Creating collages is one of my most favorite things to do and I swear I could waste countless hours making them!  When I was younger I used to wall paper my bedroom with fashion tearsheets.  My father hated it because the thumbtacks left holes in the walls, and the tape pulled the paint off!  Now that I’m older with a house to care for myself – I see what he means.

This is why I like the idea below.  You can change out your photos as often as you like without ruining your walls:

(image and idea found at a pair & a spare)

INDUSTRY DENIM

What does the store design tell you about the retailer?

This is a large store, with two floors.  The design is casual and contemporary and the primary material is wood.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in the store was that they carry a lot of Denim, so my impression about the retailer was: selling casual clothing.

Describe the store’s target customer.

Because the clothes are definitely casual and rather expensive; I think the target customers are men and women in the following age group: late 20’s to early 40’s.

Is the merchandise displayed in an accessible manner for the customer?

Yes, the merchandise is displayed in a very accessible manner –  either hanging from racks or folded over tables – within an easy height (nothing is hanging way up high in the ceiling).

Is it stocked-piled or minimalist?

Everything is piled, and every space is filled with something, so it looks highly stocked.

Do the fixtures suit the store’s environment?

They do fit.  The large windows and high ceilings give the store a loft-apartment feeling, and the type of furniture they chose to fill out the space makes it look cozy and casual.

Is the ambiance fitting for the store’s image?

Yes, the ambiance fits the store’s image.  The music, the lights, and the vintage decorations are in sync with the casual, funky San Francisco style.

Does the lighting highlight the merchandise?

Yes, the lighting highlights the merchandise.  All areas are highly lit and no merchandise is left in the dark.

How is color used in the store?

The main color is oak wood, and the decoration is rather rustic looking with a warm palette. The warm tones make the store look neat and inviting.

Are the windows pleasing and drawing you into the store?

The windows look rather messy and condensed with merchandise.  I didn’t find them pleasing but they made me curious about what they carry in the store.

If you could make changes in the store what would they be?

I would put fun signs throughout the store to help customers identify what is men’s and what is women’s.

Thanks Cindy for a great assignment and photos!

GROUP PROJECTS

Group Projects will be assigned this coming Saturday.  We have six groups.

The themes are:

• Pop Culture
• Fashion Designer
• Movie
• Environment
• Holiday
• Music or Sports (we need to decide)

The schedule is as follows:

March 31 – #1 wall, #2 big cubes, #3 window, #4 table, #5 shelving, #6 other cubes   (Environment)

April 7 – #1 other cubes, #2 wall, #3 big cubes, #4 window, #5 table, #6 shelving        (Holiday)

April 14 – #1 shelving, #2 other cubes, #3 wall, #4 big cubes, #5 window, #6 table       (Movie)

April 21 – #1 table, #2 shelving, #3 other cubes, #4 wall, #5 big cubes, #6 window      (Fashion Designer)

April 28 – #1 window, #2 table, #3 shelving, #4 other cubes, #5 wall, #6 big cubes      (Sports/Music)

May 5 – #1 big cubes, #2 window, #3 table, #4 shelving, #5 other cubes, #6 wall         (Pop Culture)

The number corresponds with what group you are in and what surface you will be presenting for that day.

See you Saturday!

I’ve been feeling so guilty because I haven’t posted in a while, especially since I’ve acquired quite a few new subscribers!  I haven’t abandoned my blog , in fact I should be back to posting soon, as my new visual merchandising class began last week (I have 50 eager students – I’m sooo excited).

My assistant AND accountant have been on an extended vacation since the holidays, so I’ve been left to fend for myself, in my business and classes, and it’s been a tad bit overwhelming.  I didn’t realize how much I relied on my help until I lost it.

I hope you are all are doing well!  Thanks as always for supporting my blog and hanging in there with me!

Ciao-Ciao,

Arcadia

Give yourself lots of time to browse through her site, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

(image via: Modelizing: the art of window shopping)

Planograms are a visual tool retailers use to show in detail where everything will go.  It’s the diagram or layout of the selling floor. They can be simple or very complex.  They can be done by a hand-sketch or with a software program (the most common, nowadays).  Sometimes they are even provided to the retailer by the vendor.  They show you exactly how they want a wall, for instance, to be merchandised.  If you are a retailer who does not use planograms then make this your New Year’s resolution!

Planograms are effective because:

• You have better control of inventory
• Your staff knows where and how to replenish merchandise
• You can visually layout merchandise in a way that’s easier for the customer
• You can plan your product adjacencies
• Selling space isn’t wasted

Some retailers may already be using something of the sort and just didn’t know the technical name for it, but nonetheless all merchandisers know the importance of planograms.  Chain stores use them for consistency throughout their stores and independent stores use them to maximize their selling space.

Besides giving you the picture of how the selling space will look they also give you the details on the number of facings and the depth.  The facings are the number of units for that particular item (or SKU) and the depth is the number of units stocked one behind the other.

Planograms are the lifeblood of grocery stores and big box chain stores, and looking at all of the merchandise they stock, you can see why.  Grocery stores use planograms to optimize shelf space and control inventory:

Clothing retailers tend to focus more on presentation and visual appeal when using planograms:

There are many software programs and services out there to help you learn more and get started if your store is big enough and you choose to subcontract this service:

• Shelf Logic Planogram Software
• Retail Smart
• Smart Draw

Happy Planning!

These first photos are from the store Man 1924 in Madrid, the photos are taken by  Scott Schuman of The Satorialist.  I think the store owner does a great job of layering the clothes with different textures and fabrics.  I especially like how they display the pants, much simpler than pulling them on the bust-form.  Dressing bust-forms is far more difficult than mannequins, because you have to create the shape and volume so the clothes don’t lay flat.

Here’s a cool video recently released by Barney’s, it gives you a quick behind the scenes peek on how the Christian Louboutin window’s were created.

Christian Louboutin: Celebrating 20 Years and the Launch of the Book from BARNEY’S NY/ Michelle Chu on Vimeo.

Have you heard or seen the new store C. Wonder?  Entrepreneur Chris Burch, and force behind the Tory Burch brand, has branched out and opened his own lifestyle store!  C. Wonder takes store ambience to a new level.  Each sales associate comes equipped with a iPad for purchases, and you can change the music and lighting in your dressing room!

Here are two types of visuals used to help solidify and brand the image, a cool bus and a beautiful wall mural:

The use of bold and bright colors makes this store look like a really fun place to shop!

The cashwrap does not look like your traditional register area – love it!

I have to admit it looks like Tory Burch meets Kate Spade.  Do you agree?

Great merchandising, this it what your dream closet would look like!

Lots of WOW factor without being too over the top and in your face!  Notice that the store design is simple with a few architectural touches here and there; what is drawing your eye in is the use of color everywhere!

The light fixtures are teapots!

(images via: smallshopstudio.com)

What are you finding around the web?

I would suggest you use picture rail molding, since it doesn’t sit flat to the wall. Picture rail molding is also designed to have items hung from it.  Stay away from door and window casing.

(images via Song of Style)

Some of you have written me with questions around research papers you are doing for school, and I am more than happy to answer your questions and help in any way I can.

Thanks for reading!

Arcadia M.