Archive for the ‘Boutique Display’ Category

Facebook is not a verb & other store display ideas

Monday, May 30th, 2011

Last week, on Facebook, I asked retailers if they have incorporated Twitter and Facebook into their store identities by using the logos in their store windows, displays or signs. For this blog post, I hoped to be able to tell you exactly where to get your official social media stickers, but that information is not easily located. You can readily locate the links to download their logos and read page after page of rules for the use of such logos. I learned that Facebook has a rule stating that you should not use Facebook as a verb. I find that entertaining, because most brands would be flattered to become a verb. Ask Velcro, Google, Xerox, Hoover and Hula Hoop.

Catching Fireflies created a store window to promote involvement with their social media campaigns. They used this display to invite customers to join the firefly party online with their savvy social media pages. They have two stores in Michigan; Berkley and Rochester.

Little Cherubs Clothing in the Torquay, UK appears to have an official cling in their window.

Jean Genie in Manchester, UK, uses interior chalkboard signage to direct customers to their social media pages.

If you have social media logos in your displays,  click comment at the end of this blog post and “link” us to your pages, websites and blogs. We like and follow. Here are our links: Facebook, Twitter.

Display Backdrops

At their Brookhaven store in Georgia, Boogaloos  uses two beautiful old doors in the background of their store window display. This is a lovely example of back drops that add to the  interior store decor, as well. When possible, it is best to choose two-sided backdrops or display elements that allow for merchandise to be shown on both sides.

Ginger Boutique – located in Winter Park, FL and Bethesda, MD -  shows how a double-sided backdrop provides a background for the mannequins in the window without completely obstructing the view into the store.

Display Eye Candy:

This CUP OF TEA display is courtesy of Anthropologie, who are internationally-known for their creativity in visual merchandising. Retail Details blog is pleased that the Anthro visual teams enjoy our visual merchandising blog and appreciate all the nice comments and notes. You guys are truly display inspired and inspiring! Thanks for sharing.

Coincidence? I think not…

This display is the first in a series of store displays that I will be featuring using armoires, hutches and desks as store fixtures. A few weeks ago, I was doing some research for a magazine article and admiring some museum store displays. They have done a nice job of using all surfaces for display, including the doors and drawers. Also, you may notice the use of the colors and the arrangement of the yellow and blues to bring contrast – and interest – to the display.

The coincidence, you may ask? This display is from the Swedish American Museum  in Chicago, IL. As I type this blog post, my bags are packed to head to Sweden, as my daughter is getting married in Stockholm later this week. I have arranged to visit some retail stores there and I’m sure I’ll have lots of display pictures to share. Swedes are known for simple, but very creative displays and I hear they make great son-in-laws too!

Summer gift shows: Attending any markets this summer? We’d love to meet you. Send us your email address and we will keep you posted of where Retail Details will be and when. Dallas Gift Show is our first stop and Becky will be doing several seminars in the OneCoast showroom with SnapRetail. If you want to learn about blogging or visual merchandising, you will find her seminars listed on the Dallas Market Center website events calendar.

Stay display inspired!

Retail Details blog, Becky Tyre, Swirl Marketing~Becky

Becky Tyre is a Florida-based journalist, visual merchandising consultant and display designer. She writes about retail topics, blogging and visual merchandising for national and trade publications. She is the owner and writer of the Retail Details blog at SwirlMarketing.com Email: SwirlMarketing@comcast.net

Mother-Daughter shops and store display ideas

Monday, May 9th, 2011

I’ve been using the tagline – Stay display inspired -  for a long time and I have never considered changing it. Letters like this are why:

This is the display mentioned in the letter. Thanks to Carolyne from Couture 360 in Lake Zurich, IL, for sharing this clever and effective display. I’m pleased that it directly resulted in increased gift card sales.

Celebrating Mother-Daughter owned shops

Lisa and Danielle Kupsc wanted to have a boutique that mothers and daughters could both shop in and find things that are age appropriate.  In 2009, they opened Flock, a whimsical neighborhood boutique in the historical district of Boston’s south end. Danielle, the daughter part of the duo, does most of the visual merchandising. They love working together and report that the buying process and going to trade shows is the area that they complement each other the most.

In October of 2010, Leah Papp and her mom opened a children’s consignment boutique in Martinsville, NJ. They decided to call their shop The Comeback Kid. Leah has a Fashion Design degree and her mom had been a business manager, so it’s no surprise that Leah handles most of the displays and signage while her mom keeps things on track through her organizational expertise.

“It’s my mom! She’s totally cool, hilarious and just a blast to be around”, claims Corey DeRoo, the daughter part of the mother-daughter team who have owned French Cuff Consignment boutiques since 2005. She goes on to tell me that her mom, Darcy McNie, is the far more creative of the team. Credit for their success goes to a combination of Corey’s business management knowledge and the fact that Darcy is 100% people person. They enjoy working with each other as they share similar work ethics and have the same vision for the direction of their business. All staff at both French Cuff shops share in the visual merchandising, which keeps every one’s creative juices flowing.

In March of 2008, Diane and Meghan Ludwig opened The Barkery Bistro because they wanted to have a fun place where pet owners could bring their four-leggeds for an outing, to have treats, select a toy, and learn about all natural dog and cat foods. Their love of animals, especially dogs, and  interest in nutrition led them to researching how, what and where they wanted to “open shop”. Their skill sets complement one another and they enjoy working side by side and learning from each other. Mom, Diane, had been a manager/buyer of a retail specialty store before graduating from law school and practicing law. Daughter, Meghan has a degree in Communications. If you visit their shop in Greenville, SC, chances are that you will be greeted by Bentley and Duncan, their two golden retrievers, pictured above, doing some product development ;-)

Though the store is not open yet, Jessica Escalante is opening a women’s clothing and accessories boutique with her mother and aunt. They made the decision to start J. Luxe Boutique last November and immediately began a business plan, signed up for trade shows and started researching locations and product lines. Jessica always dreamed of owning a boutique.  These pictures are taken before they started to renovate the space and Jessica and her Aunt Alma are seen holding the key on the day their retail journey really started. I thought it might be fun to follow their efforts as the store takes shape between now and their planned opening in July 2011.

I hope you had a nice Mother’s Day. Here’s one last Mother’s Day display to share. It comes from Ellen at The Paper Shop in Winter Park, FL. Ellen has a beautiful shop with lovely gifts, paper goods and luxury linens. Lots of pretty things!

Stay display inspired!

Retail Details blog, Becky Tyre, Swirl Marketing~Becky

About the Retail Details blog: The Retail Details is a blog about visual merchandising and features store displays, tips and ideas from around the world. The blog is written by Becky Tyre, a visual merchandising consultant. Becky also writes for print publications and you can read her articles in Gift Shop Magazine and in various blogs and industry newsletters. In her travels, Becky visits many shops and showrooms. If you would like to submit pictures for blog consideration, suggest that she visit your shop or speak to your group, you can email her at SwirlMarketing@comcast.net You can also join the conversation and see bonus display pictures at the Retail Details blog Facebook Page and follow her on Twitter @Retail_Details.

 

Store display ideas and my new favorite shoe display fixture

Saturday, April 16th, 2011

I review hundreds of store displays every day. Many of them are noteworthy and I file them away for future blogs or magazine articles. Every once in a while, my jaw drops. Case in point: this OC pop-up shop shoe display in Hong Kong.

To kick off Spring 2011, Lane Crawford collaborated with US fashion retailer Opening Ceremony, bringing together two fashion forces in a creative partnership that unites the best of Hong Kong and New York.  In pop-up shops that opened April 14 and will last for four weeks, Opening Ceremony will offer a “conceptual retail extension” in the Lane Crawford stores in Hong Kong and Beijing. I just added this photo to my All Time Favorite Store Displays file.

I enjoy a clever play on words. Combine it with two of my favorite things – shoes and displays – and it will likely end up in the Retail Details blog! Leigh's Fashions, Retail Details blog, store display ideas, Patrick PlankThis peep toe shoe display was provided by Patrick Plank, the Creative Director at Leigh’s in Grand Rapids, MI.

In the past month, the Retail Details blog has been featuring floral displays to celebrate spring. I hope spring has arrived where you are. If you missed the last few blogs and want to see the use of flowers in visual merchandising, scroll down after this blog entry or click here and here to view the lovely, fragrant store displays.

From Peeps to bunnies, spring displays fill the store windows and display tables of gifts shops, candy stores, children’s shops, card stores and even grocery stores this time of year. 

Pacifier, The Rustic Door, Retail Details blog, store display ideas, visual merchandising

Pacifier (left) and The Rustic Door (right)

Pacifier is an urban baby and kids boutique in Minneapolis, MN. I appreciate how their display incorporated a young boy’s outfit, some books and bunnies in a nice tabletop display. On the right, the display at The Rustic Door in Mount Vernon, WA, uses Scrabble pieces to label their display of ceramic rabbit pieces.

Randoons, Retail Details blog, store display ideas, visual merchandising

Randoons in Winnetka, IL, created a springtime fairy tale store window using the wearables and whatnots for which the store is known.

Randoons, Retail Details blog, store display ideas

Randoons - Winnetka, IL

Retail Details blog, store display ideas, visual merchandising

Something Special Boutique (left) and Lisa Frost Studio (right)

Monogrammed cups define an Easter display at Something Special Boutique in Dothan, AL. Pictured on the right is a tablescape by Lisa Frost Studios. If you would like to “frost your world with creativity” and recreate the jellybean centerpiece, click here to view the video instructions.

HAPPY SPRING.

Stay display inspired!

Retail Details blog, Becky Tyre, Swirl Marketing~Becky

 

About the Retail Details blog: The Retail Details is a blog about visual merchandising and features store displays, tips and ideas from around the world. The blog is written by Becky Tyre. Becky is a visual merchandising consultant and a prop shopper for The Display Lab. Becky also writes for print publications and you can read recent articles by her in Gift Shop Magazine and InStore Magazine, a publication of the Dallas Market Center. In her travels, Becky visits many shops and showrooms. If you would like to submit pictures for blog consideration, suggest that she visit your shop or speak to your group, you can email her at SwirlMarketing@comcast.net

Three beds, some scales and a bar of soap

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

Fitts Company, Walla Walla, Retail Details blog, Visual merchandisingIf you are like me, your Mom told you to keep your shoes off the bed. I don’t think the rule applies to this retail display at Fitts and Company in Walla Walla, WA. Here are three displays where the retailers take advantage of the sleep space to show off more than linens. HiHo Home Market, in Gardiner in the Hudson Valley, NY, has numerous themed rooms and this bedroom contains an interesting product mix, combining old and new merchandise in a display built around a black and white theme. The Miller House, a home decor and interior design shop, features linens, books, fragrance sprays and flowers in a cozy bed display at the shop in Stephens City, VA.

Hiho Home Market, The Miller House, Retail Details blog, Visual merchandising, store display

Sweet Anthem Jewelry, Retail Details blog, Visual merchandising, store displayAt Sweet Anthem Jewelry in Salem, MA, painted driftwood serves as accessory displays for belts and jewelry. Natural elements are a popular display trend and this one is cleverly assembled.

Craftland, Retail Details blog, Visual merchandisingPink fabric is strategically placed beneath rectangles of plexiglass on this jewelry display table at Craftland Shop in Providence, RI. This is my favorite idea of the week and I appreciate the way they used varying sizes of plexiglass and staggered the sizes of the colored fabric, as well. Very effective technique. Numerous possibilities.

Home Design Studio, Columbus, TX, Retail Details blog, Visual merchandising, store displayDisplay tip: Note how this presentation has several bars of soap unwrapped within the display.  This makes it very clear what is in the lovely packaging and exhibits the fact that different colors are available. Thanks to Home Design Studio in Columbus, TX,  for sharing an example of this display technique.

Cake Vintage, Nashville, Retail Details blog, Visual merchandisingUnless you are new to the Retail Details blog, you likely know of my love of and obsession with visual merchandising props and there-fore explains my other job as a prop shopper and display designer for The Display Lab. One of my favorite props are scales. I like this hanging scale in a display at Cake Vintage in Nashville, Tennessee. There is something quite pleasant about mixing the industrial look of the scale with the delicate teacups and such “odd mixtures” catch a customer’s eye.

Patina Green, Retail Details blog, Visual merchandising, store displayIn a more traditional scenario, a scale displays vegetables at Patina Green Home and Market in McKinney, TX. I love how they mixed wire, wood and straw baskets, the usage of differing heights within the display and the consistent, appropriate signage. Well done!

Thanks for reading the Retail Details blog. I hope you will join me as we continue the conversation and share display ideas on Facebook (Retail Details Blog) and Twitter(@Retail_Details). I invite you to submit display pictures to be considered for blog inclusion. You can email pictures to SwirlMarketing(at)comcast(dot)net. Be sure to include your store location and website information. I visit hundreds of stores every year and may be in your area later in 2011. Retail Details loves to shop local!

Over the next few months, I will be having a few guest bloggers write for the Retail Details blog. Contact me if you’d like to be considered. I have two spots open at this time.

Stay display inspired!

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