Archive for the ‘Alternative Displays’ Category

Fabulous fitting rooms and summer store displays

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

I’m looking at the summer gift show calendar and it looks like there’s no way to avoid the heat.  Dallas, Atlanta, Orlando, Los Angeles, Ft. Lauderdale, Las Vegas and with the recent heat in the northeast, it looks like New York City may not be any cooler. I can’t wait to visit some stores in Connecticut in October! For now, here are a few summer inspired displays:

Naples Soap Company, Retail Details blog, store displayWhen your original store is located in a beach town, especially in Southwest Florida, you can use star fish, sea grass, shells and sand as display props all year round. I love the mix of white glass vase-style containers and the natural-colored boxes. I’ll bet it smells good, too! The Naples Soap Company has expanded to Georgia, Massachusetts and most recently, South Carolina. It’s encouraging to see a retail business growing. 

Ants Display, Don Mechanic Showroom, Retail Details blog
Don Mechanic Showroom, Dallas Mart, Dallas TX

If you were at the gift show in Dallas last month, you likely saw this cute little picnic scene in the window at the Don Mechanic Showroom. It was right by the escalator and every day it made me smile. I was “prop shopping” for fall and holiday displays, but I’ll bet these ants were used in more than a few 4th of July retail window displays. I’m planning to peek in their Atlanta showroom next week and see what other fun display ideas I can find.

Retail Details blog, store window, visual merchandising, retail display ideas

This window is a follow-up to prior blogs where I featured bikes as visual merchandising props. One of my favorite features of using a bike prop is that it functions as a 2-sided display. I always appreciate a store window that is also an interior display. I understand that the store in this picture is no longer in business. I hope the wonderful old bike found a good retail home.

Fusion Home Fashion, Retail Details blog, belt display idea

I look for display inspirations wherever I go. Every once in a while, I get stopped in my tracks by a simple idea that I wish I could claim as my own. Belts are a challenge to display in a tidy and eye-catching way. Fusion Home Fashion solves that problem with this wall-mounted belt display currently in their store at the Legacy Shops in Plano, TX. They mounted basic cabinet door handles and spaced them so that the belts could be positioned to display five belts in a very interesting configuration. Note the sectioned shelf at the bottom and you have a very clever, effective display.

I’m adding these to my favorite fabulous fitting room file!
Confederacy Boutique, Retail Details blog, fitting rooms
Shop Confederacy – Hollywood, CA

 These vintage telephone booths serve as the fitting rooms at Shop Confederacy in Los Angeles, CA. Inspired by the 1940’s, each fitting room has an antique telephone that dials the front desk in case you need a different size. They also have a tea room you can book ahead for private fittings.

Lynn Steven Boutique, Retail Details blog, Fitting roomsThe Lynn Steven Boutique in Vancouver, British Columbia has a circular structure in the center of the store. When you get close, you can see

Lynn Steven Boutique, Retail Details blog, Fitting rooms

Lynn Steven Boutique - Vancouver, Canada

that the round walls are constructed by stacking used paperback books. The local architecture firm, McFarlane Green Biggar, have been widely recognized for this design and how it fits with a sustainable philosophy.

Thanks for taking the time to read the Retail Details store display blog. You can submit your unique store displays for consideration for use in upcoming blogs. Send them to the email address below.

Stay display inspired!

Retail Details blog, Becky Tyre, Swirl Marketing~Becky Tyre, Retail Details blog

SwirlMarketing(at)comcast.net

Retail Details blog – store display ideas go viral!

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

Viral in a good way, that is. Who would have thought that a blog about visual merchandising would be viewed over 680,000 times? Obviously, you are kindly sharing it with your colleagues and the new reader “unique” numbers just keep doubling month to month. And Facebook – wow!  Thousands of retailers are getting to the blog via FB. What an incredible response. Thanks! Many more inspirations to come – starting now…

LaDifference, La Difference, Retail Details blog 3-27-10

LaDIFFERENCE - Richmond, VA

LaDifference  is celebrating their 30th year in the home furnishings and decor business in Richmond, Virginia.  La Diff is well known for their wonderful window displays and are especially elaborate considering they are a single store, independent retailer. They currently have this colorful, “sweet” store window to feature their kids department. I’ve included a close-up picture so you can see the intricate details of the candy pieces.

 
Collier West store, Columbus Ohio, Retail Details blog 3-27-10

Collier West - Columbus, Ohio

Collier West, in Columbus, Ohio, has the coolest big red letters in their store, but that’s only the beginning. For years, Suzy West worked in the visual merchandising field with a national retail brand and now puts her skills to use creating displays using a unique collection of home decor and gifts from local artisans and from around the world. I especially love the gorgeous peacock placed on a shelf up high. It may seem that pretty merchandise makes it easy display, but when you have one of a kind and hand-crafted items, it can be quite a challenge. Thanks, Suzy, for sharing and inspiring.

Hugs and Hissy Fits, Angel's Toy Barn, Retail Details blog 3-27-10

Angel's Toy Barn - Greensburg, PA (left) Hugs and Hissy Fits - Ft. Walton Beach and Destin, FL (right)

Beetlebugs and butterflies are there to greet you when enter Angel’s Toy Barn in the Westmoreland Mall in Greensburg, PA.  Toy stores frequently look cluttered and over-stocked.  The displays get “touched” alot and it’s an added challenge to keep them neat, so toy retailers don’t always make the effort to create table groupings like the one pictured above. The happy umbrella catches your attention and creates some height (and some smiles). The picture on the right, above, shows a twin size, painted, wrought iron headboard mounted on the wall of Hugs and Hissy Fits in Florida.  The scrolling details serve as hooks for the infant clothing. The display piece is large, but it is delicate enough not to overwhelm the itsy, bitsy, teeny, tiny little outfits.

Dedrick's - New Paltz, Vignettes - Yorkville, Retail Details blog 3-27-10

Dedrick's Pharmacy and Gifts - New Paltz, NY (left & center) Vignettes Decor - Yorkville, IL (right)

Spring displays are refreshing, as they usually mean the end of cold weather is approaching.  A few weeks ago we examined old suitcases as display props and above you can see how Dedrick’s Pharmacy and Gifts, in New Paltz, NY, uses new suitcases in a spring pillow display. The center picture, also from Dedrick’s, is a spring grouping that can serve as an Easter display, yet remains current after the holiday passes, since they show bird eggs. A simple, but effective grouping. On the right, above, Vignettes Decor, in Yorkville, IL, created a swan pond in an old footed bathtub. I am sure that the hand-painted swans sell better floating in the tub than they would stacked on a shelf or sitting on the floor. I suspect there are no ugly ducklings at Vignettes.

The Cottage - Beresford, ReInvent Store - Auburn, Retail Details blog 3-27-10

The Cottage - Beresford, SD (left) ReInvent - Auburn, AL (right)

Single color simplicity. The Cottage, in Beresford, SD, sells antiques, gifts and home decor items - old and new. They manage to integrate the pleasures with the treasures, as exampled above, in the picture of the dresser. The reason this picture caught my eye, though, was due to the purple scarf draped unobtrusively amidst the merchandise. Subtle. Nice touch.  On the right,  shows a bolder use of color at ReInvent, a new store in Auburn, AL.  By adding the bright color to the back walls of the hutch, it creates depth and draws attention to the small items that are for sale there.  This display also shows an example of using multiples and the technique of showing only one type of product/packaging per shelf. This is a textbook display example. Take note.

Retail Details blog 3-27-10

Inspiration display idea of the month

For my American readers, I am providing this next picture to inspire an Independence Day – 4th of July window. If you find the concept useful, I hope you will submit pictures of your display creation. No hints, but good luck finding newspaper pages with no color ads.

Thanks for your time and as always, stay display inspired! You can submit display pictures to Becky@SwirlMarketing.com

Retail Details blog, Becky Tyre, Swirl Marketing~Becky

“Chalk” one up to spring fever

Friday, February 12th, 2010
Winter is hardly behind us, but the delivery boxes are full of spring merchandise. It’s time to pack away the snowflakes, valentine hearts and mardi gras beads and dig out the flowers, shamrocks and colored eggs.  Retail Details BlogIf you want to have some fun, plan a Dr. Seuss window to celebrate his birthday in early March. It’s all about the props. I enjoy finding fun and economical props. If you have ideas for displays and need props, send me a message. It’s likely that I have sources that I’ll be happy to share. 
Sabella Couture, Boston MA, Retail Details blog

Sabella Couture - Boston, MA

Paper lanterns are a popular prop. They are inexpensive and easy to work with. They come in various shapes and colors for all seasons. They collapse for easy storage and are simple in shape, so they do not distract from your merchandise. Pictured here, Sabella Couture, in Boston, combines paper lanterns with oversized flowers to create this wedding window. Once the window catches your eye, you look closer to see the detail of the long-stemmed flowers gracing the skirt of a wire form.  Lovely.  

Bits And Pieces Boutique, in Carytown-Richmond, Virginia, uses floral
Bits and Pieces Boutique - Retail Details blog

Bits and Pieces Boutique - Carytown/Richmond, VA

bouquets as mannequin heads. They use the silver torso forms that actually have arms like a mannequin, yet no heads or legs, making them much easier to work with. They take up less space, as well. 

Frocks Boutique, Addison TX, Retail Details blog

Frocks Boutique - Addison, TX

I was unsure whether this was a headboard or a fence part, so Ashley from Frocks Boutique in Addison, TX, clarified for me. It’s part of fence. The fence is visible from outside too, making it a dual display. Two-sided displays can be tricky. Have you shopped at home improvement stores for displays?  

Inspiration boards may serve several purposes. Used as a bulletin board, staff and customers can see fashion trends and current

Crush Boutique - Retail Details blog

Crush Boutique

merchandise in magazine features and ad copy. They can provide ideas about how to put outfits together and also stress the fact that your products are “in style”. In a previous blog post, we discussed the impact of celebrity sightings and their possible impact on your customer. Yes, you are giving up valuable wall space to hang an inspiration board, but it serves as advertising  if you do as Crush Boutique of Boston does, and show press clippings of your store in print.  

 
 
 
 
 
Revolution Shop, Charlotte NC, Retail Details blog

Revolution Shop - Charlotte, NC

Revolution Shop in Charlotte NC, created a cork-board display wall that combines product pictures and actual merchandise creating a trend wall, of sorts.

Another example is to use a chalkboard to get your point across. Retail Details blog, Swirl Marketing

Speaking of chalkboards… what a great display tool these removable chalkboard stickers can be. They come in many laser cut Retail Details blogshapes like a TV, a drum set and a rocket, as well as a traditional framed version and the dress-maker’s form, as shown here. Retail Details blogThere are lots of display possibilities for these.

Bundle, NYC, Retail Details blog

Bundle - New York, NY

Bundle Children’s Store in New York City had chalkboards built into their cashwrap desk, a frequently overlooked selling space.

I have received much feedback about two recent blog topics – denim display dilemmas and unique display hooks. Here are some follow-up pictures from

Mint Julep, NYC, Retail Details blog

Mint Julep - New York, NY

 prior blog display discussions. Mint Julep in New York displays jeans on single display hooks with additional stock neatly stacked on shelves, off to one side.

Flavour Clothing, Nashville, Retail Details blog

Flavour Cothing - Nashville, TN

Flavour Clothing of Nashville and Thread Boutique use the alphabet letter hooks to feature belts Retail Details blogand jewelry in their stores.

 
 
 
 I’m preparing to attend the ASD Gift Show in Las Vegas, where I will be looking for display ideas and talking to vendors about display ideas and materials for retailers.  Send your display ideas, pictures and requests to the Retail Details blog, Becky@SwirlMarketing.com 
You can also join the discussion on the Retail Details Facebook Page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Retail-Details/149169459264  
As always, you can click “comments”  below to leave your input for this blog. Stay display inspired!  
~Becky 
 

Denim Displays – The Retail Details

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

 

Branches and twigs are currently popular in interior home decorating and frequently you will see similar trends in store displays.  Working well with denim, these displays give an ecological feel to a retail environment.

Privilege Clothing

Privilege Clothing - Surrey & Port Moody, BC

I can’t think of any product other than jeans, that need to be displayed backwards to sell effectively. Whether folded, draped or hung, jeans can be one of the trickiest apparel items to merchandise. Privilege Clothing in British Columbia is an excellent example of how this is done using wall shelves.

Photo credit: Melissa Hom, New York Magazine

There’s nothing unusual about jeans being folded on a table. However, using the jeans as table runners makes this display at Seven For All Mankind in NYC, much more eye-catching. The initial purpose of any display is to get a customer’s attention. The use of color, repetition, horizontal and vertical components make this display worthy of a second look.

Other than on mannequins, I do not have many examples in my archives of how to display jeans in a store window. Suspending them, as shown here, works because they made them look like they are jumping.  I’m sure preparing this window was quite time consuming, since you can tell that they positioned each jean strategically and stuffed them realistically. I’ll assume they used the old visual merchandising staple – fish line – but they may have used thin wire to help stabilize the jeans.

Notice the frame in the display photo to the right. It is an advertisement, possibly from a magazine featuring the jeans that are being displayed. For some reason, customers like to see how the jeans look “on” someone else and perhaps they like to purchase items that are from a magazine. Throw in a celebrity sighting and they will probably fly off the shelves. All kidding aside, framing magazine pages showing your products can be a great merchandising tool.  You may also find suppliers or sales reps that can provide you with ad copy for their lines.

Photo credit: Kim Weling

S-hooks are used in this picture from Miss Sixty to feature the jeans that are folded on the surrounding shelves in this photo by Kim Weling. The combination of the hanging bar, vertical and horizontal shelves make for a pleasing jean wall. If you look closely, you will see that the shelves are lined with a patterned paper for added interest. Add in a silver brick wall and you have an A+ display in my book.

OK. I know I asked for it when I suggested that readers send in pictures of denim displays, but I didn’t expect anything quite like this artistic expression from England. It reminds me of a rubberband ball, so I wonder if they are stretch jeans :-) Thanks for providing me a laugh and no, they don’t make your butt look fat!

~Becky