Archive for the ‘Cashwrap’ 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 
 

Unique Store Displays – Retail Details

Friday, September 25th, 2009

Welcome to Retail Details, a blog discussion and source for topics relevant to retailing, with an emphasis on product merchandising and store display. Attractive product displays serve a number of purposes: draw customers into your store and keep them coming back, promote slow-moving or high inventory items, announce a sale, introduce new products, welcome a season and enhance the overall image and ambiance of your store. How about all of the above? I hope this blog gives you some useful ideas and inspirations. I look forward to hearing your ideas, too. Submit your pictures or input through the contact link at the bottom of this page. I look forward to an open exchange of ideas and welcome your comments.

LeVigne Wine Shop, NY, NY   credit: Petia Molozov

LeVigne Wine Shop, NY, NY credit: Petia Morozov

“Re-purpose”, defined: Thrift store furniture and gallons of the whitest white paint came together to become one of the most interesting store interiors that I have ever seen. LeVigne Wine Shop recently opened in New York’s Greenwich Village. Look closely at the picture and you will see end tables on top of coffee tables on top of dining tables all strategically joined to display wine bottles. Owner, Carlo Orrico worked with Petia Morozov of Madlab to bring this unique concept to reality. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves. View more pictures here: http://bit.ly/cBgFo    Thanks to DDI Magazine. I’m one of many bloggers who “re-purposed” this picture in the past few weeks.
Brunswick Bound in Melbourne, Australia has Brunswick_Bound- Melbourne- 3.25 inchperhaps the most relevant cashwrap ever. A laminate surface tops hundreds of books stacked with “pages out” to form a sales counter that is truly inspiring!  These two store designs prove that design creativity is alive and well. Once again, I say “I wish I had thought of that”. If only I had a nickel for every time…

Hutch - honey bunch - 3.5inch

Honey Bunch, Toronto

Rate the Store Display:
Nicole Morrell of Honey Bunch in Toronto is a self-proclaimed “certified flea market ace”.  She uses various old and refinished items as display fixtures. It’s part of what makes her store so unique. Pictured here is a vintage hutch that she uses for featuring baby items. This display is a prime example of the effectiveness of showing multiples. Honey Bunch Party Table 3 inchRather than cluttering the display with too many items, you’ll notice the hutch shows multiples of each item. By showing two or three of the same item side-by-side and stacked deep, the featured items become more noticeable. As long as it is kept neat, this simple (though often overlooked) technique is a staple of good retail display. You’ll notice that she also uses the same technique on a table of party supplies.

Molly and Max Pet Boutique

Molly and Max Pet Boutique

Alternative Display Fixtures: Curtain rods? Towel bars? Old frames?
Molly and Max Pet Boutique in Birmingham, Alabama uses curtain rods to display pet collars. Drapery rods can be inexpensive, versatile and available in many styles and sizes. I suggest the ones with fancy finial ends for jewelry displays or boutique items. Towel bars, also available in many styles and price ranges, make an attractive necklace Towel Bars 3 inchdisplay. An old frame utilizes wall space to show off jewelry pieces. I can picture (pun intended) this idea expanded into a grouping with frames of different sizes, each featuring a single piece of a coordinating jewelry collection or color story. I Jewelry Frame 2 inchthink this would be an ideal way to display jewelry in an art gallery. Thanks to the readers who sent in these last two pictures/ideas. If you have additional ideas for using rods, bars, frames or other non-traditional display fixtures, please share by clicking “comments” below and/or sending pictures via the “contact” link at the bottom of this page.

 
Retail Details: Overheard while shopping this week… “That’s not my department”.  So, maybe large stores cannot have their staff be familiar with all merchandise in every department, but how much nicer it would have been if the staff member had said “I’ll be happy to find someone who can assist you in that department”. Sometimes store staff just need the simplest of helpful tips.

Please share this blog with your retail colleagues and  friends!

Swirl Girl, Swirl Marketing, Becky Tyre~Becky