customer isn’t attracted to what they see on the outside they are not likely to come inside to shop.

Storefront Image and Signage

Your façade is not always within your control but you can control its cleanliness. A clean sign, door, window and building say to your customers that you care about them, the neighborhood and your merchandise. As for coordinating your interior and exterior image, the sign tells customers if your store is elegant, funky, fun, junior, for children or adults, creative or conservative. Your interior store design and displays will ideally coordinate with your exterior sign image.

Window Displays That Tell a Story

Your store window displays give potential customers even more information. A window filled with merchandise like the old Woolworths looks disorganized and generally low cost. An expensive, elegant window often shows minimal merchandise well lit and simply presented. Space equals price. A traditional merchandise display may show items balanced in a classic manner with both sides perfectly matched with something larger in the center. A more creative display may have some things hanging from the ceiling interacting with the sitting merchandise in some way. Any type of original artwork will shout out “creative” as well. The addition of a sense of humor (that works for the morals and values of your community) is always a plus.

A great window display inspires people to come in. It speaks to them. It’s really that simple. It’s always a challenge to come up with ideas, money and time for good window displays. One of the biggest mistakes some storeowners make is giving up almost before they begin. Although displays may seem daunting they are well worth the effort. If you don’t feel comfortable doing them there may be someone on your staff, in your family or a friend who is excited by the prospect. Enthusiasm goes a long way!

First, in order for your windows to have an impact they need to have decent lighting. This means commercial quality spotlights that are mounted to the window wall and shoot down onto the front of the display. Lighting the top of the display is useless. In a perfect world displays should be changed every two weeks. Any longer and they become wallpaper. People don’t see them any longer; they just know they are there. If you change your displays more often people will become accustomed to looking at your windows to see if they’ve changed. Your storefront becomes a part of their daily habit and, as a result, your store will stay in their conscious mind.

Simple Ways to Attract Attention to Your Storefront Window Displays:

1. Use a strong color story and stay in the bright, warm tones. The fewer colors you use the more people will notice the window. For example, pull together all yellow merchandise and mix it with some black or white. Keep it simple and it will sell!

2. There are three basic shapes that work well in a window: repetitive pieces in a horizontal row, a centered display, and a mix of merchandise in a triangular shape.

3. Any time you add strong angles they attract interest but make sure your angles lead people into your front door – not to the store next door!

4. Movement attracts attention like nothing else. A train set going in circles with cards or small gift items poking out of the open cars will have people stopping on the street and staring. Billowing fabric, anything hanging down that’s moving all equal attention grabbers.

5. Cute works! If you carry plush animals arrange them in a window so they are doing something together. When they interact and tell a story people will pay attention.

6. A large, simple, cutout image is a great backdrop for merchandise. Sintra board or gator board are two materials that come in 4’x8’ sheets. They are rigid and need to be cut by a saber saw. Sintra comes in a limited color selection but it’s plastic based and won’t warp or fade. Gator board comes in several thicknesses, rarely warps and can be painted easily. Foamcore is affordable, lightweight, semi-rigid and easy to cut but may warp when painted and will dent easily. You can think beyond traditional flat materials: corrugated cardboard, chicken wire filled in with lights or woven with ribbons… use your imagination.

For outsized images, consider a huge sunflower, hot pink heart, big egg, ornament, pumpkin or any other classic holiday image cut out and hanging in your window with a honed selection of merchandise in front. It’s a look that people driving by will notice and make note of for a future visit.

7. Google or visit Bergdorf Goodman, Barney’s and Anthropologie windows. While you may not be able to replicate their looks, get inspired by their creativity and use of unusual materials for props. Each of these stores breaks all the traditional rules and thrives as a result of their chutzpah.

8. Look at buying my book “100 Displays Under $100” either in print or (for less money) in PDF form. I’ve included ideas from visual merchandisers all over the country. The book is in recipe format with each page having a short explanation, needs (ingredients) and sequence (how to set it up) section.

About the Author

Please check out www.lindacahan.com for more information or email me at lindacahan@gmail.com.

Linda Cahan is a retail visual merchandising expert with extensive experience with all types of retail environments and merchandise. Linda consults, teaches, gives seminars, trains and writes on visual merchandising and store design. Living in the Portland, OR area, Linda travels all over the US and internationally for her work as well as teaches Visual Merchandising locally at The Art Institute of Portland.

Retail Store Shopping Trends for the 2011 Holiday Season

njohnson — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:38:39 +0000

Here are two different viewpoints on retail store shopping trends for the 2011 Holiday season.

Viewpoint ShopperTrak: Less 2011 Holiday in-store foot traffic

The first comes from ShopperTrak — the world’s largest provider of retail foot traffic counting, managed services and business analytics. So this is the measured, non-emotional approach based on tracking in-store activity at over 25,000 locations nationwide. Ok, brick and mortar retailers, read it and weep!

“Holiday sales and traffic historically account for approximately 20 percent of annual retail activity. With U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth disappointing in the first half of 2011, the forecast indicating holiday retail sales and traffic is a key marker of the nation’s economic health. ShopperTrak’s 3.0 percent holiday sales increase prediction follows 19 consecutive months of year-over-year U.S. retail sales growth. The expected increase is moderate compared to the 2010 holiday season’s 4.1 percent sales increase over 2009.

Conversely to sales, ShopperTrak expects foot traffic to continue decreasing through the end of 2011, due to high unemployment rates and gas prices seeing a 33 percent increase this season over last. So far this year, shoppers have visited an average of 3.10 stores per shopping trip, down from 3.19 per shopping trip in 2010 and far less than the four to five stores visited in early 2008 — prior to the recession. Converting fewer numbers of shoppers to buyers has never been more important for retailers who understand this critical retail health indicator.”

Viewpoint Trendwatching: More shoppers want the real life experience!

Now for another viewpoint, one based on the human drive to seek out interaction and experience. This is the emotional side of retail, and one we prefer to focus on because, unlike international economic struggles, it is within the power of every retailer to influence and leverage to produce more sales and customer satisfaction. Measured in a different way than ShopperTrak, Rainier Evers uses the the observations and input of over 8,000 trendwatchers worldwide to take the pulse of retail. Here is his 2011 shopping prediction for a RETAIL RENAISSANCE.

” Smart retailers are defying doom and gloom scenarios, as they realize that shopping in the real world will forever satisfy consumers’ deep rooted needs for human contact, for instant gratification, for the promise of (shared) experiences, for telling stories. Hence the flurry of new formats, technologies, capabilities, and products that now are delighting retail customers around the world.”

He carries on with four specific ways that in-store is beating online as the shopping experience of choice. Don’t miss Trend Watching. Always a great site for insight and inspiration.

Retail Brand Strategy…Defining Who You’re Not

Scott_Truitt — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 06:46:02 +0000

Whether in our personal lives or in the business world we largely define ourselves by association with, or contrast to others. And when doing that, whether they are believers in the Law of Attraction, or whether they’re just too afraid to draw a line in the sand that excludes any potential customers, most retailers speak more on the positive than the negative when it comes to defining their brand. They speak of how wonderful their products are, how they’ve got the best quality, the best service, the lowest price… they provide the best value in the market.

In my experience, however, it is becoming increasingly important to be just as clear about who you are not as it is who you are. I’ll admit for the record that I am a believer in the Law of Attraction (among many other universal and branding laws), and as such I prefer not to dwell on the negative myself. Having said that, however, I find that focusing only on the positive can lead by default to the precarious position of becoming a “me-too” brand. Who, for instance, doesn’t believe that they have the best quality products, the best service, and the lowest price (or at least the best value for the money)? These are no longer defining characteristics of a brand. In today’s retail climate, you must define to the Nth degree who you are, what you stand for, who you are trying to connect with, and on what shared interest or common value. And a large part of that is in defining who you are not.

Case in point: Aries Apparel, a women’s athletic apparel store in the Portland, Oregon area. As part of the brand strategy phase of designing Aries Apparel, we discussed at length the key brand identity characteristics of the company, including who and what Aries Apparel is not. Had we stuck to the positive description of the brand, Aries Apparel’s brand image may have come off looking like a mixture of other women’s athletic apparel stores which in recent years have struggled to connect with the young athletic female demographic. By discussing who and what Aries Apparel is not we discovered some key identity elements that informed who and what Aries Apparel is.

Without naming names, Aries Apparel is not:

A big box store with a deep inventory but limited, generic selection. They are specialized, passionate experts, and they carry apparel and equipment that customers can’t find elsewhere.
A fashionista store for women who like to wear athletic apparel to the mall. The women and girls who shop at Aries Apparel actually play sports, and they play them hard.
A discount store. Aries Apparel offers a broad range of apparel and equipment for female athletes at various skill levels. But they do not offer low-end merchandise that will not stand up to the performance expectations of the serious athlete.
For boys. Aries Apparel is focused on providing female athletes with the range and selection of athletic apparel and equipment that previously had only been available to male athletes. Prior to Aries Apparel’s launch, in fact, many female athletes found themselves wearing and using men’s equipment just to be able to find something that fit their performance needs. Not anymore. As their tagline says, “We don’t have anything against boys. We just don’t want to wear their clothes.”

This clear vision for who you are informs not only how the store should be designed to engage with your target customer, but also what products to carry, what marketing channels to pursue, and what voice to use in communicating with your customer.

Clearly defining who you are not is half the battle.

For more retail design inspiration please Scott Truitt Brand Image Coach.

To connect with Aries Apparel, please visit www.ariesapparel.com.

Brewery Point of Purchase Displays from Tap Handles to Tee Shirts Build the Brand

njohnson — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 01:23:28 +0000

Designing POP displays for breweries has become big business. Developing brand elements that have inherent clarity and emotional engagement from tap room, to retail grocery display, to tee shirt and back again, is a challenge that is facing brewers in this rapidly growing retail segment. According to the Brewers Association, “Growth of the craft brewing industry in 2010 was 11% by volume and 12% by dollars compared to growth in 2009 of 7.2% by volume and 10.3% by dollars.” Not bad compared to a US economy that is stagnant in so many sectors.

One of the leading design and marketing companies in this segment is Taphandles.com. They take an integrated approach that says both quality product and state of the art marketing are needed to launch a successful brewing enterprise. They seek to discover the unique story that creates the brand and then illustrate that story consistently and with enthusiasm across all marketing channels from the establishment, to store, to online, and to related merchandise.

There is a unique opportunity for retail and hospitality designers who understand this approach and have an appreciation for the industry to collaborate with the brewer and the branding and display partner to enhance the success of the brewery and engage its loyal fans.

Retail Design Research Methodology: A Reading List for Retail Theory, Trends, and Innovation

njohnson — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 02:13:37 +0000

SonicRim creates design and innovation strategies for retailers with a focus on growth in emerging economies. They use Design, Market Research, Anthropology, Sociology, and Psychology, to develop multiple perspectives on the challenge of retailing in an interconnected international marketplace. They offer seminars in Design Methodology and a Reading List on Methods, Theory, Trends, and Innovation. Check it out.

Marimekko to Open Flagship Store in Manhatten, Creates Tennis Shoe Line with Converse

njohnson — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 01:29:52 +0000

It has been a busy year for Marimekko, one of our favorite manufacturer / retailers. Collaborating with Crate and Barrel they have committed to opening over 20 shop-in-shop locations throughout the US. Many of these stores have already opened. A new line of Converse tennis shoes for women made with Marimekko fabrics is in the works. They also have plans to launch a US targeted online e-commerce store and will be opening their US flagship store in the Fall of 2011 in Manhatten.

The US flagship will draw from the Helsinki flagship store and was designed by their in-house design team in cooperation with Japanese architectural firm IMA. While the Crate and Barrel shops-in-shops suffer a bit from having to carve out a presence within the jumble of the Crate and Barrel offering they are definitely a welcome spot of color in a sea of white and beige.

What we like about Marimekko, beyond the the simple clarity, color, and creativity of their ever evolving screenprint fabrics, is the commitment to craftsmanship, technology, and design that is the hallmark of some of the best small manufacturer / retailers. We recently posted about Meyer Wells, another firm that fits this mold. Marimekko combines the best modern production techniques with hands on craftspeople, meticulous quality control, and a very high degree of creative freedom for their designers. There is an excellent short article in the latest issue of Dwell magazine, (unfortunately the article is not available online) that walks through the design and manufacturing process.

We are looking forward to the arrival of the US flagship store. According to Marimekko, “The new flagship store will be built as an experience-rich meeting place in which Marimekko’s varied colours and design idiom will lead the customer from one inspiring mood to the next. The range will embrace all product lines, and it is intended for the shop to act as a showcase for new products in particular.”

Here is a look at the new Converse line:

Nordstrom Tests the New York Waters With Treasure and Bond Concept Store

njohnson — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:59:41 +0000

Nordstrom continues to explore the NYC landscape as it moves slowly toward an eventual 250,000 SF flagship store. Just launched is Treasure and Bond, a Nordstrom concept store without the Nordstorm name. Almost an experimental lab for merchandise, items range from Tyvek running shoes to monkey candelabras (neither typical Nordstrom fare), with 100% of profits donated to local child related charities.

As the T&B website explains: We are “…located at the intersection of retail and philanthropy, Treasure & Bond is more than just a store, it’s an experience. Part gift boutique, part art gallery and part neighborhood gathering place, it’s an exciting new experiment in giving that has, at its core, one simple goal: To help people help people—and to do so with wit, imagination and style.”

Some see it as a pop up shop but Nordstorm claims they have a long term lease and are committed to the store as a stand alone entity albiet serving the goal of informing Nordstrom about the unique NYC market and informing the development of the much anticipated future Nordstrom New York Flagship.

Live Edge Retail Store Displays and Fixtures are Sustainable and Beautiful

njohnson — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:46:26 +0000

Meyer Wells, a Seattle based design and manufacturing company uses only sustainably sourced woods to produce beautiful live edge retail store display tables, shelving, and fixtures. Master designers and craftsmen, John Wells and Seth Meyer create green display fixtures, tables, and counters for Starbucks, REI, Eddie Bauer, Nordstorm and others. They have also produced commercial grade live edge tables and counters for many restaurant and luxury hospitality clients.

Meyer Wells is unique in that they are one of the few producers of live edge furniture and fixtures that can combine extraordinary design and craftsmanship with the production facilities and capability to meet roll-out scale programs.

For more information call them at 360-779-1630.

Check out the video:

New Starbucks Logo Frees the Brand

njohnson — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 02:45:28 +0000

Great move by Starbucks on their new logo. Obviously they are freeing the brand from the constraints of being a coffee business and preparing to move toward areas that are intrinsic to their founding principles. Look for moves into social media, social shopping and environmentally friendly products and services.

While the shear amount of paper, plastic wrap and cash and carry merchandise, not to mention the impact of expanded coffee cultivation, may run counter to the idea of environmental concern, Starbucks has always been a visionary company and all things “social” and “environmental” are where the consumer is headed.

Unlike the disastrous GAP log redo, which simply scrambled the elements of a well loved standard, the new Starbucks logo creates a real “icon” as potentially powerful as the Nike Swoosh. The distraction and limitations of the text are gone. The image is iconic in the most direct sense of the word and the color scheme is blatantly green.

Hats off to Mr. Schultz and team.