Archive for the ‘Alternative Display Fixtures’ Category

“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

Framed, again… and still tickled pink!

Sunday, November 15th, 2009

Thanks for sending in your great pictures. I especially like the ones where you follow up on an idea that we have talked about or spotted it being used elsewhere. I look forward to seeing your holiday windows. Please send them soon.

Monkee's: Numerous locations in NC and surrounding states

Monkee's: Numerous locations in NC and surrounding states

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month and here are a few shops and how they incorporated the pink into their displays. The Monkee’s stores had a “WE WEAR PINK” campaign.

Bullfish Baldwin Park, Orlando, FL

Bullfish Baldwin Park, Orlando, FL

 Bullfish incorporated existing pink merchandise into a display with pink ribbon items. The black boxes provide a nice contrast to draw your eye to this display.Pink Pumpkins Blog Pic

 

 

 

 

 

A reader sent me this picture of these pink painted pumpkins and I’m waiting to see the follow-up picture. It is an obvious way to merge the Breast Cancer Awareness and Halloween themes of October.

Last month we talked about the use of picture frames as display props.  Below you will see a few of the many display pictures I received using the frames in various ways. Several retailers even used frames in their pink displays.

Bijuju - Myrtle Beach, SC

Bijuju - Myrtle Beach, SC

 

Bijuju Accessory Boutique “Painted the Town Pink” and featured pictures of breast cancer survivors into their pink ribbon display. Note the use of the frames and bulletin board.

 

 

 

 

 

Zovo Lingerie created this “Fight for the Cure” store window using framed custom-designed bras

Zovo Lingerie - Seattle, WA

Zovo Lingerie - Seattle, WA

that were designed by students from the Seattle Art Institute.

The Velvet Fly - Boston, MA

The Velvet Fly - Boston, MA

More frame displays: The Velvet Fly in Boston uses this ornate frame for displaying earrings. I suspect this was once a mirror, but now frames fine screening, ideal for jewelry displays.

 

 

Tracy b Boutique - New Haven, CT

Tracy b Boutique - New Haven, CT

Tracy b in New Haven is well known for their store windows. You will see them featured again in upcoming blogs. This one uses suspended empty frames, painted white, to enhance the black and white clothing theme.  

The Attic - Pennsylvania

The Attic - Pennsylvania

The Attic, with several locations in Pennsylvania, uses empty frames in several ways. You can see one framing a hook on the wall to feature a single

The Attic

The Attic

outfit and the other picture shows them using frames on the dressing room doors – a frequently overlooked area of potential display space.

Bliss - Knoxville, TN

Bliss - Knoxville, TN

Corkboard makes another useful backing for the display area of a frame. T-pins or push pins secure small items securely.  As shown here, BLISS uses cork backing to display charms. If you do not like the look of cork, it can easily be covered with fabric or wrapping paper for a different look.

 

 

Accessory Appeal - McMinnville, OR

Accessory Appeal - McMinnville, OR

Mismatched suspended frames lined with what appears to be wrapping paper make an interesting outline for single shoes in this store window of Accessory Appeal. They also use several frames at the floor level to feature jewelry. Wrapping paper can be an inexpensive and easily changed medium for themed windows and holiday displays.

Edit Shoppe - Alberta, Canada

Edit Shoppe - Alberta, Canada

A tall frame leans against a blank wall to feature a single dress. This picture is from the group gallery of photos at Edit Shoppe’s Facebook group.  Check it out, there are other good display ideas there.

Speaking of Facebook… join the facebook page for this blog by searching RETAIL DETAILS or through this link: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FRetail-Details%2F149169459264%3Fref%3Dmf&h=1e7139cc0718f5c6e742fc0aecfa378c

You can view all prior blog posts and pictures on Facebook and it’s a great way to be notified immediately when a new blog article is posted.

RETAIL DETAILS: Who handles the visual merchandising at your store? Store display is a great way to include all retail staff in the operations of a shop.  You may find hidden talents in your staff, as well.

Note to all readers: Please “comment” at the bottom of this blog post, not the bottom of the page (after prior posts). Older posts – and their comments – will start to drop off as new posts occur. Thanks! Submit your pics to: Becky@swirlmarketing.com

Swirl Girl, Swirl Marketing, Becky Tyre~Becky

Store displays that tickle-me-pink

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
Tickled Pink, Seymour CT

Tickled Pink, Seymour CT

Pink tickled

Tickled Pink:  During my recent trip to Connecticut, I saw this example of name branding in the window of an eclectic gift shop in Seymour. The pink pails are clearly marked with neatly printed letters in the name of the store. The store manager told me that she changes the pail contents frequently to represent sales or seasons.

Bike-SeibuInspiration Display:
Let’s face it, men’s departments frequently have less than interesting props. I applaud the Seibu Store in Japan for sharing the inverted bike idea. Bravo.

lacy fence 3inch

               Lacy Fence:
As a follow up to the Blog Post dated 10-13-09, where we discussed using chain link fence in displays, a client sent me this
picture of fencing being “laced”.

Anthropologie_Xmas_2008

Christmas Windows:
I am anxiously awaiting seeing all your holiday windows. Here’s one of my favorites from last year.

Send your display pictures and ideas to:

Becky@swirlmarketing.com

Click “comment” right below this blog post to share your thoughts on the blog.

Swirl Girl, Swirl Marketing, Becky Tyre

~Becky