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 look compare innovate

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 silentselling FIFTH EDITION

best practices and effective strategies

in visual merchandising

judy bell / kate ternus

Fairchild Books
An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Inc

N E W YO R K • LO N D O N • OX F O R D • N E W D E L H I • SY DN EY

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 Fairchild Books
An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Inc

1385 Broadway 50 Bedford Square

New York London
NY 10018 WC1B 3DP
USA UK

www.bloomsbury.com

FAIRCHILD BOOKS, BLOOMSBURY and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

First edition published 1988

This edition first published 2017
© Bloomsbury Publishing Inc, 2017

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system,
without prior permission in writing from the publishers.

No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result
of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury Publishing Inc or the author.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Bell, Judith A., 1951- author. | Ternus, Kate, author.
Title: Silent selling : best practices and effective strategies in visual
merchandising / Judy Bell, Kate Ternus.
Description: Fifth edition. | New York : Fairchild Books, 2017. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016038541 | ISBN 9781501315497 (pbk.)
Subjects: LCSH: Display of merchandise. | Fashion merchandising.
Classification: LCC HF5845 .B35 2017 | DDC 687.068/8--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016038541

ISBN: PB: 978-1-5013-1549-7

ePDF: 978-1-5013-1550-3

Cover design by Eleanor Rose

Cover image: Kleinfeld, New York, 2015 © Raul Tovar for WindowsWear
Typeset by Lachina

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 contents

Preface xii
Acknowledgments xv

Pa r t O n e P RE PA R ATI ON FOR V I S UA L C R E ATI V I T Y

1 Creative Thinking: Getting Outside the Box 3

2 What is Visual Merchandising? 25
3 Core Design Strategies 43
The Capstone Creative Project: Preparation for Visual Creativity 78

Pa r t Two P R AC TI C E S A ND S TR ATE GI E S FOR THE S E LLI NG FLOOR

4 Layout and Fixtures for Fashion Apparel 85

5 Fashion Apparel Wall Setups 135
6 Fashion Apparel and Accessory Coordination 169
7 Home Fashion Presentation 185
The Capstone Creative Project: Practices and Strategies for the Selling Floor 209

Pa r t Th re e CO M M U NI C ATI NG R E TA I L ATM OS PHE R I C S

8 Signage 213
9 Lighting 233
The Capstone Creative Project: Communicating Retail Atmospherics 248

Pa r t Fo u r V IS UA L PR AC TI C E S FOR NONTR A D I TI ONA L V E NUE S

10 Grocery and Food Service Stores 253

11 Nontraditional Retailing 275
The Capstone Creative Project: Visual Practices for Nontraditional Venues 293

Pa r t Fi ve TO OLS A ND TE C HNI QUE S FOR M E R C HA ND I S E D I S PL AY

12 The Magic of the Display Window 297

13 Mannequins and Mannequin Alternatives 319
14 Building a Visual Merchandising Department 351
The Capstone Creative Project: Tools and Techniques for Merchandise Display 374

Pa r t S i x C AR E E R S TR ATE GI E S

15 Visual Merchandising Careers 379

Glossary 407
Directory of Visual Merchandising Professionals 415
References and Resources 418
Index 423

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 extended contents

Preface xii Visual Merchandising Communicates with Customers 26

Acknowledgments xv Communicating Retail Brand Image 27
The Mission Statement Communicates Brand Image 27
Sales Associates’ Relationships with Customers
Communicate Brand Image 28
Pa r t O ne Store Interiors Communicate Brand Image 28
P R E PA R AT I O N F O R V I S UA L C R E AT I V I T Y 1 Store Location Communicates Brand Image 29
Shopping Is a Form of Communication 30
1 How Do Customers Process Visual Merchandising
Creative Thinking: Getting Outside the Box 3 Messages? 31
It Begins with Creativity 3 Information Processing in a Visual Merchandising
The Creative Process in Visual Merchandising 3 Strategy 32
Two One-of-a-Kind Creative Merchandisers 4 Visual Merchandising Supports Selling 33
Outside-the-Box Thinking 6 How Does Visual Merchandising Support Retailing
Judy Bell’s Creative Problem-Solving Process: Look, Trends? 34
Compare, Innovate 8 The Trend toward Emphasizing Interiors 34
The SCAMPER Model 9 The Trend toward Consumer Interaction with the
Best Practices and Practical Applications 10 Merchandise 35
Visiting Competing Stores 10 The Visual Merchandiser as Trend Forecaster 35
Trendspotting 11 The Trend toward Open-Air
Reading Trade Websites and Periodicals 12 Lifestyle Centers 35
Exploring Local Community Resources 13 The Trend toward Integrated Retail and Residential
Following Sources about Current Events 13 Developments 36
Researching Resources about History 13 The Trend toward Smaller Stores 36
Top Innovative Thinkers 13 The Trend toward Nonstore Selling 37
Elizabeth Gilbert 14
Tom Kelley 14 3
J. K. Rowling 15 Core Design Strategies 43
Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld 16 The Visual Merchandiser Is a Design Strategist 43
Richard Linklater 16 Atmospherics as a Merchandising Strategy 43
Guidelines for Implementing Ideas on the Job 16 Core Design Tools and Strategies 45
Building and Sustaining a Creative Work Environment 18 Design Elements—the Tools 47
Color as a Merchandising Strategy 47
2 Texture as a Merchandising Strategy 56
What Is Visual Merchandising? 25 Proportion as a Merchandising Strategy 58
Visual Merchandising Supports Sales 25 Direction and Line as Merchandising Strategies 59
Visual Merchandising Supports Retail Strategies 26 Shape as a Merchandising Strategy 61

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 Size as a Merchandising Strategy 62 Presenting Current Season Merchandise 95
Sequence as a Merchandising Strategy 63 Presenting Preseason and Test Merchandise 96
Tension as a Merchandising Strategy 63 Individual Department Layouts 96
Design Principles—the Rules 65 Merchandise Placement Guidelines 98
Unity and Harmony as a Merchandising Strategy 65 Clearance Merchandise 99
Balance as a Merchandising Strategy 66 Clearance Presentation Guidelines 99
Repetition as a Merchandising Strategy 68 Store Fixtures 100
Rhythm as a Merchandising Strategy 69 Capacity, Feature, and Signature Fixtures 101
Emphasis and Contrast as Merchandising Strategies 71 Conventional Metal Floor Fixtures 102
Surprise as a Merchandising Strategy 72 Conventional Floor Feature Fixtures 108
The Capstone Creative Project: Conventional Wall Capacity Fixtures 110
Preparation for Visual Creativity 78 Conventional Wall Feature Fixtures 112
Furniture Fixtures and Antiques 114
Tables 114
Pa r t Two Custom Fixtures 116
P R AC T I C E S A N D S T R AT E G I E S F O R Fixturing the Accessory Department 119
T H E S E L L I N G F LO O R 83
5
4 Fashion Apparel Wall Setups 135
Layout and Fixtures for Fashion Apparel 85 Walls as Retail Selling Tools 135
Creating Retail Atmosphere 85 Walls as Destinations 136
Types of Retail Stores 86 Walls as Store Fixtures 136
Department Stores 86 The Visual Merchandising Tool Kit 137
Specialty Stores 86 Wall Dividers 137
Boutiques 86 Decorative Lighting Fixtures 138
Discount Stores 86 Lighting Techniques for Walls 139
Dollar Stores 87 Selecting Fixtures for Wall Presentations 140
Hypermarkets 87 Selecting Merchandise for Wall Presentations 140
Outlet Stores 87 Using Balance in Wall Presentations 143
Warehouse Stores 87 Signage and Graphics in Wall Presentations 146
Thrift Stores 87 Visual Merchandising Props in Wall Presentations 147
Pop-up Stores 87 Folding Techniques for Shelved Products 152
Store Layouts 88 Wall Planograms 155
Guidelines for Universal Access 92 Software for Store Layouts and Fixtures 160
Layouts within Selling Departments 94 Priority Wall Areas 161

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 6 Pa r t Thre e
Fashion Apparel and Accessory Coordination 169 CO M M U N I C AT I N G R E TA I L AT M O S P H E R I C S 2 1 1
Selecting Merchandise for Display 170
Coordinating by End Use 170 8
Coordinating by Fabrication 170 Signage 213
Coordinating by Style 171 Communication through Signage 213
Coordinating by Color 171 Communicating Brand Image 213
Advanced Color Coordinating 174 Communicating through Operational Signage 213
Color Coordinating with the Basic Color Wheels 174 Communicating through Signing Media 216
Seasonal Color Schemes 174 Communicating Tone 217
Coordinating Patterned Pieces 175 Signing Merchandise 218
Coordinating Brand Names 175 Signage Presentation 220
Coordinating by Trend 175 Handmade Signs 220
Dressing a Coordinate Display Hanger 176 Signage Design 220
Coordination Resources 177 Sign Layout 221
Sign Copywriting 222
7 Designing Your First Sign 222
Home Fashion Presentation 185 Signage Production 223
Home Fashion Stores 185 Sign Holders 225
Store Entrances 186 Signing Resources 226
Store Layout 188
Floor Feature Fixtures 188 9
Floor Capacity Fixtures 190 Lighting 233
Furniture and Found Fixtures 191 Lighting Defines Store Brand Image 233
Wall Fixtures 192 Lighting Technology 234
Merchandise Presentation 192 Lighting Functions 235
Successful Presentation Strategies for Walls 193 Ambient Lighting 235
Basic Wall Planograms 194 Accent Lighting 236
Home Fashion Display Techniques 194 Task Lighting 236
Self-Selection Displays 194 Decorative Lighting 238
Editorial Spaces 197 Lighting Systems 238
Basic Display Construction for Tabletops and Display Fluorescent Lighting 238
Shelves 197 Incandescent Lighting 238
Floral Displays 198 Halogen Lighting 239
Home Fashion Resources 200 LED Lighting 239
Home Fashion Store Brand Analysis 201 Technology Trends in Lighting Systems 239
The Capstone Creative Project: Lighting Windows and Editorial Displays 240
Practices and Strategies for the Selling Floor 209 Priority Lighting Checklist 241
Demographic Awareness 244
The Capstone Creative Project:
Communicating Retail Atmospherics 248

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 Pa r t Four 11
V I S UA L P R AC T I C E S F O R Nontraditional Retailing 275
N O N T R A D I T I O N A L V E N U E S 250 Specialized Marketing 275
Kiosks 275
10 Kiosk Fixture Design 276
Grocery and Food Service Stores 253 Kiosk Types 278
Food as Fashion 253 Miniature Interactive Kiosks 278
Grocery Brand Image 254 Kiosk Fixture Resources 278
Groceries—Then and Now 256 Presenting Merchandise in Kiosks 279
Consumer-Driven Changes 257 Internet Retailing (E-tailing) 280
Home Meal Replacement 257 Presenting Images for the Camera 280
Impulse Shopping 257 Presenting Images On-Screen 281
Internet Convenience Shopping 258 Internet Retailers’ Move to Brick & Mortar 282
Organically Grown Foods 259 Special Events 282
Organic and Natural Food Markets 259 Special Event Trade Publications and Professional
Ethnic and Exotic Foods 260 Organizations 283
Types of Grocery and Food Service Stores 260 Fashion Shows 284
Traditional/Conventional Supermarkets 260 Extravaganzas 287
Specialty Grocers 260 The Capstone Creative Project:
Hypermarkets/Superstores 261 Visual Practices for Nontraditional Venues 293
Warehouse Stores 261
Membership/Wholesale Clubs 261
Public Markets/Farmer’s Markets 261
Pharmacy/Food Stores 261 Pa r t Five
Convenience Stores 261 TO O L S A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R
Co-ops 261 M E R C H A N D I S E D I S P L AY 2 9 5
Store Layout and Fixtures 262
Gondola Fixtures 262 12
Custom-Made Fixtures 262 The Magic of the Display Window 297
Graphics 264 Retail Theater 297
The Visual Merchandiser’s Role 264 Architectural Window Styles 298
Professional Development 264 Enclosed Windows 298
Grocery and Food Product Presentation 265 Open-Back Windows 299
A Marketplace Approach: Whole Foods Market 265 Window Display in Practice 300
A Marketplace Approach: Taste Marketeria 266 Window Merchandising Functions 300
Cross-Merchandising Tabletop Displays 267 Nonmerchandising Window Functions 302
Virtual Reality Technology 268 Window Display Theory 302
Resources 268 Fantasy-to-Reality Theory 302
Fixture Trade Shows 268 Window Display Themes and Inspiration 303
Magazines, Books, and Television 269 Inspiration from WindowsWear PRO 305

extended contents ix

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 The Mechanics of Window Magic 306 14
Techniques for Positioning Mannequins Building a Visual Merchandising Department 351
in Windows 307 Organizing Your Professional Work Environment 351
Mannequins with Trousers 308 Becoming the Go-To Person 352
Techniques for Buildups in Windows 309 Setting Up Your Toolbox 352
Techniques for Lighting 310 Setting Up Your Office 353
Techniques for Ledges and Display Cases 312 Basic Office Supplies 354
Housekeeping 313 Basic Desk References 354
Windows as an Art Form 313 Organizing Your Work 355
Basic Organizer Systems 355
13 Maintaining Your Office 355
Mannequins and Mannequin Alternatives 319 Building a Multimedia Resource Center 355
Communicating Self-Image and Fashion Image 319 Capturing Ideas 355
Mannequin Evolution 319 Gathering Insights and Inspirations 356
Reflecting the Times 320 Reading about the Industry 356
Reflecting the Trends 323 Building a Manufacturers’ Library 357
Sourcing Mannequins 326 Building a Photo Library 358
Internet Sourcing 326 Building a Materials Library 359
Trade Publications 326 Building a Travel or Market Library 359
Trade Shows 326 Markets, Trade Shows, and Exhibitions 360
Field Trips 326 GlobalShop 360
Choosing and Buying Mannequins 327 Retail Design Collective 360
Mannequin Trends 327 EuroShop 360
Designing and Manufacturing Mannequins 329 Planning a Productive Market Trip 361
Matching Mannequins to Images 331 Setting Up Visual Merchandising Projects 364
Interpreting Store Brand Image 331 Setting Up and Managing a Visual Merchandising
Interpreting Merchandise Image 332 Budget 365
Determining the Look 332 Tracking and Reporting Systems 365
Mannequin Alternatives 335 Writing Purchase Orders 366
Purchasing Mannequins 337 Creating an Executive Presentation 368
Receiving and Unpacking Mannequins 338 The Capstone Creative Project:
Learning Sizes of Mannequins 338 Tools and Techniques for Merchandise Display 374
Selecting Garments for Mannequins 338
Dressing Mannequins 339
Maintaining Mannequins 343
Scheduling Changes 343
Positioning and Propping Mannequins 343
Maintaining Mannequin Image 344

x extended contents

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 Pa r t S ix 14. Independent Stylist 387
C A R E E R S T R AT E G I E S 376 15. Visual Merchandising Creative/Architectural
Design 387
15 16. Manufacturer’s Designer 388
Visual Merchandising Careers 379 17. Manufacturer’s Representative 388
Beginning a Career in Visual Merchandising 379 18. Visual Merchandising Specialist / Marketing
Ken Albright, President, Seven Continents 380 Firm 389
Christine Belich, Former Vice President, Visual 19. Magazine Editor—Visual Industry Trade
Merchandising, Sony 381 Magazine 389
Tony Mancini, Sr., Chief Executive Officer, Global Visual 20. Visual Merchandising Instructor 389
Group 381 21. Internet Online Store Designer 390
Richard Stolls, Chairman, Global Visual Group 382 Retail Organizational Structures 390
Twenty-One Visual Merchandising Careers 382 Visual Merchandising Career Strategies 392
1. Visual Merchandiser/ Visual Presentation Getting Along in the Workplace 393
Specialist 382 Getting Ahead in the Workplace 395
2. Corporate Visual Designer 383 Working with Various Personality and Thinking
3. Presentation Specialist/Adjacency Specialist 383 Styles 396
4. Visual Training Specialist 383 Networking 396
5. Visual Communication Specialist 384 Connecting with the Industry 397
6. Visual Art Director 384 Getting Your Foot in the Door 398
7. Visual Merchandising Manager 384 Documenting Your Professional Qualifications 398
8. Visual Merchandising Director/Creative Interviewing Effectively 399
Director 384 Future Career Goals 401
9. Vice President of Visual Merchandising 385
10. Senior Vice President of Visual
Merchandising 385
11. Independent Visual Merchandising Glossary 407
Consultant 385 Directory of Visual Merchandising Professionals 415
12. Independent Visual Contractor 385 References and Resources 418
13. Visual Merchandising Corporation President 386 Index 423

extended contents xi

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 preface

Do you like to shop? Do you look forward to the début of the latest fashions at your
favorite apparel store? Do you enjoy seasonal changes in the displays of fresh produce in the
supermarket? If shopping is one of your favorite forms of recreation; if you have a good eye
for style, composition, and color; and if the idea of creating Part Three: Communicating Retail Atmospherics
an attractive shopping environment for others appeals to shows how signage (Chapter 8) and lighting (Chapter 9)
you, you might find a satisfying career in the field of visual support the presentation of fashion merchandise and
merchandising. Silent Selling: Best Practices and Effective communication of the retailer’s message.
Strategies in Visual Merchandising presents the industry at In Part Four: Visual Practices for Nontraditional Venues,
its finest and provides a practical view of the activities that the practices discussed in earlier chapters are applied to
go into creating store environments that sell. This book grocery and food service stores in Chapter 10 and to other
serves as an introduction for aspiring visual merchandisers retail outlets, including online retailers, in Chapter 11.
and a handy reference for current practitioners. This is a Three chapters comprise Part Five: Tools and Techniques
complete learning resource for instructors teaching Fashion for Merchandise Display. Chapter 12 features the Window
Design, Fashion Merchandising, or Visual Merchandising Show, an on-location exhibition organized under the
students in Visual Merchandising and Store Planning and auspices of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum in New York, to
Window Display courses that focus on how to create visual demonstrate the magic of display windows. Basic techniques
displays and present merchandise effectively. underlying the magic are fully explained. Chapter 13
provides instructions for dressing mannequins complete
Organization with step-by-step illustrations, and offers advice on using
Silent Selling’s organization consists of six parts divided into mannequins together with display fixtures to present
fifteen chapters. Part One: Preparation for Visual Creativity fashion merchandise to its best advantage. In Chapter 14,
introduces the field with a unique opening chapter the threads of earlier discussions are woven together in a
about thinking outside the box, a theme that is carried description of the organization and management of the
throughout the book. This chapter focuses on the creative visual merchandising function. Part Six: Career Strategies
and artistic mindset of visual merchandisers. The second concludes the text with advice on building a career in visual
chapter discusses the practical application of the visual merchandising. Leading practitioners share their success
merchandiser’s creative talent in the retail setting. Chapter 3 stories in their own words.
shows how design elements and principles are put to work Parts 1 through 5 conclude with installments of the
to produce effective visual presentations. applied Capstone Creative Project.
Part Two: Practices and Strategies for the Selling
Floor focuses on the presentation of fashion goods, Features to Enhance Learning
with attention to the basics of floor layout and fixtures Throughout each chapter, special features reinforce the
in Chapter 4, wall setups in Chapter 5, and apparel and content of the text. The emphasis is always on practical
accessory coordination in Chapter 6. Chapter 7 discusses the advice from the real-world experience of industry
presentation of home fashions. professionals, advice that readers can apply in their own

xii

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 careers. Brief quotations from authoritative sources open allow the reader to understand the varieties of tasks that
each chapter and appear periodically in the text. Technical many visual merchandisers must do in order to incorporate
terms of the trade are highlighted in boldface in the text the world of retail operations into visual merchandising for
and defined in the margin at their first mention. Succinct successful silent selling.
tips and observations in Retail Realities sidebars point out In the Directory of Visual Merchandising Professionals
practical concerns that affect visual merchandisers on a on page 415, leaders in the field offer words of advice
daily basis. Within the text, boxes call attention to safety and inspiration. A comprehensive glossary and a list of
concerns related to the verbal instructions and practical references and resources are also provided.
explanations. This edition features over 250 full-color
photographs of cutting-edge displays from stores around New to this Edition
the world to demonstrate how creative visual merchandisers This fifth edition has been extensively revised with the
use outside-the-box thinking in their interpretations of following new features and content to enrich the readers’
standard strategies and practices. Detailed illustrations learning experience:
offer a journeyman’s guide of the best how-to techniques
for everything from outfitting store fixtures with apparel, • A new Design Gallery feature opens every chapter
home, and grocery products, to building in-store and with full color photographs that reflect the theme of
window displays, to dressing mannequins and positioning the material to come. Later in the chapter, the photo
and lighting them properly. is reintroduced with a description about the retailer,
A series of end-of-chapter features offer further including origin of the business, mission, and interesting
opportunity to relate the text to real-world experience. and unusual highlights. A careful look at each image
The first are Review Questions that will allow the reader follows with a discussion of the elements and principles
to examine and go over what they should have learned of design demonstrated therein, to help students learn
in each chapter. Next, is Shoptalk, a statement in which a to analyze what goes into creating outstanding window
visual merchandising expert shares his or her observations and interior presentations.
about the aspect of the field discussed in the chapter. The • Over fifty new color photographs have been introduced
three types of assignments that follow provide hands-on to the text from around the globe. Many of the
experience. In the Outside-the-Box Challenge section, the images represent new and innovative concepts that
challenge is to generate ideas for creative, attention-getting won gold and silver trophies in the Shop! 2016 Design
presentations by following author Judy Bell’s look-compare- Award event. Others come from the vast library of
innovate process. WindowsWear, an international subscription service
This assignment is followed by Critical Thinking activities that photographs the best windows in retail. Global
and a Case Study. Both are written to improve analytical retailers from Beverly Hills, Boston, Dublin, Hong Kong,
thinking as it relates to the world of visual merchandising. London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, and more bring
Visual merchandisers must “think on their feet” and be the retail design theories in the text to life. Students
strategic when developing their aesthetically successful, are asked to examine every aspect of the retail store
retail-business–enhancing designs. These two sections will environment in these prototypes, including fixtures,

preface xiii

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 signs, and merchandise presentation. By using Judy Bell’s Student Resources
look–compare–innovate process, they can evaluate what
works best and determine where opportunities lie. When S i l e nt S e l l i n g
they take on their new roles in the workplace, they • Study smarter with self-quizzes featuring scored results
will have already laid the groundwork for developing and personalized study tips
visual merchandising strategies that are effective, • Review concepts with flashcards of terms and definitions
differentiated, and brand-right. • Enhance your strategic visual merchandising skills by
• New sections on digital tools introduce some of the doing exercises that incorporate WGSN and/or your
most widely used resources in the retail industry today. institution’s fashion and interior forecasting services.
Students will learn about Mockshop and CAD programs
in Chapter 5, as related to fashion apparel wall setups. Fairchild Books offers STUDIO access free with new
Chapter 10: Grocery and Food Service Stores introduces a book purchases (ISBN 9781501315565). STUDIO access is
Virtual Reality (VR) system by Kantar. In Chapter 12, The also sold separately through Bloomsbury Fashion Central
Magic of the Display Window features WindowsWear (www.BloomsburyFashionCentral.com).
PRO and explains how the resource is used in the
industry. Instructor Resources
• Chapter 9: Lighting has been revamped with the • Instructor’s Guide, including sample syllabi for both
assistance of Brad Stewart, an executive vice president semester and term colleges and universities; Test Bank
from Hera, a highly respected retail display lighting of multiple-choice, essay, and fill-in-the blank questions
resource, including updates to the technical aspects of for each chapter that can be used interchangeably
the chapter and real-world advice in a new Shoptalk and assembled into your own personalized exams;
feature. suggested answers to Review Questions, Outside-The-Box
• Inspirational quotes have been updated to include Challenges, Critical Thinking, and Case Studies.
some of the most creative thinkers of the day, like Lena • PowerPoint presentations include images from the book
Dunham and Seth Godin, along with words of wisdom and provide a framework for lecture and discussion
from past leaders like Steve Jobs and Harry Selfridge. • BFC First Day of Class—Learning with STUDIO PowerPoint
• Searchable resources in every chapter have been presentation
updated. In a field that demands constant change, the • BFC First Day of Class—Learning with STUDIO Student
text offers new places to go and new things to discover Registration Flyer (PDF)
beyond the covers of this book.
• The Capstone Creative Project inspires learners to apply All Instructor Resources, digital exam copies and student
their best ideas from each chapter’s reading and activities resources may be accessed via www.BloomsburyFashion
to a hypothetical store design. The resulting project could Central.com.
become a practical portfolio piece, could take the place
of a comprehensive final examination, or both. Capstone
assignments follow the end of Parts 1 through 5 and task
learners to synthesize the information from each multi-
chapter part to an application in the hypothetical store
they have chosen to design.

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 acknowledgments

This textbook is for anyone who would like to learn how to think and act creatively. It is filled
with letters, quotations, and photographs of people who are active in the industry today. You
may read that some of them are former visual merchandisers—that doesn’t mean they’re
retired; it means that they’ve taken the next steps in their designers, manufacturers and architects who offered their
visual careers to be artistic consultants and freelance project quotable insights and Shoptalk letters so willingly.
developers. They continue to bring all the excitement At Fairchild Books, we’ve been blessed with an
they can to a variety of interesting visual projects. These extraordinary team of publishing professionals. We thank
people are passionate about their work; they offer their Amanda Breccia, senior acquisitions editor, for her creative
best ideas on building careers to those who are entering insights and ideas for new features for the text, and Kiley
the profession. They are individuals who are eager to Kudrna, assistant editor, for her guidance, sharp eye, and
give back to the industry by joining industry associations, generous support. Edie Weinberg, Art Development Editor,
participating on boards, speaking at seminars, planning has been our ultra-faithful go-to person for the beautiful
scholarship fundraising events, and judging student design new art program.
competitions. These people enjoy all that their career has We also thank Joe Nevin, Senior Principal, Bergmeyer,
to offer in this unusual, exciting, creative industry. They for contributed photographs; Lee Barwin, Head of Offer
are eager for you to join them, and that is why they have Development, Kantar Retail, for his insights on virtual reality
helped us to create this text. tools; Michael and Ralph Pucci of Ralph Pucci International
We would like to express our thanks to the following for assistance with photography from MAD Museum; and a
individuals who made outstanding contributions to this nod to Elaine Wencl, Craig Gustafson, and Ryan McMenamy,
textbook: Karen Doodeman, director of programming our illustrators.
and events, Karen Benning, director of communications
and editorial, and Todd Dittman, chief operating officer, From Judy Bell:
all at Shop! Association, for access to the award-winning Thanks to my agent, George Harper, for his enthusiastic
photographs from the 2016 Shop! Design Awards event; support of Silent Selling, and for initiating our partnership
Brad Stewart, executive vice president at Hera, for his with Fairchild. To the people I worked side-by-side
expertise and input to our chapter on lighting; Jon Harari, with during my twenty-two-year career at Target: John
chief executive officer at WindowsWear for his assistance Pellegrene, for his brilliant, from-the-heart marketing
with images; Joseph H. Hancock, II, Professor, Design & style; Bob Giampietro for his contagious enthusiasm for
Merchandising, Drexel University, for his enthusiastic innovation; Greg Duppler, for his incredibly motivating and
approach and expertise in reviewing and updating exercises, appreciative management style; Joe Perdew for his friendly,
capstone project, instructor’s guide and test bank, and supportive partnership; Michael Whittier, for his design
STUDIO resources for this edition; and all of the retailers, brilliance and high standards; and to Tracy Tommerdahl and

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 Cheryl Campbell, who share the same excitement and love From Kate Ternus:
for the work that we did together. I also want to thank my I thank my lucky stars for students—from the very first one
dear friends and colleagues in the retail design community, to my final semester’s batch! Retirement doesn’t mean that I
who have inspired me through the many board meetings, don’t think of you with every word I write. You taught me a
events, and conferences we’ve attended over the years: lot! Thanks, still, to my dearest family who kept everything
Alison Embrey Medina, Nancy Trent, Doug Hope, Dash Nagel, working while I was either on hold or online. Thanks to my
Tom Beebe, Eric Feigenbaum, Tony Mancini, Ignaz Gorishek, mother, Dorothy Kuesel, for the floral designs—still creating
Chuck Luckenbill, James Mansour, Aaron Speiss, Bruce color books for my “kids.” To Tom “Full Speed Ahead!”
Barteldt, Glenn Russell, Michael Cape, Christine Belich, Elle Beebe and Steve “Image is Everything!” Platkin, my East
Chute, Denny Gerdeman, Roger Friedman, Ed Shilling, Jackie Coast links to a rich tradition that we’ve shared with deep
Glanz, Karen Schaffner, Janet Groeber, Marianne Wilson, Dan affection, a thousand thanks (five hundred each).
Evans, Linda Lombardi, Bill Goddu, Ken Nisch, Linda Cahan,
James Maharg, Ken Albright, Greg Gorman, Paco Underhill From the Publisher:
and the late Bill McHenry. To Cliff and Barbara Sobel, who Fairchild Books wishes to gratefully acknowledge and
introduced me to many of the people noted above at their thank the reviewers who have contributed to this revision:
fabulous dinner parties around the globe; Nicola Evoli, Kristen Ainscoe, Drexel University, US; Susan R. Creasey,
who is continuing the tradition; and another very dear and Western Illinois University, US; Karen Kritzer, Sheridan
respected friend, Richard Stolls, for inviting me to join my College, Canada; Colette Mawdsley Hugh Baird College,
first advisory board twenty years ago—to all of you—haven’t UK; Roxanne Parker, Florida State University, US; Katherine
we had fun in this amazing, colorful, lively industry? I am Schaefer, Columbia College, US. Additional thanks to
also grateful to the memory of Andrew Markopoulos, for his Joseph H. Hancock, II for his contribution to the ancillaries
advice and support during our lunches in the Oak Grill Room that support this edition. Bloomsbury Publishing wishes
at Dayton’s, and to the memory of Peter Glen, for his support to gratefully acknowledge and thank the editorial team
and inspiration, a man who could present his findings and involved in the publication of this book: Senior Acquisitions
insights with theatrical delight. And most importantly, I offer Editor: Amanda Breccia; Assistant Editor: Kiley Kudrna; Art
thanks from the bottom of my heart to the memory of my Development Editor: Edie Weinberg; Photo Researcher:
dad and mom, who set an example for me through their Sue Howard; In-House Designer: Eleanor Rose; Production
hard work and light-hearted personalities. Manager: Claire Cooper; Project Manager: Christopher Black.

xvi acknowledgments

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 This book is dedicated to Andrew Markopoulos, former senior vice
president of visual merchandising and store design at Dayton Hudson,
who moved visual merchandising from the display window to the
boardroom, establishing it as a valued profession and an integral part of
the magic and delight of the retail store environment.

Every year in his honor an individual in the store design industry is

recognized for their outstanding achievements and contributions in the
visual merchandising and store design industry. They join the ranks of
former recipients in The Markopoulos Circle and together they continue
Andy’s legacy of mentoring the next generation of retail talent.

At Andy’s funeral (1999) the priest told what might be

a familiar story about a man passing away and when
he gets to heaven, St. Peter is showing him around
God’s mansion. He noticed another man running
around, moving art and putting everything in its place.
The man on the tour asks St. Peter, “Is that God?”
St. Peter replies, “No, that is Andrew Markopoulos.”

The Markopoulos Circle, Jenny S. Rebholz,

design:retail, April/May 2016

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9781501315497_txt_app.indb 18 5/25/17 11:56 AM
 Par t O ne P R E PA R AT I O N F O R V I S UA L C R E AT I V I T Y

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9781501315497_txt_app.indb 2 5/25/17 11:56 AM
 1 Creative Thinking: Getting Outside the Box

“Creativity is seeing what

others can’t see, saying
It Begins with Creativity what others won’t say.
Visual merchandising is a creative occupation. Success in this field depends on a person’s It’s a juicy awareness
ability to infuse creativity into every part of the job. The discussion of creative thinking that can be triggered
that launches this text should set a mood that encourages you to explore and internalize by pausing and turning
your attention away
the creative retailing methods and strategies introduced in each chapter—in short, make
from the challenge you
it all your own. Your ability to absorb the information presented in this book and adapt it
are facing—to create
to your own practical use on the job is just as important as memorizing rules about color, space for a new idea to
fixture use, or department layouts. emerge.”
Psychologist Mihály Csikszentmihályi, writing in Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Judy Bell for design:retail
Discovery and Invention, describes creative people this way: “Creative persons differ from magazine

one another in a variety of ways, but in one respect they are unanimous: They all love
what they do. It is not the hope of achieving fame or making money that drives them;
rather, it is the opportunity to do the work that they enjoy doing.” Consider that well over
one-third of your time during your career will be spent working in your chosen profession. “Your work is going to
fill a large part of your
If you are passionate about what you do, those around you will notice and interesting
life, and the only way
doors will open. to be truly satisfied is to
do what you believe is
The Creative Process in Visual Merchandising great work. And the only
In nearly every retail store there are a few people who seem to have an unusual flair way to do great work
is to love what you do.
for presenting merchandise. They coordinate trend-right fashion looks effortlessly, set
If you haven’t found it
up attractive displays without seeming to think about what they’re doing, and arrange
yet, keep looking. Don’t
effective department layouts with precision and speed. They are highly valued employees settle. As with all matters
because of their special talents. When they “set the floor,” merchandise moves and profits of the heart, you’ll know
grow. when you find it.”
What do these talented retailers have that others may not? They have a solid Steve Jobs
understanding of retail design principles and of company presentation standards, and

AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

• Discuss a variety of processes for creative thinking

• Develop strategies for overcoming creative blocks
• Identify a variety of resources for idea development
• Explain the process of getting new ideas accepted

Figure 1.0 Bergdorf Goodman’s mesmerizing Gold Award-winning “Crystal Ball” window, Fifth Avenue, New
York, November 2015. Photo by WindowsWear. Copyright WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com
[email protected] 1.646.827.2288. 3

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 they use a creative approach to merchandise snowflake designs. Anyone who’d been to
“If you feel safe in
the area that you are
presentation. Design principles and company an American grade school knew immediately
working in, you’re not standards can be learned, but what about what the windows were all about. Moore let
working in the right creativity—that extra twist or new approach the paper snippets fall to the windows’ floors
area. Always go a little which is, in effect, a unique signature? and pinned a half-finished, partly folded paper
further into the water Creativity is not a gift that belongs only to snowflake to the board. After taking all that
than you feel you are
a few individuals. It is true that some people in, the viewer would notice a single diamond
capable of being in. Go
a little bit out of your
are born with more creative ability than snowflake pin, the artist’s still-life model,
depth. And when you others, but all people can further develop their artlessly stuck to the drawing boards—as if
don’t feel that your feet creativity. What creative people do is open a third-grader might have such an elegant,
are quite touching the their minds to idea generation through various jeweled model to work from!
bottom, you are just brainstorming processes. The more often these People viewing the windows chuckled
about in the right place
processes are used, the easier it will be to find as they stood there and commented to one
to do something.”
David Bowie
creative solutions to problems. another about how clever the displays were.
Most dictionaries use the word productive Ternus thought they were more than clever.
as a second meaning for the word creative. She thought they were inspired. What else
Being productive means getting results. If your would motivate absolute strangers to speak to
creative work produces results that meet your one another on a New York City sidewalk?
“Working is not grinding
but a wonderful thing
merchandising objectives, you are on your way Ternus studied Moore’s windows. She was
to do; creative power is to developing your creativity at a professional out there for every window change. It was an
in all of you if you just level. amazing way to learn, and he was a superb
give it a little time; if teacher. Later in her career, they corresponded.
you believe in it a little Two One-of-a-Kind Creative He was pleased to know he’d helped her and
bit and watch it come
quietly into you; if you
Merchandisers flattered to have been thought of as the best.

do not keep it out by Gene Moore, vice president and display Tom Beebe, now Vice-President, Creative
always hurrying and director at Tiffany & Co. for nearly forty Services, for New York’s W Diamond Group—
feeling guilty in those years, made an art form of creative thought American retail icons Hickey Freeman and
times when you should in his company’s world-famous store. When Hart Schaffner Marx—says he was fortunate
be lazy and happy. Or he died in November of 1998, he left a rich to have Gene Moore as his mentor. Their
if you do not keep the
legacy of window design that included wit, decades-long friendship began while a younger
creative power away
by telling yourself that
brilliant merchandising savvy, and notoriously Tom was doing windows at Paul Stuart. The
worst of lies—that you unconventional methods for getting people two men didn’t know one another, but were
haven’t any.” to stop and enjoy his visual merchandising both habitual window shoppers strolling
Brenda Ueland, author of creations. In fact, Moore’s windows themselves Fifth Avenue, eyeing the displays in all the
If You Want to Write became tourist destinations. stores. Then Tom wrote Gene Moore a letter
Author Kate Ternus remembers a series of of admiration for a particular set of Tiffany
Moore’s winter windows featuring diamond- windows and Moore, ever the Southern
studded snowflake pins (Figure 1.1a). Moore gentleman, replied. What followed was a long
propped the store’s small shadow-box windows correspondence with many two-hour lunches in
with artist’s drawing boards, barber scissors, between.
and folded construction paper in stark white Many years later, Tom still treasures the
against a powder-blue background—and letters and his place in Moore’s life. He became
used a grade schooler’s method of folding part of Moore’s family and even spent a year
paper into tight little triangles and then working with him at Tiffany. Today he has
snipping away pieces to create one-of-a-kind become the champion for preserving and

4 CHAPTER 1 Creative Thinking: Getting Outside the Box

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 Figure 1.1a Gene Moore’s snowflake window used simple creative
elements to tell an elegant wintertime tale about Tiffany’s diamonds.
Copyright Tiffany & Co. Archives 2016. Snowflakes by Richard MacLagger.
August 24, 1967. Gene Moore Window Displays: Photography Collection
1955–1996. Tiffany & Co. Archives.

Figure 1.1b Gene Moore, Tiffany and Co.’s famed visual icon. Photo by
Lucy-Ann Bouvman, provided by Tom Beebe.

sharing Moore’s archival materials with visual Tom Beebe is himself another version of the
merchandisers worldwide. When Moore retired one-of-a-kind creative merchandiser. In 2000,
from Tiffany & Company in 1994, after thirty- trade magazine vmsd (Visual Merchandising
nine years and more than 5000 windows, he + Store Design) dubbed him a “window
donated his collection of sketchbooks and magician” known for his flying ties. Gene
photographs to the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Moore once said of Beebe, “He’s taken men’s
Design Museum. The seventy-eight mostly clothes out of being dull, dreary nothings to
black-and-white albums are being indexed and real excitement.” See Figure 1.2 for examples
will eventually be available online to retailing of his current work with W Diamond Group.
students and graduate researchers. Tom Those apple barrels you see behind Tom
Beebe expresses his involvement in this effort in Figure 1.2c contained real apples, and in
in design:retail (Jenny S. Rebholz, April–May keeping with his “full speed ahead” mantra,
2015, “The Lost Archives of Gene Moore”): he filled the store with autumn atmospherics,
right down to the aroma:
We can’t lose this information. It
needs to be shared with students, They were real. Imagine walking into
designers and display professionals. the store and smelling that aroma.
There isn’t a thing I do that isn’t By the time we changed the window
affected by Gene Moore. I am passing over to pumpkins a few weeks later,
along what I learned to students. It we had refilled the barrels several
is a payback in your career to pass on times. Shoppers ate the apples, staff
knowledge, and it’s my time to help ate the apples, and we ended up
and to pay back. making apple juice at the end.

Two One-of-a-Kind Creative Merchandisers 5

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 “Being clever is the key,
Tom Beebe is passionate about sharing his Outside-the-Box Thinking
but it’s much more than
visual ideas with young people just starting The term outside the box has found its way
just putting merchandise their careers. Under Tom’s direction, and with into today’s business language as a buzz phrase
in the window. Display his eye for detail, the mannequin’s gown in for creative thinking. Another phrase, coloring
needs to reflect the Figure 1.2a was crafted by FIT design students: outside the lines, means much the same thing.
company’s philosophy “Stay inside the lines!” Remember hearing
to make a true brand
I wanted it to look like the sheet those words? Your kindergarten teacher
statement, yet do it in
a way that makes the
music had just blown into the vignette wanted your earliest artistic efforts to conform
CEO smile. Even more to form that garment—and might to those of your classmates. Coloring inside the
than that, it has to be disappear just as easily with the next lines was your behavioral task; developing eye-
compelling, so that breeze. I loved getting the students hand coordination and following rules were
shoppers simply have to involved and we talked about Gene the learning objectives the teacher set for you.
have the product.”
Moore and his windows the entire Once you had those basic skills mastered,
Christine Belich, Christine
Belich Design, and
time we worked together. you were allowed to advance to more creative
former executive creative freehand artwork. However, by the time that
director, Sony The results? “I always track sales from the happened, you may not have cared about being
windows and we sold that white tuxedo by 10 creative because the desire to do unique things
a.m. the next day . . . and 13 others before we had been “schooled” right out of you. As a five-
changed them out.” year-old, your wildly creative urges—curbed for

Figure 1.2a Tom Beebe collaborated with the Fashion Institute of Technology in Figure 1.2b Tom Beebe’s trademark “flying ties” in his spring season
his Hickey Freeman holiday window. Students from FIT created the whimsical window at Hickey Freeman in Manhattan. Photo by Tom Beebe.
dress out of sheet music. This window exemplifies Tom’s philosophy: “The goal
of any store window is to stop people in their tracks and get them to look.”
Richard Cadan Photography, Brooklyn. Photo by Richard Cadan.

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 the sake of orderly learning in the classroom— don’t normally write the stories you see in print
“It’s very easy for me
may have been temporarily inhibited. or online. Instead, they assign and oversee the
to say what success
For a retailer, creativity means you must work of staff reporters who actually gather is. I think success
color outside the lines again in order to find information, interview people, and write is connecting with
new solutions for merchandising problems you the news articles you read. Just before the an audience who
encounter. Being able to move beyond your newspaper is printed or the story is uploaded, understands you and
having a dialogue with
usual way of thinking about things is essential editors inspect and edit, or fine-tune, them for
them. I think success
in today’s competitive retail environment. content, accuracy, grammar, spelling, and length.
is continuing to push
According to Kurt Hanks and Jay Parry Sometimes reporters think their original yourself forward
(Wake Up Your Creative Genius), “Creation story is compromised by editing, but most will creatively and not sort
isn’t making something out of nothing. Instead admit that editorial changes—shortening a of becoming a caricature
it’s organizing existing elements into new and sentence here, changing a word there—make of yourself.”
Lena Dunham
different wholes.” That can be good news, the resulting story or article clearer, tighter, and
especially if you see yourself as a non-creative better overall. This is similar to the process that
person. It implies that you don’t have to come takes place when visual merchandisers modify
up with totally new ideas, provided that you ideas they’ve gotten from other retail sources.
do some “editing” along the way. Presentations become more focused, more
What is editing? It’s a term borrowed from dynamic, and more effective. New (and better)
journalism, the news industry. News editors ideas can come from the ideas of others.

Figure 1.2c Tom Beebe, VP Creative Services, W. Diamond Group, in his window of fragrant apples that celebrates the fall fashion
season at Hickey Freeman in Manhattan. Photo owned by Tom Beebe.

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 judy bell’s thinking outside other retailers, you’re ready to compare them
the box with your own company’s presentations. For
example, you might compare a presentation
1. Look. Visit two or more stores and look at the
merchandise presentations. at a competitor’s store entrance with the
2. Compare. Compare the merchandise presentation at your own store entrance. You
presentations. might observe whether the competitor used
3. Innovate. Combine the best presentation
any mannequins or props to draw customers
techniques from stores you visited with those in
your own store, to create a unique presentation
into and through the store. You’d read the
that fits your store’s brand image. directional signage and determine whether
it assisted customers to locate departments.
box 1.1 You’d read signage on merchandise fixtures
and ask yourself whether it seemed to
J U D Y B E L L’ S C R E AT I V E encourage customers to make buying decisions.
P R O B L E M - S O LV I N G P R O C E S S : You’d ask yourself about the effectiveness
L O O K , C O M PA R E , I N N O VAT E of the merchandise displays. You’d decide
To author Judy Bell, thinking outside the box whether merchandise presentation overall
consists of three simple action steps that can seemed to give customers fresh ideas about
jump-start creativity and enable you to explore, how fashion or home apparel products
edit, and expand on current ideas and practices. could be combined or coordinated. You’d
make note of what types of lighting were
Look used to spotlight items or add to the overall
“Innovation distinguishes The first step is to look at what your retail atmosphere of the store. You’d wonder about
between a leader and a
competition is doing. Visit both direct the general feeling of the store—whether it
follower.”
competitors and other categories of retailers. felt good to be in the store or which specific
Steve Jobs
A home fashion retailer may find inspiration in merchandise areas invited you to stay and
the way colors are coordinated in the window browse.
of a fashion apparel retailer. A toy retailer may
find inspiration in a book store that carries Innovate
“Creativity is just puzzles and games. If you see that your retail The third step, innovate, will be much
connecting things. competitors are doing something right with easier as a result of your observations and
When you ask creative their store’s merchandise presentation strategies comparisons. In this phase of the outside-
people how they did
and techniques, you will have a head start on the-box process, you become an editor. You
something, they feel a
doing something even better with your own. start planning your store’s next merchandise
little guilty because they
didn’t really do it, they How will you know what works for other presentations based on effective things you’ve
just saw something. retailers? You might watch their customers and seen elsewhere. However, instead of just
It seemed obvious to note how they react to displays in those stores. copying what you’ve seen, you’ll put your
them after awhile. That’s You can observe which displays appear to be own spin, or interpretation, on the strategy
because they were able
ignored and which seem to have “stopping or technique. You’ll be able to look at the
to connect experiences
power.” original competitive presentation and analyze
they’ve had and
synthesize new things.” it—compare it to an ideal display (evaluate
Steve Jobs, I, Steve: Steve Compare its strengths and weaknesses)—and, finally,
Jobs In His Own Words The second step to thinking outside the box innovate by creating some new alternatives to
is to compare. Once you gather ideas from the original.

8 CHAPTER 1 Creative Thinking: Getting Outside the Box

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 THE SCAMPER MODEL the fashion accessory strategy to create a
You often see visual merchandisers carrying formal-occasion table top in the housewares “If you are open-minded,
toolboxes as they go about their duties. They department. Showing fine linens (tablecloth, creativity will find
may need rubber mallets, screwdrivers, pins, placemats, and napkins), place settings of fine connections between the
seemingly unrelated.”
and wrenches—the mechanical tools of their china, crystal stemware, silver service, candles,
Jerry Allan, professor of
trade—as they set up shelving and fixtures, candleholders, a centerpiece, and handwritten
entrepreneurial studies,
hang signs, and dress mannequins. What you place cards in sterling holders for each guest Minneapolis College of
won’t see is the “mental toolbox” that visual at the table creates a strong—and fully Art and Design
merchandisers reach into for inspiration every accessorized—home fashion statement.
day—the creative tools that they’ve acquired as Combining strategies may mean seating a
they’ve developed professionally. pair of elegantly dressed and fully accessorized
In retailing, the creative thinking process mannequins at the table you have just set.
can follow several useful problem-solving Substitute Valentine cards for the place cards cross-merchandising
models. You’ve already learned about two in and the scene is set for a romantic Valentine’s refers to moving merchandise
this chapter. The important thing is finding the Day dinner party for two. The fashion and across traditional department
outside-the-box method that works for you. home furnishings tie-in also gives you a or classification lines to
Some visual merchandisers use Robert presentation with cross-merchandising impact. combine elements in a single
Eberle’s creative thinking model SCAMPER Adapting strategies will find the visual department or display. For
(a mnemonic for ways to brainstorm for an merchandiser taking the rainbow-hued example, books of poetry,
unusual solution) to solve the merchandising progression of colored merchandise used often romantic novels, candles, bath
problem at hand. This classic model for creative on women’s fashion department walls and salts, terry cloth robes, and
thinking offers seven options to give your applying it to a wall of bedding or bath linens, oversized bath towels could
thinking a creative boost. These SCAMPER a display of shower curtains, or an assortment be brought together in a
options are as follows: of children’s toys. Or, adapting might involve single display.
using a stepladder, paint buckets, and brushes
SUBSTITUTE as props to display half a dozen pairs of
COMBINE brightly tinted tennis shoes. You simply take
ADAPT an item intended for one use and adapt its
MODIFY, MINIFY, MAGNIFY purpose to suit your sales presentation. Eberle,
PUT TO OTHER USES Modifying strategies—magnifying Robert. SCAMPER: Games for
ELIMINATE (making something larger) or minifying Imagination Development. 1977.
REVERSE OR REARRANGE (making something smaller)—provide an DOK Publishers, Buffalo, NY.
imaginative counterpoint to otherwise
Substituting strategies involve exchanging routine presentations of any merchandise.
one expected element of a visual idea One effective display employed a toy action
for another. It might mean borrowing an figure to prop a jewelry display window
accessorizing strategy from the fashion featuring cultured pearl necklaces. Dressed
department for use in the home furnishings in full scuba diving gear, he appeared to be
area. A fully accessorized fashion mannequin swimming underwater (the backdrop and
might wear several layers of fashionable sides of the window were covered in sea-blue
clothing, plus jewelry, hosiery, shoes, hat, and fabric). The pearl necklaces became a trail of
handbag. To use a substituting strategy in bubbles streaming toward the surface of the
the home furnishings area, you might apply water in which the figure swam. Using the toy

Outside-the-Box Thinking 9

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 miniature made the small pearls seem much to use restraint and retain the impact of the
larger and more important in scale than they inverted cooking pot. A useful adage: When in
would have been in a conventional display doubt, leave it out.
window. That’s an example of minifying. Using The reversing or rearranging strategy is
a gigantic golf ball and wooden tee in a men’s another method of presenting merchandise in
sportswear display surely attracts attention—if an unexpected way. Mannequins that normally
for no other reason than making shoppers stand on their feet can stand on their heads
take a second look at what magnifying a (if you have a sturdy and reliable way to
prop fifty times does to perspective and scale. suspend them from the ceiling grid in a display
That second look is the visual merchandiser’s window). Things normally arranged from
opportunity to focus customer attention on the smallest to largest can be reversed in order.
merchandise. Mannequins dressed back-to-front can stop
Putting to other uses is a strategy that finds traffic. You can have a great time devising new
the visual merchandiser dressing a mannequin ways to do the opposite of what’s expected.
in a crisp white apron but inverting a stock pot
on its head in place of the chef’s traditional Best Practices and Practical
white toque. This is a fun, eye-catching way to Applications
focus shopper attention on a cooking vessel. Retailers worldwide use creative thinking
The pot’s general shape and undeniable link strategies. Some very competitive (and
to the professional cook could make shoppers successful) retailers actually hire individuals
stop and rethink their cookware choices! The whose principal assignment is to look at what
unexpected other use can be entertaining, other retailers are doing and develop new
thought provoking, and attention getting— presentation concepts based on industry trends
A prototype is the three good elements to employ in any display. and the best current practices.
original model on which later The eliminating strategy is an amazingly Highly professional visual merchandising
types are based. For example, useful tool to prevent a creative visual managers make local comparison shopping
before rolling out a dozen merchandiser from becoming too clever. It a regular part of their working week, with
retail stores, a prototype is is always a good idea to “quit while you’re occasional trips to different locations in the
built so that design features ahead” in a presentation. In the stockpot country to look at the latest store prototypes.
may be tested and refined if example, you could easily get carried away Visual merchandisers at any point in their
necessary. The same process with the fun of it all and keep on reaching for careers (from window design specialist to
is used in the development of even more obvious tie-ins to the chef concept. vice president) must use their powers of
custom merchandise fixtures It might be tempting to dangle cookie cutters observation to build professional skills and
and visual fixtures. from the mannequin’s ears as another kitchen- creative muscle. In all cases, the ability to
related accessory, but it would be far better look, compare, and innovate should really be
part of any visual merchandiser’s formal job
description.
retail realities

Retail stopping power makes casual passersby focus attention on the VISITING COMPETING STORES
As you begin this course, visit your favorite
visual presentation and really consider the merchandise. Once focused,
store’s direct and indirect competitors. If you
they become potential customers and the presentation becomes a
currently work for an independent junior
“silent seller.”
fashion store in a local mall, you’ll want to
keep an eye on other junior shops in the mall.

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 In today’s fast-paced junior fashion market, The term trend is going to appear again
you’ll also want to shop for presentation ideas and again in this text and in your life. Retail
in international chains like Uniqlo, Topshop, language uses the word as a noun, as a verb,
Zara, and H&M, if they are located in your and sometimes as an adverb or adjective. You’ll
community. You always want to know what want to add it to your professional vocabulary
the leading specialty and department stores right away.
in the retail industry are doing, whether they To be successful in recognizing and analyzing
are your direct competitors or not. Recognized trends as a retailer, you must understand
leaders are usually the trendsetters for product something about people—who they are, how
presentation. they live, what they value or believe in, and
It is also a good strategy to keep in touch what they want versus what they need. To a
with noncompeting stores that have interesting retailer, every trend relates to people and the
themes, décor, or merchandise. If your store things they buy in some way. Consequently, you
carries only junior footwear, for example, you must become aware of trends in:
may find ideas at stores such as Anthropologie,
Bath & Body Works, and Urban Outfitters, • Demographics—age, sex, income,
which feature other products targeted to the geographic location
junior customer. • Economics—the financial state of the country
One-of-a-kind stores often provide a wealth influences what we purchase for everyday
of creative ideas. They can quickly develop and basics, leisure, entertainment, travel, etc.
implement new ideas without dealing with • Politics—the role government plays globally
the top-down bureaucracy that sometimes affects our feelings of security and safety
slows change in a larger operation. The one- • Technographics—the effect of the Internet
of-a-kind store can often change direction and social media on communication
and react immediately to a developing retail patterns, attitudes toward information, and
merchandise trend. You may find more highly entertainment technologies
innovative ideas for merchandise presentation
there than anywhere else. Once you make Professional retail trend analysts make brave
store observations part of your retail routine, predictions that translate those factors into
you can begin to compare and improve upon behaviors that you see at work in your world
the techniques you see to create new and more today . . . and tomorrow, if they’re correct. Robyn
effective methods of presentation for yourself Waters, former Vice-President of Trend, Design
and your employer. and Product Development for Target, is a trend
expert well worth reading. Her first book, The
TRENDSPOTTING Trendmaster’s Guide: Get a Jump on What Your
As you explore applied creativity and other Customer Wants Next, outlines an A–Z range
topics in this text, you will notice that there of insights for understanding and anticipating trends are the direction
is a recurring theme throughout. It refers trends. As the title implies, it’s a practical book in which things like
to trends, the direction in which things written with the retail marketplace in mind. She demographics, economics,
like demographics, economics, politics, and identifies skills for all readers: politics, and technographics
technographics are moving. Fashion trends are moving. These influencers
are greatly influenced by these categories that Anyone can use the tools in The drive fashion trends in all
drive nearly everything we see, do, and think Trendmaster’s Guide to become categories of retail.
as we go about the business of being human. more aware of the world around

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 them. Even if you weren’t born with on the latest visual techniques and fixturing
a trendspotting bone in your body, trends because they target retail design and
you don’t have to be a follower presentation professionals. All magazines
forever. Recognizing and reacting to are available online, and vmsd.com offers a
trends is a learned skill as much as it career tab with job postings. In addition to
is an art. If you’ve ever witnessed a showcasing current window displays in brilliant
trend unfolding and said to yourself, color and articles detailing current trends
“I should have seen this coming,” and strategies, these publications offer the
there’s hope. You too can become a addresses of hundreds of fixturing and display
Trendmaster and get a jump on your manufacturers nationwide. They also offer
competition. information on seasonal market weeks in New
York and Las Vegas, where manufacturers and
Her second book, The Hummer and the representatives gather to display their products
Mini: Navigating the Contradictions of the New each year.
Trend Landscape, goes several steps further and To see international stores you can find
recognizes the contradictory nature of today’s the world’s largest database of windows and
consumer, saying that there is more than one displays—over 80,000 from 700+ brands—at
right answer. A dictionary definition of the WindowsWear.com, a subscription-based
term paradox might say that two things may online service. Their worldwide coverage
be totally opposite, yet both could be true. includes cities from New York to Paris, Tokyo,
An example? Waters writes about the fashion and beyond. You can sign up for a walking
mavens who wear Chanel jackets (ultra-chic tour of shopping in New York City or a three-
and expensive) over worn denim jeans, gold day intensive workshop. They also feature an
chains of Chanel bling and high-heeled shoes. exclusive archives collection dating back to
Trend and counter trend, that’s what Robyn 1931, which is certain to delight and inspire.
Waters believes is happening in the retail world Check out Style Guide (www.style-guide.biz)
today. And that’s what well-prepared visual to see beautiful full-color photographs of
merchandisers must be ready to implement in the latest in-store design and presentation
their workplaces. (and click “english” for the English version of
this German publication). Another excellent
READING TRADE WEBSITES international resource is Echochamber
AND PERIODICALS (www.echochamber.com). Click on “Our Story”
Don’t limit yourself to visiting retailers to to learn more about their mission:
find ideas for what’s new and exciting in
current practice. You have many additional Businesses need to keep on top of
sources of information available—as close what’s happening around the world.
as your computer, mailbox, bookstore, or Our clients are hungry for knowledge
public library. For example, some retailers but are often too busy to get out
offer tours on the Internet, virtually walking there and find it. We created the
you through their stores. Subscribing to echochamber to do just that: to
monthly trade magazines is an excellent feed our clients with information
way to visit other retailers and compare. and inspiration. Retail is all about
The magazines design:retail, vmsd (Visual ideas, and if we can learn from one
Merchandising + Store Design), and shop! another then we can all develop so
retail environments can all keep you updated much faster.

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 To subscribe to their mailing list and receive the Press, and State of the Union all provide
free monthly updates, click on “Say Hello” and an excellent overview of the week’s events, “Develop interest in life
register your email address. along with the opportunity to see and hear the as you see it; in people,
people in the news. Review these resources and things, literature,
music—the world is so
EXPLORING LOCAL others, choose your favorites, and build them
rich, simply throbbing
COMMUNITY RESOURCES into your routine. The more you see, hear, and
with rich treasures,
Closer to home, other resources for visual read, the more ideas you will generate. beautiful souls and
merchandising ideas are community events and interesting people.”
local traditions. You can get ideas for retail RESEARCHING RESOURCES Henry Miller
signs from parade banners, ideas for lighting ABOUT HISTORY
from theater productions, and inspiration for Books and movies (new and old) will show
retail themes from seasonal events. Tapping you what the world looks like today and what
into local celebrations, ethnic and cultural it looked like in the past. They can tell you
events, plus local lore or historical information what people wore, what they looked like, and
can also trigger ideas for creative retail visual how they lived. Because fashion is cyclical in
tie-ins. You can find visual ideas everywhere nature—and what goes around does come
and anywhere, so it is important to be open around—a working knowledge of fashion
and receptive to inspiration in any form. history and lifestyles from other eras can be
a treasury of adaptable ideas. Don’t overlook
FOLLOWING SOURCES college-level electives; history courses, art
ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS history courses, and fashion history courses
Knowledge of current events and cultural offer valuable insights into the past from
trends can also trigger your creative which you can develop a view of the future by
merchandising solutions. The New York looking, comparing, and innovating!
Times Style section, published on Sundays Sometimes the best preparation for the
and Thursdays, features articles on consumer visual merchandising of “retro looks” (the
trends, photographs of in-the-street fashions, retrospective view from previous decades
and the hottest new products from New York or eras) is cultivating friends from your
City shops. The Wall Street Journal offers the grandparents’ generation. They’ll tell you
latest buzz in business and economics, plus stories about fashions, values, and lifestyles
articles on new gadgets and technologies. The from their youth that will put the present
Personal Journal section on weekdays and into better perspective for you. Ask to see
Off Duty on weekends are treasure troves of their scrapbooks and copies of old magazines.
fashions straight from the runways. USA Today Photographs from prior generations will give
runs surveys called “USA Today Snapshots” you valuable visual information about why,
on the cover page of each section that can be how, and when people wore the fashions of
helpful in determining consumer insight. The the day.
Week magazine offers a digest of the best
news columns of the prior week; worldwide Top Innovative Thinkers
events by country; plus recommendations “Successful innovators,” says business writer
for dining, television, theater, and music. Peter Drucker, “use both the right side and the
Check it out at www.theweek.com. Television left side of their brains. They look at figures,
news programs like CNN and Fox News are and they look at people. They work out
well worth tuning into every day. On Sunday analytically what the innovation has to be to
mornings, This Week, Face the Nation, Meet satisfy an opportunity.”

Top Innovative Thinkers 13

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 As a visual merchandiser, it is critical to conversation with Elizabeth Gilbert (famed
have a vision that includes not only what author of Eat, Pray, Love) on your front porch.
you will create, but also what it will mean to She candidly discusses her own creative process
your company’s bottom line. Your goal in any and what you might consider when exploring
presentation of merchandise is ultimately to a way to develop yours. She tells inspiring
sell products, and that goal should always be stories about the way Einstein used a tactic he
foremost in your mind. An artistic approach called “combinatory play,” in which he would
to visual merchandising will be much more often play the violin when he encountered
effective when balanced with a business difficulty with a mathematical puzzle. “After a
approach. Learning new creative thinking few hours of sonatas, he could usually find the
techniques and business strategies will not only answer he needed.”
help you to innovate, but it will prepare you for In a chapter called “Pigeonholing,” she
management positions. Whether working for is asked about the difference in people who
a small specialty store or for a major corporate are born with creative prowess vs. those who
retailer, you will advance more rapidly if you doubt their abilities. She says this is a topic she
have a point of view that focuses your creative doesn’t even concern herself with: “On one
activities on a productive end result. hand I’ve known brilliant people who created
To help you develop a well-rounded style, absolutely nothing from their talents. On the
you can find a list of Business Best Sellers in other hand, there are people whom I once
the New York Times Sunday business section. arrogantly dismissed who later staggered me
An even more comprehensive list is available with the gravity and beauty of their work.”
through www.forbes.com. Click on “lists” and This easy to read, enjoyable book is filled
pull up “Business Books of the Long Boom,” for with short chapters that will coax out the
the top twenty best books in the past twenty “strange jewels” that are often hidden due
years. When you look over this list and have to misconceptions and beliefs. Once those are
a basic knowledge of the titles that are most abandoned, the door will open to a delightful
current, it is also interesting to spend time creative life for any visual merchandiser.
browsing through the business section shelves
in a bookstore. This is a practice that is wise to TOM KELLEY
continue throughout your career. The insights A classic book on creativity is The Art of
you will gain and the techniques you will learn Innovation by Tom Kelley. Whereas many
will help you to think outside the box and other business-related books simply teach
become a true innovator. innovation, Tom Kelley actually innovates
A summary of work from some of today’s every day as general manager of IDEO. With
top innovative thinkers follows. Included a staff of over 600, IDEO is one of the world’s
are two books on creativity, a wildly popular leading global design firms, famous for the
young adult book series, a children’s book, development of the Apple mouse and the
and a unique treasure of a film by a master handheld Palm. The Art of Innovation gives
filmmaker. While seeking innovative ideas, the reader a look at the company’s strategies
it is best to look at a wide variety of books, and secrets behind developing a consistent
whether they cater to adults or children. chain of cutting-edge products.
One of the strongest emerging themes
ELIZABETH GILBERT in the book stresses the importance of
Sitting down to read Big Magic, Creative teamwork: “If you distrust the power of
Living Beyond Fear, is like having a personal teamwork, consider this fact. Even the most

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 legendary individual inventor is often a team of those steps can be done every day: “Observe
in disguise. In six scant years, for example, real people in real-life situations to find out
Thomas Edison generated an astounding four what makes them tick: what confuses them,
hundred patents, producing innovations in the what they like, what they hate, where they
telegraph, telephone, phonograph, and light have latent needs not addressed by current
bulb—with the help of a fourteen-man team.” products and services.”
Along with the teamwork theme expressed
in Kelley’s book, IDEO’s overall approach to J. K. ROWLING
a creative culture and the internal systems The Harry Potter book series is brilliantly design thinking is
necessary to keep it thriving is a concept they imaginative; it is filled with fantasy and fun. a human-centered approach
developed that is known worldwide as design The writer, J. K. Rowling, takes you on a to innovation that integrates
thinking. Tim Brown, IDEO’s president and journey far outside the box of your everyday three considerations:
CEO, describes design thinking as a “human- life. From the minute you set foot into inspiration, ideation, and
centered approach to innovation that draws Hogwarts alongside Harry and his cohorts, you implementation.
from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the are dazzled by the story’s vivid vocabulary,
needs of people, the possibilities of technology, magical architecture, and surprising scenic
and the requirements for business success.” elements—such as framed portraits hanging in
IDEO believes that while everyone has the corridors with painted subjects that speak,
creative abilities, those abilities are often sleep, and sometimes even snore. In Harry
overlooked when most people are still relying Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Rowling writes:
on “more conventional” problem-solving
practices. Design thinking relies more on There were a hundred and forty-
people’s ability to be intuitive, recognize two staircases at Hogwarts: wide,
patterns, and build ideas that have emotional sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones;
meaning as well as function. Design thinking some that led somewhere different on
wants its practitioners to be able to express a Friday; some with a vanishing step
themselves beyond mere words and symbols halfway up that you had to remember
because looking only at the “rational and the to jump. Then there were doors that
analytical” can be just as risky as running an wouldn’t open unless you asked
organization based only on feeling, intuition, politely, or tickled them in exactly the
and inspiration. right place . . . it was also very hard
Design thinking provides a third model to remember where anything was,
by incorporating inspiration (the problem or because . . . the people in the portraits
opportunity that calls for solutions), ideation kept going to visit each other.
(generating, developing, and testing various
ideas), and implementation (the path leading Harry Potter may have started out on the
from the project into people’s lives). Design shelves of the children’s book department, but
thinkers will assess and reassess their designs it wasn’t long before discerning readers of all
until appropriate solutions emerge. Visit ideo ages discovered Harry’s many charms, wildly
.com to learn more about the organization, imaginative language, and innovative plot
its philosophy, its projects, its products, and twists.
its methods. Reading the eight Harry Potter books and
Another highlight in The Art of Innovation then enjoying the films based upon them
is a five-step method that is refined for the will allow you to witness the translation of
specific needs of each project in progress. One brilliance from the printed page to the big

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 screen. It’s all about interpretation—something many classroom tie-in possibilities, this picture
visual merchandisers do every day. book deserves a !!!” You will probably want a
copy for your own desk!
AMY KROUSE ROSENTHAL
AND TOM LICHTENHELD R I C H A R D L I N K L AT E R
A dynamic team with several other titles Looking for some non-print inspiration? Go
for young readers to their credit, Rosenthal to the movies! Director, screenwriter, and
and Lichtenfeld have created a witty world producer Richard Linklater has created a wide
inhabited by punctuation marks in the lead bandwidth of films from Bad News Bears to the
roles, and ! is the star. innovative romantic trilogy of Before Sunrise
On one level, the little book Exclamation in 1995, Before Sunset in 2004, and Before
Mark tells about being a misfit, not Midnight in 2013. The imaginative Linklater
understanding one’s role in the larger world. wrote and directed the three Before films,
On another level, perhaps more importantly, each featuring the same actors (Julie Delpy
it’s the story of finding one’s place and and Ethan Hawke). You are able to watch the
enjoying the uniqueness and the important couple meet in their youth and then observe
“otherness” of the individual. A chance first-hand how they age and change over time.
meeting with a question mark—?—sets the In another bravado display of both
unhappy exclamation mark straight, and he’s creativity and stick-to-it-ivity, the independent
overjoyed and newly confident. director invested twelve years (2002–2014)
Released in 2013 by Scholastic Press, creating the critically acclaimed Boyhood,
Rosenthal and Lichtenheld’s book hit the New which employed an identical cast of actors
York Times bestseller list in a flash, appealing portraying the lives of a young man and
to young and not-so-young readers for its ease his parents throughout. For that effort, he
of reading and bold simplicity. You may find it received his first nomination for the Academy
funny, ironic, and inspiring. The illustrations are Award for Best Director, as well as Best
simple and clever at the same time. As Booklist Original Screenplay and Best Picture.
reviewer Ann Kelley pointed out: “a change A single line of dialogue from Linklater’s
in the size and color of the font signifies production Waking Life (released in 2001) may
important moments. With the celebrating- sum up his approach to creative thought and
your-strengths angle, fun grammar lesson and action: “The trick is to combine your waking
rational abilities with the infinite possibilities
of your dreams, because if you can do that you
You may have to wait to find just the right time to make creative can do anything.”
suggestions. Even when a company has strict presentation standards
Guidelines for Implementing
retail realities

that may seem to stifle all visual merchandising creativity, it is still

worthwhile for team members to present their best creative ideas.

Ideas on the Job
If you are employed by an independent
If ten people offer ideas, one or two that couldn’t stand alone might
retailer, you may have a measure of flexibility
be edited, combined, or changed (SCAMPERed) to become one totally to follow your own instincts and try new
brilliant idea. Sometimes good ideas do not gain acceptance initially, presentation ideas. If you are working for a
but when presented at a later time or to a new audience, they may be multiple-unit retailer (e.g., Express, Banana
more enthusiastically received. Republic, Old Navy), you must maintain the
company’s guidelines for presentation.

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 There is a good reason for following safe for customers, have visual impact, feature
company guidelines correctly in every store. the merchandise effectively, project the desired A flagship store
Formal guidelines are established to create company image, and contribute to sales and displays the highest ideals of a
a consistent image of the store throughout profit. company’s brand image. Every
the chain. This is particularly true of flagship No matter which of their stores shoppers detail from fitting room hooks
stores, where the overall appearance of the enter, the multiple-unit retailer wants shoppers to floor coverings reflects
store is its main identifier in the eyes of its to feel familiar with the store layout so that the company’s brand. Stores
targeted customers (Figure 1.3). Some flagship their shopping experience feels easy and built after the “flagship”
stores actually become destinations—people familiar. Providing a consistent store identity is developed are usually
simply have to visit them. In fact, “destination to shoppers has the effect of reassuring modified for cost effectiveness.
retailing” has become a concept in itself. their belief that they will receive the same Examples of flagship stores
Promoters at Bloomington, Minnesota’s quality product and service regardless of store include Uniqlo, H&M, and
Mall of America can attest to the number of location. Topshop along Fifth Avenue
international flights and national tour buses Even in one-of-a-kind stores, merchandise in Manhattan.
that bring guests to shop in its hundreds of presentation should have continuity; but in
retail stores, play in its indoor amusement park, this instance continuity refers to consistency
and dine at its many unusual restaurants. It is between merchandise presentation and the
planned that the Mall will double in size by the store’s brand image. For example, a store with
year 2023, after a 2.5 billion dollar expansion a country image, making use of hand-crafted
to include an NHL-sized skating rink, an indoor wooden tables and reed baskets to feature
water park, and other attractions. its products, would not want to introduce
Multiple-unit retailers expend great effort gold-leaf French provincial fixtures to its décor
(in marketing research and budgeted dollars) mix. Inconsistent messages do not inspire
to be certain that overall store and selling confidence on the part of the shopper. When
space designs, merchandise presentations, and the shopping scene is confusing or conflicting,
displays are efficient for store staff to install, shoppers tend to disappear.

Figure 1.3 Excitement surrounds the opening of the world’s

largest MUJI store in Shanghai. This flagship store includes
Cafe & Meal MUJI and MUJI Books. VCG / Getty Images.

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 Also keep in mind that the idea you think People may assume that you are naturally
“Creativity is so delicate is brilliant may not be. That’s when it’s time to creative because your job title says visual
a flower that praise
practice critical thinking. Be willing to evaluate merchandiser. With effort and dedication, you
tends to make it bloom,
your ideas as objectively as you possibly can. To can live up to those expectations. Albrecht
while discouragement
often nips it in the bud. be objective, you have to stop listening to your believes that creative thinking abilities are
Any one of us will put ego. learned, not inherited. He also says that
out more and better “The time invariably comes,” according to anyone can think creatively “once you know
ideas if our efforts are Hanks and Parry, how to go about it and once you decide
appreciated.”
you want to.” He cites five characteristics
Alex F. Osborn
when you need to stop collecting that make the difference for innovative and
ideas and start judging them. All good creative thinking:
ideas must be evaluated under the
harsh light of critical thinking. The • Mental flexibility—being free of
difference between just a good idea preconceived interpretations and fixed
and a creative success is the ability to opinions
judge an idea and then to apply it. • Option thinking—willingness to give problems
further thought and reluctance to jump on
“However,” they add, “the judgment the first idea that seems to be a solution
shouldn’t be totally cold and uncreative. • Big-picture thinking—taking the “helicopter
Creativity is as important in judging an idea as view” and rising above the landscape of
it is in coming up with one in the first place.” everyday ideas to see all the factors involved
at once
Building and Sustaining a • Skill in explaining and selling ideas—being
Creative Work Environment able to develop a concept and connect the
In a retail environment, it’s not enough to facts and ideas involved so that others can
have creative ideas, or even to be supportive understand and accept them
of others’ creativity. You must also be able • Intellectual courage—willingness to advocate
to prevent idea stoppers. Idea stoppers, an idea or a course of action that you believe
according to management consultant Karl in that is unpopular with your peers
Albrecht (author of The Creative Corporation),
are critical statements (he calls them “verbal As a visual merchandiser, you are in an ideal
bullets”) that shoot down creative ideas. position to be one of Albrecht’s idea helpers—
Comments like, “We’ve already tried that,” not only because you’re constantly searching for
and “I don’t see anything wrong with the way new ideas yourself, but because the company
we’re doing it now,” and “Are you kidding?” needs to hear and use creative ideas from all
are negative—Albrecht says they’re “toxic”— its employees in order to remain competitive.
statements that are guaranteed to stifle If the only thing constant in retailing is change,
creativity. Think about it. Would you have then only those individuals equipped to respond
enough courage to offer another idea after well to change will maintain their employability
being put down like that? Wouldn’t you rather within a retail organization.
develop a reputation for being what Albrecht As an idea helper, you don’t need to agree
calls an idea helper—a person who is open- with every idea that’s presented. But just as
minded, who actively listens, and who writes there are statements that stop and devalue
down every idea for later use? ideas (or the people who offer them), there

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 are statements that can facilitate an exchange to any ideas—including your own. In The
of ideas. Prefacing your ideas or the ideas of Creative Corporation, Albrecht says the ideal
those around you with comments like, “I’d is “someone who realizes that ideas, in and of
like to get your help on an idea I’m trying to themselves, are fundamentally valuable; they
work out” or “Before we make a decision, represent intellectual wealth. In contrast to the
let’s review all our options” can help those idea killer, the idea helper actually helps other
around you to react more open-mindedly people have and express new ideas.”

Shoptalk “Thinking Outside the Box” by Judy Bell

Early in my career as a visual merchandising director for a chain of women’s

apparel specialty stores, a vice president of the company made an unusual
request. He asked me to look at our competitors, decide which had the

most inviting presentation at their store we designed a unique fixture for the store
entrance, and then copy it in our stores. I entrance. It fit the stores’ brand image, was
had a difficult time with the idea of copying flexible and could handle both folded and
someone else’s ideas; not only did I want our hanging products, and it fit into my budget.
stores to be fashion leaders, I knew that the Next, I met with a few of our company’s
presentation must fit our own brand image. merchants to discuss moving value product to
But I made a trip to Southdale Shopping Center this new fixture and then worked with them
in Minneapolis to see what I could learn. Many to write signage copy. I presented the concept
of the women’s specialty stores had positioned to the VP who had requested the action, and
a table with value-priced sweaters in their he approved a two-month test in a few stores.
entrance. I watched as nearly every female I was glad I had decided not to interpret his
customer who passed by the store stopped at request to copy our competitors’ presentations
the table to look at the sweaters. Many also too literally and, instead, took the opportunity
entered the store. to innovate. What was the end of the story?
I compared those presentations to what we Sales went off the charts, and we ordered the
were featuring in our store entrances: two- new fixtures for every store in the company!
way and four-way basic chrome fixtures with After this experience, I was sold on the
full-price fashions. These same types of fixtures idea of looking at the competition before
filled the store, in addition to many simple developing any new idea. The inspiration was
round racks. I thought about how eye-catching invaluable. I still use the process of looking,
the tables in front of our competitors’ stores comparing, and innovating every day of my
were because they were different from the career. I have broadened my base of research
basic fixtures in the store. I also thought about to include the Internet, the media, restaurants,
the appeal of showing a value item at the and a wide variety of resources. I always begin
entrance to the store to engage the customers’ with a direct look at my competition. I believe
interest as they passed by. that in order to lead, you must be aware of
With those two ideas in mind, I met what everyone else is doing. And I never,
with a fixture manufacturer, and together, ever copy!

Building and Sustaining a Creative Work Environment 19

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 DESIGN GALLERY: THE CRYSTAL BALL AT BERGDORF’S
Bergdorf Goodman was founded in 1899 as a purveyor emotions, was a show-stopper, appeals to all ages
of luxury goods and still proudly sits on Manhattan’s and captures a celebratory, holiday mood.” Category
Fifth Avenue in New York City. Known for its outstanding three, Professionalism: Execution and Technical Aspects,
and award-winning window displays, a walk around considered such factors as “lighting, mechanics, signing
Bergdorf’s is a must-see stop on any visit to Midtown. and mannequin and/or merchandise presentation.”
Their dazzling “Crystal Ball” window pictured here The Winning Windows Official Judging Criteria of
was crowned with a Gold Award in the 2015 Winning design:retail is a valuable framework to keep in mind as
Windows competition in New York City, sponsored by we review other windows in the Design Gallery feature
design:retail magazine. One in a series of five windows all in each chapter. Use it on your own personal tour of
befitting the theme of “Brilliant Holiday,” these stunning storefront windows in your city or local shopping mall.
stars celebrated the opening of Bergdorf’s new jewelry Do you find any windows that would qualify for a
salon. More than seven million Swarovski crystals, gems, Platinum, Gold, or Silver Award? Why or why not?
and jewels, all carefully placed by hand on backdrops, set
pieces, and objects created a glittering effect.
Bergdorf Goodman’s
In design:retail’s long-running, sixteen-year
mesmerizing Gold
competition, two editors and one seasoned retail Award-winning
consultant walked the streets of Manhattan touring “Crystal Ball” window,

storefronts that competed for three awards: Platinum, Fifth Avenue, New
York, November
Gold, and Silver. The official judging criteria involved
2015. Copyright
three categories, in which several desirable elements WindowsWear
were called out. Look at how well this Bergdorf PRO http://pro
.windowswear
Goodman Gold Award winner went above and beyond
.com contact@
what the judges were earnestly seeking. In the first windowswear.com
category, Originality and Creativity, the judges looked 1.646.827.2288.
for “fresh ideas not seen before, an innovative and
unique theme, an artistically executed idea or concept
and attention to detail with well-selected props.” In
category two, Captures the Spirit of the Season, they
evaluated whether or not the window “engaged

Chapter 1 Review Questions 4. What is a flagship store? What makes it important in

1. What is Judy Bell’s approach to thinking outside the the field of visual merchandising?
box? Describe each step and give an example. 5. List at least two top innovative thinkers and discuss
2. What is the SCAMPER model and how do some visual how their approach can be applied today in the field of
merchandisers use this model to solve problems? Give visual merchandising and display.
an example. 6. What are Karl Albrecht’s steps for building a
3. What is trendspotting? Give examples that reflect the sustainable environment? Do you agree or disagree?
direction of trends. Why?

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 Outside-the-Box Challenge information they expect from a visual merchandising
Comparison Shopping for Advertised Items presentation in a store. Be sure to include descriptive
Directions: information about the person you are interviewing (e.g.,
1. Collect newspaper, magazine, email, or social media ads the person’s gender, age, interests, occupation). Here are
from at least two different stores that sell similar (or some sample questions for your investigative interviews:
identical) items. 1. Do you notice merchandise displays when you shop?
2. Visit the two stores and comparison shop the advertised 2. How do you use merchandise displays to help you make
items featured in each store’s presentation. What are buying decisions?
the prices, what are the colors or flavors, how are the 3. When you shop, what type of information do you look
items similar and/or different? for in displays?
3. Answer the following questions for each store. 4. How would you feel if retailers didn’t present their
merchandise in any other way besides storing it on
LOOK shelves and hangers? Would other non-decorative
1. Are the advertised items easy to locate within the approaches affect your decision to buy?
store? 5. Do you have any pet peeves about merchandise
2. Are the advertised items signed? presentation methods currently used in your favorite
3. Are the displays neat and orderly? stores?
4. Are the displays exciting or eye-catching? Why or why
not? CO M PA R E
Summarize the results of your interviews and analyze what
CO M PA R E they mean in terms of shopping behavior and response to
1. Which store’s presentation do you like better and why? visual merchandising techniques.
2. Can you predict which presentation will sell the most
merchandise? Explain why you think it will be more I N N O VAT E
effective. Based on your findings, what general recommendations
can you make about creating more effective merchandise
I N N O VAT E displays?
1. What could you do to innovate each of the
presentations? Critical Thinking
2. Once you’ve added your own innovations, how much of Activity 1: Discovering Creativity and Meaning
the original idea will still be evident? in Your Favorite Retail Store Displays
3. Did you use any of the SCAMPER model’s elements to 1. Visit your favorite brick-and-mortar retail store.
edit the original ideas? Explain which element(s) you 2. Examine where merchandising ends and visual
used. Describe your creative results. presentation takes over in order to create narratives
enticing consumers to make purchases.
Shopping Style Comparison 3. Find two visual narratives that you feel really make
Directions: Customers respond differently to various types an impact in the store. Write down the details of the
of information offered in the displays and merchandise displays and note the message you think they are trying
presentations they see. This exercise is about reaching to convey.
a target customer through visual presentations of 4. In your own words, express what these visuals were
merchandise. really all about and include the ideas you have learned
in this chapter about how creativity borrows from
LOOK culture, social issues, and history. Discuss with your
Interview three to five different people (try to vary age, class.
gender, and occupation or lifestyle) and find out what

Critical Thinking 21

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 SAMPLE SOLUTION Case Study
Global diversity is a hot topic in the media, and retailers like Looking, Comparing, and Innovating
Pottery Barn, West Elm, and Ballard Designs are reflecting T H E S I T U AT I O N : P H A S E O N E
people of different races, ages, ethnicities, and lifestyles in On her first day as the new visual merchandiser for the
their store products by featuring African-inspired prints in specialty store The Millville, Jane Bartlett is notified by Susan
the bath and bedding areas as well as resin elephant heads, Howard, a store manager, that each of the company’s six
African-inspired side tables, and hand-woven baskets in metro area stores will receive 150 hand-knit sweaters in the
home accessory areas. following day’s shipment. Susan tells Jane that the sweaters
are an important fashion item for the season and are the
Activity 2: Finding Inspiration through hottest selling trend. This is a get-in and get-out strategy
Cultural and Social Trends and the sweaters should be sold quickly!
The goal of this activity is to encourage you to increase Until Jane was hired to travel among the six stores,
your awareness of cultural and social trends and to begin Susan had done the visual merchandising for her busy
to use this knowledge to create engaging, timely, visual store. She loved doing the store’s creative work and
presentations. often spent more time doing displays than she did doing
1. Visit your favorite bookstore/library/news websites and managerial paperwork. It was corporate headquarters’ idea
write down the top cultural news cover story on each to hire a visual merchandiser to free the store managers
periodical (examine five to ten sources and list them). from merchandising tasks so that they could handle their
Examples could include issues involving race, ethnicity, administrative duties and meet important paperwork
religion, age, social issues, as well as popular themes in deadlines. The company’s other objective was establishing a
music, film, technology, and art trends. consistent store brand image in the metro area.
2. In class, report your findings, sharing the most common Susan still thinks that hiring Jane was unnecessary. She
stories, and discuss which may indicate cultural trends. lets Jane know that she will need to be convinced that a
Your discussion should also include what you and your full-time visual merchandising person will make a difference
classmates have seen or heard in the news or in social to her store’s sales figures. “I’m expecting to see a creative
media. and exciting presentation for those sweaters, Jane,” says
3. Choose three cultural and social issues and create a list of Susan. It’s clear to Jane that she needs to prove to Susan
products that could be displayed together to reflect each that her ideas and methods can add consistency and value
of these trends. Are there certain brands that may reflect to the store’s current presentation strategies.
these trends better than others? Why or why not? Discuss
in class how you would design a theme around these DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: PHASE ONE
products. 1. How do you think Jane should begin the process
4. Discuss how these issues could impact retailing over the of delivering a creative and exciting merchandise
next few months or even a year. presentation that will satisfy her supervisor?
2. What does Jane need to find out about her
SAMPLE SOLUTION competition? To what elements of their retail operation
Magazines, newspapers, and other social media indicate should she pay particular attention?
that aging baby boomers are increasingly interested in 3. How can Jane be confident that her presentations will
“brain fitness.” Related products could include fashionable have an impact on sales?
athleisure apparel, top brand sneakers, brain-support
vitamins, and Scrabble and Sudoku apps displayed on iPads. T H E S I T U AT I O N : P H A S E T W O
These products could be displayed with a sign: “Mind & Body Jane used the look, compare, innovate method and toured
Workouts.” her store’s most direct competitor, another upscale specialty

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 store. She found their sweaters neatly stacked on shelves in In her own store, Jane decided to position the sweaters
the first wall section to the right of the store entrance. The near the entrance to the store. This was a departure from
massive presentation of sweaters made a dramatic impact the norm; casual apparel was normally merchandised
and anyone passing by the store would be likely to notice toward the back of the store, and gifts were normally
them. positioned in the front. She believed the prime selling space
In another department store, Jane found sweaters in at the entrance should be used to feature hot items, and
several different areas of the casual department. A few the sweaters definitely qualified. She stocked the sweaters
were shown on a fixture with denim jeans in the rear of on a four-tiered table, featuring one size (small, medium,
the department; some were shown with casual pants in the large) per shelf. This left the top shelf open, and that is
front of the department; and there was one sweater shown where Jane took advantage of her store’s gift strategy.
under a coat on a wall presentation. She presented each sweater in an open, tissue-lined
The outfits that were coordinated with the sweaters gift box along with a coordinating shirt. The sweaters
were unusual and exciting, but because the sweaters came in bright colors, so she found some small gift books
were integrated throughout the department, she with brightly colored covers, and matching bookmarks.
thought it would be difficult to find a customer’s size. She placed one in each box, and tied a string of bright
Jane also noticed that one fixture holding sweaters had a raffia around the sweaters and books. Then she added a
conversational sign explaining how special yarns were used conversational sign to the shelf.
in the sweater for added warmth.
Jane compared the presentations she had observed DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: PHASE TWO
in the two competing stores. She decided she would get 1. List at least three things that you think Jane did right.
the greatest impact in her store by positioning all of the 2. If you were in Jane’s position, how would you sell your
sweaters in one area, as she had seen in the first store. She presentation strategy to the store manager?
liked the idea of featuring coordinating items with the 3. What should Jane do to follow up with her display to
sweaters to create multiple sales, as she had seen in the see if it was successful?
second store. Jane also thought teaching shoppers about 4. How long should Jane wait until she moves the
special product features with a conversational sign was a sweaters to a new location of the store? Or should she
good idea. just leave them there? Discuss amongst your classmates.

Case Study 23

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9781501315497_txt_app.indb 24 5/25/17 11:56 AM
 2 What Is Visual Merchandising?

Visual Merchandising Supports Sales

Visual merchandising, once called display, has evolved from its origins as a store’s
decorative arts department to its current status as a sales-supportive entity that impacts
store design, store signage, departmental merchandise placement and display, store
atmospherics, and store brand image. Where once the display department was charged
with “making pretty,” the visual merchandising department is now challenged with The phrase mom-and-
“making sales.” In a large corporate retail operation, it is generally part of the retail pop stores comes
advertising and in-store marketing department. In mom-and-pop stores, sales staff or from early retailing when
freelance visual merchandisers may perform the visual merchandising tasks. many retailers were in family
To begin our working definition of visual merchandising, we could refer to a dictionary businesses and often lived
and find that the adjective visual relates to images that are taken into the brain by way of in apartments above their
the eye. One meaning for the verb form merchandising is “promoting the sale of certain stores. Today, it refers to small
commodities.” Thus, visual merchandising could be defined as the process of promoting independent retailers.
the sale of products by producing mental images that urge potential customers to make
purchases.
Martin Pegler, long-time “dean of displaymen” and prolific writer on topics related to
visual merchandising, store planning, and layout, titled one of his books Show and Sell,
“Visual merchandisers
which says volumes about the business of getting people to look at and buy merchandise. create the in-store
The title of this text, Silent Selling, gives you another short but useful definition for environment that
visual merchandising. Effective visual merchandising techniques establish and maintain the supports the retailer’s
store’s physical (and mental) image in the customer’s mind, providing support for the rest marketing and
merchandising
of the store’s selling effort. In other words, merchandise should be displayed and signed so
strategies. They set
effectively that it can sell itself, without the assistance of a sales associate.
the mood; highlight
the merchandise; and
invite, attract, welcome,
and inform shoppers.
AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO They also, somewhat
more subtly, make the
• Define visual merchandising
store a wonderful,
• Explain how customers process visual merchandising messages
joyous place to be.”
• Describe how retailers communicate through visual images Steve Kaufman,
• Explain how visual merchandising efforts educate customers Former Editor in Chief,
• Identify why visual merchandising efforts increase sales vmsd magazine
• Explain how visual merchandising efforts support retailing trends

Figure 2.0 French department store Printemps celebrated its 150th anniversary in spring 2015, with floral
displays throughout—even donned by mannequins in store windows. Faubourg Saint-Honore, Paris.
WindowsWear Photo. Copyright WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com
[email protected] 1.646.827.2288. 25

9781501315497_txt_app.indb 25 5/25/17 11:56 AM

 Visual Merchandising • Placing and presenting merchandise on walls
A target market is an Supports Retail Strategies and fixtures
identified (targeted) segment Successful stores have mission statements • Working as team members with the store’s
of the population that research that describe how they will serve their target promotional staff
has indicated is a good fit for markets. They also have vision and goal
a retailer’s product or service statements that describe their ambitions—
offerings. This is the group how they see their stores moving forward. In Visual Merchandising
at which the retailer aims all addition, they have strategies for reaching Communicates with
of the store’s promotional the goals and realizing their vision by utilizing Customers
communication efforts. a mixture of promotional methods. Their Communication has three basic elements:
challenge is letting their target customer know the sender, the message, and the receiver
promotional
A who they are, what they stand for, and what (Figure 2.1). Unless all three elements are
mix is a combination of they plan to do. Clear communication is the present, communication does not occur. If
communication tools— key to success. you call 911 and no one answers your call, for
advertising, in-store marketing, A store’s total promotional mix is a example, communication has not taken place.
special events, and personal combination of communication tools— If a retailer buys advertising space in a
selling, in addition to visual advertising, in-store marketing, special newspaper that is never delivered to the
merchandising—that tells events, and personal selling, as well as visual customer’s doorstep, how productive do you
targeted customers about a merchandising—that tells targeted customers think the ad will be? If a discount retailer
store and its merchandise. about merchandise. If each part of the mix designs an elegant storefront that discourages
accomplishes its goal, potential customers will bargain hunters and annoys upscale customers
atmospherics is a word be drawn to the store for a closer look. once they have entered, has the design
coined by retailers to describe Advertising tells customers that a store’s message reached the right customer?
the elements (lighting effects, merchandise is different, better, less expensive, The retailer is the message sender. The
sound levels, aromas, etc.) or more fashionable than products offered retailer’s store, its interior design and selling
that appeal to our five senses by other retailers. When those ad-reading, floor layout, atmospherics, merchandise
and contribute to the overall commercial-viewing customers arrive at a presentation, plus the store’s selling services
environment of a store. store, they expect to see whatever it is that are the unique merchandising message. The
the advertising has communicated to them— retailer has chosen a specific person to send
in a setting that matches the promise of the this message to—in hopes of attracting that
advertising. The visual merchandiser’s job is to targeted individual to shop in the store. If
make the advertised promise of a pleasant and that person is open to receiving the message
productive shopping experience come true. and responds by coming to the store and
Visual merchandisers physically carry out a making purchases, then communication is
store’s promotional selling strategies by: complete and can be judged successful. That’s
strip malls are made the retailer’s communication goal—attracting
up of side-by-side stores with • Designing and executing window and customers and making sales.
parking lots immediately interior displays that support advertising Every tangible (see-able, hear-able, smell-
outside their doors. Some goals able, touch-able) aspect of a store sends a
strip malls may have enclosed • Installing promotional signage for in-store message to shoppers. Whether a store is a
walkways, but they are not selling stand-alone structure, next to other stores in a
configured under one large • Producing workable departmental layouts strip mall, or side by side with other stores in
roof as conventional covered and interior décor an indoor mall, the store’s exterior must have
malls are. • Devising merchandise fixture layouts for a physical appearance that will identify it to its
day-to-day operations intended market segment and differentiate it

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 Figure 2.1 A store exterior that clearly communicates with its core customer and differentiates
itself from other retailers. Louis Vuitton flagship store, Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA. Copyright
WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com [email protected] 1.646.827.2288

from its neighbors. The store’s exterior must statement is posted prominently in the store
effectively communicate its message to the and incorporated into its print advertising as A store’s brand image
customer. a slogan or identifying phrase. The mission is the retailer’s identity

statement summarizes what the company and in shoppers’ minds. It

C O M M U N I C AT I N G R E TA I L its products or services are all about, whom it encompasses not only

BRAND IMAGE hopes to serve, and how it hopes to do it. merchandise brands and types

Retail brand image is a combination of For example, Aveda’s body product stores but also store environment,

tangible and intangible factors that describe carry this message: reputation, and service.

what a shopper thinks about his or her In some cases, the retailer

relationship with a store. Brand image Our mission at Aveda is to care employs the store’s name or

describes not only how the store looks but also for the world we live in, from the another branded element

how it acts toward its customers. Target, for products we make, to the ways in on its private-label products,

example, has guests rather than customers; which we give back to society. At like Henri Bendel’s signature

Walmart stations greeters inside its doors to Aveda, we strive to set an example stripe pattern on handbags,

offer carts and pleasant, personal, welcoming for environmental leadership and totes, belts, coffee mugs, and

messages. What type of brand image do you responsibility, not just in the world of dog leashes.

think those retailers are trying to establish in beauty, but around the world.
their customers’ minds?
From this statement, you might guess that
T H E M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T the company’s management wants to build
C O M M U N I C AT E S B R A N D I M A G E customer trust in the way that its products are
A store’s brand image is generally driven by developed and manufactured. You could also
the retailer’s mission statement—a formal infer that the company wants the customers to
expression of the retailer’s purpose for know that by purchasing Aveda products, they
operating the business. Sometimes the mission are also helping the environment.

Visual Merchandising Communicates with Customers 27

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 A mission statement that incorporates a images. Throughout the entire store—from
A lease line marks the well-known brand promise comes from Target: the lease line to the back wall and everything
boundary where store space in between—the environment should
begins and a mall’s common Our Purpose: We fulfill the needs and communicate the brand image. Every fixture,
area ends. fuel the potential of our guests. That sign, and display in the store must fit the
means making Target your preferred brand. The cashwrap (where customers go to
shopping destination in all channels check out), lighting fixtures, wall coverings,
by delivering outstanding value, floor coverings, and even the restrooms
continuous innovation and exceptional should tell shoppers where they are. A good
experiences—consistently fulfilling our example of a store with a clear brand image
Expect More. Pay Less.® brand promise. is Ralph Lauren. A residential feel with rich,
warm woods in walls and floor fixtures is
Other retail companies may have shorter characteristic of every store. The brand is so
“Visual merchandisers are statements, with philosophies of doing business consistent, you would know you were in a
the creative conscience stated in three or four words. However, the Ralph Lauren store even if there were no signs
in communicating the number of words in the statement is not as or logos (Figure 2.2).
product and brand
important as how effectively the retailer is able
with detail and flair
to get that message across to the customer.
that excites consumers
and differentiates your
company from others. S A L E S A S S O C I AT E S ’
They must understand R E L AT I O N S H I P S W I T H
the business objectives C U S T O M E R S C O M M U N I C AT E
and go to places others
BRAND IMAGE
have never been, as
Brand image is also portrayed by a high-end
visual merchandisers
live in and create the retailer’s interest in developing ongoing
environment every day.” relationships between its sales associates and
Tony Mancini, Chief its shoppers. Members of the selling staff
Executive Officer at often have “little black books” containing
Global Visual Group
special clients’ names, sizes, brand preferences,
birthdays, etc. Just the idea that retail operations
are interested in creating relationships with their
customers says much about the value of brand
image. Concern for reputation, responsiveness
to customer needs and wants, easy-to-manage
credit arrangements, convenient hours and
locations, brand and service reliability, fashion
leadership, and technological leadership are all
intangible factors by which customers measure
retail brand image.

STORE INTERIORS
Figure 2.2 Clear brand image in
C O M M U N I C AT E B R A N D I M A G E
Ralph Lauren; Omotesandō, Tokyo.
Smart retailers choose their target customers Kasuga / WWD / © Conde Nast.
and build stores and advertising strategies
that match their customers’ values and self-

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 Fitting rooms are frequently overlooked have conflicting brand images and different
when it comes to brand image. Often tucked atmospheric goals. It’s hard to imagine
away into a tiny space, they are difficult for shopping for luxurious lingerie in a shop filled
shoppers to locate. Shoppers should never have with the aroma of a neighbor’s garlic and
to ask where the fitting rooms are. If they can tomato sauce. That’s why Victoria’s Secret is
easily see them, they may be more likely to try careful about selecting its locations. It wants to
on an item. One successful retailer’s mantra is: sell perfumes and bath products with its fine
“The sale is one-half made when the customer lingerie, not pizza. Retail communication is
is in the fitting room.” Stores like Ann Taylor most effective when the message sent is clear
understand the importance of carrying their and consistent with the image.
store brand image into the fitting rooms; Shopping centers must also pay attention to
they even call them “selling rooms.” They are their brand image. The Sevens shopping mall in
spacious, comfortable, and well lit. There is no Düsseldorf, Germany, is one of the best branded
gap in décor style or quality between the sales malls in the world (Figure 2.3). Seven stories of
floor and the fitting rooms. shops, each with its own identity, all fit under
one umbrella because the architecture of the
S T O R E L O C AT I O N mall is so distinct. In general, shoppers do not
C O M M U N I C AT E S B R A N D I M A G E like to travel up more than two flights to reach
Location of stores is also important when their destination. Malls with numerous floors
considering a store’s brand. Have you ever must employ interesting architectural details
seen a Victoria’s Secret store adjacent to an to make traveling up irresistible. Sevens Mall
Italian carryout restaurant in a shopping mall? does its best through innovative use of lighting
Probably not. Why? Because the two entities and design.

Figure 2.3 Exceptional architecture

and lighting create a strong brand
umbrella for shops in the Sevens
shopping mall, Düsseldorf. Judy Bell.

Visual Merchandising Communicates with Customers 29

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 retail realities

and their behavior. They watch how people

act when they’re shopping and then use
Atmospheric elements influence how shoppers feel about being in and
the information to help retailers sell more
staying in a retail space. The longer they stay in the store, the more
profitably. One of the best-known researchers
likely they are to buy. is Paco Underhill, founder of a company called
Envirosell. Underhill’s book Why We Buy: The
Science of Shopping, details the thousands of
hours he and his team of “trackers” have spent
observing and recording shopping behavior.
Shopping Is a Form Underhill says:
of Communication
The way people act in a certain environment The first principle behind the science
is a form of communication, too. Retail of shopping is the simplest one: There
merchants put the entire store on display, are certain physical and anatomical
saying symbolically: “Here’s what we have to abilities, tendencies, limitations, and
offer. Here’s our pricing. What do you think?” needs common to all people, and the
If customers respond by making purchases, retail environment must be tailored to
they’re saying: “This is quality merchandise these characteristics. . . . You’d think
at great prices. We like your way of doing it would be easy to get everything
business.” right. Yet a huge part of what we
Over the years, retailers have studied do is uncover ways in which retail
shopping patterns and have passed them down environments fail to recognize and
from one generation to another. Have you accommodate how human machines
ever wondered why the less-expensive, generic are built and how our anatomical
cereal products are on the lowest shelves and physiological aspects determine
in some grocery stores, while the premium- what we do. . . . The implications of
priced, kid-pleasing brands are on the middle all this are clear: Where shoppers go,
shelves, and the “healthy” brands are on the what they see, and how they respond
top shelves? Grocers believe that the more determines the very nature of their
expensive brands should be placed on the shopping experience.
top shelf, with adult-level sight lines in mind,
because they are the decision makers on these For every truism about consumer behavior,
brands. Products placed on middle shelves there is a corresponding retail practice that
catch the attention of the younger child riding uses the common (or highly scientific) wisdom
in the shopping cart reaching out to grab at contained in it. Retailers are learning how to
recognizable favorites. As a consequence, make profitable use of this information, and
bottom shelves may be the least desirable shoppers are the beneficiaries. For example,
spots for merchandise, but grocers know that did you know that Americans tend to shop at
bargain hunters don’t mind reaching down to a store in much the same way they walk and
save money. drive—veering to the right? When was the
As retailing methods have become more last time you pulled out a grocery cart and
scientific, formal research studies have been turned left to start your marketing? It’s almost
conducted in an attempt to quantify and impossible to do. Smart retailers know to set
formalize some of retailing’s common wisdom. up their traffic patterns and prime merchandise
In these studies, experts study shoppers layouts to facilitate this preference.

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 Because certain shopping behaviors are of every square foot of selling floor space.
fairly predictable, retailers can make use of However, if shoppers are continually jostled by
the knowledge. That’s why clearance racks are traffic moving through a department or down
most often found at the rear of the store or an aisle, they’ll spend less time examining
department. Retailers know that experienced garments or reading labels on packaged
shoppers habitually check for bargains, but products. They may even leave the store.
they also want to guide them through all The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
their regular-priced goods on their way to the mandates that retailers create aisles that allow
markdown racks. wheelchairs to pass safely between fixtures.
Did you know that it takes furniture Stores that comply with this far-reaching law
shoppers at least 20 seconds to become improve shopping experiences for all. Within
acclimated to the store’s layout before they’re the next fifteen years, about 18 percent of
ready to do any serious looking? That’s why the American population will be at least sixty-
most furniture stores employ an “up” system. five years old. People who cannot bend and
Salespeople take turns watching the entrance stretch or see as clearly as they once did will
of the store from a discreet distance, and then have special needs when they shop. Imagine
wait for those important seconds to tick by what a store that does not accommodate
before approaching customers after they’ve this growing segment of the population will
entered the store. They are counting: “one, communicate to the shopping public. It would
one thousand, two, one thousand, three, one be wiser to listen and attend to customer
thousand, four . . .” preferences before they become major issues.
Those few seconds also equate to distance Communication is a two-way process.
traveled. When shoppers enter a fashion store,
they are so busy getting a feel for the retail HOW DO CUSTOMERS
atmosphere, they may not be able to process PROCESS VISUAL
any fashion messages from merchandise MERCHANDISING MESSAGES?
positioned directly inside the doors. The best Think about your last trip into a store that you
way to use this space is to create entrance had never shopped before. Ask yourself:
presentations with traffic-stopping impact. If
you’ve shopped in an Old Navy store, you know • Why did you decide to go to the store?
that its “Item of the Week” causes shoppers to • Were you responding to a specific ad or
pause. Without this strategy, shoppers might were you just curious as you walked by?
move into the store too quickly and fail to • Did someone you know visit the store first
get the most important fashion message. As and tell you positive things about his or her
shoppers move the next ten feet into the store, experience?
Old Navy has their full attention. • What did you see as you walked up to the
In retailing, the expression “too close for store’s entrance?
comfort” really means physically too close • Did the store’s exterior send you any
for comfort. Americans are quite conscious messages about what would be inside?
(and protective) of their personal space and • Was the view through the storefront
they’re very uncomfortable in stores that force appealing? Informative?
them to squeeze between fixtures or bump • When you entered, was the lighting
up against other shoppers. This has been a pleasant to your eyes?
difficult concept for many retailers to grasp • Do you remember any particular scents or
since they’ve been trained to make the most sounds?

Shopping Is a Form of Communication 31

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 • Were you directed to or drawn to the
merchandise?
• Bottom line, did you make a purchase?

If your answers were mostly positive, the

store’s visual merchandising probably played a
large role in you going home with a package
under your arm. There is a sequence or set of
events that usually takes place for merchandise
presentation to result in an actual sale. The
retailer communicated something vital to
you about merchandise through the store’s
presentation methods . . . and you got the
message.

I N F O R M AT I O N
PROCESSING IN A VISUAL
M E R C H A N D I S I N G S T R AT E G Y
Visual merchandisers expose merchandise
to potential customers, who process the
information in eight stages (see Box 2.1).
Imagine that you’re walking into a department
store you haven’t visited before, to shop
for a new watchband. As you search for the
accessory department, you notice a mannequin
dressed in a casual outfit with an attractive
cotton jacket. That’s exposure (Figure 2.4).
If the store’s visual merchandisers have
presented the merchandise in a way that shows
Figure 2.4 “Outpost” mannequin;
how it could be used when purchased, you
TopShop, Soho, New York City.
Ericksen / WWD / © Conde Nast.
might say, “If I had that jacket, I could wear it
with jeans.” That’s attention.
If the visual merchandising message is
clearly stated—by signage, by location in the
department, by accessorizing, by vivid color,
• How welcoming did the store’s interior feel and by level of activity in the area—you will
once you’d stepped inside? reach the comprehension stage. You may say to
• Was it easy to tell what the store was yourself, “The way this jacket is shown, I could
selling? wear it to work on casual Fridays. I wonder
• Did you get the impression that the store how it would look dressed up . . .”
was selling merchandise that you’d want The next step, agreement, occurs if the
to buy? product information you’ve just absorbed is
• On the basis of your first impression, did you credible and compatible with your values, and
decide to explore further? you mentally file it away—perhaps for future
• Was it clear to you how to shop the store? reference. If, at this point, you revert to looking

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 for the watchband, your retention of the stages in consumer
mental image of the jacket and later retrieval information processing
of it will be very important to the store. Will
the visual merchandiser’s message about the • Exposure
jacket stay with you after you purchase the • Attention
watchband? Will you ask yourself, “Now where • Comprehension
did I see that great cotton jacket? Oh, that’s • Agreement
right . . . it was near the entrance. It was on a • Retention
mannequin, so it should be easy to find.” • Retrieval
If the mental imagery of the presentation • Consumer decision-making
was strong enough and all the rest of the • Action taken
promotional elements supported the consumer
decision-making process, you will probably Shimp, T. Advertising, Promotion, and Supplemental
take action. If your next step is to purchase Aspects of Integrated Marketing Communications,
the jacket, the consumer information- 8th ed. 2010. South-Western Cengage Learning.
processing model worked for you—and for the
box 2.1
department store.

Visual Merchandising
Supports Selling The silent selling of merchandise presentation
In the last scenario, there was no salesperson to added $90 to your shopping bill—for a jacket
suggest the cotton jacket to you as a shopper. that you sold to yourself!
The visual merchandiser’s presentation of the According to Cotton Incorporated’s Lifestyle
jacket on a mannequin made the sale. Current Monitor research:
trends in store staffing indicate that stores
have reduced the number of sales associates Retailers maintain that in-store
on the selling floor to lower operating costs. displays should do the following:
Effective visual merchandising efforts can (1) communicate the latest trends
supplement and support the sales staff of any in fashion and colors, (2) assist
store. the customer in making a buying
Although they will never replace an alert decision, and (3) create an exciting
and attentive sales associate, successful environment within the store. In
visual merchandising techniques may keep addition, retailers are also faced with
customers involved with a display until a sales the challenge of a consumer who is
associate reaches them and completes the spending less time shopping, making
sales transaction. If the cotton jacket had been it all the more imperative that visual
presented on a floor fixture with eleven others displays act as instruments of swift
in assorted colors, you may not have noticed it. persuasion.
You were only looking for a watchband, a
simple purchase priced around $19.99, but the Visual merchandising can transform a
jacket on the mannequin caught your eye. Even shopper into a buyer. It can also increase the
though you’d been momentarily side-tracked, average dollar amount per sale. Effective
you followed the signs to the accessories displays teach shoppers about using multiple
department and purchased the watchband. The basic and accessory items to enhance and
next move you made was to try on the jacket. extend the use of their purchases. It’s not

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 uncommon to hear a shopper say “I’d like to The visual merchandiser can stimulate
purchase the entire outfit, just the way you customers’ appetites for artfully presented
have it on the mannequin.” That’s silent selling merchandise in the same way that the gourmet
at its best. cook stimulates diners’ appetites for an artfully
A fully accessorized visual merchandising presented meal. Pick up any lifestyle magazine
treatment educates customers about when and look at the food in the photographs.
and how to wear fashion and trend items. In You anticipate how good the food will taste
this way, effective merchandise presentation because your senses are stimulated by the
provides fashion direction to customers who imagery on the paper.
may not trust their own fashion savvy. An effective presentation of merchandise
Imagine gift shopping for someone whose is a virtual recipe for making the most of the
taste is different from yours. You may not shopper’s investment. The shopper tells others
“A fad gives us
momentary joy, and know what kind of table linens to select for a about your value-added services . . . and the
part of the joy comes wedding gift if the bride’s china pattern is far shopper comes back again and again.
in knowing that it’s removed from your own preference. You may
momentary. A trend, on not know what kind of socks to wear with a How Does Visual
the other hand, satisfies
pinstriped suit and wingtip oxfords if you’ve Merchandising Support
a different human need.
A trend gains power
spent most of your life in boots and jeans. Retailing Trends?
over time, because it’s Effective visual merchandising techniques can A fashion apparel or accessory item
not merely part of a solve many buying problems for prospective becomes a trend when it is widely desired
moment, it’s a tool, customers who are looking for advice. by consumers. Visual merchandisers have
a connector that will Shoppers don’t have to have all the answers, the tools to draw attention to the item and
become more valuable as
but the store’s merchandisers do. When they make it easy for shoppers to locate. Product
other people commit to
can trust their favorite store’s merchandisers placement, mannequins, props, signage, and
engaging in it.”
Seth Godin, Seth’s Blog: to offer them advice, they can relax and enjoy lighting may all play a role in highlighting
Trends vs. Fads, August the shopping experience. Educational and trend merchandise. Every retailer wants to
21, 2015 tasteful presentations can give confidence (and be the first, the best, the leader. The visual
direction) to shoppers and save them time. merchandiser is the invisible force that is doing
a lot of the pushing behind the trend.
retail realities

T H E T R E N D TOWA R D
EMPHASIZING INTERIORS
It is possible for fewer sales personnel to manage more customers Store interiors have changed, presentation
when the product presentation assists with the selling process. methods have changed, and shopping has
changed. In the 1980s, trend reports indicated
that interior store layout and wall and fixture
merchandising had more impact on sales than
store windows did. Many specialty retailers
retail realities

removed traditional street side theatrical

Visual merchandising’s effect on the presentation of goods builds display windows and opened up the entire

add-on sales by suggesting coordinating items for the customer’s main floor to public view. Windows that once
blocked the pedestrian’s view of the inside
selection—which creates a value-added transaction for both retailer
of the store now created an opportunity to
and customer.
view the store’s entire shopping assortment.
Windows became an invitation for passersby

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 to enter for a closer look. The visual task of trend forecasting to their merchandise
merchandiser’s concern changed from “Are buyers’ and visual merchandisers’ job
our windows dramatic?” to “Are the windows descriptions.
clean?” Store interiors became their new focus. Visual merchandisers have had to become
experts at anticipating and responding
T H E T R E N D TOWA R D to lifestyle trends. They study how their
CONSUMER INTERACTION target customers live their lives. They try
WITH THE MERCHANDISE to understand what shoppers want in new
Consumerism, another trend, meant that products and how shoppers use the products
customers wanted the opportunity to they buy. They must interpret the trends
thoroughly inspect products before making a within the store’s physical setting so that
purchase. In the case of expensive or technical people know what’s important today. Stores
products, they wanted expert demonstrations must be poised to change and then change
to determine if all of their requirements were again. Smart merchandisers are always looking
going to be met. Lamps needed electrical ahead for tomorrow’s strategy because they
power, television screens needed moving want to be there ahead of the competition.
images, and stereos needed soundproof See www.echochamber.com for international
demo booths. retail trends.
The barriers of showcase selling also had to
come down if retailers were going to reduce T H E T R E N D TOWA R D O P E N - A I R
selling costs and stay competitive in a growing LIFESTYLE CENTERS lifestyle centers have
market. For economic and competitive reasons, An interesting recent direction in retail an open-air configuration
stores began to move in the direction of self- strategies is the trend away from enclosed of at least 50,000 square
service. There are fewer salespeople on the shopping malls to upscale, open-air lifestyle feet of retail space occupied
floor now who can remove merchandise from centers. Beautifully landscaped and located in by upscale specialty store
a display case and hand it to a customer or affluent areas, lifestyle centers appeal to time- chains. Retail categories
demonstrate an appliance. starved shoppers who want to park closer to most commonly represented
Visual merchandisers were challenged to their favorite specialty stores and restaurants are apparel, home goods,
find new ways to put shoppers in touch with rather than in the sprawling parking lots books, and music. They have
merchandise assortments. Improved selling surrounding traditional indoor malls. Lifestyle one or more table service
fixtures were created, and store furnishings centers include many of the same specialty restaurants, and sometimes
became more functional as selling tools. shops of the enclosed mall but often do not include a multiplex cinema
Layouts changed to facilitate customer have department store anchors. The Grove (International Council of
interactions with merchandise. Signage in Los Angeles and Bal Harbor in Miami are Shopping Centers).
directed traffic and told customers about excellent examples.
merchandise on self-service fixtures. Graphics The emergence of lifestyle centers may have
on the walls set moods and explained lifestyles. come about as a result of a lifestyle trend—a
certain dissatisfaction with the anonymity of
THE VISUAL MERCHANDISER a work life spent in a cubicle with a computer
AS TREND FORECASTER on the desk and fewer human interactions in
As lifestyles continually changed and new the business day. As more individuals choose to
trends accelerated in all areas of shoppers’ work from their homes, there may be even less
lives, retailing had to anticipate the changes interaction. People long for a neighborhood
quickly and provide the latest trend-right shopping district “where everyone knows
merchandise. Competitive retailers added the your name.”

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 Figure 2.5 ION Orchard,
Singapore, an integrated retail
and residential development.
JTB Photo/UIG/Getty Images.

T H E T R E N D TOWA R D variety of luxury fashion stores, dine in

I N T E G R AT E D R E TA I L A N D the ION Food Hall, and conduct business in
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS OCBC Bank, all without getting into their
For those who want to live immediately next car (Figure 2.5).
to their favorite shopping mall, developers
are building high-rise condominiums and T H E T R E N D TOWA R D
apartments with walkways directly into SMALLER STORES
the mall. An example is Galleria in Edina, A full decade into this new century, many
Minnesota, which links to neighboring big-box retailers who previously embraced a
Galleria Westin Hotel and Condominiums. super-sized philosophy have begun to expand
Residents and hotel guests can shop in their strategies to include a smaller retail
over fifty luxury stores or dine in one of footprint—particularly in densely populated
seven unique restaurants or cafes. Another urban areas where new retail space is at a
integrated retail mall and residence is ION premium. Spurred by retail economics and
Orchard mall and Orchard Residences in the fact that America is over-stored, industry
Singapore. Dwellers can shop in a wide leaders like Target are exploring the concept

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 of more neighborhood-oriented stores that food, business services, electronic products,
can serve niche markets with highly specific housewares, automobiles, airline tickets—you
merchandise assortments and services. Target’s name it, it’s probably there.
online newsletter, “A Bullseye View,” posted While these trends in retailing present a
this notice August 4, 2015: tremendous challenge to in-store retailers,
they also present opportunities for visual
At Target, one of our strengths is merchandisers seeking employment
the flexibility in our store design. opportunities in a growing field. The
Over the years we’ve explored many merchandise on the electronic shopper’s
different formats that help us tailor television screen or computer monitor has to
our stores to fit their neighborhoods. be presented well even if it is not in a store.
In the last three years, we introduced Who arranges the assorted goods for the
flexible formats called CityTarget camera? The goods are arranged by a visual
and TargetExpress in 14 locations merchandiser whose title may be different
across the country. These stores vary but whose duties remain essentially the same.
in size and assortment, and allow They may be called stylists, but what they do is
us to create a more locally-relevant prepare and present merchandise.
experience for guests in urban areas.
But big or small, our stores have one
thing in common; They’re all Target.

retail realities
So beginning this fall, we’ll begin
the process of renaming all of our An add-on sale of $2.89 for a pair of socks adds more than 10 percent

CityTarget and TargetExpress stores to a $25 purchase of denim jeans. Ask people you know if they’d be
“Target.” happy to have a 10 percent increase in their paychecks this week . . . or

if they’d like to be earning 10 percent interest on their saving accounts!

T H E T R E N D TOWA R D
NONSTORE SELLING

retail realities
Nonstore retailing is another trend that is
affecting visual merchandising. There are Value-added products and services are the result of a retailer’s efforts
hundreds of home shopping opportunities to enhance those products or services with information, which allows
beamed into your living room 24 hours a day customers to gain more satisfaction and better results from the use of
on your television. Infomercials don’t have
their purchase.
storefronts. They don’t need them when
merchandise is a phone call away. Specialty
shopping by mail-order catalogues is another
retail trend that reflects today’s lifestyles.
retail realities
People who have less time will take short cuts, Retail trends are often circular in direction. Today’s up-to-the-minute
even if they have to spend a little more to merchandising methods and presentation strategies may be out of
have their purchases conveniently delivered
fashion in a matter of months, but their replacement strategies may
to their doorsteps. A new generation of
very well come from the past instead of the future.
retailers is counting on it. The Internet offers
books, movies, music, clothing, medicine,

How Does Visual Merchandising Support Retailing Trends? 37

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 DESIGN GALLERY: PRINTEMPS 150TH ANNIVERSARY
French department store Printemps celebrated its 150th Execution and Technical Aspects, most significant are
anniversary on the first day of spring in 2015—befitting, the round cut-out hangtags that cleverly announce the
as printemps translated means spring in French. The 150-year celebration throughout the window.
Boulevard Haussmann flagship in Paris drew on its Can you see the triangle that is formed by the
history: the retailer’s founder Jules Jaluzot marked the position of the mannequins? This is a technique often
first day of spring by handing out bouquets of violets to used in both windows and interior displays to ensure
all who walked through the doors. In 2015, the tradition good composition. Notice how the red cube provides a
was modernized by covering window awnings on the firm base for the window and also contributes to the
exterior of the store with 5,500 artificial flowers bathed strong composition of this memorable, engaging display.
in pink, white, and red and choreographed to move to
the beat of LED lights. Inside the store, rolling flower
carts were used to deliver bouquets to guests. Eight
foodie kiosks on the street level floor offered delightful
treats, such as luxury brand ice creams and sorbets and
even Manhattan hotdogs.
To further entice shoppers to visit the store, eleven
French and international artists were enlisted to create
window displays to demonstrate their interpretation of
the flower-themed event. The windows were also used
to feature 1,000 exclusive products created by over 400
designers in categories like apparel, accessories, watches,
jewelry, home furnishings, and cosmetics. Many of these
products were colored in the signature pink of the event,
like mary jane pumps by Christian Louboutin and a rose
pink vase by Lalique.
Looking at the window pictured here through the
lens of design:retail’s three criteria, we can see a winning
formula. In category one, Originality and Creativity, the
combination of a breathtaking over-sized floral backdrop
with the surprise of brightly-colored bouquets topping
menswear mannequins is unusual, innovative, and fun.
This leads right into the goal of category two, Captures
the Spirit of the Season, Entertains and Delights, because
the window is definitely a show-stopper that is certain to
bring a smile to window shoppers as it boldly entertains.
It truly embraces the spirit of spring with its shades of
pink and red apparel and accessories coordinating in Copyright WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com
interesting ways. In category three, Professionalism: [email protected] 1.646.827.2288.

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 Shoptalk “The Way Things Were” by Kate Ternus

Many years ago, I stepped off a department store escalator into a new world. I had just left
a sales job in handbags and leather goods to become a displayman for the same company.
Never mind that I’m a female—anyone working in the display department then was called

a displayman. I began as a helper—fetching, carrying, and Beatles’ Yellow Submarine during a workday! He thought
cleaning up after the master displaymen. Advancement we could use a creative boost and wanted us to see how
was a years-long process. It felt good to be part of a rich others were pushing the envelope.
tradition, and I absolutely loved my work. Alas, vice presidents eventually move on. When our
Starting out, I dressed mannequins for the ten fashion favorite did, retail life went on . . . but it was different, and
windows that lined one of the first pedestrian malls ever we weren’t sure we liked it. The new boss was an envelope-
built in a large metro area. There were often more than pusher, too, but he called his act cutting edge. Instead of
thirty fiberglass figures to deck out and accessorize each having shoppers out on the sidewalk ogling the windows
week. I was scared most of the time. Fashion had never and wondering about what might be inside the store, this
been my thing. Suddenly, I was handling designer garments guy wanted people outside to actually see inside. Imagine
that cost more than my car and college tuition put together. that! He had a name for his new concept, too—merchandise
I worked with one eye on the latest copy of Vogue because, presentation.
when it came to fashion, I was the dummy, not the Guess what happened next. One by one and then two
mannequin. It was my theater design background that got by two, our wonderful, dramatic, closed-off, mini-theater
me the job, not my fashion savvy. of mall windows disappeared! Where our great window
Every week brought a complete theme and merchandise dramas had been supreme, glass took over. Sheets of glass.
change and a challenge to make the latest window Plain. Flat. Clear.
merchandise exciting and provocative. Our team had to Mr. Cutting Edge decreed, “The whole store is now going
come up with a completely new visual idea to carry out the to be a display. People buy things they can not only see
advertising department’s theme. No repeating. Ever. Our but also touch.” Guess who ruled then? The drones. Guess
store was the city’s fashion leader. It still is. But that’s about who had their pick of our expensive window mannequins?
the only thing that has stayed the same. The drones. Only they weren’t drones anymore. They were
Windows used to be the driving force of merchandise interior visual merchandisers. Along with all our good
presentation (although we didn’t call it that until later). mannequins, the drones got new titles. We began to wish
We felt sorry for the poor drones who had to do interior we’d been nicer to them when they were drones. They paid
displays. They could only try to echo our brilliant window us back, big time!
themes using our retired mannequins and cast-off props. We whined, “What about all this . . . space . . . in the
Windows were higher on the food chain than interiors. store interior? What are you people going to do with this
Once a week, we covered our display windows with canvas space, all this . . . uh, stuff . . . and all these . . . fixtures?”
curtains, turned off the spotlights, and made magic. We whimpered, “And . . . what are we going to do now?”
Later, one huge pane at a time, we pulled the canvas Mr. Cutting Edge had all the answers. “Help the interior
away to unveil our next offering for the fashion-conscious people,” he said. We helped.
pedestrian. Ta-dah! We learned to treat a department and its merchandise as
Our crew was always encouraged to be creative. The vice a total presentation. We became storytellers. “ROY G. Bv”
president of promotion was a brilliant guy. His office door (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet) became our
(and his mind) was always open. He once hired a bus to take new best friend. We told color stories. A rainbow spectrum
us—plus the advertising group—off to a suburban theater of merchandise marched along walls and around circular
for a midday movie. Imagine being paid to watch the fixtures.

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 We told merchandise stories. Display platforms at For a while there, I thought Mr. Cutting Edge had gone
the heads of escalators became fashion editorials telling over the edge. But he was right on the money, as usual,
the same thematic stories that windows once told. We and auditorium events attracted people in droves . . . with
presented tennis togs with sporting accessories. Holiday money in hand and merchandise on their minds. When I got
gifts with holiday clothing. Floral prints with gardening over pouting about losing “my” windows, the store became
tools and signs inviting shoppers to the Eighth Floor a larger and more creative display arena than I’d ever
Auditorium’s Annual Flower Show. imagined. Most days, I couldn’t wait to get to work. Since
Oh. The auditorium—that was Mr. Cutting Edge’s answer then, I’ve worked for a half-dozen other major retailers, and
to our old-hat windows. “Why let people look into a I’ve been through more retail change and renovation than
window and walk on past the store?” he asked. The man most people have had hot breakfasts. I learned to let go
actually built a spectacular events showcase on the store’s and enjoy what I could learn from Mr. Cutting Edge, and it’s
top floor and then invited shoppers to escalate up through been a fine career.
eight floors of appealingly presented goods on the way to Good wishes for a fine career of your own!
superlative retail-related entertainment. Imagine that!

Chapter 2 Review Questions CO M PA R E

1. What is a target market? Explain how a target market 2. Compare the three presentations.
can impact a retail store’s promotional mix?
2. What are atmospherics? Give examples of how I N N O VAT E
atmospherics can theoretically make a customer 3. Use the ideas to create and sketch a new version of the
purchase goods in a retail store. presentation. Include a sign and new fixture as part of
3. Describe the three basic elements of how visual your idea.
merchandising communicates to customers. How does 4. Scan and/or insert your images into a Word document.
visual merchandising educate customers using the Your new, improved idea should be sized larger than
stages in consumer information processing? the three that you saw in the comparison.
4. How does visual merchandising increase sales in a retail 5. Present your idea to the rest of the class.
store? Give examples of this and share with the class.
5. Describe how visual merchandising can support or even Critical Thinking
alter fashion and product trends. Give examples of this Promotional Mix—True or False?
for a mass fashion retailer like Gap, a high-end retailer 1. Go online to a retail store’s website that targets a
like Nordstrom, and a big box retailer like Target or specific customer through their promotional mix of
Walmart. advertising.
2. Now, visit that store (write down the time and date
Outside-the-Box Challenge you visited) and examine how other parts of their
Comparison Shopping promotional mix are presented to customers, such as
LOOK in-store marketing, personnel selling the clothes, and
1. Look at three stores that are selling the same style of visual merchandising.
jeans in the latest trend wash. Sketch or photograph 3. Look at who is shopping and purchasing items in this
each presentation as well as make a list of prices, colors, store. Does the actual shopper match the perceived
fixtures, and signage details. promotional mix of the retailer? Or is the retailer
appealing to a different market?

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 4. Based upon your observation, is the retailer really First he removed the display forms and outfits from
advertising to the right customer? Or do you think they the wall. Then, using a visual merchandising technique he
are only aspiring to a target market that is not real or had seen once in a store window that he liked, Ben tied
obtainable? monofilament to hangers and began to “fly” the garments
high on the wall over the selling fixtures. The project took
Case Study over two hours, and he did not have time to complete his
Store Image and Visual Continuity assigned tasks. In addition, he lost his balance and almost
T H E S I T U AT I O N fell off the ladder near a shopper’s child.
Ben is a sales associate who works for the national When he was finished, Ben was pleased with himself. He
department store Smith’s that targets the middle-income thought his presentation was much more interesting than
suburban family. The store’s retail image is one of anything he had seen set up by the department’s visual
affordable but trend-right fashion for all members of the specialist. Besides, Ben told himself, the specialist seemed to
family. Ben’s selling department carries workday casual do all of his work with one eye on the guidelines for display
clothing for men—assorted sweaters, dress pants, casual section in the company’s policy and procedure manual. How
and dress woven shirts, polo shirts, and accessories such creative was that?
as belts, socks, and hats. The overall fashion statement The next morning, Ben enthusiastically showed his
is fairly conservative, and the store’s presentation style display to the store manager and the visual specialist. To
has been detailed in the company’s corporate display emphasize how challenging the project had been, he even
guidelines. Visual merchandisers implement new wall and described how he almost fell off the ladder. The manager
selling floor layouts sent from corporate headquarters and the specialist were not pleased. The store manager
every ten days. told Ben that he had overstepped his responsibilities and
Ben likes to watch visual merchandising specialists at violated company guidelines for presentation. Then he
work. It looks like an exciting job, with freedom to do directed the visual merchandiser to replace Ben’s display
different activities throughout the store instead of having immediately. Ben was crushed.
to stay in one department. In fact, he hopes to work in
the visual department one day. Ben’s only current display DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
responsibility is to make sure that a coordinated outfit is 1. Did Ben really do something wrong?
shown on the front of every feature fixture in his area. 2. Should the store manager immediately have been
One evening, when business was slow, Ben noticed displeased or should he have at least recognized the
that the display forms on the side wall of his selling effort?
area featured merchandise that was nearly sold out. 3. What’s so important about the style of visual
Although he needed to complete his own assigned merchandising in the department?
tasks and wall presentation was the responsibility of 4. Is it not more important to ensure that every display
the visual merchandising specialist, Ben decided to form features available product than to be concerned
change the display. Ben reasoned that this would show about who dresses the form?
initiative and would demonstrate to the store manager 5. What has the visual merchandising team failed to do in
that he was ready to move into the next available visual this case? Have they reacted to sales in the store?
merchandising position. 6. Could Ben have communicated his interest in a visual
position more appropriately? How?

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 3 Core Design Strategies

The Visual Merchandiser Is a Design Strategist

The visual merchandiser must be a strategic thinker. What’s that? A strategic thinker
assesses a task in relation to available resources (tools) and the goal that’s been set. By
the end of this chapter, you’ll know that it’s the visual merchandiser—carrying out design
strategies created by the store’s management team—who actually brings the store and its A design strategy is a
merchandise to life. plan of action to achieve retail
A design strategy is a plan of action to achieve a particular retail store design and goals and create a welcoming
displays that effectively utilize basic elements and principles drawn from the art world— place where shoppers will
color, balance, rhythm, emphasis, and proportion—to create a welcoming place where purchase goods and services.
shoppers will purchase goods and services.
Once the carpenters, electricians, and painters leave and the fixtures and merchandise
arrive, the visual merchandiser does the important work that will make the store’s
blueprinted promise a retail reality. What the visual merchandiser adds to the basic design
“In all kinds of strategy,
is a concept known to retail practitioners as atmospherics—a strategic tool that, used
you always need a
effectively, gives the retail operation personality and brand image that help it reach its
creative idea to some
financial goals. It creates a store environment that invites shoppers to enter the selling degree because the
space and encourages them to stay and browse—and buy. world around you is
always changing, so the
Atmospherics as a Merchandising Strategy future is never exactly
the same as the past.”
Basic design strategies used throughout a store create a strong foundation for a successful
William Duggan, Senior
retail business. Atmospherics—multiple sensory elements for décor and layout that appeal
Lecturer, Columbia
to a shopper’s five senses—can be strategically layered into the basic shell of the store to Business School, Creative
enhance the shopping environment and build the brand image of the store. This layering Strategy, A Guide for
entails a simultaneous use of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell that can actually alter Innovation
shoppers’ perception of time, encouraging them to become so comfortable and pleasantly

AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

• Identify the elements and principles of design used to create a welcoming store
environment
• Create harmonious color schemes for effective wall and fixture presentations
• Describe the atmospheric elements and design strategies that enhance store
environment and strengthen store brand or image

Figure 3.0 An energy-filled window at Tory Burch illustrates many design principles and elements,
most notably line, shape, and contrast. Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles. WindowsWear Photo. Copyright
WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com [email protected] 1.646.827.2288. 43

9781501315497_txt_app.indb 43 5/25/17 11:57 AM

 Figure 3.1 Victoria’s Secret in Soho, New
York City, promotes a sensory experience
through soft lighting, curved fixtures,
and silk and lace textured products.
Ericksen / WWD / © Conde Nast.

stimulated in the shopping environment that similar to the type of lighting that is used in

“The success of the retail time becomes less important than it might your home. You notice a subtle fragrance in
architect’s design hinges otherwise be. They may shop longer, see the air and hear sweet classical music. How
on the work of the and touch more products, and become more long does it take before you begin to touch the
visual merchandisers. inclined to make purchases. fabric of the merchandise? Was it on the first
They are responsible for
Atmospherics borrow theories and table as you entered the store? (See Figure 3.1.)
capturing the architect’s
techniques from the artist’s realm. Every Victoria’s Secret does an excellent job of
vision for the store and
implementing it through feature of a store’s makeup—from the appealing to four of our five senses: sight,
their choice of fashion, display of a single garment to an expansive smell, hearing, and touch. On occasion, it does
color, props, lighting presentation featuring an entire wall of co-branded gift-with-purchase promotions
and focal points. The coordinates—uses some or all of the principles with Godiva chocolates, adding the fifth sense,
creativity and hard
and elements of design. Just as painters taste, to create an even more complete sensory
work of the visual
choose colors, shapes, lines, and textures to experience for shoppers. This strategy also
merchandiser are the
linchpins of effective create works of art, visual merchandisers expands the retailer’s private-label brand and
store design.” choose colors, shapes, lines, and textures to its value to customers.
Wayne Visbeen, principal create store environments. Their use of these Another retailer that appeals to all the
at Visbeen Architects, Inc. creative tools ensures that selling floors will senses is Eataly, the largest Italian marketplace
be organized, easy to shop, and filled with in the world, with 29 locations and growing.
eye-catching, merchandise-centered displays The first Eataly opened in 2007 in Torino, Italy,
that will attract shoppers and encourage followed by Japan, and then New York in 2010
multiple sales are multiple sales. and Chicago in 2013. The concept was founded
transactions in which two or If you’ve shopped in a Victoria’s Secret store, and created by Oscar Farinetti, in an effort to
more items are purchased you know something about atmospherics. merge the best regional ingredients of Italy
at one time. For example, a When you enter the store, you see color and with the feel of the bazaars of Istanbul. The
shopper buys a set of bath texture everywhere—from the silken fabrics of result is a mecca that compares to none, as
towels with a matching robe intimate apparel to lavishly printed wallpaper this charming and delightful destination serves
and slippers. to painted moldings and elegantly carved store up pizza, pasta, creamy polenta and braised
fixtures. The soft lighting is easy on your eyes, beef, fish, and so much more at a variety of

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 Figure 3.2 Eataly, an Italian marketplace with an
abundance of atmospherics to awaken the five
senses. Milan, Italy. Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images.

sit-down restaurants. For those on the go, throughout the text) shows examples of how
you can grab an Italian coffee and a sandwich they are used in merchandise presentation.
or dessert at one of the many counters. You Practical applications of design principles are
can also shop their market to take home explored in more depth in later chapters.
fresh bread baked in a wood-burning oven,
handmade mozzarella, pastries, and beer. A Core Design Tools
real pleasure for your senses, this is a unique and Strategies
retail environment where atmospherics seem The elements of design—color, texture,
to be as important as the products (Figure 3.2). proportion, direction, line, shape, size,
To learn more, see www.eataly.com. sequence, and tension—are helpful tools
Art is a personal sensory experience. We are that you can use to create a selling display.
moved by paint on canvas, touched by sculpted
shapes, stirred by musical notes, soothed by
retail realities

silken textures. Watch a creative chef prepare a

meal that looks enticing, smells wonderful, and
Atmospherics should be the result of strategic planning by store
tastes sublime, and you know that even food
preparation can be elevated to an art form. owners and managers. Opening and stocking a store is too expensive

Your senses tell you so. To begin to understand and competitive to leave any element of store design to chance.
how design elements are applied to a store
environment, this chapter (and photographs

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 design elements—tools Do you want to create a sweet, cuddly,
and irresistible assortment of clothing
Color Shape
and accessories appealing to parents and
Texture Size
grandparents of newborns? Perhaps pastel
Proportion Sequence
colors and soft textures will support your
Direction Tension
merchandising goal.
Line
The principles of design are the strategic
rules that govern merchandise presentation.
principles of design—rules You may hear those principles also described
Unity Rhythm as important guidelines for using the various
Harmony Emphasis tools (elements of design) to select and
Balance Contrast arrange products for sale to consumers. Rules
Repetition Surprise or guidelines, strictly or loosely interpreted,
are part of the visual merchandiser’s basic
box 3.1
vocabulary and basic design tools.
You may have already had art courses
The principles of design—unity, harmony, and may have a basic understanding of the
balance, repetition, rhythm, emphasis, contrast, elements and principles. Rather than teach
and surprise—represent strategic rules that them from scratch, this chapter looks at them
govern the way the design elements are used mostly in terms of workable merchandising
in the overall presentation. Using the basic strategies—how you, as a practicing visual
tools strategically, you may select from an merchandiser, may utilize the elements and
array of design principles to create a unique principles to create visual interest, and spur
presentation of merchandise that triggers sales. They’re defined in this chapter in terms
purchases. How will you know which tools and of presentation and store design. Your strategy
principles to use? It really depends on knowing for a display may focus on a particular design
what each does and what goals you must meet. element or principle, or a combination of
Are you trying to show shoppers a new elements and principles.
assortment of activewear so that they buy Never learned the art basics? Take yourself
several items from the assortment? Then you on an electronic excursion to a search engine
might want to set up a display that suggests (such as Google) and key in “principles of
activity, movement, and excitement. You could art” and/or “elements of design.” What
apply the tools of direction and color using the constitutes a good website? It is one that
rules of rhythm and contrast by alternating interests you enough to follow leads and
a series of light and dark blue running suits links from one page to the next. Most sites
along a diagonal. are visually rich and highly instructional. For
Are you trying to present a luxurious instance, a quick trip to www.ask.com for art
arrangement of china, crystal, and silver for principles and elements of art leads to http://
special occasion dining? Then you might depend www.ndoylefineart.com. This is artist Nancy
on strict principles of formal balance with place Doyle’s website, and it reads like an illustrated
settings identical in the sizes, shapes, and colors treasure trove of things that a visual merchant
of the items to convey stability and elegance to needs to know. Next, search for “art history.”
shoppers—whereas a Super Bowl party might You’ll find definitions for every art term you
call for paper and plastic displayed less formally. can imagine.

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 Design Elements—the Tools called secondary colors because they are
In visual merchandising, design is about the formed by combining the primaries. Red and secondary colors—
way we arrange products, signage, props, yellow merge to become orange; yellow and orange, green, violet—are

and so on, to create a shopping environment blue become green; blue and red become formed by combining the

that is pleasing to the eye. We work with violet. If you mix the primary colors with the primaries.

various design elements—color, for instance— secondary colors, you’ll form tertiary (third-
to bring unity, or a sense of wholeness and level) colors, combinations like yellow-green tertiary colors, or
completeness, to our presentation work. Unity and blue-violet. third-level colors, are formed

is one of the principles, or rules, governing M. Grumbacher, Inc., a manufacturer by mixing primary colors

design. The principles of design will be of artists’ paints, has a very useful product with secondary colors in

discussed at length later in this chapter. that it calls a Color Computer—a cardboard combinations like yellow-

“color harmony wheel” that illustrates green and blue-violet.

COLOR AS A MERCHANDISING clearly how colors are formed and how they
S T R AT E G Y relate to each other. You may want to buy
The first and most critical of the design one from an art supply store for your toolbox.
elements is color. It is important to realize Go to www.grumbacherart.com for more
that color is a private experience. Your information.
earliest caregivers taught you the names of You need to know some additional color-
items you saw: “Grass is green, bananas are related terms because grouping merchandise shade is the darkening of a
yellow, and on a sunny day, the lake is blue by color is a common practice, and a particular color by the addition of black
because its waters reflect the color of the sky.” language is used when discussing color. For or gray.
Scientifically, colors are various qualities of example, red, yellow, green, and blue are
light (either reflected onto an item or given chromatic (highly colored). Black, white, and tint is the lightening of a
off by it) that individuals can perceive with gray are achromatic (the exact opposite of color by adding white.
their eyes and describe in terms of lightness, highly colored). Shades of a color are made
brightness, darkness, richness, purity, and so by adding varying amounts of black or gray value is the apparent
on. That is, you may tell someone that the to darken it. Tints are created by adding lightness or darkness in a color.
sky is blue or the grass is green, but you don’t white to a basic color to make it lighter. Value
actually know that the shade of blue you see is is the amount of lightness or darkness in a hue describes a color
the same precise shade that the other person color. Hue is another word for the name of a family—the reds, blues,
with normal color vision sees. color family—red, blue, brown, and so on. In browns, and so on. It is
Human physiology and the actual viewing everyday speech, hue is used as a synonym for also used as a synonym to
of an environment determine what each of color, but technically, the term color refers to describe color.
us perceives at any given time and place. the combination of hue, value, and intensity
Nevertheless, scientists have agreed that the (brightness or purity of the color). intensity is the brightness,
relationships between colors can be shown in purity, and degree of
the form of a color wheel, using yellow, red, Color Schemes saturation of a color.
and blue (primary colors), at the 12 o’clock, There are many ways to coordinate colors in
4 o’clock, and 8 o’clock positions (Figure 3.3). eye-pleasing arrangements or color schemes. primary colors—red,
Moving clockwise around the circle, you’ll see Grumbacher’s two-sided Color Computer calls yellow, and blue—are the
that the colors blend and change gradually these schemes color harmonies. The most starting points on the color
from one primary color to the next. basic color schemes or color harmonies are wheel. Other colors are
Red, yellow, and blue are called primary based on six variations of the color wheel. formed from them.
colors, and orange, green, and violet are (See Figure 3.3.)

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 Yellow

Yellow Yellow
Blue Red
Violet Violet Green

SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY

Red

Violet Yellow Violet

Yellow Yellow
COMPLEMENTARY Green Orange DOUBLE COMPLEMENTARY

Green Orange

Blue Red
Green Orange

Blue Red

Blue Red
Violet Violet
Violet

Green Orange
Yellow
Yellow
Green
Blue

Violet

MONOCHROMATIC TRIADIC

ANALOGOUS

Figure 3.3 The standard color wheel is a convenient reference for planning color schemes. The large wheel in the center shows that the primary hues—
yellow, red, and blue—are equidistant from each other. Opposite each primary hue is the secondary hue that is its complement. The secondary hues are
also equidistant from each other on the color wheel. Various color schemes are shown on the smaller color wheels. Fairchild Books.

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 • Monochromatic schemes consist of a single they’re simply understood because we share
Amonochromatic
color in different values and intensities common experiences as humans or members of
scheme consists of a single
(more white or gray blended into the basic a certain culture.
color in different values and
color). Example: navy blue with medium Warm colors are said to be aggressive,
intensities.
blue and light blue. reminding us of fire and sun. They pop out at
• Analogous schemes (color families) consist us to make strong color statements. However,
An analogous
of two or more colors that are next to if red is the color of passion, blue speaks to us
scheme consists of two or
each other (adjacent) on the color wheel. of cool restraint. Cooler shades like blues and
more colors that are next to
Example: yellow with yellow-green. greens are said to be recessive, relaxed, and
each other (adjacent) on the
• Complementary schemes consist of two calm, reminding us of clear skies and grassy
color wheel.
colors that are directly opposite each other meadows at a distance. The idea that warm
on the color wheel. Example: yellow and colors advance and cool colors recede comes
Acomplementary
violet. from the color theory that makes it possible to
scheme consists of
• Split-complementary schemes consist of create the illusion of depth in a painting.
two colors that are directly
three colors—one central color plus the two
opposite each other on the
colors on either side of its complement. Color as a Communication Tool
color wheel.
Example: yellow with red-violet and blue- Color has a spoken language of its own. We
violet. often use colorful terms to add emphasis
Asplit-
• Double-complementary schemes consist and flavor to our thoughts. For example, an
complementary
of four colors—two colors plus their expression like “true blue” suggests loyalty;
scheme consists of three
complements. Example: yellow with violet “royal purple” suggests a color once worn only
colors—one central color plus
plus green with red. by kings, queens, and members of their courts;
the two colors on either side
• Triadic schemes consist of three colors that “seeing red” denotes angry or passionate
of its color wheel complement.
are equidistant from one another on the feelings; white stands for purity; and black
color wheel (they form a triangle when you represents depression or mourning. However,
Adouble-
look at the wheel). Example: orange, green, you must remember that this is how particular
complementary
and violet. colors signify meaning in Western cultures.
scheme consists of four
Other cultures apply different significance
colors—two colors plus their
These schemes are your color tools in display to certain colors. For example, white is worn
complements.
and presentation. Even if your store is too by brides in Western cultures, but in some
small to have its own trend merchandising Eastern cultures, red is the color for bridal wear
A triadic scheme
department, you will notice that merchandise because it is a festive color that brings good
consists of three colors that are
is arriving from vendors in colors that are luck. Certainly, visual merchandisers and store
equidistant from one another
popular for the season. It may be up to you designers working for international chains
on the color wheel.
to combine merchandise items on the selling must be aware of these factors.
floor, on fixtures, and on walls in ways that Colors may take on names of their own
make it look attractive to customers. over time. This generally occurs through
A lot of common wisdom has evolved from association with something that people who
the study of color. Some colors (related to red, share a nationality or language recognize as
yellow, and orange) are said to be warm, while universal. Prussian blue came from dye color
the blues, greens, and some purple shades used in making that country’s national military
are spoken of as cool colors. In the language uniform at one time. Wedgwood blue takes
of color, they make a statement. They call its name from a characteristic gray-blue glaze
up feelings that don’t have to be said aloud; used to create the famous English pottery with

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 classic white figures and shapes. Chartreuse is seasonal merchandise shift without locking the
both the name of a yellow-green color and the store into a single overall color presentation
name of a well-known tinted liqueur. (Figure 3.4).
In the late 1960s, a popular maroon color Another school of thought on color in store
was paired with navy for several seasons in décor emerged in the twenty-first century. Most
both men’s and women’s fashion. Each season, store environments had been “white boxes” for
that same color was given a new name. One more than twenty years, but suddenly retailers
season it was called wild onion, another year began to energize their stores with all manner
it was called burgundy, in another year it of wall coverings, murals, and bright-colored
was called beet root. This is how copywriters paint. Issey Miyake featured a colorful, exotic,
gave a fresh impression to a color that had a floor-to-ceiling mural in its Tribeca store. Miu
remarkably long selling cycle. Miu, Swiss Army, Puma, BCBG, and scores of
Color is a powerful visual element. It can others in New York City painted many of their
set mood, emphasize features, and highlight walls bright red. Paul & Joe on Bond Street
a product. In print advertising, research in New York City installed black boards and
indicates that color increases an ad’s attention- decorated them with colored-chalk illustrations.
getting and recall powers. Certain color As fashion apparel and accessories became
combinations have been used for so long that more neutral in color, retailers infused energy
seeing them makes us automatically think of a into their selling environments with a wide
specific season or occasion—red and green at variety of finishes and textures on their walls,
Christmas; black and orange at Halloween; red floors, and fixtures.
and pink for Valentine’s Day; or red, white, and
blue for Independence Day. However, color can Color as a Fashion Merchandising Strategy
be fickle, too. One fashion season’s in color can Retailers promote different color schemes
be out in the next. each season. They may introduce new shades
of a currently popular color or select an
Color in Store Décor entirely different palette (selection of colors).
Retailers who build a very current color trend Standard colors may be combined in unusual
into their store’s décor may find themselves ways. These color schemes should be featured
looking dated in a very short time—probably in highly visible areas of the store, like store
before the décor itself is even paid for. Most entrances, department entrances, along aisles,
design practitioners urge caution when in windows, or on interior displays, so that
selecting storewide color schemes even though customers can find them easily. If the colors
the current décor cycle may only be five years are part of a national trend, or have been
in length. aggressively promoted through advertising,
Greg Gorman, store designer and author customers will be looking for them.
of The Visual Merchandising and Store Design Once customers have entered a store, the
Workbook, suggests that initial store design next visual merchandising challenge is to draw
should use an overall neutral palette that them through the entire store to the back
can be “punched up” with colorful accents walls. Experience tells us that, on average,
in key presentation areas within the store or customers pass through only the first third
department. For example, colored acrylic bins of the store and then exit unless something
could be utilized for folded products on white entices them to stay. If merchandise displays
walls to complement the coloration of each with colorful impact are used throughout

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 Figure 3.4 Colored display
shadow boxes in Marni, Spain,
can easily be repainted in the
future for a dramatic new look.
WWD / © Conde Nast.

the store, it is more likely that the customer shopping. In a gift shop, for example, you
will be drawn from one area to the next. The might find sections containing candles and Afunctional
more merchandise customers are able to see candleholders grouped on shelves, or greeting grouping of
and touch, the more likely they are to make cards, calendars, or small books gathered merchandise is segmented
purchases—a critical merchandising goal. together in central locations. These are according to its end use.
It is important to note that color trends are functional groupings that pay attention to
not limited to clothing. Fashion merchandise end-use. You might also find a particular brand A branded grouping
within a store is generally divided into of gifts grouped in an area. These are branded is merchandise from a single
departments. A store may have a dress groupings. In other key display areas of the designer or manufacturer that
department, an accessory department, same store, unrelated items might be grouped is displayed together in an area
several sportswear departments, menswear to create a color story. One place where this set off on the selling floor.
and children’s departments, plus gift and is particularly effective is in an antique shop
housewares departments, among others. where a variety of odds and ends are pulled A color story is a color-
Each merchandise category will have its own together to form a merchandise grouping by coordinated or color-keyed
seasonal differences along with unique fashion color. You might see a corner featuring green product grouping that often
and color trends. Depression glass dishes, enameled spatterware shows how to use a season’s
In smaller shops, merchandise is often pots and pans, hand-painted cloth napkins, trend colors.
segmented in some way to provide easier silken lampshades, and embroidered bed linens

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 Figure 3.5a Bright hot pink and bright blue jackets are combined with neutral black and neutral denim blue, delivering
an easy-to-shop presentation at H&M, Tokyo (above). WWD / © Conde Nast.

Figure 3.5b At Crate & Barrel, brightly colored towels are presented together (right). Notice the towels are arranged by
color according to Roy G. Bv: red, orange, yellow, green, blue. Judy Bell.

displayed together in a green story. In another directions give you her practical guidelines
corner, you might find items drawn together by for merchandising by color in today’s retail
their common red, white, and blue accents. operations:
The self-explanatory terms that cover
these merchandising techniques are color- 1. Divide the colors of products into groups,
coordinated grouping and color-keyed product according to their color intensity. There are
statement. Color-keyed groupings provide seven common color groups (Figure 3.6).
ease of selection for customers who may not
have time to research current color trends and • Brights—the clearest, most vivid
often do not have confidence in their ability to primary color intensities
coordinate colors effectively. Look at Figure 3.5 • Pastels—colors with added white to
for examples of fashions and housewares lighten and soften their effect
grouped by color. • Midtones—not bright and not pastel,
just in-between values
The How-to of Color Coordination • Jeweltones—royal colors
When text author Judy Bell was developing • Muted/dusty—midtones with added
training materials for a chain of specialty gray
stores where she was the visual director, • Earthtones—the colors of the earth:
she developed a set of color guidelines that sand, rust, brown
established a uniform merchandising policy • Neutrals—colors that blend with every
for all stores. The following step-by-step color group

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 SEVEN COLOR GROUPS

R O Y G B V

BRIGHTS
PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE®
1935 C Orange 021 C 116 C 355 C 293 C 266 C

PASTELS
PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE®
196 C 1555 C 100 C 365 C 277 C 263 C

MIDTONES
PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE®
673 C 715 C 122 C 346 C 284 C 528 C

JEWELTONES
PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE®
226 C 1665 C 110 C 334 C Pro. Blue C 2x Violet C

MUTED/DUSTY
PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE®
693 C 156 C 121 C 577 C 535 C 666 C

EARTHTONES
PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE®
209 C 174 C 138 C 3435 C 2747 C 268 C

NEUTRALS
PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE® PANTONE®
726 C 728 C 1405 C 295 C 425 C Black C

Neutral colors may be combined with any color group.

Figure 3.6 Notice how each color in rows 2 through 5 corresponds to the color above it. For example, pink, in the
pastel row, corresponds to red in the bright row; pastel peach corresponds to bright orange, and so on. You can easily
remember the color order of the rainbow by using the mnemonic device: Roy G. Bv. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 2. Combine the colors within each group to intensity. Now look at Figure 3.8 to see one
create color schemes. Colors of the same bright color, hot pink, combined with three
intensity blend together harmoniously. For neutrals—white, gray, and black—for a
example, look at the flower arrangement beautiful presentation that is easy to shop.
in Figure 3.7a. Flowers in several bright
colors are combined in a pleasing Color Systems
arrangement. There are two color-related professional
3. Do not combine colors from the various organizations with websites that you should
groups together, except for neutrals. know about and visit. The decisions they
Neutral colors can be combined with colors make will affect your work in many ways.
from any of the color groups. Look at the The Color Marketing Group (CMG) is an
floral arrangement in Figure 3.7b. Flowers international association of color designers
in bright colors have been combined with involved in the use of color applied to the
a pastel—pink. The colors do not blend profitable marketing of goods and services.
harmoniously; they are not of the same Its members are qualified color designers

Figure 3.7a A floral arrangement with harmonious color is achieved by

combining colors from one color group: brights (left). Judy Bell.

Figure 3.7b The combination of brightly colored flowers in red, orange, and
yellow is not harmonious with one pastel pink flower (right). Judy Bell.

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 Figure 3.8 Three neutral colors—white, gray, black—are combined
with bright pink for an easy mix-and-match shopping experience
in Victoria’s Secret. WWD / © Conde Nast.

who interpret, create, forecast, and select about production details. You will find them
colors for manufactured products. Go to at www.pantone.com. A quick trip to their
www.colormarketing.org, where you will find site will give you “must-have” color trend
a valuable glossary of terms and overview of information, such as this introduction of the
the organization’s color forecasting process. 2016 PANTONE Color of the Year pairing:
At the website of the organization Pantone
LLC you will find good information about As consumers seek mindfulness and
color along with a discussion of the company’s well-being as an antidote to modern
role in developing and marketing products day stresses, welcoming colors that
for the accurate communication of color for psychologically fulfill our yearning for
color-conscious industries like textiles, plastics, reassurance and security are becoming
graphic arts, and film and video technology. more prominent. Joined together,
The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is an Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate
internationally recognized color-coding system an inherent balance between a
of pre-mixed colors, introduced in the 1960s. warmer embracing rose tone and
Each Pantone color is identified by a specific the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting
number, making it much easier for designers connection and wellness as well as a
and manufacturers to communicate clearly soothing sense of order and peace.

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 TEXTURE AS A You’re watching that child shop for
M E R C H A N D I S I N G S T R AT E G Y information, for understanding,
“Look but don’t touch.” You probably for knowledge, for experience, for
heard this often as a child because children sensation.
experience the world through all of their
senses—even when it makes their parents He adds that shopping is “more than
nervous. In Why We Buy, in the chapter titled what we call the ‘grab and go’—you need
“The Sensual Shopper,” researcher Paco cornflakes, you go to the cornflakes, you
Underhill says, grab the cornflakes, and have a nice day.” He
explains, “The kind of activity I mean involves
The purest example of human experiencing that portion of the world that has
shopping I know of can be seen by been deemed for sale, using our senses—sight,
watching a child go through life touch, smell, taste, hearing—as the basis for
touching absolutely everything. choosing this or rejecting that.” (See Figure 3.9.)

Figure 3.9 The unique variation of materials in this display at Yuta

Powell Plaza—smooth, shiny bracelets, soft fabric bags, floral
embellishments, and twisted rope drawstrings—evokes textures
that beg to be touched. Iannaccone / WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 Today more than ever, people buy things store décor determines overall environmental
based on trial and touch. If a product’s tactile mood and can influence the appearance of texture is how a surface
qualities are its most important feature, merchandise as well. In artistic and aesthetic actually feels to the touch or
shoppers must know for themselves how the terms, texture can absorb or reflect light, how it appears that it might
product feels. Think about all the plastic- provide contrasts that enhance the features of feel if touched. For example,
wrapped packages of merchandise you see merchandise, help set mood, and actually invite roughness and smoothness
broken open on store shelves. People want to a shopper to touch merchandise. Remember, may be readily visible but
touch merchandise. And while some textures the more contact shoppers have with certain softness and hardness may
are easy to visualize, some require hands-on types of merchandise, the more likely it is that require actual physical contact.
experience. In fact, Underhill’s research found they will buy. Textures are often compared
that some new Americans who hadn’t grown Textural congruity is another key factor. or contrasted in a display of
up with US-style brand advertising for lotions, Rough-hewn wooden walls and fixture surfaces merchandise.
soaps, and shampoos “tore into the boxes or may be an appropriate backdrop for a shop
opened the bottles to test the viscosity and featuring equipment for sports and outdoor
scent of the products.” activities, but they might bewilder shoppers
Think of all this in terms of customer looking for fine china and stemware.
response. As Underhill points out, Texture shouldn’t be used for its own sake
unless it makes good sense when paired with
Touch and trial are more important merchandise. Of course, there are times when
than ever to the world of shopping a textural choice can create great contrast
because of changes in how stores and focus attention on differences. If irony
function. Once upon a time store or humor is part of your company’s visual
owners and salespeople were our merchandising plan, then strong contrast
personal guides to the merchandise statements may be very appropriate. Tiffany’s
they sold. They were knowledgeable Gene Moore was a master of visual irony when
enough, and there were enough he combined exquisite jewelry pieces with the
of them, to act as the shopper’s most unlikely props. (See Figure 1.1.)
intermediary to the world of things Display and décor materials convey
. . . when space was clearly divided meaning. Slick, shiny surfaces making use of
between shoppers and staff. modern, angular lines reflect light and suggest
products like high-tech electronics; streamlined
Today many merchandise presentations home furnishings; updated home accessory
offer everything out on the selling floor with products; automotive products; and youthful,
few if any salespeople between shoppers forward-looking fashions.
and untouchable merchandise. Shoppers Texture can also set the mood and set the
have come to expect access to samples when stage. Wall coverings in a store selling high-
packaging becomes the final barrier. The quality products related to sound and music
strategic use of accessible presentation and could suggest the professional ambiance of the
décor that makes use of the textural element recording studio where extraneous sound is
is more important than ever to creating a absorbed by thick acoustical padding. Here, the
welcoming, sales-supportive atmosphere in the combination of form and function are critical
retail store. in selection of décor elements because these
It is also important to realize that texture textures speak to shoppers and tell them what
can be seen as well as touched. How store to expect from the merchandise housed in the
designers and planners use textural contrasts in music-store environment.

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 Figure 3.10 Larger-than-life graphics in proportion to the smaller window displays below
draw attention from a distance at American Eagle. Iannaccone / WWD / © Conde Nast.

Sumptuous textural elements that might contrast (extreme difference) in scale between
set a private club mood in a traditional men’s large and small items in a display window
business attire department might include (Figure 3.10).
richly wood-paneled walls and floors, ornate Proportion has its place in fashion
moldings, oak beams, deep armchairs in coordination, too. Imagine dressing a
slightly worn-looking leather coverings, heavy mannequin in a down-filled jacket and heavy
drapes, discreet displays on library tables, winter pants and then accessorizing with a
polished brass hardware, and thick carpeting. light-weight, delicate sandal. Not only is the
The same treatment could be a total turnoff style of shoe inappropriate, the proportion of
to young males shopping for casual weekend shoe to the outfit is also incorrect. A functional
proportion is the wear. More appropriate textural elements for boot with a low heel is an appropriate choice
relationship between the this younger target market might be brushed of shoe, in the correct proportion.
apparent size, mass, scale, metal tables, gleaming gym floor finishes, and How would you know that? Even if you
or optical weight of two or scoreboard signage. weren’t an instinctive “fashion person,” you
more objects. could certainly rely on your built-in sense of
PROPORTION AS A proportion to tell you that something was
optical weight is how M E R C H A N D I S I N G S T R AT E G Y out of order. A current fashion magazine may
important, large, or heavy an Proportion can be defined as a relationship help you choose the best fashion accessories
object appears to be (which between the apparent size, mass, scale, or until you are more confident in your fashion
may be different from how optical weight of two or more objects. In a savvy. This is true of home furnishings or other
much it really weighs or how visual presentation, proportion could relate hard goods as well. Magazines like Elle, W,
large it is in actual scale). to an oversized prop used with normal- and Metropolitan Home can be tremendous
sized merchandise. Or it could describe the resources for you.

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 Other examples of proportion include: in a horizontally striped garment, which
accentuates body width.
• A furniture showroom featuring a display In art, line is created by the movement of
with an oversized loveseat, two companion an artist’s pencil on paper or brush on canvas,
chairs, and the appropriately scaled end or an interior designer’s application of paint
tables or tile to wall. Line guides the eye. Sometimes direction, in retail terms,
• A fashion wall section featuring skinny an architectural feature or linear element refers to the design element or
denim jeans and mini-checked cotton shirts sets a mood. Application of materials with tool that leads the shopper’s
paired with TOMS casual shoes long horizontal lines can suggest calm and eye from one place to another.
stability, for example, and jagged diagonal A directional arrow that points
DIRECTION AND LINE AS lines can convey a sense of excitement and to a particular destination
M E R C H A N D I S I N G S T R AT E G I E S movement. It all depends on the intentions of and leads the shopper from
It is difficult to separate the terms line and the designer. one space to another is one
direction when defining either term. Direction The strategic use of line can lend a rhythmic example.
refers to the design element or tool that feeling to any display or area where you want
leads the shopper’s eye from one place to to suggest activity and movement. Use of A line guides the eye to a
another in a store. Sometimes it is as simple line—graphic stripes or arrows—can create feature or is a linear element
as a directional arrow pointing to a particular a very active rhythm or feeling within a that sets a mood. Long
destination within the store—in which case retail space that will guide your eye into and horizontal lines can suggest
the shopper is actually led from one space through it. Line is an integral part of rhythm in calm and stability, for example.
to another (Figure 3.11). Line might also the composition of a visual presentation. Used Jagged diagonal lines can
describe the key feature of a garment with effectively, linear elements direct or guide the convey a sense of excitement
vertical stripes that make its wearer appear shopper’s visual trip through an entire selling and movement.
to be taller and thinner than a person clad area or stand-alone display.

Figure 3.11 An exciting ceiling treatment leads

shoppers through Issey Miyake on Madison Avenue
in New York City. Ericksen / WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 Figure 3.12a Horizontal shelves of shoes become a showstopper when combined with vertical lines of cables
that extend from floor to ceiling in Holt Renfrew, Calgary (left). Ericksen / WWD / © Conde Nast.

Figure 3.12b Beautiful architectural curves in the staircase at Mark Shale, Chicago, create a perfect feature
area for display of men’s products (top right). WWD / © Conde Nast.

Figure 3.12c Vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines come together at Kate Spade, Manhattan, for an
unforgettable shopping environment (bottom). WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 Figure 3.13 A massive wall of square bins, which is led into
by a curved fixture of folded product, creates a dramatic
composite shape that will draw shoppers to the back wall
of Tommy Hilfiger. Chomel / WWD / © Conde Nast.

Vertical lines send a message of dignity, a sense of femininity in a department devoted

strength, and height. In architecture, a few to women’s intimate apparel, fine jewelry,
strategically repeated vertical structural cosmetics, a bridal shop, or a maternity wear
columns hold up entire buildings. People department. Curves added to checkout counters
who “walk tall” are society’s models for ideal and fixtures in a department soften the total
posture. In fact, the taller the fashion model or effect of otherwise masculine, hard-edged
mannequin, the more refined and elegant the construction materials. Study the photographs
garment shown appears to be. for displays in Figure 3.12. You will notice that
Diagonal lines speak of action and make us the lines lend a sense of direction (action) to
think of rockets launching, jets taking off, and the areas where they’re used.
arrows starting their arcs through the air. These
could be effective mood-makers in sporting SHAPE AS A MERCHANDISING
goods, active sportswear, and toy departments. S T R AT E G Y
Zigzagging lines are diagonals that are so Well-known painter Frank Webb defines
active that they’re almost frenzied. Think of shapes as marks on paper that are “bounded A shape is a standard or
cartoon lightning bolts or the spiking lines of by lines, points, values, colors and textures.” universally recognized spatial
an electrocardiogram and you have the idea of (In a three-dimensional medium, shapes are form like a circle or a triangle
zigzag activity. also bounded by the contour of their outer that helps the viewer identify
Horizontal lines are much more restful than surfaces. Some theorists call three-dimensional various objects.
verticals and diagonals. They remind us of shapes forms to distinguish them from two-
landscapes and seascapes that seem to go on dimensional shapes.) He says that shapes don’t
forever. The status quo (a state of equilibrium) necessarily have to be a single object but may
is represented graphically as a flat line. An actually be a composite shape (Figure 3.13).
interior designer who wants to downplay the This is important to a visual merchandiser
height of a room to make it feel smaller and because many presentations—stacked
more intimate will cut the unwanted vertical merchandise, for instance—take on a shape
impression with horizontal color borders or that is more about the visual impact of the
architectural moldings. entire presentation than the individual items
Curved lines—which speak of graceful, that make up the stack. Mass or bulk may
relaxed, and carefree movement—can establish impress because of the space that a shape

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 occupies. Think about that semi-scary pyramid loving care than the positives, for they are
of cantaloupes in the grocery store—will it often neglected while the positives take care of
all fall down if you take one off the display? themselves.”
Visualize a huge cube of boxed turkey roasters
stacked on the floor in the housewares SIZE AS A MERCHANDISING
department just before Thanksgiving. Do they S T R AT E G Y
have plenty in stock for your upcoming holiday Size is all about proportion, ratio, mass, or
dinner preparations? It certainly looks like it. scale. Using a design element like size (an
Or think about this: you recognize your friend oversized prop) may alter the apparent size of
at a distance, long before you see the person’s a product on display and make it seem small
freckled face and curly hair, because you know in contrast—and you notice the smaller item
that person’s silhouette (body shape, height, because your eye is focused on the small item’s
and characteristic stance). That’s shape. disparity with the larger prop. The change
Webb also advises people to use a variety of in the proportions of the items in the display
techniques in presenting shapes. For example, will establish the presentation’s emphasis (an
he says that shapes should overlap each other art principle or goal). However, if all of the
in composing an interesting presentation and elements used in the design of the display
that shape refers not only to the thing but to come together to create a harmonious whole,
the space around it—positives and negatives. then the art principle of unity has been served
“Negative areas should be designed with more as well (Figure 3.14).

Figure 3.14 Grouping visually small accessory items

makes them appear large in viewers’ perceptions at
Celine’s in Milan. Miranda / WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 Figure 3.15 An eye-catching series of similar mannequins
in sequence strengthens merchandise theme and brand
image. Kasuga / WWD / © Conde Nast.

For example, you might use a six-foot- white canvas bumper-toe sneakers ranging in
long golf club and a golf ball that’s six size from a professional athlete’s size 22+ to
inches in diameter as props for a window an infant size starting at 0. The message? We
display featuring a dozen pairs of golf shoes have sneakers for everyone! Look at Figure
(repetition) from one manufacturer. The 3.15 to see another type of sequence, with four
disparity in size between props and product mannequins in identical poses on a runway
may be a bit startling to passersby (the art leading into a store.
principle of surprise), but the whole theme
of golf is the unifying principle that brings it TENSION AS A
together to send a congruent selling message M E R C H A N D I S I N G S T R AT E G Y A sequence is the
to window shoppers. In the visual arts, composition is the plan for particular order in which items
placement of elements within a work of art. are presented for viewing. In
SEQUENCE AS A It asks for a response from the viewer. The addition to numerical order,
M E R C H A N D I S I N G S T R AT E G Y art is said to be aesthetically pleasing to the a presentation might also
In a window display or atop a showcase, the eye if the elements within it are arranged rely on gradation of items
visual merchandiser may rely on a sequence of in a balanced way. But what if the balance from small to large, or large
items in gradation from small to large or from looks precarious? Remember the example of to small, to emphasize that a
large to small to stress that a particular item the cantaloupe pyramid? Would removing particular item is available in a
is available in a variety of sizes. For example, one cause an avalanche in the produce variety of sizes.
a shoe store may present a progression of department? If it causes you to wonder what

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 Figure 3.16 Cantilevered trunks display tension at Odin,
West Village, Manhattan. Chinsee / WWD / © Conde Nast.

might happen, that’s the design element of Dali, the surrealistic painter, purposely
tension is an arrangement tension. It corresponds to the design principle created images that appeared to be organized
of elements that causes the of surprise (Figure 3.16). so that viewers saw what he wanted them
viewer to wonder if opposing There are artists whose goal is to disrupt to see, but he also introduced elements of
forces will disturb balance or traditional composition and challenge the chaos within the display so that viewers had
equilibrium in a display. For viewer to rethink balance and design elements to put forth extra effort to explore and fully
example, a teetering stack within their works. Artist Salvador Dali used appreciate it. In many ways, chaos was Dali’s
of books may appear ready striking and often bizarre images like melting, artistic trademark.
to tumble, or a pyramid of drooping clocks in his surreal paintings, for Simon Doonan, who shared the Dali
produce may seem likely to instance. He was once hired by New York’s anecdote in his autobiography, Confessions
cascade if one item is removed. Bonwit Teller department store to create of a Window Dresser, has been the energetic
traffic-stopping windows in 1934, but his force behind Barneys’ windows in Manhattan
display was so disturbing that store executives since 1986. He puts his own personal spin on
who did not share Dali’s vision felt that it had this important art principle in his book:
to be redone . . . without Dali’s input. When
he found out that his display had been edited To elicit shock or surprise from a
by store management, the resulting artistic window shopper is not hard at all;
explosion actually resulted in broken window people still write and complain about
glass and Dali being escorted to jail. The bare midriffs and cigarette-wielding
presentation may have been artful, but most mannequins. This is where the artists’
who briefly viewed it could not agree after the intuition and feelings about their
fact that there actually had been any Bonwit subjects enter the equation. I have
Teller merchandise in the window. taken advantage of the lowered

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 threshold that attends my métier, and
I have toyed with naughtiness in order
to increase the impact of my windows.
Occasionally my desire to shock has
collided problematically with the
hyper-offendability of American
culture, but has also provided the
foundation for my success.

Your displays can do the same with

shoppers’ minds by creating a certain amount
of imbalance, subtle humor, or tension that
can make an image more memorable—but it Figure 3.17 Repetition of various elements like wall color, which
would be prudent to do so with your store’s matches both furniture and display risers, and the same wood

mission and vision always in mind. finishes throughout, demonstrate unity and harmony at work
at Ferragamo, Houston. Chinsee / WWD / © Conde Nast.

Design Principles—the Rules

Once you are familiar with the array of design
elements at your disposal, you can apply them factors is selecting décor elements that are
strategically within the discipline of the various compatible with the merchandise for sale.
design principles so that shopper attention is Taken together, the examples also illustrate the
directed where you want it to go. That might principle of harmony—the careful selection of harmony is an art
mean focusing on a single item of merchandise, complementary, interwoven textural elements element that creates visible
on an entire product category, a certain selling that creates a unified whole. unity. A careful selection of
fixture, a display window, a storefront, or a Harmony is an art element that creates complementary interwoven
specific retail department. visible unity on many levels. That is a serious elements creates a unified
challenge to visual merchandisers because it is whole in keeping with a store’s
UNITY AND HARMONY AS A so easy to forget that the single department overall brand image.
M E R C H A N D I S I N G S T R AT E G Y they’re working in is part of an entire store,
Unity means one-ness. Dictionary definitions or that the single display they’re constructing unity occurs when all of
often treat unity and coherence as synonymous is but one part of an entire department. You the elements of a presentation
terms. As a principle of art, unity occurs when must keep the store’s overall brand image combine to make a balanced,
all of the elements of a presentation combine and merchandising goals in mind the entire harmonious, complete whole.
to make a balanced, harmonious, complete time you’re working (Figure 3.17). Resist the
whole. Unity is another of those hard-to- temptation to create little islands of blinding
describe art terms but, when it is present, the brilliance that pay homage to your own
viewer’s eyes and brains are more than ready cleverness as a visual merchandiser because
to see and enjoy it. Some might even say that storewide design and presentation harmony
a piece of art possessing the quality of unity will suffer if you don’t.
“hangs together very well.” The same could This doesn’t mean that there is no room
be true for store shoppers who sense that you for creative expression in your work. In fact,
have established a cohesive relationship among the really effective creative person will find
fixtures, props, and merchandise. ways to insert humorous, surprising, or ironic
In the examples referring to texture as elements in displays that are accent notes to
a design tool, one of the most important the retailer’s everyday presentation.

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 retail realities

more smaller objects on the other side of the

center point.
Be sure that your textural attempts are in harmony with your
To understand formal balance on something
company’s visual policies before you invest time and resources in
as large as a store wall, draw an imaginary
anything radically different from what’s usual for your store. line down the center of the section to be
merchandised, dividing this space into equal-
sized sections. Use an identical merchandise
treatment on either side. If you display four
retail realities

shirts on face-out hanging fixtures on one half

The smooth and friction-free surfaces of modern décor materials may of the space, you must do the same on the

suggest action, but they are also fingerprint magnets. Every surface other half. If you hang pants on a four-foot
garment rod on one side of the line, you must
will reflect great amounts of light and spotlight your housekeeping
do the same on the other side of the line. Look
habits as well.
at formal balance at work on a section of wall
in Figure 3.18 to see exactly how it’s done.
As the name suggests, displays employing
formal balance are rather conservative and
BALANCE AS A restrained in nature. Some visual merchandisers
M E R C H A N D I S I N G S T R AT E G Y say that formal balance is rigid, or at least
In the art world—and that includes static—suggesting little movement. You may
merchandise presentation—the term also think of it as a disciplined approach.
composition means balancing various elements Formal balance is simple to learn and easy
in an artful format. In the same way that to use consistently. It’s a way to keep wall
artists plan the composition and design of displays organized and to maintain uniformity.
balance is an equality of their works, visual merchandisers compose In fashion windows, unless you want to
optical weight and relative and design retail space using garment rods, portray an elegant, restrained mood for the
importance that creates a shelves, and other specialized display fixtures merchandise, informal balance may be a
unified presentation. to present merchandise on walls and floor better choice. Keep these strategies in mind
fixtures in stores. Visual merchandisers when selecting items for a display composition
formal balance combine everything they know about art and employing balance techniques. You’ll want
occurs when two items of business to plan how fixtures will be placed on to be certain that the mood you’re setting is
equal size or optical weight selling floors and how walls will be set with appropriate to the merchandise message.
are equidistant from a center merchandise. They seek a harmonious and In visual merchandising, you can accomplish
point. Also called symmetry. eye-pleasing balance of elements in their store informal balance by grouping a variety of
design. Among the artistic techniques they use objects to fill the same amount of space on
informal balance are formal and informal balance. two sides of a center line (Figure 3.19). Even
occurs when objects are In visual merchandising, balance can be though the items are not the same on each
positioned in an asymmetrical defined as an equality of optical weight and side of the line, they appear to have the same
(meaning “away from importance that creates a unified presentation. weight, achieving an informal balance. This
symmetry”) arrangement With formal balance, two items of equal size or is a less restrained visual strategy, and it will
where a single larger object weight are balanced equidistant from a center allow you more freedom to express movement
is counterbalanced by two or point. This is also called symmetry. Informal and activity in merchandising terms. If a store
more smaller objects on the balance is asymmetrical (meaning “away from has a long run of walls, you can add interest to
other side of the center point. symmetry”). A single larger object on one side the overall effect by alternating formally and
of a center point may be balanced by two or informally balanced sections.

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 GRAPHIC GRAPHIC

CORRECT

GRAPHIC GRAPHIC

INCORRECT
Figure 3.18 A fashion apparel wall presentation. In the correct example, formal balance is achieved by creating a mirror image of garments on both
sides of a center line. This does not occur in the incorrect example. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 Figure 3.19 A fashion
apparel wall presentation.
In the correct example, GRAPHIC GRAPHIC
informal balance is
achieved because an equal
amount of space is filled
on either side of a center
line. This does not occur
in the incorrect example.
Elaine Wencl Art.

CORRECT

GRAPHIC GRAPHIC

INCORRECT

repetition is achieved
when recurring design

elements like size, color, or Other examples of balance include: REPETITION AS A

shape in a presentation create M E R C H A N D I S I N G S T R AT E G Y
a sense of visual pattern. • An entire store layout that appears to have Repetition has become a familiar display
When the eye travels along evenly distributed free-standing displays technique in recent presentation trends. Ranks
the paths of repeated items, when viewed from the store entrance of identical mannequins march in line on
the merchandising message is • An arrangement of store fixtures positioned selling floors and in windows. Why? Repetition
reinforced again and again. in a balanced variety of heights throughout does in display the same thing it does in
the store words and images: it reinforces your message,

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 Figure 3.20 Identical mannequins are repeated to create a
show-stopping display at Diane von Furstenberg’s flagship
in Manhattan. Seckler / WWD / © Conde Nast.

provides unity and consistency, and allows paths of repeated items, but the merchandising
familiarity. message is reinforced again and again as well
The word pattern pops up again and again (Figure 3.20).
in discussions of repetition, as in this definition
from the Art History section of About.com: RHYTHM AS A
M E R C H A N D I S I N G S T R AT E G Y
(noun)—A principle of art—and Musicians aren’t the only ones who use rhythm
probably the universe itself—pattern in their art. Just as you find yourself tapping rhythm is achieved by
means the repetition of an element your foot to a compelling drum beat, your repetition of design elements
that can create a unique sense
(or elements) in a work. An artist displays can impart feelings of movement
of visual cadence or emphasis
achieves a pattern through the use and rhythm to those who see them. In visual for the viewer. The eye travels
of colors (children playing with merchandising, rhythm can be defined as a along the paths of repeated
items and the merchandising
Legos know this instinctively), lines sense of visual movement from item to item
message is reinforced.
(think: Op Art) or shapes (as with and element to element in a single display or
mosaics, etc.). presentation of an entire department. This
movement can come as a result of the effects
Repetition of certain design elements can of lines, shapes, or colors as well as varying
create a special sense of visual rhythm in retail heights, lines, and forms used in the overall
design. Not only does the eye travel along the display’s design. Rhythm does not require

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 Figure 3.21 Mannequins en masse provide visual rhythm
as the sequence ranges in height at Eryn Brinie’s, in Soho,
Manhattan. Ericksen / WWD / © Conde Nast.

mechanical animation. Instead, it relies on the merchandisers tell merchandise stories, too.
viewer’s eye following the patterns established If size or progression from largest to smallest,
by the composition of the design (Figure 3.21). for instance, informs the shopper about
Rhythm can be understood by taking a the importance of product size, this rank
panoramic look at a specialty store from the ordering leads the shoppers’ eyes through the
front entrance. If you notice a sea of fixtures of presentation and helps them decide which
the same height (without any signing to break items will best serve their needs.
the horizon), the optical flow of rhythm would Examples of repetitive or sequential rhythm
be absent. To create visual rhythm, heights of include:
fixtures can be varied. An even stronger sense
of rhythm can be created by adding displays • A grouping of three mannequins dressed
or graphics to the tops of key fixtures in a in jackets of the same style and color with
department or shop. If you drew an imaginary different accessories to give each basic jacket
dot-to-dot line connecting low to high points a unique look
looking at a store layout that effectively • An assortment of various sizes of a particular
conveyed a sense of rhythm, you would see a manufacturer’s luggage line ranked from
zigzag pattern. smallest carry-on to steamer trunk
Sometimes the sequence, or order, in • A series of signs or banners suspended from
which you place items in a display, from the ceiling or angled out from columns
smallest to largest, for instance, helps visual lining the main aisle of a store

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 EMPHASIS AND CONTRAST AS by effective use of signage and graphics as well
M E R C H A N D I S I N G S T R AT E G I E S as by strategic placement of merchandise on emphasis is a special
Any of the art principles and design elements fixtures—all of which are discussed at greater focus placed on an item to
discussed so far can be manipulated to length in coming chapters. highlight it in a presentation.
emphasize specific items or focus attention Design composition is important. You have This can be achieved by using
on certain areas of your store—but no matter great power to influence purchasing decisions contrast, lighting, color,
what you’re presenting, your strategy must be when you use your imagination and technical placement, repetition, and
merchandise-centered. skills to direct shoppers’ attention and get so on.
When you employ the principles of them involved with your merchandise. This
emphasis and contrast, you are deciding which is also where you can employ positive and contrast points out the
features of the merchandise or selling space negative space to focus shopper attention extreme difference between
you want to highlight. What you choose to (Figure 3.22). objects or items: light-colored
emphasize will depend on what you want Tasks that are this important require merchandise compared to
to communicate to the customer. If it’s the advanced planning. Every display should very dark items, for example,
importance of a new fashion color, then you begin with a sketch. Every floor change should or huge items shown with
would need to use more of that color than start with a drawing that shows placement miniscule items.
any other in composing your presentation— of merchandise fixtures on the sales floor. If
presenting a contrast between light and dark, you’re not an accomplished sketch artist, you
perhaps, or by choosing opposites on the color can draw simple squares and circles to compose
wheel, for instance. your design—plotting out focal points and
You can also emphasize merchandise by checking that you’ve showcased the necessary
dramatic use of lighting—contrasting brighter items.
areas in a department with its more shaded You’ll see the principle of emphasis at work
areas. In addition, emphasis can be supported in most specialty stores just inside the store

Figure 3.22 Central black bins create a positive space in contrast

to adjacent negative white walls at Guy Laroche, Manhattan.
Employing the design principle of contrast results in emphasis
on the men’s tie wall. Centano / WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 Figure 3.23 Surprise!
Legs, arms, and other
mannequin body
parts draw attention
to windows at
Barneys Madison
Avenue, New York
City. Seckler / WWD /
© Conde Nast.

entrance. Merchandising tables and other SURPRISE AS A

selling fixtures in this area will feature items M E R C H A N D I S I N G S T R AT E G Y
that have been purchased in depth (several The final principle, surprise, is presented
items per size, style, and color), showing the last for a reason. It isn’t one of the design
store’s commitment to their sales potential. principles generally associated with visual arts,
This show of strength in a given merchandise and it isn’t used all that often in conventional
category is an emphasis strategy. It tells presentations because it’s difficult to use
customers that the item, category, or trend is effectively. However, in the right circumstances,
one the store believes in. it can be an appropriate merchandising
One of the best examples of using emphasis strategy. It can have a dynamic traffic-stopping
as a visual strategy is Old Navy’s “Item of effect that emphasizes products by bringing
the Week,” which always features dramatic elements of tension into presentations. By
signing and is adequately stocked to generate adding the unexpected—clown masks on
profitable sales. It is like an exclamation point mannequins’ faces, for instance—customers
that not only emphasizes certain categories of can be stopped in their tracks to notice a
merchandise but also serves to slow shoppers sportswear display. Once they get over their
down long enough to see the feature display surprise at the attention-getting device, they
that functions as a huge billboard for the will give the mannequins’ fashion apparel a
latest trend merchandise. The strategy behind second look, too. But it must be noted that
this first display that shoppers see is to focus such a strategy can also confuse shoppers
attention and prepare the customer to shop in who “don’t get it” or who will focus on the
the store. surprising aspect of the presentation rather
than on the merchandise. This is why it’s so
retail realities

important to know your target shoppers

Customers become frustrated when merchandise displayed on and ask yourself whether or not they’d be

mannequins or forms is not stocked in depth (several items per size, likely to understand what you’re trying to
accomplish (Figure 3.23). If the answer is yes,
style, and color). If limited selections are selling out quickly, the display
a merchandising strategy of surprise can be
should be changed just as quickly . . . or not set up in the first place.
an effective application of outside-the-box
thinking.

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 Shoptalk by Jim Smart, president of Smart Associates, Minneapolis

Somewhere along the way to my goal of becoming a famous theatrical designer, I became
enchanted with the workings of the retail “stage.” I know just when it happened, too.
It was when I walked into a major department store and saw how the creative staff

(I didn’t know that name then) “directed” us around the When our client has reviewed the work produced to
store and got us to see and buy the things they wanted us this point and agrees with our direction, we produce the
to see and buy. I suddenly wanted to be part of that, too. construction documentation needed to build the project,
With available technology and the sophistication of including plans and elevations, lighting designs, the
today’s market, it is now possible to include as many millwork designs, plus any other technical specifications,
theatrical elements in the design for a retail store or budget projections, and construction timetables.
restaurant as once went only into something like a huge Throughout each phase, one thing that never leaves
Broadway spectacular. The goal of the theatrical designer in our minds is the budget. The other, even more important
a successful production is to engulf each audience member thing, is atmospherics. We never take our eyes off the
in the total atmosphere of the play. Utilizing all the person’s goal of our design. It is all too easy to start to focus on
senses does that. The first sense is vision—stimulated by details and fail to see the larger picture while marching
color, movement, and light. Done well, effective store through the phases of a design project. We accomplish this
design can have the same effect on a customer as the by having a project manager whose job is to handle all
incredible moment in A Chorus Line when the full chorus communications with the client and the general contractor
in gold hats and tailcoats turns toward the stage apron, as well as any city building officials who may enter the
singing “One, singular sensation. . . .” picture. This project manager keeps copious notes and is
We call it atmospherics. Of course, the retail or always ready to defend the design on any front.
restaurant setting is a little more permanent than a stage All of this is important because we must provide our
show, and there are many other factors that come into client’s customers with an atmosphere that is conducive to
play—safety and energy codes, issues pertaining to the the business of the space, whether it’s shopping, dining,
Americans with Disabilities Act, and budgets. golfing, or buying services. Now and then a client will say,
When our firm jumps into a new project, we start with “Personally, I don’t like that color.” We try to find a tactful
a “no rules” approach. That is, we are interested in who way to reply, “We don’t care.” If that sounds harsh, it isn’t
our client’s customers are, what the practical needs of the meant to be—but it underscores the point that we are
space are, what kinds of things and feelings will appeal to vitally concerned about what the client’s customers will
the desired customer base, and, most importantly, what like. In fact, we research their reactions and preferences
will bring them back. We find that not worrying about the in the early (programming) phase to sense what will
rules at this stage is helpful in identifying just what the get them to return and return again because when that
atmosphere should feel like, look like, and smell like. This happens, we know we have a successful project and a
first phase is called the programming phase. happy client.
When all of the information about the project is If you were to ask me about the most important part
gathered and the brainstorming is complete, we produce of a designer’s job, I would have to say listening. If we go
the drawings necessary to convey our ideas to our client. off into outer space thinking that we know more than
This is called the schematic design phase. our clients know, we are certain to fail. It is only through
Once we feel that we’re on the right path—capturing listening carefully to the needs and desires of both client
the essence of the personality of the space—we go back and customer that an effective project is produced.
to look at those very important guidelines and rules. We So there it is—my view of the designer’s role in
must be sure that our client’s space is safe, complies with creating that “one singular sensation”—that you know as
all related building codes, and can pay for itself. This is the atmospherics.
design development phase.

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 DESIGN GALLERY: TORY BURCH, RODEO DRIVE, LA
Tory Burch is an American lifestyle brand that launched
in 2004 in a single boutique in Manhattan’s Nolita
neighborhood. Today it is a global business with
over 150 branded stores. You can also find apparel,
shoes, handbags, accessories, and more in over 3,000
department and specialty stores. Early in her career, after
graduating with a degree in art history, Tory worked as
a designer for Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, and Narciso
Rodrigues at Loewe before branching off into her own
business.
An energy-filled window at Tory Burch on Rodeo
Drive in LA illustrates many design principles and
elements, of which line is definitely the star. Four vibrant
blue stripes are artistically applied in a manner that
brings to mind a painter with a bucket of paint behind
the scenes, for a very tactile effect. The viewer’s eye
is drawn from left to right by the slant of the stripes
ending in a zigzag pattern. Jagged lines also convey
a sense of excitement and movement. And finally, the
graphic effect of the lines coordinates beautifully with
the strong graphic patterns and shapes that appear
on the mannequins’ apparel. What a simple and cost-
effective way to create maximum eye appeal! What
other design principles and elements do you see in this
window? How does contrast show up? What role does Copyright WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com
the shape of the mannequins play? [email protected].

Chapter 3 Review Questions 4. Give an example of design principles, such as unity and
1. What is a design strategy? Give an example. harmony, balance, repetition, rhythm, emphasis and
2. What are the design elements “tools” and principles of contrast, or even surprise, as merchandising strategies
design “rules”? in a retail store today.
3. Give an example of a design element or multiple design 5. How is color used to create effective wall and fixture
elements, such as color, texture, proportion, direction presentations?
and line, shape, size, sequence, and/or tension and how 6. Describe the atmospheric elements and design
it is used in a retail store today in visual merchandising. strategies that enhance store environment and
strengthen store brand or image and give examples of
each in a retail store setting.

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 Outside-the-Box Challenge 6. Innovate by mounting the photographs to form a color
Activity 1: Creating a Color Collage wheel collage of overlapping shades and objects on a
Directions: Collect an assortment of old fashion and home separate sheet of paper or cardboard.
furnishings magazines (preferably publications that feature
a large proportion of colorful ads) that you wouldn’t mind Activity 2: Magazine Project
cutting up. Two weeks’ worth of mail-order catalogs and Directions: Imagine that magazine advertisements are
gardening and seed catalogs are good (and inexpensive) merchandise displays in store windows. Since photo stylists
sources for color photographs. Then proceed as follows to use the principles and elements of design in the same
create a collage: ways that you would if you were constructing merchandise
displays, you should be able to identify examples that show
1. Look through the magazines and catalogs until you each one at work to sell merchandise. Proceed to analyze
find items in pure, primary colors—red, yellow, and the ads as follows:
blue. You may find a sweater in one color, an umbrella
in another, and a coil of garden hose for the third. Cut 1. Look for photographic examples of
these items out and reserve for future use.
2. Look for photographs that have items in the secondary Color Size Repetition
colors—green, orange, and violet. Cut these items out Texture Sequence Rhythm
and set aside. Proportion Tension Emphasis
3. Look for photographs that have items in the tertiary Direction Unity Contrast
colors. Cut these examples out and set them aside. Line Harmony Surprise
4. Assemble your colorful clippings in a color wheel Shape Balance
format that shows the progression from one variation
of a color to the next. Do not glue them down yet. 2. Compare your findings to illustrations in this text.
5. Compare your preliminary arrangement with the Do you see the shapes and lines suggested by the
example shown in Figure 3.24. definitions in the chapter? With a marking pen, draw
lines and arrows or circles to identify the elements.
Label each principle or element.
3. Innovate by suggesting ways in which ideas from the
photographic examples could be adapted to a retail
display.

Activity 3: Atmospherics Project

Directions: Visit your favorite store to study its atmospherics.

LOOK
Look at the store through new eyes. List the atmospheric
elements that impress your senses. Ask yourself:

1. How does the store greet visitors?

2. Is there a traffic-stopping display at the entrance?
3. What merchandise was featured at the entrance?
4. Did it invite you to shop the store in more depth? Why?
Why not?
Figure 3.24 This is a sample of a student’s color wheel collage. She placed
a hand-colored palette in its center as a reference point. Courtesy of
Anna Lund.

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 CO M PA R E the central business district, near several small parks, a
Summarize your impressions and analyze what they mean YMCA, and two grade schools—one is a combination of all-
in terms of your shopping behavior and your response to kindergarten and extended-hour day care, the other is an
the visual merchandising techniques this retailer has used to elementary school for grades 1–5.
create this shopping environment. Siblings Mike, Ron, and Mary Rodrigues have decided
to open a retail store catering to young families moving
I N N O VAT E back into the city. The older residents in the neighborhood
Briefly list things that this retailer could do to create a are moving to apartments or the retirement communities
more welcoming and favorable shopping atmosphere for that abound in the area. The three grew up here and are
customers. delighted to see the neighborhood change and welcome
families who are rehabilitating older homes for their
Critical Thinking growing families.
Color as a Merchandising Strategy The basic services in the area are ideal—a foresighted
As stated, in this chapter, color is one of the most important response by the city and school district to the changing
aspects of visual merchandising. For this assignment, demographics. The only drawback that the owners can see
your goal is to search for an area of a brick and mortar is metered on-street parking, although there are six parking
retail store that uses color in order to create impact or a spaces directly behind the store that can be signed for store
statement. Things to remember from this chapter are: color parking only.
schemes, color as a communication tool, color as part of While the owners of Scooters have managed the
store décor, and color as a fashion merchandising strategy. financial aspects of their start-up without too much trouble,
they are not exactly in agreement about how the store
1. Visit your local mall, retail outlets, or main shopping should look and what its physical image should be. In fact,
district. Mary’s name for the store—Scooters—was drawn from a hat
2. Search for a retailer that is using color as a main after they failed to agree about the name and the overall
function in visual merchandising, following the look of the store. They have agreed to hire a consultant to
guidelines from the chapter. guide them through the design of the store.
3. Sketch or photograph the visuals and in a one- to two- The store’s exterior is tan stucco with a traditional
page report describe how color is being used. What southwestern red tile roof. Its interior is 40 × 60 feet for
statement is being communicated to the customer? the selling floor with an additional 40 × 20-foot backroom
Does the color impact your decision as a shopper to space, including a bathroom that is accessible to the public.
purchase the goods and/or services? How does the color The second floor is equally large, with office/storage space
reflect the season or any social or cultural phenomena? in the 40 × 20-foot back area. Their plan is to sell clothing
4. Write your report and share with your class. for infants, toddlers, and boys and girls up to size 12 on the
main floor; and toys, books, and gifts on the second floor.
Case Study Their principal differentiating factor will be pricing. The
Creating a Store Environment owners want their store to have an upscale environment,
T H E S I T U AT I O N but they plan to sell at 30 to 40 percent off normal retail
Scooters is the name of a children’s clothing and gift store by purchasing off-price, promotional, and end-lot goods in
that is about to open on a city block that also has a natural the market. They want the environment to be playful and
food co-op, a pharmacy, and a pet store. The store is located demonstrate to shoppers (adults and children) that Scooters
in the first ring of a large Arizona city, about 5 miles from understands what young families like, want, and need.

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 YOUR CHALLENGE choices. Be prepared to explain why the color scheme will
• Assume that you are the design consultant hired by the enhance Scooters’ brand image and support the other
Rodrigues family to get them started on their store’s atmospheric elements you have chosen.
image and appearance. • Using the images you have or your own imagination,
• Identify some of the atmospheric elements you think design a colored graphic element that would be
will impart the feeling that you have heard the owners appropriate for an exterior sign and that could be carried
describe for their store. Borrow elements from children’s onto the store’s interior walls. It could be a simple figure
furniture, fixtures, large-scaled toys, and play equipment; from a child’s coloring book, a cartoon, pictures of toys,
cut and paste from magazines, catalogs, and brochures. elements of a game, or anything that brings to mind the
• Choose an appropriate color scheme for the store colors, activities, and happiness of a carefree childhood.
exterior and interior walls and floor. Collect paint chips Be prepared to explain how this graphic element
or sample cards from a decorating or hardware store, captures Scooters’ brand image and how it will support
take photos of stores that you like or print their images the store’s atmosphere both outside and inside the store.
from the Internet, or simply cut and paste colorful • In a professional report format and/or small portfolio,
elements from magazine pictures to help visualize your present the case to your instructor and your classmates.

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 part one preparation for visual creativity

A capstone project is often described as stores in today’s marketplace, how they’re

the high point or crowning achievement of a laid out (traffic patterns and merchandise
course of study—something that demonstrates arrangements), how they’re furnished and
that you’ve mastered the subject matter. Even fixtured, and how to make the most of
more important, a well-executed capstone every square foot of selling space. You’ll also
demonstrates that you can apply what you’ve examine displays of apparel, home furnishing
learned. “But wait,” you say, “This is just the products, sporting goods, and even food
beginning of the course! Only three chapters products. Something can be learned from
so far! Isn’t it way too soon to be thinking every merchandising category out there
about the end?” Not necessarily. If you think of today—and you may discover something
this course as a blueprint for a retail career and interesting and useful to adapt for use in
consider each chapter a career building block, your dream store, no matter what you’re
you’re going to want a final project to finish it going to sell.
in style. Most of the heavy lifting required for this
These first chapters have started you project comes at its outset—fairly early in the
thinking about the creativity involved in course. Once you have considered the start-up
designing a one-of-a-kind shopping experience. elements for your project store, the remaining
Now ask yourself, “How great would it be to assignments correspond to the rest of the text’s
have a well-developed portfolio piece to show chapters. You’ll find them at the end of each of
a prospective employer?” It could happen with the first five parts of the text.
this project.
Since you’ve just learned about Judy Bell’s Creating and Communicating
Look, Compare, Innovate model, you should a Capstone Brand Image
begin by visiting stores, seeing what’s out there This project concerns a fictional retail
in today’s retail marketplace, checking out opportunity that has many real-world
store concepts that are doing well, and picking counterparts. In the introductory stage, you’re
out appealing features and great ideas that asked to think about a store concept that
you could later modify for an innovative store appeals to you today. Begin to imagine what
concept of your own. you might do to bring the concept to life.
Then, while you are exploring all of the Let your imagination take you away. Keep in
concepts discussed at length in the rest of mind that this capstone challenges you to use
the text, you’ll also be well on your way information and ideas from all of the chapters
to creating an innovative retail design— in this textbook. Don’t be afraid to read ahead.
on paper, at least. You will consider retail You can always edit your initial imaginings
atmospherics (how stores “feel” when during the first three or four weeks. Most
you’re in them), the various types of retail importantly, have fun.

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 T H E S I T U AT I O N Innovate based on your reading of Chapters
Assume that you are an owner, store designer, 1 and 2 as well as your prior knowledge of
or visual merchandising executive in a new marketing practices. Ask yourself:
stand-alone retail store that will be located
in a midsized metropolitan area with a well- • What is happening in the economy (national
developed downtown business district. You and local) that could influence any store’s
have a long-term lease on the main floor of success?
a modern-looking brick-front retail building • What is happening culturally (national
that has 3,500 square feet (50 feet wide × and local) that could influence any store’s
70 feet deep) on its main floor. It has a pair success?
of (9 × 8-foot) windows set on either side of a • What kind of store have I always wanted to
generous double-door entry (for a total of four own?
windows). The store’s interior is completely • Are there any stores like it in my community
open and undecorated—literally a blank page today?
for you to work with in developing a retail • Are they doing well in the competitive
concept build-out. marketplace?
Assume that you will seek financial • What do I think makes these stores successful?
resources from venture capital investors • Is there a retail business that is not in the
or from a financial institution. Each of this community but should be?
project’s required elements could help you • Is there a group of potential buyers that is
prepare a formal business plan like those not being served but should be?
required of all start-ups.
STEP 1:
Section One Create a unique customer profile for your
This is the look and compare (research) stage capstone store. Prepare a fully developed
of the capstone project. It corresponds to Judy paragraph for each of the following:
Bell’s Look, Compare, Innovate approach to
visual merchandising. Here’s a tip: begin to • Age, gender, geographic location, family life
write down your ideas—commit them to print, cycle status (single, married, divorced, etc.),
so that you won’t lose any brilliant thoughts and educational level
about your project store. In the initial phase • Lifestyle and personal interests (hobbies,
of the capstone, you will articulate your own leisure activities)
merchandising philosophy—describing in some • Occupation and income
detail what you believe a successful retail • Any other demographic and psychographic
entity should be. You will then be able to draw factors that you believe will influence your
upon these ideas as your project planning potential customer’s buying power and
progresses. buying decisions

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 If you have not yet completed a basic completed. With that potential customer in
marketing course or an advertising and sales mind, select your own store idea. Or, instead,
promotion course, you may need to do some look, compare, and innovate using the
catch-up reading to handle this section of the following list as a starting point:
project effectively.
Hint: To understand market research that an • A bridal and special occasion shop
entrepreneur might use, visit relevant websites, • A men’s shop for businesswear; specialty
including www.census.gov, before you draw sport, clothing, and/or sports equipment; or
any conclusions about your capstone store’s big and tall clothing
imaginary target customer. Work with your • A women’s clothing shop specializing in
instructor on which websites are best for your athletic apparel; businesswear; or tall,
course and which ones your library subscribes petite, or curvy sizes
to in order to find the following market • A vintage clothing or home furnishings store
information: • A tween shop aimed at girls from nine to
thirteen years of age
• Who are the targets? • A specialty bookstore—selling only
• What are they like? mysteries, travel books, poetry, or cookbooks
• Where can I find them? • A specialty tabletop store—featuring
• How can I reach them? merchandise for setting a table and serving
food
If you begin your research with • A luggage store—with everything needed
www.census.gov, you can find demographic for travel from carry-on bags and pet carriers
and income information about each local to footlockers and wardrobe trunks
area you want to research. • An antiques store specializing in lighting
fixtures and lamps
STEP 2: • An ethnic design shop featuring textiles,
Select a merchandise category that you think needlework, art, and handcrafts from
you’ll enjoy researching and working with another culture
for this project. Hint: Focusing on a well- • A plant store or floral design shop
defined merchandise category will be easier • A greengrocer, artisan bakery, or other food
and more instructive than trying to plan for a specialty shop
general store. Refer to the profile you’ve just • A restaurant, pub, or fast food operation

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 STEP 3: Section Two
Now that you have a mental snapshot of your It’s time to sample your capstone store’s
target customers and the store concept you merchandise, using photographs or illustrations
want to develop: from non-textbook sources and including items
from all categories you intend to stock. For
• Compose a mission statement that would example, if you’re doing a food operation,
explain its purpose to those customers. you’ll need to develop a fairly comprehensive
• List at least five marketing objectives that sample menu; if you’re doing a clothing store,
your capstone store must achieve and a you’ll need a sampling of a fashion inventory
number of related strategies to meet each in all applicable merchandise categories.
objective. Be sure to include the visual If you prepare a comprehensive cut-and-
merchandising component in one of your paste scrapbook to house your merchandise
objectives. choices, you’ll have a useful reference for the
remaining assignments.
STEP 4:
• Select a name for your new store. STEP 1:
• Explain how the store’s name will help you • Describe store merchandise. Select key items
communicate the brand image ideas you’ve that will fully illustrate your merchandising
generated to attract potential customers— intentions.
for example, what does the name you’ve • Name each department or merchandise
chosen communicate about the owner, the category.
business, or the merchandise?
STEP 2:
STEP 5: • List and show examples of items that will
Describe the store’s brand image (how you be stocked in each category (department)
want potential customers to perceive your you intend to offer. One or two example
store). As you write, think of your store’s garments per category will give viewers a
proposed physical appearance as well minimal feel for your store.
as the overall feel you hope to achieve. • As you build your inventory on paper, you
Mission statement (no more than one or should see a harmonious overall theme
two sentences), vision statement (what will emerging that reflects your potential
distinguish your company from others), and customer’s taste as well as your stated
brand image should always be compatible and mission and brand image. Be prepared to
reflect one another. defend (explain) your merchandise choices
with those factors in mind.

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 Par t Two P R AC T I C E S A N D S T R AT E G I E S
F O R T H E S E L L I N G F LO O R

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9781501315497_txt_app.indb 84 5/25/17 11:59 AM
 4 Layout and Fixtures for Fashion Apparel

Creating Retail Atmosphere

Think of a retail store as a box that’s enclosed by ceiling, walls, windows, and floor. The
strategic design of the store involves its exterior aspect (storefront and surroundings) and
its interior (walls, floors, windows, doors, signage, lighting, furniture, and fixtures) as well
as the arrangement of merchandise, fixtures, and displays on the selling floor. The total
effect of these elements creates a statement about what shoppers will find in the box— “Visual excitement is
retail atmosphere. truly achieved once the
Effective store designs link store atmospherics with management’s merchandising key focal areas of the
philosophies to offer a pleasant, productive shopping experience. The retail store should ‘box’ are determined
and then occupied
always be more than a place for a shopper to exchange money for products. It should also
with stimulating and
be the best place to inspect and interact with products—trying before buying. Nothing
attractive fixtures.
about a store’s design or layout should interfere with that process. When shoppers leave They become the
retail stores with products they have purchased, they may not realize that they have merchandising tools and
bought the entire retail experience as well, but that’s what really has happened. partners with products
Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni, author of Selling Dreams: How to Make Any Product and signage . . . for a
successful design that
Irresistible, believes that successful dream sellers should create products and services that
increases sales and word-
convey intense emotions. They should also do everything possible to enhance customers’
of-mouth marketing.”
perceptions of added value. For example, if customers believe there is more to a store than Greg M. Gorman, vice
just a building and merchandise, they will happily shop there and pay whatever prices president, new business
are asked. Buitoni’s term for the marketing of dreams is “dreamketing.” He says, “The development, Triad
dreamketer should ensure that the company’s communication, distribution, special events,
and any type of customer relations consistently support the brand’s mission to build that
dream in the customer’s mind.”
Fixturing (furnishing) stores is an aesthetic and financial challenge for successful
retailers. They want their stores to be attractive and effectively communicate their unique

AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

• Identify the different types of retail stores

• Demonstrate how and why floor department layouts are planned
• Categorize a wide variety of floor and wall fixtures
• Present garments and accessories on fixtures

Figure 4.0ab These two gallery-like minimal floor layouts present product as though it were fine art.
Sonia Rykiel, 5th Avenue, New York. WindowsWear Photo. Copyright WindowsWear PRO
http://pro.windowswear.com [email protected] 1.646.827.2288. 85

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 messages about their stores’ brand image and S P E C I A LT Y S T O R E S
merchandise to shoppers, yet they want to do Specialty stores have a limited number of
it economically. An expensive store design does departments or merchandise categories, with
not guarantee an effective store environment. a wide range of footprints. Forever 21 stores
Effective store design places merchandise range from 900 to 162,000 square feet, but
and customer service at the heart of the effort. their average stores are around 38,000 square
At the same time, it presents the store in a way feet. Uniqlo’s Soho location is 36,000 square
that differentiates it from competing stores. feet, while its 5th Avenue store is over 89,000
The store’s visual message must fit in with square feet.
everything else the store does to communicate The specialty store’s product selection is, as
its brand image to the shopping public. For the term implies, more specialized or limited
example, if the retail store employs a warm, than that of a department store. It usually
friendly approach in its print advertising copy, caters to a narrower range of customers, as
then the shopper will expect the physical store well. The specialty retailer often uses unique
to feel warm and friendly, too. This consistency fixtures and seeks to project a more exclusive
implies that store owners and managers have a store image based on appearance, price,
plan—a retail brand strategy. and status.

Types of Retail Stores BOUTIQUES

There are ten retail store categories describing Boutiques are small specialty shops featuring
the way stores may be designed, organized, assorted items that fit specific merchandising
or operated: department, specialty, boutique, themes or appeal to a specialized clientele.
discount, dollar stores, hypermarket, outlet, You’ll find entire blocks of boutiques in
warehouse, thrift stores, and pop-up stores. areas like Manhattan’s Greenwich Village
or on Castro Street in San Francisco. The
D E PA R T M E N T S TO R E S term boutique may also be used to describe
Department stores consist of many cross-merchandising within a department
departments, each devoted to a specific store, when retailers bring items from several
category (product classification). In terms of departments together for a special promotion
square footage, department stores are large (a tropical cruisewear shop, for example, which
retail operations that offer a broad variety of features swimsuits, sandals, beach towels, and
products and cater to an equally wide range suntan lotion).
of customers. To merchandise this expansive
selection of goods and services, the department DISCOUNT STORES
store retailer uses many styles of specialty and Discount stores have many departments that
custom fixtures designed to showcase each appeal to a wide variety of customers with a
merchandise category. The size of the typical wide range of products at discounted prices.
department store—Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s, They utilize mostly no-frills metal gondola
for instance—depends on the size of its basic fixtures (long racks of shelving or pegboard)
floor plan (also called its footprint). In order that hold a great deal of merchandise.
to calculate basic floor plan needs, the retailer Discount stores may also utilize custom-made
must multiply length by width for the main fixtures or vendor-supplied fixtures in a few
floor selling space footage and then multiply departments (Target, Kmart, Walmart). It isn’t
again by the number of similar-sized selling unusual for a free-standing discount store to
floors above the main floor. be 80,000 to 150,000 square feet.

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 DOLLAR STORES Lauren, and a multitude of other retailers,
Dollar stores vary in size from less than 500 operate outlet stores.
square feet to 6,000 and greater square feet.
All items fit into a specific price range. Five WA R E H O U S E S TO R E S
Below prices everything under $5, whereas in Warehouse stores—built to house massive
Dollar General and Family Dollar, prices start quantities of goods on grids of industrial
low but range higher according to location. shelving and pallets—offer no-frills shopping
at reduced prices (Sam’s Club, Costco). Fashion
HYPERMARKETS goods may or may not be part of the stores’
Hypermarkets (hybrid markets and superstores) offerings. These stores are large, plain,
are concepts borrowed from European fluorescent-lit, and have a decidedly industrial
retailing. Carrefour, which originated in France ambiance. Fitting rooms, if they have them
more than thirty years ago, is the first and most at all, may be utilitarian, separated only by
famous example of this mega-merchandising gender. Shopping carts are oversized and, in
concept. Several merchandising categories are some instances, are not really carts at all but
housed under one very large roof—softlines rather low, flat hand-trucks large enough to
(apparel and health and beauty aids) and handle furniture items or heavy cases of goods.
hardlines (home, gardening, automotive, Some warehouse stores don’t even furnish bags
sporting goods)—along with a grocery store. to carry smaller purchases, assuming shoppers
These one-stop shopping destinations can be will make case-lot purchases rather than buy
as large as 200,000 square feet. Target and single items.
Walmart have revamped many of their existing
stores to include grocery, bakery, and fresh THRIFT STORES
produce offerings. Thrift stores are often operated by nonprofit
organizations such as Goodwill and the
OUTLET STORES Salvation Army as fundraising and employment
Outlet stores are either stand-alone stores training ventures. They often resemble
or small stores located in outlet malls. garage sales with wildly assorted merchandise
They use fixtures similar to those found in categories—from clothing in all sizes to small
specialty stores, but merchandise presentation appliances to furniture and books. Their
sometimes has less visual impact because products are all donated by private citizens or
stock quantities may be sold down with business organizations. Some operations are
incomplete color, style, and size assortments. more sophisticated than others. You may see
Most of the newest outlet stores, however, traditional fixtures, décor, traffic patterns, and
have presentations and fixtures that rival standard checkout arrangements, with displays
mainstream specialty stores. The largest outlet of seasonal categories in some. In other stores,
stores are filled with capacity fixtures for you’ll see a blend of makeshift shelving and
massive clearance presentations. Outlet stores traditional fixtures. Thrift stores are generally
may sell catalogue overstocks; manufacturers’ categorized as no-frills merchandising.
irregulars or overstocks; or a combination of
out-of-season items, special purchases, and POP-UP STORES
stock consolidations from retailers who are Pop-up stores are temporary store concepts
reducing postseason inventory or from those that blend retail with event marketing.
who are going out of business. Marshalls, Frequently, pop-ups are temporarily located
T.J. Maxx, Coach, Converse, Calvin Klein, Ralph in vacant store spaces. They may be used to

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 In store presentation, sight launch new product lines or explore new retail use, allows orderly stocking, helps shoppers
line refers to the area approaches for existing stores. For example, see (and reach) a great number of items easily,
a person can see from a Meow Mix opened a café for kitties in is simple and predictable to navigate, and is
particular vantage point—the Manhattan for two weeks and Target docked efficient to maintain. The grid layout creates
view at the end of an aisle or a huge boat at a pier in the New York harbor natural sight lines, which lead to focal points
at the top or bottom of an filled with products during one holiday selling at the ends of aisles. The customers’ attention
escalator, for example. season. In many instances, pop-ups can be in naturally focuses on these areas, so visual
and out of a site in a few days or a few weeks. merchandisers can take advantage of this by
A grid layout is a linear However, a Limited pop-up in Soho was so creating displays that act as “interior windows”
design for a selling floor in successful it remained open permanently. The (Figure 4.1).
which fixtures are arranged to concept of pop-up stores has quickly become a The free-flow layout, shown in Figure 4.2,
form vertical and horizontal mainstream idea because it is an effective tool is the opposite of the grid pattern. In this kind
aisles throughout the store. for creating storytelling experiences, and will of layout, merchandise fixtures are arranged
undoubtedly continue to evolve in new ways. in a number of interesting formations to
The free-flow layout encourage browsing. There may be several
has selling fixtures arranged Store Layouts round racks grouped loosely around a central
in loosely grouped, informal, Over time, retailers have evolved several basic cashwrap desk, as well as merchandise tables
nonlinear formations to floor plans to move shoppers past fixtures of interspersed with four-way fixtures along a
encourage browsing. merchandise in their stores. Early on, their department’s exposure to an aisle. The critical
aim was to efficiently expose the maximum factor is providing enough room between
A racetrack layout number of shoppers to the maximum amount fixtures to allow traffic to flow smoothly.
exposes shoppers to a great of merchandise in the minimum amount of Shoppers will not linger at a fixture if another
deal of merchandise as they space and time. Today, selling space, traffic shopper is nudging past them or trying to
follow a perimeter traffic control, and sales productivity still matter, maneuver a baby stroller between tightly
aisle with departments on the but an increasing number of retailers are packed tables. The free-flow layout also
right and left of the circular, paying attention to shopper comfort and store encourages shoppers to easily move from one
square, rectangular, or oval aesthetics as well. department into another, increasing exposure
“racetrack.” The grid layout, as the name implies, is a to other categories of merchandise.
linear design with fixtures arranged on parallel A racetrack layout features a traffic aisle
In a soft aisle layout, aisles. Fixtures are positioned in a checkerboard that loops around the store’s perimeter (Figure
fixtures are arranged in pattern, with vertical and horizontal aisles that 4.3). There are departments on the right and
groups, creating natural aisles run throughout the store. There may also be left of the circular, square, rectangular, or oval
without any change in the one primary aisle and several secondary aisles, track. This type of layout exposes shoppers to
floor covering to designate a depending on the total square footage of the a great deal of merchandise. You often see this
separate aisle space. store. This layout is efficient in terms of space layout employed in a discount or department
store (Figure 4.4). Overhead directional signage
and departmental graphics provide visual
cues to the location of other departments,
Every square foot of a store must be profitable. Often retail space is
retail realities

helping shoppers to plan their shopping trip

leased, and rent is based on sales per square foot. When total sales ($)
throughout the store.
are divided by leased square footage (store length x store width), the In the soft aisle layout, fixtures are
merchant is able to determine productivity or sales per square foot. arranged into groups, sometimes with a
This figure can be broken down to measure earnings by classification 5-foot aisle along merchandised wall sections

or department as well. (Figure 4.5). This technique encourages

customers to shop the walls and to move easily

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 FOCAL POINT

Interior
Window
Mannequin
Display

FOCAL POINT
FOCAL POINT

SIGHTLINE

Figure 4.1 A grid floor layout with sight

ENTRANCE lines, focal points, and an interior window.

Craig Gustafson Art.

ENTRANCE Figure 4.2 A free-flow floor layout.

Craig Gustafson Art.

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 Figure 4.3
A racetrack layout.
Craig Gustafson Art.

Checkout

ENTRANCE ENTRANCE

Figure 4.4 Walmart’s racetrack.

Tirey / WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 Interior
Window #2
Mannequin
Outpost

Interior
Window #1
Mannequin Figure 4.5 A soft aisle
Outpost floor layout with fixture
groupings and 5-foot aisles
along perimeter walls.
Notice focal wall locations
and two interior windows.
Craig Gustafson Art.

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 Figure 4.6 A minimal floor layout in Jil Sander, Manhattan,
New York City. Chinsee / WWD / © Conde Nast.

around the entire store. Walls are considered the merchandise for a closer look. The minimal
minimal floor
A to be the most important sales-generating layout option requires dramatic merchandise,
layout, gallery-like in locations in the store utilizing this layout simple display strategies, and effective sales
its simplicity, shows small strategy. associates (Figure 4.6).
selections of handcrafted or The minimal floor layout, as the name The combination floor layout employs the
very exclusive merchandise. implies, is almost like an art gallery in its best features of standard layouts in one overall
simplicity. In fact, the merchandise may plan that suits the retailer’s specific strategy. A
A combination floor sometimes be wearable art—handcrafted, department store may use a free-flow layout
layout employs the best designer-made, in one-of-a-kind fabrications. in shoes, for example, bordered by a racetrack
features of several selling More often, however, this layout is used in (Figure 4.7).
floor layouts in an overall plan very high-end retail stores with designer A specialty store may combine a free-flow
that suits a retailer’s specific merchandise (Jil Sander, Manhattan, New York layout in the first third of the store and a grid
strategy. City). Borrowing from the artistic school of layout for a clearance department in the rear
aesthetic minimalism, products are presented of the store.
dramatically on the walls of the store—much
like art objects—with a minimal use of selling GUIDELINES FOR
fixtures on the floor. This allows for wide- UNIVERSAL ACCESS
open spaces in the center of the store, where In a chapter of Why We Buy titled “Shop
customers may stand and survey the entire Like a Man,” Paco Underhill reports testing
offering of the collection before they approach a new concept for a denim jeans area at a

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 Figure 4.7 A combination floor layout (racetrack and
free-flow) in Nordstrom, Pacific Centre, Vancouver BC,
Canada. Courtesy of Nordstrom, photo by Connie Zhou.

department store whose merchandising goal University. To learn more, visit www2.ed.gov
targeted men in their twenties and thirties. and search for ADA.
On video, researchers captured the image of Retailers may need to discuss issues of
a young man pushing a baby stroller as he accessibility with architectural or store
walked down a main aisle with his wife. When planning consultants who know the rules for
the young man arrived at the denim jeans access to public spaces and can interpret these
department, the tape showed that he couldn’t requirements efficiently and accurately. Or they
maneuver the stroller through a maze of close- may consult with an architect who embraces
set floor fixtures. Underhill says, “He did what and practices the principles of universal design.
most people would do in that situation. He The mission of universal design is to
skipped the pants.” “simplify life for everyone by making products,
A great deal of retailing’s collective selling communications, and the built environment
floor is still off-limits to too many shoppers—a (retail stores, for example) more usable by as
problem largely solved when retailers many people as possible at little or no extra
comply with both the spirit and the letter cost. Universal design benefits people of all
of regulations spelled out in the Americans ages and abilities.”
with Disabilities Act (ADA) or when they Two principles of universal design speak
design their stores to follow the principles of to selling floor spaces: Principle one relates to
universal design, as established by the Center “equitable use” and says that a design should
for Universal Design at North Carolina State be “useful and marketable to people with

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 diverse abilities.” The goal of principle two is • Designer stores cater to customers who
to design building elements and furnishings of visit regularly to purchase specific brands
an appropriate size and space for approach, or designer fashions. In stores featuring
reach, manipulation, and use regardless of just one designer or brand, there are often
the user’s body size, posture, or mobility. Its shoes, handbags, accessories, fragrances,
guidelines include: and cosmetics, in addition to fashion
apparel. “Home bases” for these accessory
• Providing a clear line of sight to important departments are often designed into the
elements for any seated or standing user architecture of the store and not easily
• Making reach to all components shifted to other locations.
comfortable for any seated or standing user • Career stores for men, women, or both,
• Accommodating variations in hand and grip are stores where suits, career separates,
size and shoes are the most important items
• Providing adequate space for the use of featured. This merchandise is always
assistive devices or personal assistance positioned at the entrance and front of the
store. Accessories, casual wear, and coats
are located toward the middle and rear of
L AY O U T S W I T H I N S E L L I N G the store. Ann Taylor is an example of such
D E PA R T M E N T S a store.
All of the store layouts discussed can be • Specialty stores with merchandise for both
either permanent or nonpermanent. men and women rely on permanent layouts.
Permanent layouts indicate that the location Shoppers would become confused if these
of departmental selling areas within a store departments shifted location without notice.
seldom changes. Since department stores are Examples are Banana Republic, Gap, J. Crew,
large, often with three or more floors, it is Club Monaco, Express, and Zara.
costly to move entire departments. Even more
important, customers can become confused if Nonpermanent layouts imply that changes
their favorite shopping areas constantly shift do occur. Some small- to medium-sized
from floor to floor. specialty stores and outlet stores change the
Discount stores do not usually change locations of departments according to trends
department locations, but they may expand or and seasonal changes. These retailers consider
contract categories according to sales trends. the front third of the store to be the prime
A 24-foot gondola fixture with skiing gear and selling space, and they take advantage of the
apparel could expand to two 24-foot gondola stores’ manageable size to rotate their product
runs during ski season. There are usually offerings routinely.
two or three traditional “swing spaces” in Seasonal rotation of stock allows stores to
discount stores, and customers soon adapt to present:
the seasonal shift when this week’s lawn and
garden section becomes next month’s back-to- • A fresh face to shoppers, implying that the
school department. Effective directional and store is very responsive to new and exciting
informational signage helps orient customers fashion developments
to the location of seasonal merchandise. • Current season or trend merchandise in
Several types of specialty stores maintain cutting edge merchandising schemes that
permanent floor layouts: inform and invite

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 • Preseason merchandise at special prices in be drawn further into the store’s selling space.
prime store locations, allowing store buyers This explains why selling areas must be laid out adjacencies are
to take an early reading on which items to in a logical progression, often referred to as thoughtfully planned layouts
buy in depth for the rest of the season adjacencies. that position same end-use
Look at Figure 4.8 again. Casual spring products next to each other. A
PRESENTING CURRENT sweaters, shirts, and pants are also important logical adjacency, for example,
SEASON MERCHANDISE during March and April, so they are placed would be shoes and hosiery
In the specialty store merchandising example at the front of the store. For this merchant, positioned side by side.
that follows, the first third of the store features presenting both casual and career categories
products that customers are currently seeking. at the front of the store may appeal to a wider
In the floor layout shown in Figure 4.8, for range of shoppers. It’s a workable plan because
March and April, the career department is the merchant has a broad storefront. However,
positioned on the right side of the store at the a store with a narrow front would present just
entrance. This is prime selling space, and since a single merchandise category or fashion trend
shoppers are looking for new wear-to-work statement in prime selling space, positioning
options in March and April, it seems wise to remaining departments in order of importance
present career wear at the front of the store. (based on sales history).
There’s a bonus to this move—passersby may You can see how the floor layout might
see the presentation from outside as they change for the next time period, May to
approach the store and come in to shop. June, by looking at the layout in Figure 4.9.
In Figure 4.8, you see dresses located next to Lightweight casual wear dominates the entire
the career department. Here’s the strategy—if front of the store, anticipating the warmer
a customer is unable to make a selection in season. Many remaining items from early
the career department, she may notice an spring career, dress, and coat categories have
appealing dress in the neighboring area and been shifted to the store’s clearance area. In

ENTRANCE ENTRANCE
CASUAL
CASUAL SPRING SUMMER
SWEATERS, CAREER DRESSES
SHIRTS, AND PANTS SUMMER
T-SHIRTS
AND SHORTS

DRESSES CAREER
DENIMS DENIMS AND
NOVELTY
SHIRTS CLEARANCE
SPRING
COATS NEW FALL CASUAL
SUMMER T-SHIRTS
MERCHANDISE COATS
AND SHORTS
(MID-JUNE)

Figure 4.8 A specialty store selling floor layout for March Figure 4.9 A specialty store selling floor layout for May
and April. This layout is nonpermanent, and would to June. Notice how it changes from the March to April
change seasonally. Elaine Wencl Art. layout in Figure 4.8. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 mid-June, fall merchandise begins to flow in cycle is an important consideration when
and is positioned at the rear of the store. In planning an item’s position on the selling floor
mid-July, it will be moved to the front of the (Figure 4.10).
store to kick off back-to-school shopping. The front third of the store may be used to
present preseason or test merchandise. Several
PRESENTING PRESEASON fixtures of wool coats may be positioned
AND TEST MERCHANDISE strategically in the store’s center front during
The retail fashion cycle that drives sales the hottest months of the year for a preseason
and departmental presentations is a bell- sale. Coats are offered at sale prices to pace-
shaped curve. The fashion cycle begins with setting, fashion-forward customers who like
a nearly flat line that represents incoming or to shop early for the newest fall and winter
test merchandise. Buyers introduce items in styles. By tracking sales results, store buyers
small quantities to the department in order use this strategy to help them decide which
to determine how shoppers will respond to styles, colors, and brands to reorder in greater
them before they commit to larger orders. As depth for the upcoming fall and winter selling
shoppers react, the test merchandise is either seasons when the fashion-followers do their
cleared out—signaling a poor response—or shopping. Naturally, the visual merchandising
reordered in greater depth. If reordered, an department has a role to play in this process by
item is expected to rise in popularity with providing sales support with signage, graphics,
correspondingly solid regular-priced sales or mannequin displays.
(prepeak in the cycle). As sales increase, you
will see the item peak. At this point the item’s I N D I V I D UA L D E PA R T M E N T
popularity with customers is firmly established, L AY O U T S
and sales are brisk. When everyone who When merchandising a department or
wanted the item has made a purchase, the a specific merchandise category within
item’s rate of sale will gradually (or quickly) department stores and specialty stores, each
diminish. This is known as the postpeak separate selling area is treated much like an
stage, where merchandise is marked down individual store—especially when identifying
and cleared out of the department, so that prime selling space. Each department can
new fashion goods can move in. The fashion be divided into five areas: trend, test, shops,

Peak Basics/Classics
Maintain
Assortment
(Multiple Fixtures
Replenish or Walls)
Selling Assortments
(Multiple Fixtures or Walls)
Slow Sales
Po

Trigger
stp
ak

Markdowns
-Pe

Full Selling
ea

Assortments (Blend into

k
Pre

(Multiple Fixtures or Walls) Assortments)

Re-order
Figure 4.10 The retail Point
(Multiple Fixtures or Walls) O
fashion cycle, showing ut
go
common merchandise ng Clearance in
sti Small g
presentation strategies. Te Assortment Pricing
Elaine Wencl Art. (Feature Fixture) (Clearance Fixtures)

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 basics, and key items. However, all five areas store does not have a main aisle, so current
aren’t always represented in every department. trend products are featured at the front of the trend areas feature
Trend areas feature merchandise that department. merchandise that has been
has been accepted by shoppers as hot or The test area is set aside to sample accepted by shoppers as hot
current fashion. Items have been purchased in merchandise representing items or styles the or current fashion. Items have
depth. The trend area may use display props, department’s buyer believes will soon become been purchased in depth.
mannequins or forms, and large graphics to popular with shoppers. To determine whether
support the most exciting items. In Figure 4.11, shoppers agree, the buyer brings in small A test area is floor
the trend department is positioned along the quantities of goods to test shopper reaction space set aside to sample
main aisle of the store to take advantage of and watches sales figures for these items merchandise representing
customer traffic. In Figure 4.12, the specialty closely. If customer response is strong, the items or styles retail buyers

believe will soon become

popular with shoppers. They

FRONT OF DEPARTMENT
bring in small quantities

of goods and watch sales

KEY ITEM
T-SHIRT figures closely.
DRESSES,
$49.99

KEY ITEM
T-SHIRT DRESS SHOP JACKET
DRESSES,
$99.99 TREND AREA
MAIN
AISLE

BASICS
STREET LENGTH DRESSES
Figure 4.11 The five areas of a department
within a department store: trend, test,
TEST key items, basics, and a shop. Notice their
FIXTURE location with respect to the main aisle.
Elaine Wencl Art.

FRONT OF DEPARTMENT

TEST
TREND AREA FIXTURE

KEY ITEM
JACKET
DRESSES,
T-SHIRT DRESS SHOP $99.99

Figure 4.12 The five areas of a department

within a specialty store: trend, test, key
BASICS
KEY ITEM STREET LENGTH DRESSES
items, basics, and a shop. This store does
T-SHIRT DRSSES, not have a main aisle. Notice how this
$49.99
selling floor layout varies from that of
Figure 4.11, which does have a main aisle.
Elaine Wencl Art.

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 buyer may make a larger purchase and greater • The store creates its own unique brand
feature fixtures dollar investment. Test merchandise is usually name and has an opportunity to develop it
typically hold smaller presented on feature fixtures, such as two-way to fit the image of target customers.
merchandise assortments, or four-way selling racks. • The store is able to offer the items to
allowing presentation of a Shops are created when similar types of customers at a lower price.
single style (on a two-way) merchandise are bought in depth (sufficient
or a coordinate grouping to fill six to ten selling fixtures) and are pulled
(on a four-way). They are together into one area of a department. To MERCHANDISE PLACEMENT
intended to spotlight items illustrate, the T-shirt dress shop in Figure 4.12 GUIDELINES
rather than show full category features T-shirt dresses pulled out of regular There is a step-by-step process to help you
assortments. dress stocks from several different vendors and place fashion merchandise on selling fixtures
presented at the front of the dress department. so that people can quickly and easily find the
A shop is created when Products can also be pulled together by styles they want. When merchandising methods
similar types of merchandise brand name to create a small shop within a are consistent throughout all the departments
are bought in depth (sufficient department. Large quantities of a single brand in your store, shoppers will be able to follow
to fill six to ten selling fixtures) name (10 to 20 fixtures of DKNY, for instance) your lead and “work the racks” or “read” the
and are pulled together into could create an entire department. shelves exactly as you hope they will. When this
one area of a department. Basics—the bulk of the stock in any happens, shoppers turn into customers. Here
department—are a department’s core are the four steps:
basics make up the bulk of merchandise. The legs of basic denim jeans may
the stock in any department be slim one season and then wide the next, but 1. Separate fashions by end use within
that represents its core the denim jean classification stays the same. each department. For example, a dress
merchandise. These items can be placed toward the back of department may carry dresses for several
a store or selling department because shoppers different end uses—casual, career,
A key item is a proven looking for basics will move into the area to evening, and formal wear. These different
seller purchased in depth and find what they want. Other examples of basics dress classifications should be presented
offered at a competitive price. include khaki pants, short-sleeve T-shirts, and on separate fixtures.
It can be found in trend or turtlenecks. 2. Separate fashions by fabrication. Each
basic areas and in shops. Key items are proven sellers that have been classification of merchandise should also
purchased in depth for the department and be separated by fabrication. Cardigan
offered at a competitive price. They can be sweaters may be offered in both wool and
found in trend or basic areas and in shops. Key cashmere, and these fabrications must be
items are presented on fixtures that can hold presented separately.
large quantities of product, like tables, round 3. Separate fashions by style. Casual cotton
racks, or shelving in a wall area. Key items dresses, for example, may be offered in
often carry a store’s private label. Rather than spaghetti-strap, and cap-sleeve styles.
purchasing items in the traditional garment These two styles should be presented on
market, buyers purchase goods directly from separate fixtures, or at least on separate
manufacturers. The advantages of direct arms of the same fixture.
buying for key items are: A cotton knit dress may come in both
short- and long-sleeve styles. Although
• The store creates its own specifications and the dresses could be presented on the
has the items modified to better fit the same fixture because their end use and
needs of its customer. fabrication are the same, they should be

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 placed on separate arms of the fixture. how to sort merchandise
Short-sleeved sweaters and long-sleeved
sweaters should not be presented together • End use
on the same garment rod in a wall area. • Fabrication
Capri-length pants would not be presented • Style
on the same garment rod as long trousers, • Color
nor would walking shorts and active shorts.
box 4.1
In addition to different hem lengths, these
bottoms have different end uses.
Exception: Items that are coordinated
Merchants base floor layout moves on sales data from previous years,

retail realities
by the manufacturer to be sold together as
a group may be merchandised together on so they can evaluate dollar results of merchandise in prime selling

the same fixture. The fact that these items space. If a specific merchandise classification did well in one floor
have been designed to work together in location last year, it may make sense to present it there again. If a
a wardrobe may allow you to follow the classification (specific merchandise category) did not perform well in
designer’s lead. You would still group the
that area, sales data can point the decision makers to another location.
items by style: all sleeveless tops together,
all shorts together, all jackets or sweaters
together.
4. Separate fashions by color group. All This catch-all clearance department should
fashions can be separated into one of the be positioned in the rear of the store.
seven groups of color. (See Figure 3.6.) • Clearance merchandise in specialty stores
For example, cotton knit dresses that may be pulled to the front of the store for
are offered in both brights and pastels traditional major clearance events in January
must be presented on separate fixtures or early July.
for the greatest degree of color impact. • Some chain retailers consolidate clearance
Remember that neutrals can be presented merchandise into a few larger stores
separately or combined with any of the (with high traffic or ideal bargain shopper
other color groups. demographics), send it to a company-owned
outlet store, or remove their own tags and
sell the lot to an outlet store.
Clearance Merchandise
Clearance merchandise consists of products
that have been permanently marked down C L E A R A N C E P R E S E N TAT I O N
for quick sale. These items may be handled in GUIDELINES
several ways: While clearance merchandise no longer
merits major promotional effort, it remains
• Clearance items may be pulled together at a company asset until sold. The visual
the rear of each department. For example, merchandiser’s role is to present clearance
clearance suits may be positioned on one goods effectively enough to sell them at
or more fixtures at the rear of the career their highest possible clearance price so
department. that the company can reinvest the dollars
• Clearance merchandise from all departments in newer, more appealing merchandise. The
may be pulled into one area of the store to following guidelines will ensure that optimum
form a permanent clearance department. presentation is achieved:

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 • Present clearance merchandise on floor • Always clearly sign clearance merchandise
broken merchandise refers fixtures only. Clearance product with broken with price points, percentages-off, or at
to assortments with missing styles and color assortment cannot result in a least a clearance sign.
sizes, styles, and colors after fresh, exciting wall presentation; wall space • Make selling-floor maintenance a routine
sell-down. is best used for new stock. The exception is aspect of any clearance presentation.
when clearance merchandise is presented on Clearance merchandise gets handled (and
The price point is the an entirely separate clearance floor. There, mishandled) continuously as shoppers look
actual number (for example, you may utilize the entire space—walls and for bargains. Store staff must check clearance
$12.99) used on signs to floor. areas frequently, straightening sale racks,
inform shoppers of prices. • Never feature clearance merchandise on refolding table goods, checking for damaged
mannequins or in displays. These are your goods and lost tickets and so on. These are
premium silent selling tools and must be aesthetic as well as security issues that tell
reserved for only the newest products. In customers how your company feels about its
addition, clearance merchandise must be image, its merchandise, and its atmosphere.
immediately available to shoppers, never Customers should see clearance merchandise
out of reach on display. as an added benefit to doing business
“Ask leading retailers • Present clearance goods on large fixtures, with your store. Even when merchandise is
about purchasing
such as round racks, superquads (extra marked down, you should be adding value
store fixtures and they
large four-way racks with arms that may to it through your presentation.
invariably point to three
important criteria: cost, be extended) or rolling rack fixtures.
quality, and service. Overcrowding these fixtures is never a good
Although price of strategy. If shoppers cannot easily inspect Store Fixtures
the fixture is always items on hangers, they will quickly abandon A wide variety of fixtures is available for the
of concern, the real
the bargain hunt. Clearance tables for presentation of products. Like the furniture
priority seems to be cost
foldable goods are very effective because in your home, each fixture type has a useful
effectiveness. Retailers
want to spend the there is a general perception among purpose (holding quantities of merchandise)
least amount of money shoppers that clearance tables hold the best and a decorative purpose (reinforcing retail
possible but still meet bargains. décor decisions). Store fixtures include:
project expectations.” • Sort clearance garments by size (with sizing
Karen Doodeman,
rings or hangers with built-in size tabs) and • Conventional metal fixtures
consultant, A.R.E./POPAI,
then by color within each size range so that • Furniture fixtures
Association for Retail
Environments and Point shoppers can readily see what is available. • Found objects
of Purchase Advertising Example: Size 5 (red shirts, yellow shirts, and • Vendor fixtures
International blue shirts) followed by size 7 (red shirts, • Custom fixtures
yellow shirts, green shirts, and blue shirts).
Purchasing the store’s fixtures is a fairly
long-term and expensive investment—much
like furnishing a home. Just as you wouldn’t
retail realities

buy a new sofa simply because you’re bored

Display signs must be accurate and correspond to what’s being
with the one you have, visual merchandisers
presented, or customers will be confused about what seem to be
expect the store fixtures they select to
careless or deceptive sale policies. Stores generally honor mistaken perform effectively and efficiently for as
prices or sale terms—an unnecessary embarrassment and financial loss. long as possible. They must choose carefully,
Customer service is a visual merchandising responsibility, too. taking purpose, function, and durability into
consideration along with style and fabrication.

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 C A P A C I T Y, F E A T U R E , A N D groupings or smaller coordinate groups. You
S I G N AT U R E F I X T U R E S might see a four-way fixture with a dozen A capacity fixture
In addition to the various types of fixtures cotton sweaters in bright yarns paired with holds large quantities of
retailers may choose from, each fixture matching polo shirts and walking shorts. merchandise, usually showing
category can be further differentiated by its Feature fixtures bring together coordinated a single style in several colors
end use. outfits to make shopping easier. They are and in a complete range
best used as lead-in fixtures to any fashion of sizes.
• Capacity fixtures hold large quantities— department, but may also be interspersed
usually showing one style of a product throughout that department to add interest A signature fixture
bought in depth, like several dozen and variation to the layout. is an attention-getting, one-
sweatshirts, in assorted sizes from S to XXL, • Signature fixtures are one-of-a-kind units of-a-kind unit positioned at
trimmed with a variety of colorful cartoon that are positioned at the entrance to a the entrance to a store or
characters. Because capacity fixtures are store or department. Their unusual, unique department that reflects the
the largest floor fixtures in the store, they design is created specifically to attract store’s brand image.
should be positioned primarily in the rear of shoppers’ attention. The signature fixture’s
a department or store layout. design must reflect the brand image of the A feature fixture
• Feature fixtures are designed to hold fewer store, both in fabrication and style (Figures is designed to hold fewer
items and are used to highlight category 4.13 and 4.14). items and is used to highlight

category groupings or smaller

coordinate groups. They bring

together coordinated outfits.

Figure 4.13 A signature fixture leads into

an Esprit shop. WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 Figure 4.14 Partial floor
layout shows placement
ROW 3
of signature, feature, and Super Round Super
capacity fixtures leading
Capacity Fixtures Quad Rack Quad
to a wall area. Lower,
smaller fixtures are in the ROW 2
front two rows; taller, Feature Fixture and Tables Table 4-way Table
larger fixtures are in back.
Elaine Wencl Art.
ROW 1
Feature Fixtures and Table 4-way Table 4-way

ENTRANCE
Signature
Table

CO N V E N T I O N A L M E TA L clearance merchandise. This fixture is available

FLOOR FIXTURES in several diameters and adjustable heights so
Simple metal fixtures like round racks and that dresses and pants can be presented with
T-stands have been used in retail stores their hems an adequate distance from the floor
throughout the twentieth century. Their design (Figure 4.15).
forms the basis from which custom fixtures You can easily determine fixture fill for a
are created, so it is important to have a solid round rack by measuring the circumference.
understanding of their function. Early fixtures A 36-inch diameter round rack is 118 inches in
were fabricated in chrome, and they are still circumference. It can comfortably hold 118 tops
widely used today. In the 1980s and 1990s, or bottoms. A 42-inch diameter round rack is
some retailers used brushed bright black, 136 inches in circumference, and it could hold
brushed satin black, and even white finishes. 136 tops or bottoms. If garments are thinner, like
Today, brushed stainless steel and buffed T-shirts, the quantities increase; if they are thicker,
satin are often preferred for their softer, less like winter coats, the capacity will decrease.
reflective look, which is easier to maintain
A round rack (or because fingerprints are less visible. Presentation Guidelines for Round Racks
rounder) is a capacity fixture • Round racks should not be positioned at the
fabricated in several diameters Round Racks store entrance or along aisles except during
and adjustable heights for A round rack (rounder) is a capacity fixture. special promotional and clearance events. At
stocking basic apparel items. Its chief function is stocking basic items that those times it may be effective to line them
have been purchased in depth. Round racks up along the aisles or down the center of
are also used to stock broken assortments and the store.

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 • Sleeve lengths and hem lengths should
be the same on the entire fixture, unless
the rack is being used for clearance
merchandise.
1. Items
• For the best presentation, a single rack Purchased
in Depth
should hold products from just one of
the seven color groups. Neutrals may be
combined with any group.
• Arrange colors in a sequence that follows
the natural color order of the rainbow—red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, violet. Begin 2. Broken
Assortments
the color sequence at the nine o’clock
position as you stand in front of a round
rack and work counterclockwise. If there are
neutral colors, they should be added so that
they follow the rainbow assortment, and
range from lightest to darkest tints.

An easy way to remember the rainbow

sequence is with the mnemonic device Roy G. Figure 4.15 A round rack with two common functions. Elaine Wencl Art.

Bv (the Bv can be pronounced “Biv”), which

stands for red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
violet. The mnemonic may be used as a training
tool to ensure that there is continuity in the
color arrangement of merchandise on fixtures
in any size retail organization. Roy can function
as an “invisible visual merchandiser,” in charge
of all color decisions (Figure 4.16).
All color schemes are based on relationships
to the basic rainbow colors described by Roy G.
Bv, except for neutrals (see Figure 3.6). In the
pastel color group, pastel pink relates to bright
red, peach relates to bright orange, pastel
yellow relates to bright yellow, and so on.
Even looking at the earth tones, you’ll see that
wine relates to red, rust relates to orange, gold
relates to yellow, and so on.
Some presentation guides advise arranging
colors from light to dark. However, perception
and interpretation of color values is an
individual thing, so a light-to-dark guideline
offers no guarantee of storewide color
continuity. One of the biggest drawbacks to a
light-to-dark color sequence is that it allows Figure 4.16 An easy way to remember color flow with the mnemonic device Roy G. Bv.
bright schemes, jewel tones, midtones, and Yelena Safronova.

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 faces the front of the department and then
Fixtures should never be so overstocked that shoppers have difficulty sized from there, working to your right
retail realities

previewing items. A simple way to determine fixture fill (the quantity (counterclockwise).
of merchandise a fixture will hold) is to measure the length of the The round rack has one variation—the tri-
fixture arm or garment rod. You can hang one item per inch of its level round rack (Figure 4.17). This fixture has

length—a 12-inch arm holds 12 garments. If items are thinner, like

three levels that are all height-adjustable. It’s
an ideal fixture to separate garments with
T-shirts, you may be able to add more pieces. If the items are thicker,
differing sleeve lengths or show a group of
the arm may hold fewer pieces.
top and bottom coordinates. Each of the three
sections provides 39 inches of hanging capacity,
so the trilevel could hold 117 garments (1 inch
A superquad is a four- per garment). The lowest level of the tri-level
armed capacity fixture with an pastels to be mixed on a rack—at the expense round rack should always face the front of
adjustable height feature for of strong color impact. If the store you work the department or an aisle. Like the round
showing items purchased in in recommends the light-to-dark coloration rack, this capacity fixture should be positioned
depth or coordinate groupings format, you will need to use it; but if you have primarily toward the rear of any department.
of pants, skirts, blouses, and a choice, we believe that rainbow colorization
sweaters or jackets. is easier and will provide more impact in your Superquads
fashion presentations. The superquad is a four-armed capacity fixture
A gondola is a versatile If the round rack is used for clearance designed to hold basic items that have been
four-sided capacity fixture merchandise, first size the items, then colorize purchased in depth (Figure 4.18). This fixture
that may be shelved for within each size. Example: size 5—red, yellow, allows display of items with different sleeve
folding or stackable products, blue; size 7—red, yellow, blue; size 9—red, or hem lengths and works extremely well to
and is occasionally set with yellow, blue. The smallest sizes should be feature coordinate groupings composed of
garment rods to show apparel positioned on the side of the fixture that pants, skirts, blouses, and sweaters or jackets.
on hangers. The superquad is useful to show broken or
unrelated assortments and can be used for a
collection of clearance merchandise, as well.
1. Different The arms of a superquad can be set at a
Sleeve
Lengths variety of heights. One technique is to start low
in the front of the fixture, setting each level
a few inches higher as you move around the
fixture, from left to right. Another method is
to set the arms with tops higher than the arms
with bottoms. This creates a natural look that
mimics the way tops and bottoms are worn. The
2. Coordinating arms of a superquad should be colorized from
Separates
left to right. Begin with the arm that is in the
9 o’clock position and move counterclockwise
around the fixture (Figure 4.19).

Gondolas
The length of a gondola can range from as
Figure 4.17 A tri-level round
rack with two common short as 48 inches in a small specialty store to
functions. Elaine Wencl Art. 60 feet or more in a superstore (Figure 4.20).

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 1. Different
Sleeve
Lengeths

BLUE
2. Coordinating 9:00 GREEN
Separates RED
POSITION

YELLOW
Figure 4.19 Directional color flow with a superquad
fixture. Notice the color flow begins at the 9:00 position.
This technique may be used with any floor fixture. Elaine
Figure 4.18 A superquad with two common functions. Elaine Wencl Art. Wencl Art.

Figure 4.20 Gondola fixtures merchandised with

boots and shoes packaged in bold orange boxes
at Merrell Outlet, Byron Center, MI. Fixtures by
Econoco Corp. Sellutions by Econoco.

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 The ends of the gondola are called endcaps. are reserved for use in fashion stores as wall
endcaps are valuable Approachable from all four sides, these treatments or in stand-alone floor fixtures.
display and stocking spaces at versatile capacity fixtures are used by discount When used as selling-floor fixtures holding
the ends of gondola fixtures. stores to house basic merchandise like socks folded fashion merchandise, cubes are
They may be used to feature a and intimate apparel—usually faced-out on permanently stacked on gondola bases ranked
sampling of the merchandise pegs. Foldable and boxed merchandise like in pairs so that they are shoppable from both
on either side of the gondola, shoes can be stacked on gondola shelves. Large sides. It isn’t unusual to find entire walls of
for new merchandise offerings, gondolas must be disassembled in order to be folded basics arrayed in banks of cubes. The
for value-priced products, or moved. Consequently, floor layouts seldom visual impact of a cubed wall with a rainbow
for advertised specials. They change. Specialty stores use shorter gondolas array of goods stacked from ceiling to floor is
may be stacked, pegged, that often have locking wheels or casters so tremendous. It tells shoppers that the store has
or shelved. that they’re easy to move when resetting the a wide selection of merchandise.
selling floor. Gondolas can be colorized from Basic fashion items that come in several
bins and cubes are left to right, using Roy G. Bv. Product should be colors and straightforward sizing sell well
interchangeable terms, arranged with smaller items on the top shelves, from cube fixtures. A floor fixture with basic
although many retailers define moving to larger items on the bottom shelves. turtlenecks in four colors and three sizes is
cubes as containers that are shown in Figure 4.21. This is an extremely
open on their sides and define Bins and Cubes adaptable fixture from a merchandising point
bins as containers that are Bins and cubes are interchangeable terms, of view—systematic and uniform. The cubes
open from their tops. although many retailers define cubes as you see in the denim presentation (Figure
containers that are open on their sides and 4.22) can be merchandised by fabric finishes,
define bins as containers that are open from colors (stone-washed to deep blue), waist and
their tops. You might see tilted bins used inseam sizes, and leg styles. The shirts in Figure
for bulk items like candy or filled with nuts 4.23 are presented in individual bins for a very
and bolts in a hardware store, while cubes dramatic, upscale shopping experience.

SMALL

MEDIUM

MEDIUM

LARGE

Figure 4.21 A floor fixture of stacked

cubes merchandised with basic turtlenecks
in three sizes and four colors. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 VINTAGE DEEP
ACID STONE
DARK INDIGO
WASH WASH
WASH WASH

29x30 29x30 29x30 29x30

29x30 29x30 29x30 29x30
29x30 29x30 29x30 29x30
Straight Leg Straight Leg Boot Cut Boot Cut

30x30 30x30 30x30 30x30

30x32 30x32 30x32 30x32
31x30 31x30 31x30 31x30

32x32 32x32 32x32 32x32

33x32 33x32 33x32 33x32
33x30 33x30 33x30 33x30
Figure 4.22 A floor
fixture with jeans in
34x32 34x32 34x32 34x32
cubes, arranged by fabric
34x34 34x34 34x34 34x34
finishes, color, size, and
35x30 35x30 35x30 35x30
leg style. Elaine Wencl Art.

Figure 4.23 An upscale presentation of men’s shirts in

individual bins is easy for the store to maintain and
easy for customers to shop. Bloomingdale’s, Manhattan,
New York City. Centano / WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 Stores come in all sizes and all budgets. If you read that you should (T-stands) and four-ways (costumers). They
retail realities

are used to feature small quantities of

never mix colors on a T-stand and your store buys in large quantities—
trend merchandise, test merchandise, and
the rule stands. It’s a current best practice. If your store buys only four
coordinates and separates that are being
sweaters per style and color, you’re going to have to adapt the rule to
presented as coordinated outfits. Feature
fit your unique situation. This is true for all rules in this text—reality fixtures present coordinated fashion looks
must prevail. that will build multiple sales—an opportunity
for silent selling. Shoppers look to feature
fixtures for fashion advice. In a way, you’re
selecting the best for shoppers to see and try
Presentation Guidelines for Fashion Cubes (Figure 4.24).
• Arrange Roy G. Bv colors vertically. Begin
with one vertical column of red, followed by Presentation Guidelines for Feature Fixtures
one column each of orange, yellow, green, Standard two-way (T-stand) and four-way
A two-way fixture, also blue, and violet. Work from left to right (see feature fixtures may have either straight arms
called a T-stand, is a two-armed Figure 4.21). If stock quantities are too low or slant (waterfall) arms, providing flexible
hanging fixture used to feature to support an entire vertical column, use configurations for merchandisers. Additional
small quantities (12–24 items) vertical colorization in at least the top two arms may be added to double- or triple-hang
of trend apparel or test or three cubes that are most visible in the intimate apparel or children’s wear. On some
merchandise. department. fixtures, the arm styles are interchangeable;
• Size the cubes with the smallest size at the others are fixed. In either case, the following
A four-way fixture, also top moving down to the largest sizes. guidelines will ensure the best use of these
called a costumer, features a fixtures:
hanging coordinate group or CONVENTIONAL FLOOR
a small (24–48 items) quantity F E AT U R E F I X T U R E S • Use feature fixtures to highlight only the
of separates presented as There are several styles of conventional newest and most exciting items in stock.
coordinated outfits. floor feature fixtures, but those used most Basic items like turtlenecks should not be
commonly in retail stores today are two-ways presented on a feature fixture.

Figure 4.24 Two-way

and four-way feature
fixtures with straight
arms and waterfalls.
Elaine Wencl Art.

Two-way Four-way

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 • Present a single color story on each fixture. • For maximum visual impact, use two-way
Choose just one of the seven color groups and four-way fixtures to feature only one face-outs are hardware
for a single fixture (see Figure 3.6). Neutrals style of garment per single arm face-out, for hanging merchandise
may be combined with any color group. only one color of garment per single arm so that the full front of the
Look at Figures 4.25a and 4.25b. In the face-out, and only one fabrication per single item is visible. Face-outs may
incorrect example, the pastels and brights arm face-out. For example, an arm with six utilize straight arms or slanted
presented together on the fixture are out of red cardigan sweaters is correct. An arm arms that create cascading
harmony. In the correct example, products with three red cardigan sweaters and three waterfall effects.
are from the same bright color group. The yellow cardigan sweaters is incorrect.
result is a pleasing, well-coordinated pairing • Use feature fixtures to show outfits—that
that makes fashion sense. If you’re working is, tops and bottoms that coordinate. This
with a coordinate group, you will need to device facilitates silent selling, creating
show the grouping as presented by the opportunities for multiple sales.
manufacturer (regardless of what you think • Reset feature fixtures with new items
a proper color scheme should be). weekly or biweekly.
• Use feature fixtures to hold products from • Position feature fixtures in front of the store
similar merchandising classifications that and along major aisles. Position them at the
have the same end uses. You would never front of each department if there are no
feature career suits on two arms of a four- major aisles.
way fixture along with two arms of shorts • Adjust feature fixture heights as needed.
and T-shirts. To determine the correct fixture height, the

Figure 4.25a The floor feature fixture on the left presents polo shirts from one color group, jewel tones, for a harmonious color arrangement.
Combined with the wall area, which is also merchandised in jewel tones, a color-coordinated shop is created (left). Judy Bell.

Figure 4.25b Notice that a pastel polo shirt is included in this shop with jewel tone polos (right). When pastels and jewel tone colors are presented
together in the same shop, the color impact is diluted and is not as pleasing to the eye. Judy Bell.

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 product on the fixture should be hung at Garment Rods and Crossbars
round garment a height that reflects the way a customer Round garment rods and flat metal crossbars
rods and flat metal might wear it. For example, pant hemlines are basic fixture components used to show
crossbars are basic should be set about 3 inches from the large quantities of goods on hangers along
fixture components used to floor. Set any higher, the pants do not look walls. For continuity, only one style should be
show large quantities of goods natural. Knee-length dresses should skim used throughout a store.
on hangers along walls. about 17 inches from the floor. Midcalf Garment rods and crossbars are secured to
hems could be shown lower; perhaps 8 to 12 walls by inserting them into wall standards
inches from the floor. In any case, garment with 14-inch brackets. These wall standards
hems should never touch the floor. All other are mounted at regular intervals—from 2 to 4
fixtures in the store should be adjusted to feet apart, depending on the span of the wall
reflect hemline uniformity. Keep in mind and its structural underpinnings. The entire
that tops should be hung on arms that are assembly is sometimes referred to as a wall
set several inches higher than arms with system (Figure 4.26).
pants. A rubber mallet is essential for inserting
• Present pants only on straight arms, never brackets into wall standards. A gentle tap with
slant arms. This is because slant arms would a rubber mallet will secure the bracket and
have to be set too high to accommodate the prevent the unsightly nicks that will occur with
cascading leg lengths. use of an ordinary hammer. Ends of the rods
or bars are always capped with special snap-in
CO N V E N T I O N A L WA L L hardware inserts to prevent merchandise from
C A PAC I T Y F I X T U R E S sliding off as shoppers push hangers back and
Large quantities of merchandise can be shown forth. The mallet is a useful tool for tapping
effectively on walls, but organization of the snap-in caps into place and later removing
product is critical. them.

Figure 4.26 A wall system

utilizing a garment rod.
Wall Standard
Elaine Wencl Art.

Garment Rod

Bracket

End Cap
Clamp

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 Some garment rods and crossbars have 14-inch brackets used when products are hung
caps already welded in place; with others, caps shoulder-out). Once in place, waterfalls and
are separate accessories. Removable snap-in straight arms can be slipped over the crossbar
caps allow the merchandiser to join lengths and positioned exactly where the merchandiser
of rod or bar with adapters to create longer wants them (Figure 4.27).
wall presentations. Rods and crossbars can be
purchased in several lengths (2 to 12 feet) and Slatwall and Gridwall
combined as needed. They can be a store’s least There are two other common wall system A slatwall is a wall system
expensive and most versatile fixturing device. options known as slatwall and gridwall. With of horizontal backer panels
However, they must be properly installed and the slatwall system, a series of painted wood with evenly spaced slots that
supported every few feet for safety—to protect or laminate-covered horizontally grooved accept brackets and display
both merchandise and shoppers. panels is applied directly to a wall. They look accessories with special
In addition to being used for hanging somewhat like wooden siding on a home. slatwall fittings.
merchandise, a crossbar can be applied to Gridwall is a series of wire panels fabricated
spans between wall system standards as a in a variety of gridlike patterns permanently A gridwall is a wall
bridge when merchandisers want to use fastened to store walls by brackets and system of metal wire that
waterfalls and straight arms in spaces that screws. Both slatwall and gridwall systems accepts brackets and display
don’t have enough standards in the desired require a unique type of hardware bracket on accessories with special
places. To secure the crossbar to wall standards, each garment rod, crossbar, straight arm, or gridwall fittings.
you’d use 3-inch brackets (rather than the waterfall (Figure 4.28).

Figure 4.27 A wall system

utilizing crossbars to face
out merchandise. Elaine
12” Wencl Art.

Straight Arm

48”

Rectangular Crossbar

3”

Crossbar Bracket

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 GRIDWALL SLATWALL

Figure 4.28 Gridwall and

slatwall systems. Notice
how the bracket fittings
Gridwall Straight Arm Slatwall Straight Arm
vary for each system.
Elaine Wencl Art.

Wall System Accessories information. Both gridwall and slatwall systems

Additional wall system fixturing options will accept shelving when used with the proper
include specialized fixture accessories like six brackets.
12-inch pegs that hold prepackaged items on When presenting merchandise on wall-
cards (e.g., packages of shoelaces, packs of system shelving, many retailers reserve the top
socks, shrink-packed cosmetic products) as well shelves to feature displays of merchandise in
as handbag hooks and a variety of shoe, hat, combination with wall graphics. This practice
and belt displayers. New designs in wall-system adds eye-catching variety and height to the
accessories appear in trade magazines and back of the departmental “skyline.” It also
catalogs every year (Figure 4.29). enhances shoppers’ views from the front of
the store or edge of the department, drawing
Shelving them farther in to inspect merchandise.
Glass, wood, or colored plastic laminate
shelving holds folded products like sweaters CO N V E N T I O N A L WA L L
and jeans or accessories like handbags and F E AT U R E F I X T U R E S
hats. Shelves are generally 2 to 4 feet in length Wall fixtures include waterfalls and straight
A waterfall is an angled and are secured to wall standards with sturdy arms.
display arm affixed to a wall metal brackets. The number of brackets used
standard, slatwall, or gridwall per span of shelving will depend on the weight Waterfalls
system; a T-stand (two-way or of the product load. Safety is the critical Waterfall fixtures (slant arms) display products
four-way); or another selling- factor. Some retailers add transparent plastic on a wall, facing outward, so that the full
floor fixture to show a cascade edge moldings to keep items from slipping front of the garment is visible (Figure 4.30).
of hanging merchandise. off accidentally. They may also add a plastic This device employs five to twelve decorative
channel to the shelf edge for size and pricing (and functional) knobs or stops to space

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 SLATWALL

Hat/Cap Display
Belt Display Shoe Display

GRIDWALL

Hook

Figure 4.29 A variety of

slatwall and gridwall
system accessories. Notice
how the bracket fittings
vary. Elaine Wencl Art.
Hat/Cap Display Basket

Square Tubing

Rectangular Tubing

Figure 4.30 Two styles of

waterfalls with fittings
for wall standards. Elaine
Wencl Art.

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 garments on hangers evenly. The waterfall FURNITURE FIXTURES
is best used to feature tops, jackets, suits, or AND ANTIQUES
dresses. Pants and skirts do not merchandise Furniture like hutches, desks, curio cabinets,
well on waterfalls because the hanger tops are tables, and armoires can be used as
so prominent—all you see at fixture level is a merchandising fixtures (Figure 4.32). Also
cascade of plastic. When bottoms are shown as called case pieces or case goods, residential
a straight-armed accompaniment to waterfalls furnishings serving as fixtures may be
of tops, their hangers are much less obvious. borrowed from any design era, period, or
style—from French provincial elegance to
Straight Arms 1960s American sitcom. The only requirement
A straight arm is a Straight arms serve the same purpose as is that each piece must fit the brand image of
perpendicular display arm waterfalls—to make the full front of a single the store.
affixed to a wall standard, garment visible to shoppers. They are available Antique furniture pieces may find new
slatwall, or gridwall system in square and rectangular versions, in addition lives as capacity, feature, or premier fixtures.
or a T-stand or other selling- to round tubing. Either tops or bottoms may be Shoppers enjoy seeing traditional furnishings
floor fixture to show a featured on straight arms. put to new or unexpected uses (see The
small quantity of hanging Straight arms are available with different SCAMPER Model section in Chapter 1).
merchandise. styles of fittings so that they fit into gridwall The addition of decorative and functional
and slatwall standards or clip over crossbars hardware to the inside doors of an old armoire,
(Figure 4.31). for example, can create a clever merchandising
fixture for a jewelry presentation. A marble-
topped gentleman’s dresser with several open
drawers filled with artfully rolled-up silk ties
produces an appealing retail picture.
Furniture fixtures may be used exclusively
as display props, creating focal points and
Square highlighting special products. Or they may
serve a dual purpose and actually be a part of
the store’s merchandise inventory. For example,
an antique armoire filled with ancient bed
linens, lace doilies, and pillows may be for
sale as well. The cupboard sells the linens and
the linens sell the cupboard. Finally, it’s also
possible that furniture pieces may be used as
Rectangular non-merchandising atmospheric elements—to
add to the store’s overall ambiance.

TA B L E S
The single most important fixture in the retail
industry is the table. Tables of some type
greet shoppers at the entrances to most stores
or departments. Such display tables may be
Round
permanent fixtures or temporary installations

Figure 4.31 Three styles of straight arms. Notice the variety of fittings for different styles with a mission. They can be circular and skirted
of wall standards. Elaine Wencl Art. to the floor, rectangular and as substantial as

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 Figure 4.32 Furniture is used as fixtures in Milkmade, Los Angeles. Boye / WWD / © Conde Nast.

any fine wooden furniture, or combined, as in Tables set out in mid-aisle also offer a great
a multilevel grouping of nested serving tables. way to test or feature new items or offer
A table is an ideal introductory fixture regular products at special prices, enticing
because it has a low profile. It shows passersby to stop and shop on impulse. Sale
merchandise effectively at the front of a tables are effective during clearance periods
department while providing clear sight because customers are conditioned to finding
lines into the rest of the area—where more bargains on temporary tables. However, do
merchandise is presented. Figure 4.33 shows not overuse the bargain table device. If you
a low table that is enhanced with a riser and do, your bargain table strategy will lose impact
several mannequins. and credibility with shoppers.

Figure 4.33 This table features every

item needed to complete an outfit:
shirts, vests, pants, shoes, and
handbags. H&M, Moscow, Russia.
Centano / WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 Special sale table tops that look like shallow entire shop for their brand. By doing this,
boxes on legs are called jumble or dump tables manufacturers hope to control how their
because they will hold all types of sale items products are presented and thereby strengthen
that might normally slide in all directions when their own brand image.
shoppers sort through them. Stores that have This business arrangement may look like
tracked sales results for products presented on a bargain to retailers because they do not
tables versus round racks have often found that have to pay for the shops, but they must also
tables are more productive. Perhaps it’s the accept the fact that they may have to give
possibility of discovering a treasure that draws control of that new shop’s appearance and
shoppers to them. Tables that look jumbled merchandising over to the vendor. Accepting
and shopped must be sorted, inspected for such an arrangement may compromise (or
lost tickets or damage from rough handling, at least challenge) the store’s unique brand
and rearranged periodically to keep the area image. The retailer also faces the possibility
attractive-looking and to assist shoppers in that competitors may have identical shops in
their search for legitimate values. their stores.
These are issues to consider carefully before
Found Objects as Fixtures entering into a shop fixture agreement with
There is another source of store fixtures that a vendor. On a smaller scale, these same
bears mention in this section—found objects, issues apply to accepting even smaller vendor
such as wooden packing crates, antique trunks, countertop or floor-standing merchandising
wooden barrels, buckets, washtubs, 1950s units (selling fixtures that hold merchandise
kitchen tables and chairs, even sections of car and bear the manufacturer’s logo, signage
or truck bodies. Large and substantial, these style, and other brand identity marks).
items may fit very well into certain stores’
atmospheric or thematic plans. CUSTOM FIXTURES
Found object fixtures are not for everybody Intense retail competition has led to the
. . . and probably not for an entire store. Used development of a custom fixture industry
strictly as accent pieces, they can add that that enables retailers to create exclusive
magical element of whimsy or surprise that store images through one-of-a-kind fixture
every designer delights in using—a signature fabrications. The industry-wide retail trend
statement. However, fixtures like these must today favors use of custom fixtures throughout
fit the store’s atmospheric intent, and overuse a store (Figures 4.34 and 4.35). In fact, every
may limit their appeal. The principal benefits store in Crystals, a Las Vegas shopping mall,
of found objects as fixtures are their novelty, is filled with custom fixtures. You won’t find
price, and disposability. Since they’re not as a single traditional fixture in the mall, which
expensive as conventional store furnishings, includes stores like Bally, Louis Vuitton, and
found objects are easy to discard when they Prada. Google “Crystals in Las Vegas images”
are no longer effective as merchandising tools. for a look at one of the most beautiful, artful
shopping malls of the century.
Vendor Fixtures and Shops Small retailers who cannot incur the
Merchandise manufacturers sometimes supply expense of an entire store filled with custom
retailers with fixtures that are designed fixtures could consider positioning a few
specifically for their company’s products. They special fixtures in the most visible areas of their
may even offer to provide the store with décor store. This would include the store entrance
elements, signage, and fixtures to create an and the entrance to each department.

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 Figure 4.34 (left) Custom design fixtures display shoes at Stuart Weitzman, Madison
Avenue, New York City. Chinsee / WWD / © Conde Nast.

Figure 4.35 (right) Custom design fixtures at Ulta, Chicago, Illinois. WWD / © Conde Nast.

To develop custom fixtures, retailers store environment with all of its décor
work with design teams from their own elements, wall coverings, floor coverings,
companies or from outside sources (the term and so on. The materials that are selected for
outsourcing refers to work performed by fixtures must complement the entire retail
another company). Fixture manufacturers environment. Fixtures should also be designed
interested in producing the custom fixtures as a coordinated group. For example, if the
may also participate and even offer the services materials agreed upon are brushed metal and
of their own in-house designers. This can be cherry wood, some fixtures in the grouping
particularly helpful in translating the retail could be brushed metal, some could be cherry
team’s design ideal into practical terms for the wood, and some could be a combination of A bid is an estimate of
eventual manufacturing process. The design both materials. It would not be a good design manufacturing costs to
phase of the project may be handled as a decision to add an additional fixture of maple produce a fixture or perform
separate project for a fee, or the manufacturer wood, because it would not fit in with the a service and a formal offer
may provide this service at no charge, if the group. to do so. Once the bid and all
company is assured that it will be awarded the In the next phase, the best of the teams’ its terms have been accepted,
contract to build the fixtures. design concepts are converted to dimensional a contract is awarded.
Once a design team is selected, store computer drawings, and they may be This formal agreement
executives and designers discuss and sketch modeled in small-scale mock-ups. If designs between the buyer and
concepts (ideas) for fixtures that will reinforce are approved, full-scale prototype fixtures the manufacturer becomes
the company’s brand image. They must also are built, tested on-site if possible, and the official basis for actual
agree on the materials that will be used to then modified as necessary. The accepted production, delivery schedule,
build the fixtures. When making this type prototype design is then sent to two or three and terms of payment.
of decision, it is critical to look at the total manufacturers for them to submit as a bid.

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 safety concern! 18 months or perimeter fixtures that
will be used for a number of years,
Check the prototype fixture for safety. Is proper selection is crucial.
it stable when filled with products? Are Purchasing store fixtures requires
there any sharp edges? Can the fixture be due diligence in selecting the best
moved easily to help protect associates from vendor for your company’s specific
back strain when resetting the floor? Large needs. Get to know your vendors
corporations often have a safety department strengths and weaknesses by working
that will inspect new fixtures. Records should with them closely. Then consider
be kept of their comments and suggestions, backup vendors for weak areas, such
along with their signed approvals. This will be as specialty fixturing or jobs that
helpful if accidents do happen. require different production levels or
materials.
box 4.2
Keep your competitive edge. Visit
trade shows like Global Shop to see
Selection of a manufacturer is a decision what’s new in the industry. It’s also
which should not be based solely on price. The a good idea to meet periodically
manufacturing plant and production staff must with your team of designers and
also be the right size, equipped to handle the manufacturers to brainstorm new
quantity of fixtures needed and able to meet a concepts and take advantage of new
very specific delivery schedule. This is especially materials and techniques that might
important to large retail organizations. give you a leg up on the competition.
Key considerations—as important as any
price quotation—are trust, communication, Guidelines for Custom Fixtures
reliability, and quality. This allows the retail • Design the style of the fixture to fit into the
team time to stay on top of the entire process existing store environment. For example,
and react accordingly should a manufacturer furniture fixtures from Milkmade (see Figure
run into production or delivery problems and 4.32) would not be appropriate for a store
not be able to fulfill the contract by the due like H&M (see Figure 4.33), which has a
date. The retailer must be kept up-to-date with decidedly modern environment.
progress reports. • Fabricate the fixture in materials and styles
Karen Doodeman, director for Shop! currently in use in the industry. The useful
(shopassociation.org) offers these insights and life span of custom fixtures is about eight
advice on the purchase of fixtures: years, after which they begin to look dated.
This span shrinks even more rapidly as
It’s no secret. There is a right way customers are continually exposed to newer
and a wrong way to purchase store concepts in competing retail environments.
fixtures, and the wrong choices can In other words, do not choose a look that
cost you a great deal of time and your competitors already have.
your company a lot of money. Store • Design the fixture to hold the type of
fixtures can represent as much as product that will be shown on the fixture.
60 percent or more of the cost of a Designers should test any design with the
new store or store remodel. Whether intended merchandise to avoid the need
the fixtures are part of a vendor shop for revisions after the fixture has been
program that may only last 12 to fabricated in its final form.

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 • Design the fixture to be compatible with view, availability of accessories adds value to
the type of hardware accessories already the store’s fashion presentations.
used by the store. Store designers must be The best location for an accessory
aware of the type and number of shelves, department is adjacent to fitting rooms, so
bins, crossbars, and face-outs that the store that sales associates can easily select a variety
already uses in day-to-day merchandising. It of coordinating accessory pieces for customers
can be very expensive and time consuming who are trying on clothes. This is simple to
to have to stock two sets of hardware for a accomplish in specialty stores, but department
store’s fixtures. stores typically have very large accessory areas
that may not be located on the same floor
Industry professional associations employ as clothing departments. If adjacency isn’t
a variety of ways to keep their members possible, department store sales associates in
aware of developing trends in the store- clothing departments should check accessory
fixturing industry. Shop! is a global nonprofit departments regularly to see what is in stock,
trade association dedicated to enhancing so they can suggest fashionable add-ons that
retail environments and experiences (see will complement garment purchases.
shopassociation.org). Shop! conducts research,
produces training programs, industry events Presentation Guidelines for Accessories
and conferences, including GlobalShop, the • Separate merchandise by end use. For
largest annual retail design and shopper example, earrings could be separated into
marketing show in the world. GlobalShop casual wear, career wear, and formal wear
features five pavilions—Store Fixtures, Visual categories. In Figure 4.36, all earrings shown
Merchandising, Store Design and Operations, are casual.
Digital Store, and At-Retail Marketplace— • Divide each accessory classification by
with hundreds of suppliers of materials and fabrication. Items in different fabrications
equipment for the entire retail environment (material used to make the product)
industry. should be presented on separate fixtures,
Shop! also administers PAVE (Planning if possible, or at least on different sides of
and Visual Education Partnership). This is an one fixture. For example, earrings could
organization dedicated to supporting students be placed on a triangular jewelry spinner
in the fields of retail design and planning and presenting two sides of wooden earrings
visual merchandising—particularly through and one side of shell earrings (Figure 4.36).
its annual Student Design Competition. PAVE • Divide the items by style within each
also seeks to encourage retail managers, fabrication. For example, wooden earrings
store planners, visual merchandisers, and on one side of an earring spinner could be
manufacturers to interact with and support assorted and presented by style—round
design students in a variety of relevant wooden earrings and square wooden
activities. earrings. Notice that the earrings are also
arranged from small styles to large styles
FIXTURING THE ACCESSORY (Figure 4.36).
D E PA R T M E N T • On a wall section, you might show canvas
There are many merchandise classifications in handbags on face-outs and assort them
fashion accessory departments—hats, jewelry, by style—shoulder bags and totes. These
scarves, belts, gloves, handbags, hosiery, socks, handbags would also be arranged from
and shoes. From a customer service point of small to large (Figure 4.37).

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 Figure 4.36 A countertop SIDE ONE Pastel Wooden Earrings
earring spinner. Notice
SIDE THREE Bright Shell Earrings
how the five following
presentation guidelines
are used: (1) group by SIDE TWO
end use; (2) group by Bright Wooden Earrings
ite
Wh
fabrication; (3) group by
style; (4) group by color;
ck
(5) arrange from small to
Bla
large. Yelena Safronova.
e
Blu
llow
Ye
d
Re

Figure 4.37 A mini-slatwall

presentation with canvas
handbags in bright and
neutral colors. Which
presentation guidelines
are followed here? Elaine
Wencl Art.

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 • Within each style, separate the items by exceptions to accessory
color group. Present a single color group on presentation guidelines
each side of a fixture (Figure 4.36). Bright
earrings are presented on two sides of the In reality, many situations limit how closely
jewelry spinner, pastels on another side. you’ll be able to follow the accessory
Now look at Figure 4.37. Bright and neutral presentation guidelines presented here.
color canvas bags are presented together In smaller shops, for example, store
in a wall area. Each section of wall should buyers may not purchase earrings in large
feature just one color group with neutrals; enough quantities for you to use a vertical
never mix two color groups like brights and colorization strategy. In that case, you could
pastels together on a section of the wall. work in horizontal rows—starting, for
• Within each color group, present the same example, on row 1 with three pairs of red
colors together vertically. Colors may also earrings, three pairs of yellow; then following
be arranged according to Roy G. Bv for all on row 2 with three pairs of blue earrings,
color groups, simply deleting colors that are and three pairs of purple.
not in stock at that time. Neutrals follow the Another guideline exception can occur
other color groups. In Figure 4.37, handbags when earrings purchased from different
are colorized vertically. Notice that the manufacturers arrive on earring cards in
neutral bags shown begin with black, and varying sizes and shapes. Mixing these cards
then move to gray. If there were white bags, on the same side of a fixture may make it
they would follow gray, so that the lightest appear to be disorganized. In that case, the
neutral would be at the end of the row. This display will be more effective if you separate
provides a more visually pleasing look. the earrings—first by type of card, and then
• Arrange all accessory items in straight rows, by end use, fabrication, style, and so on. (See
keeping items of similar length together Figure 4.38.)
(Figures 4.39 and 4.40). box 4.3

Figure 4.38 An earring

presentation on
countertop fixtures.
Notice how organized
the earrings appear in
the correct examples, as
opposed to the incorrect
examples, where different
styles of earring cards are
mixed. Elaine Wencl Art.

CORRECT CORRECT INCORRECT

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 Figure 4.39 A scarf
presentation on gridwall.
In the correct example,
scarves are presented with
the same lengths together
in each row. In the
incorrect example, scarf
lengths are mixed. Elaine
Wencl Art.

CORRECT INCORRECT

Figure 4.40 A necklace

presentation on acrylic
display boards on a mini-
slatwall. In the correct
example, necklace chains
are presented from short
to long lengths, with just
one length per row. In
the incorrect example,
necklace lengths are
mixed. Elaine Wencl Art.

CORRECT INCORRECT

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 Figure 4.41 A countertop
acrylic slant board with a
presentation of mix-and-
match earrings, neckwear,
and bracelets. Elaine
Wencl Art.

• Present accessories as sets whenever possible you can to create dynamic presentations that
(Figure 4.41). This teaches shoppers how to make shopping and selection easier for your
put accessories together in current fashion customers.
looks and encourages multiple purchases.
You can group and coordinate (a) hats, Presentation Guidelines
scarves, gloves, and handbags; (b) belts, for Accessory Showcases
scarves, and handbags; and (c) earrings, Accessory showcases are frequently used
necklaces, and bracelets. to secure accessory items with high shrink sell-down, also called
potential—smaller, more expensive items that sell-through, is a retail term
Accessory presentations must be maintained might tempt shoplifters. Showcases like these for the period during which
during sell-down. Ideally, there will be new are often locked or their openings face the an item or grouping is on the
items coming into the department at regular inside of a counter island staffed by a sales selling floor, from introduction
intervals during the season. In the meantime, associate. at full price through the
closely monitor sales activity and consolidate or Showcased products may be presented in markdown stage.
remerchandise frequently to keep the fixture several ways:
filled. See this as a professional challenge to
rethink and make broken assortments seem • Massed stock presentations of single
new again. Actually shifting items within classifications, such as a case showing only
the accessory area can give your regular exclusive watches
weekly shoppers the impression that you • Massed presentation of items or coordinated
have just brought new merchandise into the sets from a single designer (Monet jewelry
department. Follow the guidelines whenever or Ralph Lauren fragrances)

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 • General presentation of a variety of jewelry also rely on the basic design principles and
items from several vendors elements that you’d use in a larger display
• Display presentations featuring a few area—emphasis, balance, rhythm, and
selected items which are often propped or proportion (Figure 4.42). Can you identify the
signed. For example, as a promotion for specific design principles and elements that
a special event in the scarf department, are used in the illustration? Now take a look at
you might set up a selection of designer Figure 4.43 to see showcases placed at a variety
scarves paired with scarf pins. To tie the of different heights that employ the design
merchandise to the event, you might prop principle of contrast.
the display with a scattering of promotional
scarf-tying booklets the designer will be Open-Sell Accessory Fixtures
giving away at the event. Then you’d The most recent development in accessory
complete the display with a sign featuring fixturing is the trend toward open sell.
time and date plus the designer’s logo. Encouraging inspection while protecting
This type of presentation isn’t used very merchandise is a challenge for the coming
often since the value of showcase space has decade. Fixture manufacturers and retailers are
increased with the demand for productivity working together to devise fixtures that allow
from every square inch of store space. shoppers to inspect and try on accessory items
previously kept in secure cases, including items
Figure 4.42 A presentation Merchandising a showcase fixture should with high theft potential. The Swatch watch
of jewelry in a showcase; follow the basic presentation guidelines fixture features bands that are attached in
Tiffany & Co., Crystals at
already outlined in this chapter—separating only one place, allowing shoppers to actually
City Center, Las Vegas.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images products by end use, fabrication, style, and handle and try on watches without assistance
for Tiffany & Co. color. Showcase product presentation should (Figure 4.44).

Figure 4.43 High and low showcases create a

dramatic presentation in Chanel on Robertson
Boulevard in Los Angeles. WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 Figure 4.44 This open sell fixture of watches allows shoppers to slip their wrists under the watchbands without
actually removing the watches from the fixture. Judy Bell.

While most retailers agree that open sell is • Plastic (clear or colored) or metal earring
cost-effective in terms of lowered staffing costs spinners (two-, three-, or four-sided
and increased gross sales, they are concerned fixtures on variable-height pedestals that
that shrinkage rates will increase exponentially turn on ball bearings), eyeglass spinners,
as well. Nevertheless, they are facing the and so on
challenge and are continuing to experiment • Earring boards and necklace boards with
with creative solutions that will remove easel stands
“This concept [open
barriers between customers and merchandise. • Multi-armed necklace bars on pedestals, sell] provides clients
Some retailers place showcases back to two-bar necklace and bracelet stands, with a great deal of
back, with access from the front. The cases are and scarf stands experiential freedom in
locked, and the assistance of a sales associate • Hat stands making their selections.
The ability to let clients
is required, but the need to communicate from • Handbag stands
sample the product
behind a counter barrier is eliminated. • Shoe displayers
in an environment of
• Display baskets and trays in metal and clear quiet persuasion, which
Specialized Accessory Fixtures plastic fabrications balances beauty and
Accessory products are best presented on • Clear or colored plastic cubes and risers efficiency, and helps
specialized fixtures and display forms. To • Wall face-outs and pegs streamline the shopping
experience, is the driving
achieve enough visual mass and optical weight
force behind Sephora’s
to be seen from a distance, the smallest fixtures Virtually any countertop fixture can be
store designs.”
may be used inside glass cases or placed on enlarged or elongated to become a floor- Barbara Emerson,
jewelry countertops or shelves in wall areas. standing accessory fixture. The advantage vice president,
Some of the smaller styles of fixtures that are is being able to show more merchandise in store design, Sephora
available include: a limited amount of square footage on the

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 retail realities

There should never be a conflict between focus on merchandise and focus on fixtures or display devices. When everything

is working correctly, shoppers should always be more aware of the merchandise than the means of showing it. Store layout,

atmospherics, fixture designs, or displays should never be more powerful than the message of the store’s merchandise.
retail realities

Generally, the price of a fixture decreases as the number ordered increases.

retail realities

Retailers must also estimate tax, handling, and freight charges for fixtures to arrive at their destination. Manufacturers often

do not include these added expenses in their estimates unless requested to do so.
retail realities

Neglected fixtures with shopped assortments communicate to potential shoplifters that the store and its staff don’t care

what happens to their merchandise. The same is true of dusty, fingerprinted fixtures, shopworn or unticketed items, and so

on. These are exactly the kinds of indicators that prompt dishonest shoppers to look for opportunities to steal. If the store

doesn’t care, why should they?

selling floor rather than on a countertop. aisle space for people to pass between
The drawback to a selling floor filled with spinning fixtures without putting the fixtures
floor-standing fixtures is visual clutter. If in motion. Shopper-friendly floor layout is
too many free-standing spinners take over just as important as great-looking fixtures. If
an accessory department’s aisles, they may people leave a department because they feel
block sight lines to the rest of the accessory crowded and uncomfortable, they won’t buy
department. You must also allow adequate (Figure 4.45).

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 Figure 4.45 An artful accessory presentation with an open, easy-to-shop
experience; Tod’s, Northpark Center, Dallas. Centano / WWD / © Conde Nast.

“Retail Feng Shui: A Modern Approach to an Ancient Practice” by Linda Cahan,

Shoptalk  principal, Cahan & Company

Feng Shui is everywhere. Donna’s doing it, Martha’s thinking about it, Calvin has heard of it,
and you are either aware of it or wondering if it’s #10 on the take-out menu.

I learned about Feng Shui in 1991 from a friend who fire, earth, water, and metal; the correct placement of
looked at my visual design experience, added it up with objects in an interior space; and the balance of yin and
my metaphysical interests, and presented me with a yang. Not easy—but not as complicated as it sounds!
concept that’s been around for centuries—in China. When It all starts with energy. Energy must flow comfortably
I started reading about Feng Shui, I couldn’t stop. I realized in your store. Bad energy is when the energy is rushing
that all the work I’ve been doing has a name and a long down an aisle, through a store, into the back wall or out
history. Using the principles of Feng Shui in my work has the stockroom door. Bad energy is also trapped in L-shaped
strengthened my designs and added greater success to the areas, angled spaces, under stairwells, around columns, and
stores I’ve worked on over the years. It also makes sense— compressed under beams or architecturally lowered ceilings.
and that appeals to me the most! Energy flow is a basic component of creating positive Feng
Feng Shui translates to “wind” and “water” and Shui in your store. Of course, first on your energy flow list
is the ancient Chinese system of creating harmonious is a good HVAC system! An awareness of how energy flows
environments to achieve prosperity, balance, happiness, and requires looking at and sensing your store with an open
good health. mind and a fresh view.
This harmony is achieved through an awareness of To view your store with Feng Shui “eyes,” walk up to
energy flow; the balance of the natural elements of wood, your store and look into its eyes—the windows. What are

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 they saying to potential customers? Are they awake, alert, (the past, accumulation, messiness, and profit) or to the
clear, bright, and have strong focal points? Or, are they right (your future, the transformation from strangers into
dirty, clouded, unfocused, and confused? Your windows customers/friends)? The left side of the store is powerful for
tell the world who and what you are. In Feng Shui, these lower-priced or sale items, while the right side is the best
represent the soul of your store. place for powerful focal points and full-priced merchandise.
Next, stand at your entrance. There are seven exercises Feng Shui is a highly complicated study and only a
you can use to evaluate Feng Shui as you move through a sample of its ideas are discussed here. If you want to learn
store. Here is one of them: more about Feng Shui, there are some excellent books
Exercise #1 is to experience how you want to walk available by authors such as Sarah Rossbach, Denise Linn,
through the space. Do you move instinctively to your left William Spear, and many others. Good energy to you all!

DESIGN GALLERY: SONYA RYKIEL, NEW YORK

Sonia Rykiel was a French designer who began her career
in fashion as a window dresser. She is famous for the
design of her “poor boy” sweater, publicized world-wide
through Elle magazine in 1967. Her term “rykielism” is a
sociological and stylistic movement that in simple terms
is the freedom to be oneself.
Our Design Gallery features Sonia’s Madison Avenue
store in New York, which opened in 2016. The concept
was a collaboration of Sonia Rykiel’s artistic director Julie
de Libran; an artist, Andre Saraiva; and director-publisher
Thomas Lenthal. This US store joins a family of boutiques
in Paris, London, and Tokyo.
The two boutique rooms pictured here are an
excellent example of a minimal floor layout. A single red
table is the only fixture on the floor, with garments both
laid flat and rolled in a simple but tactile presentation.
Matching red mannequins from Patina-V contribute to
this cohesive and elegant statement. Flanking the walls
are hanging racks with product spaced 6 to 12 inches
apart to feature each item luxuriously. Inspired by
Paris’ literary cafes, bookshelves with more than 15,000
volumes of French literature add a residential component
that effectively warms up the environment. Notice the
role lighting plays, as you see highlights on product on
the table, along walls, and on mannequins. Every item is
beautifully lit and plays a starring role in this outstanding
store presentation. Go to soniarykiel.com and click on
“boutiques” to see another room from this Madison
Avenue store with a checked tile floor that reflects the Copyright WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com
design principle of contrast. [email protected] 1.646.827.2288.

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 Chapter 4 Review Questions Critical Thinking
1. List and define the various types of retail stores and Activity 1: Shopping for Fixtures:
name one store that is an example of each type (other An Adventure in Store Remodel
than those mentioned in the text). You have just been assigned as the new visual merchandiser
2. Define the different store layouts and give an example for remodels. Your company uses traditional fixtures such as
of each that is different from those found in the text. 4-ways, 2-ways, round racks, and mannequins. The remodel
3. Why does a grocery store have a racetrack layout? stores will not change the wall fixtures that are a traditional
How does this type of layout make shopping easier for white slate with silver-toned tubing.
consumers? For all remodel stores, your visual merchandising
4. What are trend areas? How do they differ from test manager is requesting that you select new styles by visiting
areas? Theoretically, when should a retailer use the several display fixture manufacturers’ or distributors’
shop area in a store? Internet sites. You have a lot of freedom but you must
5. How do basics differ from key items? What should choose a cohesive fixture group.
happen when these types of items go on clearance? As you research, select the ones you like best and
6. Explain the difference between capacity, feature, and describe the range of products available today. Try a site
signature retail store fixtures. If you are merchandising like A Virtual Display Mall (www.avdm.com) or search
several dozen different colors of sweatshirts, what the Internet for “retail store display fixtures.” You can
should you use and why? also find websites in current ads found in magazines like
7. How should round racks be merchandised? What is the design:retail, Shop! and vmsd (Visual Merchandising and
color methodology the authors discuss to successfully Store Design). Make sure you print all the pages you require
merchandise clothing on a round rack? and try to get prices for these fixtures when you can. All this
8. What sort of fixture would you use to merchandise the information will be needed for your report.
following items: bras, jeans, men’s dress shirts, and suit Now, using the instructions from Figure 4.46 (page 130),
separates? create a new planogram that correctly positions selling
9. What is a slatwall versus a gridwall? What would you fixtures in a workable free-flow traffic pattern that
find at a retailer like The Gap or Old Navy? accommodates the merchandise hung on the store’s
10. What are the guidelines used for accessory perimeter walls and the three mannequins in the store’s
presentation? Can you list them all? open window. There should be enough walking space
between fixtures so that shoppers will be able to move
Outside-the-Box Challenge between them and look at merchandise comfortably.
Signature Fixtures Once you have completed this you will be asked
LOOK to present your ideas to the merchandising and store
Visit five stores in a shopping mall and describe or sketch operations teams. Create a report by either photocopying
the fixtures in the store entrances. Try to find as many stores the pages of the book, cutting out the fixtures and placing
as possible with fixtures that are unique. them on the new planogram, and then scanning it into
a report; or, if you are capable, use a computer program
CO M PA R E to recreate the images. Your report should include your
Compare the fixtures. Which fixtures caught your eye? Were final recommendations, the fixtures you looked at for
there any that were so appealing you decided to shop in comparison shopping, and the final store layout. Report
the store? How were the fixtures signed? What did the signs your findings to your boss—in this case, your instructor.
say?

I N N O VAT E
How would you improve your favorite fixture?

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 Figure 4.46 Use with Activity 1. Elaine Wencl Art.

Back Bar to
Cashwrap
2- Round
Key 4-Way
Way Rack

Cashwrap Desk
Templates 1/4 inch = 1 foot

Use these templates

of common floor
fixtures (scale is 1/4
inch to 1 foot) in your
floor layout. There
may be more fixtures
here than you can use
in a correct layout.

• Plan one fixture for

every 100 square
feet on the blank
floor plan on page
131.

• Fixtures must be at
least 3 feet apart.

• Assume that the

perimeter walls are
merchandised and
that hanging
merchandise
extends 2 feet from
the walls. Add an
additional 3 feet to
allow for walking
space between wall
areas and the first
row of floor
fixtures.

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 Fitting Room Fitting Room
Office

Mannequins

Window
Entrance
1/4 inch = 1 foot

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 Activity 2: Opening a New Boutique: Case Study
Square Footage and Fixture Budget Designing a Signature Fixture for Accessories
Imagine that you have an opportunity to open a moderately T H E S I T U AT I O N
priced, contemporary women’s clothing shop in your Ken Sinclair owns both a bridal photography and consulting
neighborhood. Your space (a 30 × 30-foot selling floor) is business and a thriving floral business. He has leased the
in a thriving strip center that has excellent traffic every day main floor of a large, older building that once housed a
of the week. To get an idea of how big your space is, visit variety discount store in a picturesque Midwestern college
three stores in a mall that are different sizes: small, medium, town. Most of the ornate Main Street storefronts were
and large. Ask the store manager whether they can tell you built of red brick around 1900 with charming architectural
the square footage of the store. List the names of the stores features and flower boxes.
and their square footages. Doing this will help you to get Ken is pleased with the photo studio space his landlord
a sense of the square footage of your store and will be a allowed him to build-out at the rear of the shop, but
useful frame of reference. he was frustrated with the large open area that greets
The landlord is going to install slatwall all around the floral customers and photography clients when they enter
selling floor as part of the lease agreement. The front of his business. He thinks it is too open and lacks the more
the store is mostly glass. Think about the merchandise intimate atmosphere that he wants to create in order to
categories you would offer. With an opening fixture budget bridge his photography and bridal consulting space and his
of $10,000, what kind of fixtures for the floor and walls floral shop.
could you afford to buy for your store? (For ideas, refer Ken has an idea that he is certain will transform the front
to this chapter and to Activity 1 of these Critical Thinking of his business into a sales-generating area for the bridal
exercises.) accessory items that he is not displaying very effectively at
Report your findings by listing the type and number of the present. In addition to the usual picture frames and
fixtures you would purchase and their prices, and provide photo albums, he also sells guest books, toasting glasses,
images for each of them. In addition, discuss what you cake-toppers and cutters, ice buckets, centerpieces, vases,
might do for the wall. Are you able to create the store mirrors, cake cutters, unity candles, and small mementos for
you want on the budget that you have? Why or why not? members of bridal parties.
Discuss your report with your classmates and instructor. Ken thinks that a signature fixture could make a
statement about his two businesses, display the accessory
items in his inventory and encourage impulse shopping.
He envisions something eye-catching and original—a
supersized, multitier wedding cake!

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 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS YOUR CHALLENGE
1. Ken is obviously thinking outside the box. Is his idea Ken hires you as the designer for his signature fixture
a good one for his store long term? Explain why you concept. Proceed as follows:
agree or disagree with his thinking.
2. What might the wedding cake idea add to the • Search the Internet to see if such a fixture already exists
atmospherics in Ken’s store? or if there is currently a fixture that resembles a multitier
3. Would a fixture like the one Ken’s suggesting wedding cake.
differentiate his business from others? • Next, borrowing from images you find, sketch a
4. Do you visualize a traditional tiered and frosted cake prototype fixture that fits Ken’s specifications.
or something more abstract, just suggesting a wedding • Describe dimensions for both a floor-standing fixture and
cake? a fixture that might be placed on a large, round, skirted
5. Do you see this as an open-sell fixture? table.
6. What advantages would there be to placing such • Think of a way to cross-merchandise both of Ken’s
a fixture adjacent to Ken’s waiting area? What businesses and incorporate your ideas into the fixture
disadvantages? design. Show your ideas in the sketch.
• Present your ideas in your classroom setting or one-
on-one with your instructor playing Ken’s role. Explain
how your prototype will work and how it will benefit
both of Ken’s businesses as well as enhance the store’s
atmosphere and its image overall.

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 5 Fashion Apparel Wall Setups

Walls as Retail Selling Tools way-finding is a term

Walls are the largest selling tool and one of the most important fixtures in any retailer’s
used by architects to describe
overall selling strategy. Effective use of store walls as selling tools meets several visual
any tools that help customers
merchandising objectives. Well-designed walls capture shoppers’ attention as they enter
to “find their way” through
the retail space. Wall displays draw shoppers farther into the store, exposing them to as
a store. Signs positioned in
much merchandise as possible. Wall presentations communicate fashion information, and
highly visible areas—on walls
they encourage multiple purchases. Clearly, the more attractive merchandise shoppers see,
or hanging from the ceiling—
the higher the probability they will buy.
are examples of way-finding
Store walls act as way-finding tools, guiding shoppers to products they have come to
strategies.
see and buy. Walls serve as merchandise locators, reflecting product categories featured
on adjacent selling floors. To reinforce these important merchandising messages, retailers
often use appealing lifestyle graphics that offer both product category and trend
direction—even when viewed from a distance. “Walls create different
Graphic elements must be large enough and be placed high enough on walls to be experiences in retail
visible from store entrances and aisles. If the arrangement of selling floor fixtures provides spaces and help
communicate what you
clear sight lines leading up to the walls, effective wall signage will inform shoppers about
want your consumers
the categories of merchandise featured on the walls below and in areas nearby. Wall
to see.”
signage is particularly useful to call out brand, size, gender, or a category of merchandise. Tony Mancini,
In addition to attracting shopper attention and moving people through the store, Chief Executive Officer,
walls form the retail background. Walls reinforce store brand image through the strategic Global Visual Group
choice of interesting textured surfaces, paint colors, and wall coverings.

AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

• Explain the importance of wall presentations as selling tools

• Analyze the impact of walls on customer traffic patterns and sales
• Create dramatic wall presentations using a variety of fixtures, signs, visual props, and
mannequin alternatives

Figure 5.0 Red-framed, lighted walls filled with products in a variety of textures. El Palacio de Hierro Polanco,
Mexico. Design Firm: TPG Architecture / Photographer: Alec Zaballero. 135

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 Architecturally, perimeter walls (outer are very important in department stores. They
walls) define the store’s overall shape and may be built to meet the ceiling, or may rise
support its basic construction. Perimeter walls only part way. Because of their large size,
are commonly divided and then merchandised whatever their construction or location, walls
by sections, generally ranging in size from generally provide visual merchandisers with
4 to 20 feet (depending on the type of opportunities to create some of the most
store). Inside the store space, strategically dramatic presentations in the store.
placed interior walls guide traffic, separate
merchandising departments, and increase the Walls as Destinations
merchandiser’s ability to present products. If merchandise is presented effectively on
These interior structures (sometimes called the walls of a store, the walls will become
T-walls or divider walls) are also useful in destinations. Store planners can design traffic
defining and separating specific selling spaces patterns that move shoppers toward the
and enclosing fitting rooms, restrooms, store’s side and back walls—as opposed to
offices, and storage areas. Because they can leading them directly down an aisle (traffic
be merchandised on both sides, interior walls lane) or stopping them in the front third of
the selling space. Dispersing traffic into selling
departments and drawing shoppers toward
merchandised walls offers several strategic
retail realities

As a profit-minded retailer, your goal is to make the most effective advantages that will have a positive impact
on sales:
use of every square foot of your store. Using store walls—from floor

to ceiling—to communicate with shoppers will make profitable use of

• Shoppers will be exposed to and inspect
every cubic foot (length × width × height).
more merchandise.
• Once out of main traffic patterns, shoppers
are more likely to spend time browsing
through the store’s entire merchandise
assortment.
retail realities

• Once they’ve made their way to see the

Merchandisers frequently overlook back-to-front merchandising
merchandise on the walls, customers will
opportunities. Stand with your back to a selling department’s wall and return to the main aisles through the
develop merchandising strategies for shoppers who are returning to departments they have already visited. On
the main aisles after visiting merchandise arrayed on the walls. that return trip, they will see merchandise
housed on the back side of floor fixtures.

Walls as Store Fixtures

Since walls are the tallest store fixtures, visual
retail realities

merchandisers should be concerned with the

Anything that frustrates shoppers risks sending them away height of the topmost shelves and displays.
disappointed and empty-handed. If your store must shelve duplicate While they want shoppers to see merchandise
on the walls, they should not encourage
products overhead on the selling floor, every size and style must be
them to reach above their heads to pull down
readily accessible on the fixtures below.
products. Safety and service must always be the
prime considerations.

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 Stocking shelves several tiers high and then and measuring tapes all the time, but they
signage them with directions to seek help can carry other tools just in case they’re needed.
provide opportunities for sales associates to Visual merchandisers will use their basic
work with shoppers and develop additional tools—themes, art principles, and elements of
sales. Of course, that tactic implies that sales design—for every wall they set up. Other tools,
assistance is going to be readily available. like wall fixtures, mannequin alternatives,
If that is not the case, visual merchandisers props, and lighting techniques will be used on
must be certain that shelved merchandise is an as-needed basis. What follows is a discussion
accessible to most customers. of the way each of these tools contributes
You may prefer that a shelf of sweater to the development of wall presentations
styles on bust forms is not accessible to that sell.
shoppers. Perhaps you’ve placed them there
strictly for display. You will need to ask these WA L L D I V I D E R S
questions: “Is there adequate selling stock The primary function of wall dividers is
of the displayed sweaters shelved below the separating a long wall into shorter, clearly
display? Are those sweaters easy to reach? defined sections. Dividers may be permanent,
Are they sized?” If not, adjust the shelves to like architectural columns, or semipermanent
a height that the average customer can reach like painted walls or textured wall coverings.
and add sizing to channels on shelf edges, or Nonpermanent dividers, like outriggers and
apply sizing stickers directly to the front folds detachable panels for displaying coordinated
of the sweaters. outfits, may be repositioned as merchandise
Some retailers claim to be self-service stores, categories expand and contract. Whatever
but they routinely place products out of reach, the style, these sections can effectively create
undermining their intent. Other store chains departments or shops within a store and,
place waterfall face-outs on walls featuring combined with directional signage, make
selling stock of sweaters and tops well over it easy for customers to quickly locate the
10 feet from the floor. Rather than providing products they want to see.
the service of sales associates to assist shoppers, Look at Figure 5.1. The yellow-gold
they place 5-foot extension poles in a few painted back wall creates a focal point in an
locations around the store. Typically the poles expansive wall. In this example, the retailer has
are difficult to locate because they quickly merchandised one color story—yellow, black,
become hidden among the merchandise on and white—across the entire back wall. As an
garment rods or face-outs after shoppers have alternative, the divided wall makes it possible
used them. Think twice before employing to create three separate color and fashion
this selling technique—it is not without its statements if desired.
drawbacks. The materials used for dividers and wall
surfaces can shape the store’s atmospherics outriggers are
The Visual Merchandising and enhance its physical image. For example, decorative or functional
Tool Kit galvanized metal outrigger panels could be elements mounted to a wall at
Visual merchandisers have a multitude of very appropriate wall enhancements for the right angles in order to define,
tools to work with as they create exciting wall sports apparel store—clean and spare. Polished separate, and frame categories
presentations. Like most craftspeople, they may oak panels with ornate moldings would add of merchandise presented on
not use every tool at their disposal for each elegance to an upscale specialty store’s image shelves or display fixtures.
task they do. Carpenters may use hammers and create a more intimate mood.

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 Figure 5.1 The center section of this wall is
painted yellow, which is an effective way
to divide a long wall. SoCa, Costa Mesa,
California. Boye / WWD / © Conde Nast.

Many times stores that were not initially Compare the two wall presentations in
To retrofit is to add designed with dividers will be retrofit with Figure 5.2. Which presentation do you think
architectural features, fixtures, these elements to break up wall space. is stronger? In the correct example, three
or other elements after the Whenever dividers are installed, it is important sections of casual merchandise presented under
original structure is completed. to select materials that fit both store brand a single architectural band make a dramatic
image and merchandise. If the materials are fashion statement. In the incorrect example,
A soffit is a long ledge, not compatible, the designer sends a confusing the combination of casual and formal wear
permanent arch, or box message to shoppers. shown under the same band results in a wall
reaching down from a store’s Architectural soffit treatments—long ledges, presentation that would be confusing to a
ceiling to its top shelves or permanent arches, or shadow boxes reaching shopper.
usable wall space. It is often down from a store’s ceiling to its top shelves
used to mask non-decorative or usable wall space—can limit merchandising D E C O R AT I V E L I G H T I N G
(functional) lighting fixtures flexibility. If the soffit treatment is an arch FIXTURES
that serve to illuminate stretching out over several wall sections in a Decorative lighting fixtures are an excellent
merchandise displayed on store, the best practice is to treat the entire way to add warmth, interest, and personality
store walls. area under it as one section. Even though an to wall treatments. Basically atmospheric in
arch doesn’t reach the floor, it communicates a nature, decorative lighting should not be
shop-like feeling to that area. the only method of lighting used. There are

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 Figure 5.2 Wall
presentations under a
single soffit. In the correct
example, only casual
merchandise is presented,
which makes one fashion
statement. In the incorrect
example, the combination
of formal wear with
casual merchandise results
in a confusing message.
Elaine Wencl Art.

CORRECT

INCORRECT

decorative fixtures to fit any store’s image. LIGHTING TECHNIQUES

They can add warmth to the cooler, fluorescent F O R WA L L S
tones of general lighting in large retail spaces Merchandised walls are lit separately from
and highlight fashion colors without distortion. the store’s overall illumination. An ideal
They may range from small-scale feminine store design will set track lighting into the
fixtures, with beaded or fabric lamp shades, to ceiling 5 or 6 feet away from a merchandised
industrial photography fixtures and high-tech wall. The goal is accent lighting that
theater lights. highlights merchandise on a department’s

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 wall fixture tool kit SELECTING FIXTURES FOR
1. Face-outs: straight arms
WA L L P R E S E N TAT I O N S
2. Face-outs: waterfalls Imagine this retail wallscape: Two rows of
3. Garment rods ten waterfalls, with neutral-colored linen
4. Product shelves jackets, for a span of 20 feet. Monotonous.
5. Bins
Now imagine this one: a 12-foot wall featuring
6. Display shelves
the same linen jackets hanging shoulder-out
box 5.1 on 12 feet of garment rod. At a 1-inch per
garment fill rate, that would amount to 144
shoulders and right sleeves in a row—with no
perimeter walls. A combination of general relief in sight. Bland wall treatments like these
(floodlight) and specific (spotlight) lamps do not make effective use of any of the selling
gives merchandisers flexibility to vary visual opportunities that walls provide.
presentations. When the store’s initial Fortunately, visual merchandisers have
construction does not include track lighting for a much more interesting set of tools to
perimeter walls, accent lighting fixtures can enhance their stores’ wallscapes. A variety
augment the general lighting plan. of wall system fixtures, graphics, props, and
Accent lighting is, by definition, more mannequin alternatives combined with artistic
dramatic than general store illumination. It elements like balance, line, and color can
is meant to set displayed merchandise apart create tremendous visual interest and product
in visual “hot spots,” according to Greg appeal. Compare the wall setups in Figure 5.3.
Gorman’s Visual Merchandising and Store There are many kinds of wall fixtures. Every
Design Workbook. He says that accent lighting issue of the visual merchandising industry’s
provides focus, orientation, and visual impact trade magazines is filled with ads showing
supporting merchandise presentation: “Accent the latest wall fixture offerings. Fixture
A pegwall system has lighting allows specific areas on the walls and manufacturers’ catalogs show dozens of
backer panels with a gridwork sales floor to stand out from the rest of the merchandise-specific fixtures and presentation
of holes into which pegwall general illumination. When used properly, it accessories for slatwall, gridwall, and pegwall
hooks and other specialty can control traffic flow through a space.” systems. These systems, designed by the
fixtures may be inserted. Typically merchandisers set floodlights to manufacturer to work together with a variety
illuminate products on walls with general of coordinating accessory fixtures, provide
lighting and then use adjustable spotlights to retailers with a great degree of flexibility while
accent merchandise displayed on mannequins maintaining a uniform appearance. The key
and forms or shown with props. In Chapter 9, to creating interesting wall presentations is
you’ll learn more about lighting techniques, using these elements in multiples. To create an
practices, and strategies. interesting wall presentation, you should select
at least two or three different types of fixtures.
(See the wall fixture tool kit in Box 5.1.)
retail realities

The term story underlines the merchandiser’s role as communicator.

SELECTING MERCHANDISE
Telling a merchandise story communicates the retailer’s trend
F O R WA L L P R E S E N TAT I O N S
awareness, marketing expertise, and fashion leadership. A color story As you prepare to set up a new wall section,
highlights a color that is important to current fashion. A fabric story your first step will be to survey the entire
might introduce a new textile product. selection of stock within the department. In
the same way that you select merchandise for

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 Figure 5.3 Fashion apparel
wall presentations. In
the correct example,
GRAPHIC GRAPHIC merchandise is faced out,
shoulder hung, shelved,
and displayed, creating an
interesting presentation
that will attract shoppers.
In the incorrect example,
all merchandise is faced
out, resulting in a
monotonous presentation.
Elaine Wencl Art.

CORRECT

GRAPHIC GRAPHIC GRAPHIC GRAPHIC

INCORRECT

a single fixture, use the technique of sorting choose only one of these stories for the section.
merchandise by end use, fabrication, style, and This effective practice makes selection easier
color. Choose a single end use, or story, for the for shoppers because it provides a variety of
wall section you are merchandising. Do not coordinated pieces to mix and match. Another
combine different end-use items on one wall example of two separate fashion stories is a
section. group of active summer shorts and T-shirts
If a fashion department’s stock consists of and a collection of summer sun dresses. Even
a new career story of feminine silk blouses though the product in both assortments is
and linen skirts, plus another career story of worn in the summer, the active shorts and tees
jackets and skirts with a menswear fabrication, could be worn for a workout, while sundresses

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 Figure 5.4 The wall presentation in the correct example (top) features colors from one color group, brights, combined with
neutral colors for a harmonious arrangement. (Refer to Figure 3.6 to see seven color groups.) In the incorrect example (bottom)
the wall presentation features colors from two color groups, brights and pastels. The pastel pink shirt does not fit in with the
array of bright shirts. Judy Bell.

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 could be worn for a casual dinner. Because merchandise that also has high visual impact.
the products’ end uses are different, the two You could colorblock an entire wall section
categories should be presented in different with a Roy G. Bv assortment of basic polo
wall sections. shirts to communicate that your store not only
If the product you’ve chosen to highlight believes in the fashionability of the polo shirt,
on the wall is available in shades from several but it also has one to coordinate with virtually
different color groups, choose only one color every pair of casual pants in a shopper’s
colorways are the
assorted colors or groups of
group per wall section (Figure 5.4). If you wardrobe (Figure 5.5).
colors a manufacturer has
are setting up a major wall presentation of
chosen for its line of fashion
clothing that comes in several colors (also U S I N G B A L A N C E I N WA L L
products. A manufacturer’s
called colorways), you might want to select P R E S E N TAT I O N S
representative might tell a
the bright colors for the wall. If you can’t fit When you set up a wall section, the
store buyer that a polished
all the bright fashions in the wall section, you arrangement of merchandise and fixtures
cotton skirt comes in three
could present them on a floor fixture directly must be artfully balanced to create a pleasing
different colorways: jewel
in front of the wall. Any remaining items or composition and a natural sense of order
tones, pastels, and earth tones.
accessories that don’t fit into the color-keyed while offering ease of selection to shoppers.
sections could be pulled together on floor In Chapter 3, you learned about formal
fixtures nearby. This wall strategy creates a and informal balance. Choose just one type
silent salesperson to help shoppers easily find a of balance for each wall section. Look at
variety of coordinated clothing items. Figures 5.6 through 5.9 for examples of
Another way to create a dramatic wall formal and informal balance. Compare the
presentation is to create blocks of color four presentations to see how effectively
by employing repetition. This technique balance has been used to create interest and
requires large quantities of a single style of differentiation.

Figure 5.5 A wall presentation with dramatic impact achieved by color repetition. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 Figure 5.6 Formal balance creates a dynamic presentation in this 2016 Shop! Store of the Year Award winner: Under Armour Brand House,
Chicago, designed by Big Red Rooster. Photo Magda Biernat, Design Big Red Rooster and A+I.

Figure 5.7 A wall presentation of men’s shoes using formal balance; Adora, Phillipines. Lam / WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 Figure 5.8 Informal balance is employed throughout wall areas to feature a variety of shirts, ties, belts, and jackets; El Palacio de Hierro Polanco,
Mexico City. Design Firm: Gensler / Photographer: Paúl Rivera.

Figure 5.9 A wall presentation of handbags and boots demonstrating informal balance in Tommy Hilfiger, Rue St. Honoré, Paris.
Chomel / WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 safety concern! highlighting the latest colors, product styles,
and fashion designs. They can communicate
When placing mannequins on wall shelving lifestyle information by showing how garments
units, make certain that every precaution is are to be worn in real-life settings. Any number
taken so that they will not pose any safety of sizes and shapes of graphics can be mounted
hazards. Check that shelf brackets are strong at various heights on upper walls to tell
enough to hold the weight of the mannequin. important merchandise stories. This is another
Next, you may need to run a length of wire practice that makes full use of the store’s cubic
around the mannequin’s waist (under the footage, thus increasing productivity.
garments) and attach it to a wall standard or For wall signs to be effective, they must
a short bracket for added security. All your be legible from a distance. As a designer, you
safety mechanisms must be entirely invisible must consider what you want the shopper’s
to the customer. experience to be. Do you want incoming
shoppers to see the signs immediately? Do you
box 5.2
want shoppers to be able to see them from the
opposite side of the store or just from the main
SIGNAGE AND GRAPHICS aisle? The best way to determine ideal locations
I N WA L L P R E S E N TAT I O N S for ceiling and soffit signs is to test them inside
In Why We Buy, author Paco Underhill says the store. Use your own eyes and then the eyes
that the addition of signs to a store’s interior of others. Try tall and short people, try young
means that it is no longer a store. “It’s a people and older people, and try people who
three dimensional TV commercial. It’s a walk- wear glasses and people who don’t. Ask them
in container for words and thoughts and to tell you what they can see. Ask them to
messages and ideas. People step inside this read your sign copy to you. Are the signs and
container,” he says, “and it tells them things. If graphics appropriately sized? Are they easy to
everything’s working right, the things they are read? Are photos crisp, clear, and easy to view
told will grab their attention and induce them from a distance? Are their meanings clear?
to look and shop and buy and maybe return In addition to printed signs and
another day to shop and buy some more.” In photographs, departmental signs can be made
his discussion of signs, Underhill emphasizes of multidimensional materials like wood,
that you “can’t waste a chance to tell shoppers plastic, foam, fabric, or neon. Foam lettering is
something you want them to know.” light, inexpensive, and can be custom-sculpted
If sight lines are uncluttered, shoppers will or die-cut into virtually any type font from
see most of the store’s upper walls—all the Arial to Zelda. Neon lettering is probably the
more reason to use them to draw shoppers most expensive to produce, but it may be
into the departments they border. Large signs particularly useful in drawing attention to back
employed on the upper reaches of department walls or hidden areas. Lighted graphic boxes
walls can identify department locations, can make photographic transparencies pop to
express seasonal themes, call out gender the point that the art seems almost animated.
or brands for merchandise below, or draw Larger signs and graphic posters employing
attention to special product features. bold, uncomplicated symbols, pictures, and
Poster- to billboard-sized photographs print styles work best for upper walls because
can replace mannequins, showing models in they can be read more easily from a distance by
fashionable, coordinated outfits. They can most shoppers. Print messages in general must
update shoppers with trend information by be very brief. Shoppers will usually not take the

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 time to read lengthy sign copy. Chapter 8 has Figure 5.10 A wall presentation with vases, a mannequin form,
more detailed information on signs in general and a framed lifestyle graphic; Ann Taylor, Chicago. Judy Bell.
and specific signage strategies. Also look again
at Figure 5.6 to see the impact of effective wall
graphics.

Mannequins and Mannequin Alternatives

in Wall Presentations
Choose mannequins or mannequin alternatives
that best fit the image of the merchandise
selected for the wall section. If you plan to
feature junior fashions on a wall, a mannequin
alternative that appeals to the junior customer
might be a wire form with neck, shoulders,
waist, and hips that can wear a top and
bottom. For swimsuits, you might consider
a neon-colored plastic form. Whatever you
choose, all display materials should be used
consistently. For example, traditional wooden

retail realities
display hangers should not be combined
with brushed metal mannequin alternatives.
“Prop-happy” visual merchandisers who use too many props fail to
A brushed metal display hanger would be a
better choice here. focus attention on the merchandise. Shoppers should never wonder:

You might also put a full-scale junior “What’s for sale, merchandise or props?”
mannequin on a floor platform against a wall,
or you might place a seated mannequin on a
large shelf unit bracketed to a merchandised
wall section. Since the figure would wear the store. For example, a basket of flowers could
same styles that are shown in depth on the be an appropriate prop choice for a wall
wall, shoppers would see for themselves how featuring tops in floral print fabrics.
the coordinated garments look on a figure. When considering props, remember that
However, you’d certainly want to check your the “less is more” rule applies to props for
store’s guidelines to see if this is an acceptable wall displays. Use no more than two props
display practice, since mannequins are per wall section (plus a sign) or the wall will
generally presented as lead-ins to departments appear busy. Imagine you are setting up a props (stage properties)
rather than featured in wall areas. wall featuring off-white crepe georgette tops, are items or objects other
skirts, and jackets. An understated shelf setup than painted scenery and
VISUAL MERCHANDISING might consist of a framed print of calla lilies actors’ costumes that are
P R O P S I N WA L L propped against an ivory-toned vase of silk used on a stage set. The term
P R E S E N TAT I O N S calla lilies. has migrated to the visual
A well-chosen prop can be the element that Props may include a wide range of items, vocabulary to mean decorative
separates great merchandise presentations but those used most commonly today are live items or objects other than
from those that are mediocre. However, props flowers, silk flowers, framed prints, vases, merchandise and signs used in
must fit the image of the product that is being antique objects, original art, and gift boxes a display.
presented as well as the brand image of the with the company logo (Figure 5.10).

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 Guidelines for Wall Setups touch the floor. Not only would this be an
Specifics may vary among retailers, but what unappealing look from a housekeeping
follows represents current best practices for point of view, it could also result in
wall setups across the industry: shopworn items. At the same time, if you
hang pants too high on a wall, you will
1. Merchandise tops above bottoms. This is eliminate the opportunity to merchandise
how garments are worn, so a top-above- a top above them. Effective displays
bottom presentation will seem natural to of tops and bottoms result in multiple
the shopper. A possible exception to this sales for retailers and offer value-added
guideline applies to children’s or young purchases to customers (Figure 5.12).
juniors’ fashions where you can achieve a 3. Position waterfalls, straight arms, and
playful look by hanging bottoms over tops, garment rods so you can see at least
as shown in Figure 5.11. This practice is 5 inches of space between tops and
also useful when bottoms have trimmings, bottoms (Figure 5.13). Too much space
oversized pockets, or other special between garments will make the wall look
features. Although this presentation may understocked and may result in garments
be appealing for children’s or juniors’ being positioned too high on the wall, out
fashions, it would be inappropriate for of shoppers’ reach.
adult fashions. 4. Feature coordinated tops and bottoms on
2. Hang pants so that the pant leg hem every wall section. A wall section featuring
is about 3 inches from the floor. only T-shirts does not encourage multiple
Merchandise should never be allowed to sales. Since the goal of presentation is to

Figure 5.11 A junior

department wall
presentation where
attention is drawn to
unusual pocketed pants
by hanging them above
jackets. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 3”
FLOOR
CORRECT

12”

FLOOR
INCORRECT

Figure 5.12 A fashion apparel wall presentation of casual tops and pants. In the correct example, pant hems hang
approximately 3 inches from the floor. In the incorrect example, the pant hems are 12 inches from the floor. Not only
does this appear unnatural, but also there is not enough room to hang tops above pants, and valuable selling space is
wasted. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 Figure 5.13 A fashion
apparel wall presentation
of women’s suits. In the
correct example, there is
about 5 inches of space
between jackets and
skirts. In the incorrect
example, there is about
15 inches of space, which
appears unnatural. Elaine
Wencl Art.
5”

CORRECT

15”

INCORRECT

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 increase sales, visual merchandisers must 7. Present just one style and one color of an
take every opportunity to show customers item per face-out. Featuring a single color “Who says art and culture
complete outfits. Adding related per face-out results in a clean, easy-to- can’t be part of the
accessories like hats, scarves, handbags, shop presentation. shopping experience—
when blended carefully
and shoes will further enhance wall 8. Keep the average customer’s height in
they can both enhance
presentations and support even greater mind when positioning menswear items a presentation and
sales opportunities. In an occasional on a wall. Don’t assume that men are taller add value.”
exception, a wall may be used to feature than women or that they will be able to Ignaz Gorischek, vice
all tops, as shown in Figure 5.5, if large reach merchandise hung higher on walls. president of architecture,
quantities of product are available. Hanging a long-tailed shirt or sweater CallisonRTKL

5. Hang garments with similar sleeve lengths above hanging pants will put the shirt out
together on garment rods for a cleaner of comfortable reach for either gender.
and more appealing presentation. Varying Unless there are selling associates available
sleeve lengths can be presented together to assist shoppers, a better strategy would
on less visible floor fixtures if necessary. be to shelve folded shirts or sweaters over
(See Figure 5.14.) the hanging pants (Figure 5.15).
6. Keep bottom styles separated. Do not 9. Do not size products on garment rods in
mix pant, skirt, or shorts styles on the walls with sizing rings. Sizing products
same garment rod. Mixing styles confuses mixes colors and patterns together, and
shoppers who are looking for their sizes the merchandise will look as if it has been
within a particular style. For example, marked down for clearance. Since products
mixing pants with cuffs and pants without stocked on store walls are viewed from
cuffs on the same garment rod is not a distances, items should be merchandised
good practice—nor is mixing pants with for maximum visual impact—first pulled
and without belts. together by end use and fabrication, next

Figure 5.14 A wall

presentation of sweaters.
An appealing, easy-to-
shop presentation is
achieved in the correct
example, where sweaters
with the same sleeve
lengths are presented.
In the incorrect example,
sleeve lengths are mixed,
resulting in a confusing
presentation. Elaine
Wencl Art.

CORRECT INCORRECT

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 Figure 5.15 A menswear
wall presentation, where
T-shirts are folded on
shelves over pants rather
than shoulder-hung, so
that they are easy for
the average customer to
reach. Elaine Wencl Art.

Figure 5.16 In this

women’s apparel wall arranged by style, and then colorized by
presentation, one style Roy G. Bv. Size from left to right without
of pants is presented.
sizing rings (Figure 5.16).
The pants are colorized
from light to dark and An exception to this guideline is when
then sized within each there are large quantities of the same style
color without sizing rings.
and color of product—a 4-foot section of
Elaine Wencl Art.
khaki pants, for example. Then sizing rings
may be used, working from left to right
and from small to large.
10. Hangers should be hooked over bars and
rods in the direction that makes them
easiest for shoppers to remove. Since most
people are right-handed, hangers should
be hung so that they can be removed from
the right, or lifted toward the shopper
(Figure 5.17).
Figure 5.17 Hangers are
hooked over this waterfall
so that they may be
FOLDING TECHNIQUES FOR
removed from the right, S H E LV E D P R O D U C T S
since most shoppers are When you shop stores that feature folded
right-handed. Elaine
product on tables and walls, you’ll notice that
Wencl Art.
each one has a characteristic presentation style.

Sweaters and Shirts

Fold sweaters or shirts on shelves in a
consistent manner. There are a number of
folding techniques, but just one technique
should be implemented in any one wall area.
Most stores have chosen a uniform folding style
and have made it a company-wide standard.

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 Two of the more common techniques are it easier to remove the board after the folding
illustrated in Figures 5.18 and 5.19. Directions process is completed. The following steps will
for creating folding boards to ensure that help you construct a folding board in proper
all items are folded in the same dimensions dimensions for any size shelving (Figures 5.20
follow. The vertical arm fold is best for light- to and 5.21).
medium-weight sweaters, and the horizontal Step One: Measure the depth of the shelf.
arm fold works well with heavy, hand-knit style Subtract 2 inches from this figure to obtain
sweaters. the vertical length of the folding board. By
subtracting, you allow for the variance in
Folding Boards thickness of fabrics. A shelf that is 14 inches
You will need a folding board to implement deep requires a folding board that is 12 inches
either of these techniques. Diagrams of the deep.
folding technique can be screen-printed or Step Two: Measure the length of the shelf.
mounted on the board to reinforce storewide Divide the length by the number of stacks
uniformity. Folding boards may be made of to be presented on the shelf, allowing 1 to
styrene, Fome-Cor®, Plexiglas, or any art board 2 inches of space between each product stack
with a smooth finish. The smooth finish makes and also at each end of the shelf.

Figure 5.18 The vertical

This narrow fold allows arm-folding technique.

space for four stacks of Elaine Wencl Art.
sweaters on a 48” shelf.

48” SHELF

Folding Folding
12”

Board Sleeve Board

Sleeve
BACK

FRONT Board
11”
Sweater Sweater Sweater
BACK BACK BACK

1. Lay sweater flat with sweater 2. Fold left sleeve over board. 3. Fold sleeve down vertically
back up and arms outstretched. so that the sleeve BACK is up.
Center folding board at top
of sweater back.

Sweater
FRONT

Board Board

Sweater
BACK

4. Repeat with right sleeve. 5. Fold bottom half of sweater 6. Flip sweater over and remove
up over folded sleeves. folding board.

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 Figure 5.19 The horizontal
arm-folding technique.
Elaine Wencl Art. This wide fold allows
space for only two
stacks on a 48” shelf.

48” SHELF

Folding

12”
Board
21” Board

Sweater Sweater
BACK BACK

1. Lay sweater flat with sweater 2. Fold each sleeve in.

back up and arms outstretched.
Center folding board at top
of sweater back.

Sweater Sweater
BACK FRONT

3. Fold bottom half of sweater 4. Filp seater over and remove

up over folded sleeves. folding board.

Figure 5.20 Spacing on E

PAC E
a 14- × 48-inch shelf for 1” S PAC
14” 1” S PAC
E
E
the vertical arm-folding
1” S PAC E
1” S PAC
technique. Five 1-inch 1” S
spaces are allowed for
separating sweater stacks
and at the edges of the
48”
shelf. Elaine Wencl Art.

Figure 5.21 Spacing on a

E
PAC
14- × 48-inch shelf for the
2” S E
PAC
horizontal arm-folding 14” 2” S E
PAC
technique. Three 2-inch 2” S
spaces are allowed for
separating sweater stacks
and at the edges of the
shelf. Elaine Wencl Art. 48”

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 Vertical Arm Folding Board Wall Planograms planograms are
Example: A shelf that is 48 inches long by The planogram, or illustrated layout of
drawings that show how
14 inches deep will hold four stacks. The products, is a chain store’s best method of
merchandise and selling
vertical arm-folding board will be 11 inches ensuring visual quality. Created and distributed
fixtures should be placed
wide and 12 inches deep. The calculation from company headquarters, well-drawn or
on selling floors, walls,
follows: photographed planograms guide merchandisers
freestanding displays, and
to present fashion uniformly. Planograms
window displays. They are
1. Folding board depth is 12 inches (14 inches facilitate consistent fashion messages in all of
planning tools that make
minus 2 inches for fabric thickness). the company’s stores no matter where they
it possible to communicate
2. Folding board width is 11 inches, as are located. A good corporate planogram
consistent store layout and
follows: From the 48 inches in the shelf can be an efficient long-distance teaching
décor directives to multiple
length deduct 5 inches (three 1-inch tool, as well. Many corporate organizations
locations, thereby creating a
spaces between the four stacks + 1 inch maintain in-house model stores/studios where
strong identity for the retailer.
at each end of the shelf). new planograms can be executed, digitally
This gives you 43 inches of available space. photographed, and easily transmitted via the
Divide 43 by 4 (43/4 = 10.75) and round Internet to update stores with lightning speed.
the number to 11 inches. In fact, this practice has become so common
that major vendors are now maintaining sales
Horizontal Arm Folding Board representative offices near their large clients’
Example: A shelf that is 48 inches long by corporate headquarters so the reps can assist
14 inches deep will hold two stacks. The in the planogram setups as part of their own
horizontal arm folding board will be 21 inches customer service programs. The five basic
wide and 12 inches deep. The calculation planograms presented in Figures 5.23 through
follows: 5.27 illustrate ideal examples of artistic balance
and coordinated selling strategies.
1. Folding board depth is 12 inches (14 inches Just as many people keep journals to remind
minus 2 inches for fabric thickness). themselves of important life experiences, visual
2. Folding board width is 21 inches, as merchandisers often keep physical records of
follows: From the 48-inch shelf length memorable in-store presentations or display
deduct 6 inches (one 2-inch space between windows they’ve created. There are several
items + 2 inches of space at each end of excellent reasons to get into this habit:
the shelf).
This gives you 42 inches of available space. • In a field where you are rewarded for
Divide 42 inches by 2 (42/2 = 21). innovation, a record of previous efforts
Note: If 21 inches is too wide for the can spur you to create new looks, new
sweater, simply add more space at the merchandise treatments.
shelf edges and between sweaters. • Planograms are meaningful portfolio pieces “Plan and then leave
for job-seekers who need to demonstrate yourself open for
discovery.”
Jeans and Pants the depth of their retail experience.
Arnold Newman,
Jeans and pants presented on shelves should • Employers look for people who can do
photographer known
be folded in a consistent manner. Proper more than carry out planograms. They for his environmental
folding techniques will give a higher-quality look for people who can design them and portraiture of
look to the product. Figure 5.22 illustrates one communicate standards for competitive celebrity figures
commonly used folding technique. presentation to others.

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 Fold in. Jean
cuff
must
line up
with
bottom
of
pocket.

3.

1. 2.

Label

5. Fold bottom up to 6. Flip jean to show

waistband. brand label.

4.

Figure 5.22 A folding technique for jeans. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 Figure 5.23 A 20-foot wall
planogram presenting
GRAPHIC GRAPHIC GRAPHIC women’s sweaters, pants,
and handbags. Elaine
Wencl Art.

Figure 5.24 A 20-foot wall

planogram presenting
GRAPHIC GRAPHIC GRAPHIC GRAPHIC
women’s sweatshirts and
pants with props: tulips in
GRAPHIC planters. Elaine Wencl Art.

Figure 5.25 A 16-foot wall

planogram presenting
women’s T-shirts and
shorts. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 Figure 5.26 A 16-foot wall
planogram presenting GRAPHIC
girls’ cardigans, pants,
backpacks, and shoes for
a back-to-school theme.
Elaine Wencl Art.

Figure 5.27 A 16-foot wall

planogram presenting
shorts and T-shirts with
GRAPHIC GRAPHIC
a soccer theme. Elaine
Wencl Art.

it on paper. Later on, hours of practice plus

retail realities

familiarity with store guidelines will allow you

Wall planograms look best when face-outs and shoulder hangings
to draw planograms without actually setting
are combined. As product sells down, shoulder-hung areas may be
up the display on a wall.
temporarily converted to face-outs until more product arrives or there

is time to reset the entire wall. Creating Wall Planograms

By following the simple steps listed in this
section, you’ll be able to formulate your own
planograms for any fashion merchandise wall:
Working a planogram and creating a
planogram are two kinds of applied, or 1. Choose a fashion grouping with the same
hands-on, experiences. Starting out, you’ll end use, fabrication, style, and color story.
probably need to go through the motions of 2. Start your composition with a blank wall
actually setting up each wall before sketching section. Remove all previous fixtures, such

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 safety concern!

When you set up a wall presentation, you will

be using a variety of wall fixtures, like straight
arms, garment rods, brackets, and shelves.
As you work, it is a good practice to place
all fixtures in a cart rather than on the floor
where shoppers or store associates may trip
over them. Some retail stores have designed
carts specifically for storing and holding
fixtures. If a cart is not available, lay fixtures
on the floor as close to the wall as possible, so
COOL WARM COOL that they are out of traffic aisles.

Figure 5.28 A wall presentation using a cool–warm–cool box 5.3

color arrangement. Elaine Wencl Art.

as straight arms and flat bars from the wall

section.
3. Gather one piece of each item from the
creating a wall setup
merchandise you have selected. If you 1. Clear wall of previous fixtures and
are going to set up a manufacturer’s merchandise.
2. Choose a fashion story based on end use,
coordinate grouping, you might pull one
fabrication, style, and color.
hanger with each blouse, knit top, skirt, 3. Select single items from the fashion story. Hook
pant, sweater, vest, or jacket from the hangers temporarily into wall standards.
coordinate group. 4. Arrange product in a balanced composition,
4. Rather than installing hardware at this using a Roy G. Bv, a warm–cool–warm, or cool–
warm–cool arrangement.
stage, hook the hangers temporarily
5. Work props or signs into the composition.
onto the wall standard or gridwall in a 6. Observe, evaluate, and reset if necessary.
balanced setup. Use the Roy G. Bv color 7. Sketch a planogram.
chart as you work out the composition, or 8. Replace preliminary merchandise items with
appropriate fixtures.
use a warm to cool color technique. For
9. Fill fixtures with merchandise according to
example, arrange colors in a cool–warm–
completed planogram.
cool or warm–cool–warm configuration 10. Secure any signage, graphics, or props.
(Figure 5.28).
box 5.4
5. Add props, graphics, signs, or mannequin
alternatives if they are appropriate
enhancements to the merchandise. suggested formats, consider reworking
Strive for balanced optical weight, good the wall.
proportions, interesting lines, and so on. 7. Once you are satisfied with your
6. Step back and evaluate the composition composition plan, sketch a planogram
of the new wall section. Review that shows placement of each item.
the planogram examples and wall 8. Remove the preliminary single units of
presentation guidelines offered earlier merchandise from the wall and install the
in this chapter. If you deviated from the correct fixtures in their places.

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 9. Replace the initial coordinate pieces and Software for Store Layouts
fill in behind them with the remaining and Fixtures
stock in that style and color. Arrange from Planograms can be developed by filling walls
smallest size in front to the largest at the and fixtures with actual product, as we just
back of the straight arm or waterfall. discussed, or computer software can make the
10. Make note of any signage, graphic, or job easier. There are many systems available,
prop specifications for this presentation on but we’ll focus on two that are widely used
the planogram form. This becomes your by educators and retailers today: Mockshop
historical record. Your wall planogram can and CAD (Computer-Aided Drafting). Both
then be easily replicated if headquarters systems provide a way to create planograms
sends it to other stores. This record by arranging drawings of products in different
will also prevent you from duplicating configurations. Fixtures like face-outs, shelves,
something you’ve done before, or it will and hangrods can be interchanged and
help you do it again if you choose to products can be easily shifted to test a variety
repeat a successful presentation. of color sequences.

Figure 5.29 A planogram built with Mockshop. Courtesy of Visual Retailing BV.

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 Figure 5.30 A planogram built with CAD. Roberto Rengel.

In addition to reducing costs of handmade impressive wall presentations, you should also
planograms, which is especially important understand the location of the three most
in department stores and specialty chains, important walls within a store. Standing at the
these guidelines ensure that nothing will store entrance, the walls in your immediate
be lost in translation, providing consistent range of vision will be the back wall of the
brand identity. Stores may vary in size and are store, and any walls visible at angles to your
sometimes even graded A, B, and C, according left and right (Figure 5.31). These are the
to the population in the store location, priority walls where you’ll want to create the
and these systems make it easy to produce most excitement in the store. In addition to
multiple versions of each planogram. The presenting masses of appealing merchandise
information can also be readily communicated on a variety of wall fixtures, priority walls are
to all stores and quickly changed as new the perfect place to employ communication
product arrives. devices like neon signs, graphic light boxes,
plasma or laser screens, and interactive kiosks.
Priority Wall Areas Priority walls have the potential to become
Now that you have a basic understanding of virtual people-magnets, attracting shoppers to
all of the tools that are available for creating enter and move throughout the store.

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 Priority Wall

Sight Line
Priority Wall

Priority Wall
Sig
ht Line
Lin ht
e Sig
You
Are
Here

Entrance

Figure 5.31 Priority walls on a specialty store floor layout. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 DESIGN GALLERY: EL PALACIO DE HIERRO
El Palacio de Hierro, Mexico City, is the most prestigious
department store in Mexico, with core values of loyalty,
service, integrity, and innovation. Comparable to
luxury department stores like Harrods, Neiman Marcus,
and Saks, it caters to high-end shoppers with many
VIP shopping services. It features over one hundred
boutiques with many exclusive brands, including its own
private label. Over 600,000 square feet, this flagship
store is the largest fashion and luxury space in Latin
America.
Nested tables brushed in bright red color lead into
a branded Catamaran Shop for boys. Framed in neon
light, the fixture effectively draws attention to the
variety of jackets, shirts, and vests displayed on shelves,
face-outs, and hangrods. It is easy to see the advantage
of using a variety of fixtures, including outriggers,
for added interest. Shelves are used to present folded
sweatshirts and rolled denim jeans, and also to display
other products of interest to boys—a robot, game, and
football—encouraging a stop at other departments in
the store. Imagine this wall without the red frames and
lighting. What would it lose in customer appeal? Design Firm: TPG Architecture / Photographer: Alec Zaballero.

“Opportunities in Wall Areas of a Store” by Tony Mancini, Chief Executive

Shoptalk  Officer at Global Visual Group

Walls of a store conjure up a lot of passionate discussion among many people within retail
organizations, and usually there are two different schools of thought. Some people think
they are important, and others don’t believe in them at all! What would an environment be
without walls? A spaceless, nondefined area with no focus at all.

Walls create different experiences in retail spaces and help with way-finding, or be back-lit. It all depends on
help communicate what you want your consumers to see. what you, as a retailer, want to communicate about
They can define an area, make a space intimate, or draw your business.
your eye into long narrow areas that seem miles away. The most important component is flexibility. We are
Walls don’t always have to be chock-full of merchandise, striving for the seamless blend of architecture; lighting;
either, as they can communicate brand or presentation, composition; and presentation of merchandise, graphics,

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 and signage. We communicate a lifestyle. It’s also important I always look at stores in the fourth dimension. That is, I
to think about how you segment product and stores as to look beyond the obvious to imagine all elements holistically
not confuse consumers about what you want them to focus and how they interface, instead of interfere, with one
on. Defining the intentions up front during design is critical another.
to the outcome. Equally important to walls are the floor- A retail environment creates a sense of experience, a
fixturing systems that are usually in front of them. If you place of believability, that you want your consumers to feel
create fixtures that block walls, suddenly the importance of great about as they differentiate between your brand and
that wall is compromised. someone else’s.

CO M PA R E
Chapter 5 Review Questions In which store would you rather shop? Explain why.
1. Why is it useful for a merchandiser to divide perimeter
walls into sections? I N N O VAT E
2. Why is it useful for a merchandiser to divide the store How would you use innovation in the wall presentations
with interior walls? that you observed in each store?
3. What impact does balance have on the effect of wall
setups? Critical Thinking
4. When is it permissible to treat separates as if they are Activity 1: Store Analysis
part of a coordinate group on a wall? Visit your favorite clothing store. If the store is a
5. Why is it necessary to feature both tops and bottoms in department store, choose your favorite department.
each wall section?
6. Describe why it makes retail sense to show accessories 1. What types of wall fixtures are used?
on a wall with a coordinate grouping. 2. What types of architectural dividers are used on the
7. Name three merchandising strategies that are walls?
supported by dispersing traffic throughout a store and 3. Is there a special ceiling or soffit treatment that creates
drawing customers to a department’s back walls. shops? Describe it.
8. When is a consistent or systematic approach to wall 4. Are visual merchandising mannequins, mannequin
treatments especially useful to a visual merchandiser? alternatives, or props used on the walls? Describe them.
5. What types of decorative lighting devices are used to
Outside-the-Box Challenge focus attention on the walls?
Comparison Shopping—Store Walls 6. What types of signs are used? Where are they located
LOOK on the wall?
Visit similar store types that cater to a comparable target 7. Does the store make use of graphics on the walls?
market. Look at a merchandised wall section in each store. Describe them and tell who the target shopper
Take a photo or do a quick sketch of each wall to help you might be.
make comparisons later. 8. How do all of the above features contribute to the
store’s image?
1. Does the wall section tell a single story based on end 9. Did any of the things you’ve observed in the wall
use, fabrication, and style? What is it? treatments detract from a consistent store image?
2. Does the wall section tell a single color story? What is it?
3. Is the wall section artfully balanced? What type of Activity 2: Hands-on Planograms
balance is used? Use Figure 5.32 to create your own planograms.

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 GRAPHIC GRAPHIC

Top of Wall
4’ 4’ 4’ 4’

Figure 5.32 Use with Activity 2. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 don’t think adding props will help.” She then adds, “I don’t
Case Study sell props, I sell clothes.”
Merchandising Walls Effectively The outcome of this job for Karen will affect Judy’s
Judy Evenson has just started her own visual merchandising future business. She knows that she is working with a store
business as an independent contractor in a Chicago manager who is uncertain about her (Judy’s) abilities and
suburb. There are a number of other visual merchandisers is likely to feel threatened by any negative comments on
marketing similar businesses, and the competition is intense. her present display efforts. To make it even more difficult,
To differentiate her business from those of her competitors, Judy sees nothing on hand, not even a sign, to enhance any
Judy advertises her expertise in creating exciting wall presentation she does right now.
presentations. As a part of her marketing strategy, she has Concerned that Karen is missing multiple sales by showing
arranged to speak at a monthly mall meeting for a group tops without coordinating bottoms and accessories, Judy
of suburban mall store managers. Judy shows slides of takes Karen on a tour of competing stores in the mall. As
wall presentations she has created at other malls, and she they walk, Judy points out the number of complete outfits
offers a few basic tips to the managers in her audience. She presented in those stores. They actually count the number of
collects business cards from the managers for a drawing outfits displayed per store as they walk the mall. One of the
that awards a free wall setup to the winner. Karen Solimar stores with considerable shopper traffic features 25 outfits.
is a winner at one of these drawings. Judy makes note of Karen’s favorite presentations and
Karen, the winning manager, is from a store that carries when they return to her store, Judy uses these ideas in
both women’s executive clothing and workday casual addition to some of her own and sketches a few options for
apparel, in a moderate price range. After talking to her, the wall presentation.
Judy learns that Karen not only owns the store, but also They decide to present a workday casual theme on the
purchases all of its merchandise. Even though Karen is wall because that group has the most coordinating pieces,
excited to have Judy reset one of the walls in her store, with a large number of natural tones. In the center of the
she seems a bit uncertain about the outcome. Karen is wall, Judy arranges coordinating scarves on one shelf, and
accustomed to doing all of the presentation work herself handbags on the shelf below. She balances the wall with
and, frankly, she thinks she’s very good at it. complete outfits faced out on either side of the shelf. Judy
Judy senses Karen’s hesitation. Judy knows she must adds another shelf over the scarves and handbags, and asks
satisfy Karen because the success of this job is critical in Karen if she could bring in five inexpensive flower vases from
developing future visual merchandising accounts in the her own prop collection to place on the shelf. Karen agrees,
mall. She must find a way to gain Karen’s confidence and and they schedule a time to meet at the mall’s floral store
her enthusiastic support. They agree to meet in Karen’s where, together, they choose a simple arrangement for each
store on the following Monday. vase—a single gerber daisy and a few stems of beargrass for
When Judy analyzes Karen’s current wall setups, she finds each vase. Once they are arranged on the wall, Judy adjusts
that several critical visual elements are missing from the the lighting to enhance the entire wall presentation.
displays and that Karen is not using any of the techniques Karen is visibly excited about the outcome. Judy suggests
presented in the recent workshop. In Judy’s opinion, Karen’s that Karen have her staff track the number of pieces sold
current wall treatment, featuring only tops, is colorless and in each sale, now that the wall features complete outfits.
monotonous. Furthermore, some of the displayed tops are She also offers to write up a proposal with several phases
suitable for executive wear and some are clearly casual— to get the entire store in shape. Karen agrees to consider it.
sending a mixed end-use message to shoppers. On the drive home, Judy congratulates herself for handling
Judy notices that Karen has used no props or mannequin a potentially sticky situation and makes a mental note
alternatives to enhance the wall or any of her other to check back with Karen in a few days to see how sales
presentations in the store. When she asks about them, are going. Judy is confident that Karen is going to see a
Karen tells her that she doesn’t think props are important. tangible improvement in sales . . . and that she is going to
“If the merchandise doesn’t speak for itself,” Karen says, “I land that contract to update the rest of Karen’s store.

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 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS YOUR CHALLENGE
1. In order to grow her business, what else can Judy do to • Sketch a planogram that represents your version of the
market her business to the people who did not win the strategies that Judy should put to work in Karen’s store.
free setup? This will be the new future of Karen’s store, so be careful
2. Was Judy’s approach to solving Karen’s problem with what you decide. If you need a technical boost,
effective? What else might you recommend to Judy to page through the text for planogram elements that you
do in the future when she has trouble? can reproduce for this project.
3. When should Judy follow up with Karen with her new • Choose a color story for the wall presentation you’ve just
proposal for the store? read about and add it to the planogram.

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 6 Fashion Apparel and Accessory Coordination

Fashion customers depend on their favorite retailers to have the newest merchandise—in
the right colors, fabrics, sizes, and prices. They also expect merchandise to be grouped
together by the activity for which it will be worn. When the selling floor is set and the
fixtures are filled with trend-right apparel, you may think that the only thing missing is a
store filled with shoppers—but there is some very important unfinished business.
How will shoppers begin to visualize themselves wearing the garments they find on the
department’s racks and hangers? Who will help them pull entire outfits together before
they enter fitting rooms? Who will advise them about accessories? Visual merchandisers!
Shoppers rely on visual merchandisers to bring garments and accessories together in
ready-to-buy fashion looks. With that in mind, what is the final step to preparing the store
for business? Silent selling, of course! Displays showing distinctive fashion looks accessorized
with taste and style enable the merchandise to practically sell itself—in multiple units. This “Style is a way to say
retail tactic offers value-added and highly visual services that shoppers really appreciate— who you are without
fashion know-how, wardrobing guidance, time-saving tips, and simplified shopping. having to speak.”
Rachel Zoe, American
Fashion coordination takes place in every fashion department—on mannequins, forms,
designer, businesswoman,
and display hangers—wherever there are opportunities to bring apparel and accessories
and writer
together for shoppers’ benefit. Some visual merchandisers call these coordinated
presentations outfits, some call them capsules or costumes, some use the term display
coordinates, some call them trend looks. The terminology isn’t nearly as important as the
net effect—bringing clothing, accessories, and shoppers together.
Like display techniques, fashion savvy can be learned. By following the guidelines in
this chapter and practicing until outfit coordination seems like second nature, you’ll soon
become an expert visual merchandiser, even ready to train less-experienced associates.
New associates often add their own creative fashion touches which can lead to some
amazing fashion faux pas. You’ll need tact and expertise to explain the importance of the
end-use concept plus the other strategies that you’ll learn in this chapter. Assure yourself
that you can learn effective fashion coordination and presentation techniques—and that
you will be able to also teach them to others.

AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

• Coordinate fashions by end use, fabrication, style, and color

• Dress a display hanger with a coordinated outfit
• Identify resources to expand your knowledge of current fashion trends

Figure 6.0 Beautifully coordinated accessories take center stage in this lavish and intricately patterned
window setting. Dolce & Gabbana, Hong Kong. WindowsWear Photo. Copyright WindowsWear PRO
http://pro.windowswear.com [email protected] 1.646.827.2288. 169

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 Selecting Merchandise a weekday outing? Would a shopper wear
for Display these garments and accessories to a dinner
While the fashion coordination guidelines in a fine restaurant or for a quick snack in a
in this chapter may lead you to believe that neighborhood café?” Here’s the rule: whether
you have a great deal of freedom about what the nature of an event is casual or formal,
to select for display, many choices may have fashion garments and all of their accessories
already been made for you. A large percentage must be end-use appropriate. Shoppers are
of today’s merchandise arrives at the store depending on you for advice and fashion
already organized in coordinated groupings leadership.
by manufacturers. In addition, when buyers Department stores usually do not mix
from department stores and specialty chains apparel that is designed to be worn for
return from the market, they work closely different occasions in the same selling area.
with the advertising department to plan and Most fashion departments are separate
schedule fashion ads, department activities, entities with architectural features like divider
and fashion events around their purchases. walls and varying floor coverings to make
A fashion editorial Visual merchandising directors commit window their physical separations distinct. Generally,
is a display in a strategic space, in-store fashion editorial space, and department store associates must remain in
location within a store; it departmental feature presentations to specific their assigned selling areas and are not free to
reflects a retailer’s support items. Selling department merchandisers or carry items from one department to another—
for merchandise and trends managers allocate wall and feature fixture especially from floor to floor. Items with
in the form of a strong space to new arrivals. They develop floor different end uses are therefore less likely to
fashion statement. Editorials plans to accommodate them. Planograms be paired up in an outfit in a department store.
are always positioned in may arrive from central headquarters, and In specialty stores, departments are often
high-traffic areas like store your coordination responsibilities may include adjacent—without many formal boundaries.
entrances, department carrying out these predetermined plans. It is much easier to carry items between
entrances, escalator platforms, Store buyers also purchase unrelated areas while coordinating the elements of a
main aisles, and at the ends separates. This is your opportunity to set fashion purchase—and it is also much easier
of aisles on sight lines. Other walls and fixtures with apparel that hasn’t for a fashion faux pas to occur. Even though
names used by retailers for already been prescribed by a single vendor, sales associates may be familiar with the
these locations include strike- or whose coordination has not been dictated merchandise in their own areas, they may not
points, hot zones, focals, and by a single designer. Learning to coordinate be aware of trend directions in other selling
interior windows. outfits by end use, fabrication, style, and color areas (Figure 6.1).
will give you the tools you need to increase
faux pas is a phrase from your own coordinating skills and a method to Coordinating by Fabrication
the French meaning “false teach others. Outfits must be coordinated with fabrications
step”—an error in fashion that complement each other. One way to
judgment or a mistake in Coordinating by End Use determine this is to think about whether
coordination technique. Just as fashion apparel is separated by end they are intended for the same end use. A
use on walls and fixtures and within selling lightweight gauze shirt would work well
departments, each coordinated outfit you put with a linen suit if the shirt is a dressier style.
together in a department will be composed If it has a colorful embroidered folk-trim, it
with end use in mind. might be better paired with a casual pant or
Begin by asking: “Will all of the items I’m jean. Another way to learn about how fabrics
coordinating for this display be worn to work are coordinated is to look at the outfits that
on a designated business casual day or for are displayed in your favorite stores. Next,

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 Figure 6.1 A fashion faux
pas occurs when garments
with two different end
uses, casual and business,
are combined in the same
outfit. Fairchild Books.

INCORRECT CORRECT CORRECT

casual polo shirt/career suit casual shirt/casual jean career suit/career blouse

to expand your range of knowledge about alternative, match it with the appropriate
fabrication blending, look at the outfits in trend pant. Accompanying accessories should
stores where you do not normally shop. also enhance the single theme (Figure 6.2).

Coordinating by Style Coordinating by Color

Fashion apparel can be divided into two After determining end use, fabrication, and
distinct style categories: classic looks and trend style of an outfit, you must consider a color.
looks. When you put fashion merchandise If you are pulling together an outfit from a
together for display on a wall hanger or manufacturer’s coordinated grouping, your
selling-floor fixture, your choices should job will be easy. Manufacturers have already
reflect just one of these categories. If you planned an assortment of pieces like shirts,
are featuring a classic polo shirt on a face- jackets, sweaters, vests, skirts, and pants
out, match it with classic casual pants. If you fabricated from dyed-to-match fabrics and
are featuring a trendy shirt on a mannequin yarns or paired with carefully selected woven

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 Figure 6.2 A fashion
faux pas is created when
garments with two
different styles, classic
and trendy, are combined
in the same outfit.
Fairchild Books.

INCORRECT CORRECT CORRECT

trendy trouser/ trendy trouser/ classic trouser/
classic dress shirt trendy shirt classic polo shirt

and printed patterns. Your work is virtually wine would not work together, even though
done for you. they are both shades of red.
Creating a coordinated look from unrelated This is also true for accessories. If you want
separates is more challenging. You may find to accessorize a mannequin with gold earrings,
it helpful to refer to the color wheels in the necklace you choose could be a gold chain
Figure 3.3. Another approach might be to or colored beads mixed with tiny gold chain
choose garments based on the color groupings links. You would not want to choose a silver
in Figure 3.6. chain. If the earrings feature a combination
Pay close attention to the third step— of gold and silver, however, you could select a
A pivot piece is the repetition. Colors that are repeated must gold or silver chain necklace—or use multiples
dominant item in a fashion match! Mismatched colors stand out and distort of each.
story in that it dictates the an overall color scheme. If you are looking Figure 6.3 shows how easily garments may
direction (end use, fabrication, for pants to coordinate with a multicolored be color-coordinated by using the design
style, and color) for all sweater featuring tints of pastel pink, pastel element of repetition. The colored shirt in the
subsequent pieces used in a blue, and off-white, the coordinating pant large figure is used as a pivot piece for the
coordinated outfit. must also be off-white. White pants would be entire outfit. The color in the shirt is repeated
inappropriate, in the same way that red and in the earrings and bracelet.

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 Figure 6.3 It is easy to coordinate an outfit by repeating the color in a pivot piece. The
repetition of colors creates rhythm as your eye moves around the garment pieces and
accessories (large figure). An outfit may also combine both bright and pastel colors (top
figure). Two monochromatic outfits show the use of two shades of a color (middle and
bottom figures). Fairchild Books.

Bright sweater,
pastel tank,
pastel bracelet.

Repeat red color of shirt in

earrings and bracelet.

Repeat brown color of

belt in shoes.
Monochromatic –––
two shades of salmon.

Monochromatic –––
two shades of blue.

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 how to color-coordinate companion, Color: Messages & Meanings. A
fashion looks PANTONE® Color Resource. These books can
help you make effective, unique, and credible
Step 1: Select just one color group (or color
color choices. Based on research and filled
intensity) for any one outfit. (Use the color
with hundreds of color combinations and
groups in Figure 3.6.)
illustrations, Leatrice Eiseman’s books provide
Step 2: Add neutral color(s) in additional
insights to ensure your intended message is
garments or accessories if you wish.
communicated. The essential guidelines and
Step 3: Repeat some or all of the colors in
illustrations can be applied to so many of
additional garments or accessories.
your projects: branding, packaging, signage,
box 6.1 point-of-purchase, displays, advertising, logos,
websites, and more.

C O L O R C O O R D I N AT I N G W I T H
A DVA N C E D CO LO R THE BASIC COLOR WHEELS
C O O R D I N AT I N G The basic color wheels in Figure 3.3 offer
The color coordination techniques explained endless possibilities for color coordinating.
thus far require that all colors combined have When working with bold combinations like
the same intensity. For example, pastel pink bright purple and yellow, it is more pleasing to
can be paired with another pastel like green, use one of the two as an accent, rather than in
for an aesthetically pleasing combination. equal amounts. Too much bold color can make
To create an unusual outfit, you can give an outfit more appropriate for the stage than
the color theory a twist by combining colors the street.
from different groups. This is seldom seen On the opposite end of the color
in fashion stores, because it is a little more combination spectrum, monochromatic
difficult to accomplish, but it is a fun way to schemes are different values of the same color.
differentiate products that are almost identical More retailers have begun offering this type
in various stores. of color choice. However, monochromatics are
First choose colors from two separate not yet widely presented by retailers. It may
groups. For example: take a trip to several departments in a store
to pull all of the pieces together for a single
• Pastel green tank monochromatic outfit. This added effort will
• Bright violet cotton sweater allow you to offer your customers a unique
outfit that they won’t see everywhere they go.
Then repeat the colors in accessories like a Your expertise will draw them back again and
bracelet. Complete the outfit with shorts and again. Experiment with all of the color wheels
shoes in a neutral color (Figure 6.3, top right and make note of your favorite combinations.
figure). Getting the color combinations just right will
Simple repetition of core colors is the take practice, but it is a highly valued skill
key to making this technique work, but it when mastered.
must be combined with a sense of taste
and style. Leatrice Eisman, a recognized SEASONAL COLOR SCHEMES
American color expert, is the author of nine When you’re coordinating outfits, it is best to
books on color, including the PANTONE© avoid color combinations that are associated
Guide to Communicating with Color and its with holidays. For one thing, these color

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 combinations are clichés—done and overdone Figure 6.4 Notice how
large and small patterns
until there’s no doubt about the season they
are combined in these two
represent. What holiday do you think of when examples. The dominant
you see bright red and green clothing? How colors in both garments
must match to achieve a
about an orange and black outfit? What image
well-coordinated fashion
do you see in your mind’s eye when you see look. Fairchild Books.
lavender, yellow, and pink combined? Retail-
oriented Americans will probably think of
Christmas, Halloween, and Easter. Shoppers
are not likely to purchase outfits in these color
combinations; especially red with green and
orange with black. Even though associating
color combinations with a holiday may seem
like a fun approach, your major emphasis
should be focused on fashion. To do otherwise
may waste effort and valuable selling space on
outfits that will never sell.
An exception to the rule would be if your
company purchased novelty seasonal items;
for example, holiday sweatshirts with green
CORRECT CORRECT
Christmas trees and red ornaments. In that case,
select a neutral bottom and let the patterned
sweatshirt be the dominant piece in the outfit. a more conservative version of your look. The
choice is theirs. Your job is to create attention-
Coordinating Patterned getting, fashion-forward visual presentations
Pieces that shoppers can edit.
Fabric patterns come in all shapes and sizes—
from large buffalo checks to plaids to tiny Coordinating Brand Names
herringbone tweeds. The easiest way to Many fashion apparel items have prominent
coordinate different patterns within one outfit brand names embroidered or stamped on
is to combine one small pattern with one them. It is best to feature only one brand name
large pattern. As a rule, the dominant colors per outfit. A Tommy Hilfiger T-shirt might
in both patterns should match. You could coordinate with a Nike jacket and Patagonia
blend a medium stripe with a small floral print shorts when you consider the end use,
or combine tiny checks with a large abstract fabrication, style, and color criteria mentioned
figure, provided that the main color schemes of earlier. The question is, should you display all
both patterns are compatible (Figure 6.4). of those brand names and logos together in
You may have heard that stripes and prints one outfit? Never. You do not want to promote
should never be mixed. Visual merchandising is a fragmented brand identity to shoppers who
about interpreting fashion trends and creating depend on your fashion direction.
a fashion image for your store. If designers are
mixing their patterns, you may certainly do the Coordinating by Trend
same. Shoppers will notice what you’ve put Fashion trends often seem contrary to the
together—and may opt to purchase exactly guidelines you’ve just learned. You might think
what you’ve coordinated or decide to go with that bright purple and pastel pink should never

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 be combined in an outfit, but an emerging to hang a coordinated outfit because the
trend shown in the media may dictate use of waistline of the bottom will be three inches
that very combination. Media-driven fashion below the shoulder—hardly a fashion look!
trends frequently break rules and override Display hangers are sometimes used as
accepted guidelines. solo presentations in wall displays and are
We’ve said that fashion items with different often featured as the front items on waterfall
end uses should never be combined. That’s the and straight-arm fixtures. The hanger should
rule. Here comes the exception: A fashion trend always emphasize the items featured on that
may combine items with different end uses to particular wall section or fixture. In fact, that’s
achieve an innovative look. One season’s hot the entire purpose of composing an outfit on
trend might involve taking a dressier top—a a hanger—to give shoppers an idea about how
black angora sweater with iridescent buttons, garments will look when pulled together as an
for example—and pairing it with denim jeans. outfit. Why try to sell only one item when you
Forward-looking fashionistas would call this can just as easily sell two or more?
dressing down. A more conservative customer The following steps will guide you through
might disregard the edgy new trend, pair the process of dressing a display hanger.
the identical sweater with a slim crepe skirt,
wear it to dinner in a fine restaurant, and call Step One
it dressing up. That’s the great thing about Select an outfit from the fixture on which the
fashion. Customers can do whatever they like display hanger will be placed. Use only the
with their purchases. However, if the prevailing items that are on the fixture.
trend pairs the sweater and jeans, present it As you select the items for your outfit, do
this way in the store. not add layers of clothing that would not
realistically be worn together. Even though
Dressing a Coordinate two colors of polo shirts would brighten up an
Display Hanger outfit, customers won’t buy two polo shirts and
Most retail stores have invested in special wear them at the same time. Attention-getting
hangers for displaying coordinated tops and devices are effective in a store window or on a
bottoms together as one unit. The hanger high-ledge display but should not be used for
functions as a mannequin alternative and is an outfit hanger on the selling floor.
dressed as if it were a human torso. It may
be a simple flat wire hanger or a decorative Step Two
hanger with the retailer’s name imprinted on Dress the display hanger. If you are showing a
it, or it may even include a molded chest or pant, fold it over the pant bar on the hanger.
bust form. Hangers may have conventional If you are showing a skirt or short, you may
hooks or custom hooks (a loop of cable wire wish to tuck in the top in order to show the
for example) that will easily fit over a face- waist of the bottom. If there are belt loops,
out. Some may come with hooks that are add a belt. Belt loops should not remain empty.
compatible with a store’s slatwall, gridwall, It is important for you to show a completely
or other wall systems. A display hanger finished look to your customers and also to take
for coordinates, on the other hand, has an advantage of the opportunity for multiple sales.
extension that holds a bar for draping a pair
of pants or clips that will hold skirts or shorts Step Three
where a person’s normal waistline would be. Steam the outfit with a professional steamer to
Do not use a coordinate hanger from stock remove wrinkles. Display garments must always

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 be steamed. Follow the instructions on the safety concern!
steamer to fill and preheat the unit. Hang the
display hanger fully dressed, on the steamer All steaming techniques must be done with
hook. extreme caution; the steam is very hot.
Glide the steamer gently over the fabric.
box 6.2
You may also prefer to reach inside the
garment and pull the steamer head against
the fabric. The steam will come through the Step Four
garment toward you and the pressure you Place the display hanger with the steamed
exert from behind the fabric may help you outfit on the display hook provided on the
get better results. For stubborn wrinkles, tug fixture, or, if there is none, face it out on a
on the bottom hem of the garment to gently straight arm or waterfall.
stretch the fabric while you are steaming it
(Figure 6.5). Coordination Resources
When steaming knits, lay sweaters flat As a small store visual merchandiser, you may
on a towel. Don’t hang them until they are be expected to take the lead in determining
completely dry. Knits—particularly those made how fashions are coordinated in your store.
of heavier yarns—will stretch too much if you Many smaller specialty operations depend on
steam them thoroughly while they are on communicating a one-of-a-kind differentiated
hangers. Always be careful not to damage fashion message to their target clientele. If
garments as you prepare them for display. you are employed by a larger retailer, you
may receive corporate information detailing
precisely how fashion apparel items should
be presented. These fashion statements
from headquarters are intended to keep the
company’s brand image and merchandising
format uniform from store to store.
Whether you are working for a large or
small retail organization, you should expand
your awareness of current fashion trends.
Before you begin your research, identify the
store’s target customer. If the store’s customer
base is composed of 35- to 55-year-old
executive-level males, your research should
focus on that type of customer. This can be
a reach if you’re a 25-year-old female from
a blue-collar background, worried about
making a car payment. If you are in your
twenties and would rather be pulling trendy
outfits together, you may have to put your
personal preferences aside to learn about your
employer’s customers’ needs—or find an edgy
store that’s looking for help.
Figure 6.5 Steaming an outfit. Notice how the sleeve of
the garment is gently extended for the best steaming Fashion magazines and catalogs are
results. Fairchild Books. probably the easiest and least expensive

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 People-watching is another productive way
retail realities

to gather fashion ideas. All you have to do is

You’ll soon train your fashion coordinator’s eye if you rely on current
choose a location based on the demographic
magazines and websites for fashion direction. Cutting-edge looks from
segment you want to observe in its natural
top apparel and accessory designers will teach you about important surroundings—nightclubs, coffee shops,
fashion trends that will soon reach the mass market. shopping malls, or any place where people
gather. If you want to learn more about
acceptable dress in business settings, go to a
corporate building and watch people coming
and going during lunch hour. If you are
resources to use because you can clip out or working in a store that sells junior fashions,
highlight the fashion ideas that you might like sales associates who are still in high school can
to use for inspiration. Many newspapers run probably offer you ideas.
regular fashion columns and feature stories As you conduct your fashion research, look
about national and local trends or publish for people who are wearing unusual colors,
seasonal fashion magazines, such as the Sunday textures, and fabric combinations. You may
Style section of the New York Times. Fashion find that they are using familiar accessories in
shows will expose you to the latest fashions new ways. You may see ideas to which you can
and accessory trends. Watch for styles of shoes add your own creative twist. Remember to edit
and hosiery or boots as the models move down what you observe so that it fits your customer.
the runway; it is usually easy to pick up on Look, compare, and innovate!
strong trends as you repeatedly see certain Don’t forget to shop the competition.
accessory styles—ballerina flats with ankle In Confessions of a Window Dresser, Simon
socks or strap heels with patterned hosiery, and Doonan advises: “A window dresser would
so on. You can see clips on the Internet from be crazy not to peruse the competition. Why
the most recent fashion shows worldwide at not go right to the source?” In typical tongue-
www.firstview.com and www.fashionwindows in-cheek fashion, Doonan says: “Plagiarism
.net. World Fashion Channel, wfc.tv, is a rich is flattering in the warm and fuzzy world of
source of international, national, and local window dressing. I always feel immensely
fashion information. Popular movies and TV complimented if someone takes the trouble to
series often trigger fashion trends. To find out knock off my window ideas.” He adds “Other
about trends for the future and to discover people’s windows can also be a major source of
what is happening in the marketplace today, counter-motivation, as in ‘Shoot me if I ever do
look at Women’s Wear Daily (wwd.com). that!’” His point? Look, compare, and innovate!

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 DESIGN GALLERY: DOLCE & GABBANA, HONG KONG
A leader in the luxury goods sector of international
design, the D&G brand was established in 1985 by
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Headquartered
in Milan, with twenty-six branches, including locations
in New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Sao Paulo, the
brand is based on artisan sartorial and Mediterranean
traditions of Italy. Offering men’s, women’s, and
children’s collections that include apparel, leather goods,
footwear, accessories, jewelry, and watches, the brand
has been long loved by Hollywood stars like Madonna
and Angelina Jolie. At dolcegabbana.com, the brand
describes the D&G woman:

A woman who is strong: she likes herself and

knows she is liked. A cosmopolitan woman
who has toured the world but who doesn’t
forget her roots. She loves that so masculine cap
imported from Sicily and the rosary of the first
Communion which she wears as a necklace. She
can indifferently be a manager, wife, mother or
lover but she is always—and in whatever case—
thoroughly a woman.

Our design gallery window is an apt representation of

D&G’s portrait of a well-traveled cosmopolitan woman.
The intricately patterned backdrop, table, chair, and
carpet beautifully communicate the beloved artisan
tradition of the brand. The patterned coat-dress stands Copyright WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com
proudly on the right, with coordinated handbag and [email protected] 1.646.827.2288.
shoes taking center stage. What role does lighting play in
this window? Would you make any changes? Can you see
the triangle that is formed by the position of the chair,
table, and mannequin?

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 “Trends for Fun and Fashion” by Ignaz Gorischek, vice president, architecture,
Shoptalk  CallisonRTKL

Trends are as simple as a single item or as complicated as anything else. Of late, the latter
seems to apply. Individuals used to buy into a trend to gain acceptance, an identity, or being
one with the crowd. Consumers these days are more confident with themselves—trends are
still important, but the individual twist that is added to the trend makes it their own.

I look for future trends everywhere: books, magazines, participate in all of the trend options we have today, but
movies, art openings, parties. Trends today seem to burn the good news is that even after the trend is not necessarily
brighter and faster—thanks to the many channels of the item of the moment, it can (and should) remain a part
communication. I dare say one could not keep up with or of your personal style.

Chapter 6 Review Questions CO M PA R E

1. Name three methods of coordinating fashion discussed Compare the sketches with the guidelines from this chapter,
in this chapter. Give examples of each of them that you coordinating outfits by end use, fabrication, style, and color.
could find in your favorite retail store.
2. What is a display hanger? How are they used to sell I N N O VAT E
merchandise? What are the steps to dressing a display Add notes to your sketches describing how you would add a
hanger? new twist to the outfits.
3. Besides the examples given in the textbook, what are
some Internet resources that you might use to help Critical Thinking
with your fashion coordination resources? Does your Activity 1: Fashion Coordination Activity
university, college, or place of business subscribe to any You have an interview for a position as a new visual
of these? merchandiser at a luxury store in a large metropolitan area.
You have successfully completed all your interviews, but
Outside-the-Box Challenge your last task is to present a hot new look to the head of
Trend Shopping in a Social Gathering Place the retailer’s men’s merchandising team. The company has
LOOK asked that you audition for the position by presenting the
Go to your favorite place for people-watching: coffee shop, latest in men’s luxury apparel. And while you can borrow
shopping mall or airport. Look for three people wearing ideas from various companies, the look you put together
outfits that do not seem to work. Sketch the outfits. has to reflect your own work.

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 The head of the company’s men’s merchandising team fashion look that you would wear and you feel is trend
is a huge fan of the book Silent Selling and therefore right. Each look should relate to one of the following
you should include the ideas found in this chapter when end uses:
presenting your final look. • A professional look that’s appropriate for a
workplace
1. Look for a hot trend by searching through magazines; • A look that’s appropriate for your campus
fashion resources such as WGSN, Fashion Snoops, and • A spectator sportswear look (to be part of the
other sources found on the Internet; and by visiting audience)
various stores. • An active sportswear look (to participate in the
2. Visually put together your men’s look and write down activity)
the theme, your vision, and how this look follows the • A party look
information found in this book’s chapter. • A dressy or elegant look
3. Share your findings with the class and your instructor. • A trend look
2. For each new outfit, select:
Activity 2: Fashion Coordination Resources • A top
1. Go to the Internet, the library, or a bookstore, and look • A bottom
at fashion resources such as WGSN and Fashion Snoops. • A pair of shoes
Select a resource that you consider to be the best • A handbag, briefcase, or another appropriate bag
fashion coordination resource for each of the following • A pair of earrings or other jewelry
customer bases: • Other appropriate accessories like a hat, a watch,
• Millennial Generation and so on.
• Generation X Note: If you select a dress or suit, choose an optional
• Generation Y jacket, sweater, or blouse to create a layered look.
• Baby boomers 3. Assemble your body for the collage. Compose each
2. Cite, print, or scan your resources and bring them to class. collage on an 8½ × 11-inch sheet of white paper. Label
3. Defend your choices and discuss why you feel these the look you are presenting. Explain why the elements
would be excellent resources. you’ve brought together make the outfit appropriate
for each of the end uses.
Activity 3: Your Own Coordination Collage— Note: Don’t be alarmed if the various items are out of
A Self-Reflective Fashion Critique proportion. The idea is to have some fun coordinating
If you’ve ever looked at a fashion editorial in a magazine unique fashion looks.
and wondered why the photo stylist or fashion coordinator 4. Present your collage collection to the class and compare
used those particular items and accessories to make the your interpretations to those of your classmates.
fashion statements, here’s your chance to be your own 5. The instructor and your classmates will give you
coordinator. feedback on what you have selected.
6. Everyone should compare and contrast their looks.
1. Create a fashion collage composed of items that What is similar about all the looks? What is different?
you would put together. You can use magazines, 7. What does this exercise tell you about fashion in
photographs, catalogs, or Internet print outs; however, general and the difficulties that merchandisers have in
make sure each look is a head-to-toe coordinated determining fashion looks?

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 Case Study color theme (e.g., brights), and finally a trend theme
Presenting a Fashion Trend Workshop (e.g., asymmetrical hemlines). Once you have those
Visual merchandisers frequently train sales associates to specifications identified, you can brainstorm to see what
present the current season’s fashion trends effectively each person can contribute to the various presentations.
in their work on the selling floor. In some instances, this • Imagine that you’re dressing hangers for face-out
training helps the employees understand the store’s fashion presentations on walls and selling fixtures. If you don’t
image message more clearly so that they can express it to have display hangers in your classroom, improvise with
shoppers in their one-to-one sales presentations. In many regular hangers. Presenting a fully dressed hanger is
cases, much of the merchandise presentation on the selling more visually effective than draping garments over your
floor is actually done by associates—or at least maintained arm or showing things on a flat tabletop.
by them once set by visual merchandisers. • Plan to include several alternative tops to go with one or
This exercise can be a solo or a group project. Either two bottoms—the usual ratio for coordinate groupings—
way requires prior planning. The team approach is a skill- if you’re showing separates. Remember that you’re
builder. Creating teams and working with them effectively is trying to encourage multiple sales by showing enough
important to your career development. merchandise for a wardrobe capsule that will give a
shopper many outfit options in a single shopping trip.
Your Challenge Even party clothes could be accessorized with elegant
Present a fashion trend workshop to your class that will shawls, dressy evening coats and capes, plus shoes,
bring the elements from Chapter 6 together. This is a task hosiery, evening bags, and jewelry.
that visual merchandisers are sometimes asked to do in their
stores. STEP THREE
The “merchandise” to be presented will come from your Select a complete accessory treatment to enhance
own and your classmates’ wardrobes. your presentation. Even if the items—like sandals and
sunglasses—don’t fit on the hanger, you should present
STEP ONE everything you’d use if you were coordinating to dress a
• Choose a gender to be represented by the clothing. mannequin. This teaches selling associates valuable cross-
• Choose a fashion season for the garments to be merchandising techniques and imparts a complete fashion
presented—Spring, Fall, Holiday, or Cruise/Resort. statement in keeping with the store’s image.

You could plan this project as one large group and STEP FOUR
choose a single season, or you could break into four smaller • Once your team has completed its planning, meet with
groups and do all four seasons. The more groups you the other groups to design an evaluation form to be used
have, the greater variety of coordination and presentation for all of your presentations.
techniques you’ll be able to experience. • Identify the important criteria for this presentation and
With this arrangement, no one individual has to furnish prepare an evaluation form. You may elect to use a scale
every single item in order to participate. If you want more that rates each aspect of the presentation from 0 (the
than four teams, you can always add a decade theme element was missing from the presentation altogether)
(1950s) or a book/movie theme after you’ve followed the to 5 (an exemplary presentation in every way). Then,
standard guidelines in the next step. as each team presents, the other teams can rate its
presentation and offer feedback. You might rate how
STEP TWO effectively the presenters dealt with the seasonal theme;
• Select a seasonal end-use theme (e.g., holiday evening how completely they followed through with end use,
wear), then a fabrication theme (e.g., shiny fabrics), style, fabrication, and color; how they accessorized; and
then a style theme (e.g., short party dresses), then a so on.

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 STEP FIVE STEP SIX
• Pull all of your merchandise and accessories together Using the evaluation forms, plan a five-minute post-
(clean, pressed, and on hangers in “outfits”) for the presentation constructive feedback session that addresses
presentation. the effectiveness of the coordination effort as well as the
• Be ready to describe the garments and accessories using strengths of the presentation. Peer feedback is valuable.
current fashion terminology and trend information. You may not agree with what you hear, but you can learn
Learning the correct fabric names and use and care from it and from the process.
instructions are particularly helpful tools for selling
associates. This information (plus anything you can tell
them about manufacturers and current fashion trends)
is appropriate for the visual merchandisers to know and
share in the training session.
• Describe how you plan to present the merchandise on
face-outs and selling fixtures in the selling departments.

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 7 Home Fashion Presentation

Home Fashion Stores “A room should never

There was a time when home fashion referred only to wall coverings, paints, window allow the eye to settle
treatments, and furniture. Today the steady influx of well-designed home products in one place. It should
involves everything from pots, pans, and pepper mills for the kitchen to bedding and smile at you and create
fantasy.”
blankets for the bedroom. Shoppers care passionately about all the trappings of their lives,
Juan Montoya,
not merely what they wear. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (www.williamsonomainc.com) says it
interior designer
very well: “People love their homes. They form lifelong memories and create unbreakable
bonds with the rooms in which their lives unfold.”
Today, fashion touches even traditionally unglamorous housekeeping items like rubber
gloves, brooms, and buckets. Visit any home store or discount store and you’ll see hundreds “Home. Going there,
of housekeeping basics in trend colors and updated, ergonomic designs. Furthermore, staying there, and
entertaining there.
it’s not unusual to find commonplace household items in specialty gift stores—complete
Designers, and then
with coordinated themes and current trend colorways. Turn on cable television and you’ll
soon everyone else in
find multiple networks devoted to homes, gardens, and lifestyles. Retailers like IKEA are the world, will discover
advocates of democratic design, as posted on their website, ikea.com: “We believe quality self-expression, not just
and design should be affordable to many . . . using the five elements of ‘democratic in what they wear, but
design’—form, function, quality, sustainability and a low price. So instead of thinking suddenly—and most
likely from now on—in
outside the box, we got rid of it.”
where they wear it, and
People are interested in making all aspects of their daily lives—especially precious free
what they do when they
time—more enjoyable. And that includes surrounding themselves with useful, pleasant- get there.”
looking, functional household products and home furnishings. As a result, the number and Peter Glen in 10 Years of
variety of home products sold has expanded, and the number of specialty stores dedicated Peter Glen
to home fashion products continues to grow. A sampling of well-known retailers that

AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

• Identify the different types of home fashion stores

• Recognize several styles of home store entrances
• Coordinate home fashions by end use, fabrication, style, and color
• Create tabletop and wall presentations
• Identify resources to expand knowledge of current home fashion trends

Figure 7.0 RH, The Gallery at the Historic Museum of Natural History. The RH Boston flagship features elegant
showrooms in a stately 1863 structure that was originally home to the New England Museum of Natural
History. Kathryn Barnard. 185

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 specialize in fashionable home décor products differentiation begins at the front door. The
today includes: entrance to the store or department offers
home fashion retailers their first opportunity
• Department Stores—Bloomingdales, Macy’s, for creativity.
Liberty, Nordstrom In the past, the home specialty store
• Specialty Stores—Crate&Barrel, Muji, Pier 1, entrance was approximately 16 feet wide
Pottery Barn, Room & Board, RH (Restoration with a standard plate-glass display window on
Hardware), West Elm, Williams Sonoma both sides of the door. In Figure 7.1, the Apple
• Discount Stores—IKEA, Bed Bath and Beyond, Store features a show-stopping 30-foot square
Target, Walmart glass cube entrance, a true original in retail
• Outlet Stores—Pottery Barn Outlet, RH Outlet architectural design. The transparent entrance
invites curiosity and welcomes shoppers inside.
Before they are exposed to merchandise in
Store Entrances the underground store, the open space builds
From the list of competitors entering the field, visual anticipation for the products to come. In
you can see that differentiation is a major a store like the Andrei Duman Gallery, an even
factor in positioning home fashion stores as greater abundance of space is necessary to
branded entities. In brick-and-mortar retailing, allow dramatic photographs room to breathe

Figure 7.1. A 30-foot

square glass cube forms
the most memorable and
unique home technology
store entrance in history.
Apple Store, 5th Avenue,
New York. Tim Clayton/
Corbis via Getty Images.

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 Figure 7.2 An abundance of space and artfully cut-out trees invite
shoppers to experience a nature-like setting; Andrei Duman Gallery,
Westfield Village at Topanga Mall, Los Angeles. Tima Bell.

and to be viewed from a distance. Notice the

Figure 7.3. A grouping of sleek metal risers leads the way into a fantasy world of art
benefit of the white cut-out trees in creating prints, books, and gifts; The Broad Retail Shop, Los Angeles. © Ryan Gobuty/Gensler.
an appropriate natural setting for the nature-
themed art (Figure 7.2).
Visual designers who position a signature
fixture immediately inside the store entrance
believe that the first item shoppers see will be
imprinted on their memory for later retrieval.
Although designers need to sell merchandise,
they also want to make a fashion image or
value statement. This strategy is meant to draw
shoppers to the fixture for closer inspection of
the featured product. Shoppers may not make
their product selections right away, but they
will file the information away for comparison
to other items in the featured categories as
they travel farther into the store (Figure 7.3).

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 Store Layout You’ll also find round columns and pedestal
Store layouts in moderately priced or discount risers available in many diameters, heights,
stores like Bed Bath and Beyond, Walmart, and and a variety of fabrications—from faux
Target, and other big boxes stores like Best Buy (false) marble to smooth plaster. As far as
typically combine grid and racetrack layouts. styling goes, you can order Greek columns and
A looping racetrack leads traffic past stand- futuristic pedestals and just about anything
alone departments in which the fixtures are in between. Since you’ll use them in twos and
arranged in a grid pattern. This layout pattern threes, you’ll want matching sets in multiple
is effective for gondola fixtures ranging from heights. Overall, they must be proportionate to
8 to 24 feet or more in length (Figure 7.4). the average tabletop size, so be sure that the
Now look at Figure 7.5 to see a simple grid “footprint” of each doesn’t take up too much
layout of fixtures lined up along a back wall of your fixture’s valuable surface space.
in an upscale department store, Woolworth The more basic or neutral the riser is,
in South Africa. Upscale specialty stores often the more useful it will be in working with
use free-flow layouts. Look again at Figure various themes of merchandise. Most visual
7.3. A free-flow layout leads into the giftshop departments begin their riser collections with
at The Broad, a contemporary art museum in neutral or nondescript risers that will blend
downtown LA. with a broad selection of merchandise and
build from there.
Floor Feature Fixtures Tables are also available through fixture
The most commonly used floor fixtures in manufacturers. They may be fabricated
A riser is any display unit home fashion stores or departments are risers of metal, wood, MDF (medium-density
used to elevate merchandise and tables. These fixtures are classified as fiberboard), or any number of other materials.
in a composition so that the feature fixtures (see Chapter 4) because of They may be curved or straight, square or
overall presentation has visual their editorial function—which is to display round; the variations are endless. Tables
interest and variety. the latest home fashion trends. The late retail are widely used in retail stores, and fixture
consultant Peter Glen called these editorials manufacturers emphasize their importance
“punctuation points.” for effective presentation. This accounts for
You may purchase riser units in all sizes and the multitude of innovative designs available,
shapes from fixture manufacturers’ catalogs. including versions constructed of wooden
Plexiglas or polycarbonate riser cubes, towers, frames with canvas webbing tabletops and
rounds, and rectangles are available in clear, others with elements from nature like leaves,
opaque white, black, or colored finishes. herbs, and dried flowers pressed between
Common rectangular measurements are layers of acrylic or glass.
11 × 11 × 24 inches, 11 × 11 × 30 inches, and Tables can be paired with risers to add
11 × 11 × 36 inches—sizes that provide a good height to a display and create visual interest
base to work from and eye-pleasing height from a distance. Williams-Sonoma combines a
variations for display. variety of naturally colored wooden butcher-
Wooden display cubes or rectangular risers block tables with white risers in its floor
generally have laminate surfaces for durability groupings. Tables are also nested in groupings
and ease of maintenance. White laminate of two to five. Refer again to Figure 7.3 to see
finishes are the most popular, but they may The Broad’s grouping of tables at the entrance
also be custom-covered in everything from to the store.
black-and-white photographs to the latest Specialty stores often use baskets with
trend color prints and patterns. their fixture groupings to display smaller

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 Figure 7.4 A racetrack around a
central signature fixture leads
into fixtures arranged in a grid
layout; Best Buy, North Fayette,
Pennsylvania. Kevin Lorenzi/
Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Figure 7.5 Fixtures are arranged in a grid floor layout

at Woolworth in South Africa. Chute Gerdeman.

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 items, such as artfully rolled hand towels, Floor Capacity Fixtures
housewares gadgets, and napkin rings. Among the capacity fixtures (see Chapter 4)
Baskets can add extra texture and homelike used in moderate or discount stores are basic
warmth to a display grouping, softening the gondolas, which may be shelved or pegged.
look of hard-edged tables. They can also They may be customized with colored or
give a table grouping an informal outdoor textured laminate finishes for an upscale look.
marketplace feel. Baskets may be placed on Another way to upgrade the look of
tables or pedestal tops, or positioned under gondolas is to use colored paper, in solids
tables and pulled forward to utilize the open or patterns, to cover pegboard back panels.
space between the tables’ legs. A good rule It is best to have the paper custom-printed
of thumb to use for stocking baskets says that so that it will properly fit into each 4-foot
any time you can fit only three or four of the section of gondola. This technique is especially
same item into a basket, the item is too large useful when products like lamps do not fill
to be shown in a basket. the entire shelf space, and pegboard panels
emerge as a plain, monotonous background.
Paper panels may be easily replaced to match

Figure 7.6 A cube set is changing product colors. If pegboard holes

stacked and merchandised need to be accessible for hanging products,
to turn an architectural there are panels available with pre-perforated
column into productive
holes that may be easily punched out to insert
selling space. Elaine
Wencl Art. peg hooks.
Department stores, specialty stores, and
some moderate-priced home stores utilize
custom-made capacity fixtures. These fixtures
may be permanent or movable, if they are
fitted with casters. Casters allow the unit to be
easily rolled to another location if necessary.
The fixtures presenting pillowcases beside
SIGN
it are considered permanent, because they
cannot be moved without being disassembled.
SIGN Cube sets can double as feature fixtures
or capacity fixtures depending on their size,
height, and how they are utilized in the selling
department. Commonly grouped in odd
numbers, they should never be used singly
since their effectiveness comes from massed
presentation. Most cubes have adjustable and
removable shelves, which makes them versatile
presentation tools. They fit easily around
architectural columns and can transform what
is usually lost selling space into profitable
cubic footage. Sets can be stacked to create
an instant wall treatment. Look at Figure 7.6

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 to see a cube configuration and how it can be
effectively merchandised as self-service fixtures
and displayed as department focal points at
the same time.

Furniture and Found Fixtures

It makes sense that selling floor fixtures in
some home fashion stores or departments
WELSH SIDEBOARD
are furniture-like, such as étagères, armoires,
shelved cupboards, and tables. Étagères are
open shelf units; armoires are shelved cabinets
with doors (some have drawers within as well).
Shelved cupboards may have shelves above
and doors or drawers below a “sideboard.” All ARMOIRE

are naturals for the display of home fashion Figure 7.7 Furniture pieces like Welsh sideboards, armoires,
products—in fact, some were originally meant and étagères focus visual interest on special products, adding
to do just that because early home designs did additional merchandising space while supporting store image
ÉTAGÈRE
and atmosphere. Elaine Wencl Art.
not include the built-in closets and cupboards
we take so much for granted today. Figure 7.7
shows each type of cabinet.
Figure 7.8 ABC Carpet
ABC Carpet & Home is a store worth a visit & Home is a multilevel
on every trip to New York City. This multilevel home store in New
York City with displays
home store is a visual merchandiser’s dream
that seem to come out
environment, with everything you could of fairy tales. Photo
possibly need to create stage-set displays for courtesy of ABC Carpet
merchandise. Antique beds and étagères are and Home.

dressed in the finest sheets and duvets, layered

with soft open-weave blankets and throws,
and piled high with luxurious pillows in fine
cottons, silks, and linens. Curtain sheers in rich
colors drape from the ceiling; entire displays
are crowned with Miss Havisham-style crystal
chandeliers straight out of Great Expectations.
ABC’s philosophy? Everything is for sale; the
furniture becomes the fixture and vice versa
(Figure 7.8).
Fishs Eddy—another must-see store in New
York City—uses found objects like well-worn
tables and wooden packing crates and bins as
display fixtures (see www.FishsEddy.com). This
store’s retro, open-marketplace presentation
style places merchandise center stage
throughout its retail environment (Figure 7.9).

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 “Consider some exciting
uses of fixtures that are
not fixtures: A fixture
has got to be admitted
to be anything that
houses and presents
merchandise.”
10 Years of Peter Glen

Figure 7.9 Fishs Eddy in New York City is filled with found objects that are used as fixtures. Judy Bell.

cornice, giving the store a strong, residential

Wall Fixtures feel, while Crate&Barrel works with the
Discount stores and moderately priced stores simplest white or natural wood-grained open-
frequently use gondolas as freestanding shelving. Each fixture strategy is appropriate
capacity fixtures and also utilize them for the brand identity of the store, reinforcing
as interior walls in their home fashion other aspects of its interior design.
departments. Strategic use of upper-wall
graphics and displays is critical to drawing Merchandise Presentation
customers to back walls through deep valleys Sort home fashion products for fixture
of gondolas. In Why We Buy, Paco Underhill presentations in exactly the same way you’d
describes what he calls the boomerang rate as merchandise fashion apparel in a department—
a measure of how many times shoppers fail to by end use, fabrication, style, and color. Let’s
walk completely through an aisle, from one assume that you’re working out a floor and
end to the other. “It [the boomerang rate] fixture planogram for an imaginary tabletop
looks at how many times a shopper starts down department where place settings and serving
an aisle, selects something, and then, instead pieces of china, pottery, and plastic tableware
of proceeding, turns around and retraces her are sold.
or his steps.” Step by step, here is the process for sorting
Bookcase units and shelving are two types merchandise for fixture assignment:
of wall fixtures commonly found in specialty
and department stores. Pottery Barn uses a 1. Categorize by end use: fine dining, casual
more upscale bookcase effect with a decorative dining, and outdoor dining (or picnic).

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 2. Divide each category by fabrication: For S U C C E S S F U L P R E S E N TAT I O N
example, separate picnic ware into plastic S T R AT E G I E S F O R WA L L S
and metal. Refer to Figures 7.10 through 7.13 to see
3. Sort the items by style: If plastic plates are examples of the following seven successful
available in both square and round styles, wall-merchandising strategies used by
for example, you’ll have to separate the Woolworth’s Homewares departments.
two styles.
4. Separate the styles by color: Select just • Use large graphics and simple displays to
one color group for each presentation. create dramatic focal points.
Remember that the color rules from the • Present bedding in wall units in “library
apparel chapters apply to home fashions style” with some folded sheets faced front-
as well. For instance, if you are featuring out, some faced side-out.
a display of bright picnic ware, you could • Utilize all shelf space to accommodate
tuck a bouquet of bright flowers into a products. Limit wasted space between
picnic basket prop. However, a dinnerware shelves by filling shelves completely or
pattern featuring a delicate pastel floral moving them closer together.
Figure 7.10 (left)
wreath would call for flowers in pastels • Arrange pegged items so that the tops of
A dynamic wall
to complement the display presentation. each product are in a straight row. presentation in the
Always use brights with other brights, • Position pegged products over shelved home department at
Woolworth in South
pastels with pastels, and so on, with all the products.
Africa. Chute Gerdeman.
color groups. Neutrals may be used alone • Rank shelves with smaller items on top,
or combined with any of the other groups. medium-sized items on middle shelves, and Figure 7.11 (right)
5. Label and enter the resulting fixture larger items on bottom shelves. An easy-to shop
assortment with a central
layout on a merchandising planogram. A • Strengthen presentations on eye-level and
display in Woolworth’s
digital photograph might also serve as an top-shelf displays by use of art principles housewares department.
effective planogram. like repetition, and so on. Another Chute Gerdeman.

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 Figure 7.12 (left) important art-related strategy—featuring signature styling for wall-fixture presentations,
Woolworth’s bath only one color group per wall section—is and they often provide stylebooks containing
department. Chute
an important presentation tool for any specific guidelines for employees to follow
Gerdeman.
retail store. as they merchandise the stores. If you work
Figure 7.13 (right) for a company like this, its guidelines are
Woolworth’s bedding
B A S I C WA L L P L A N O G R A M S the ones to follow. You must also respect
department. Chute
Gerdeman.
Even if you aren’t currently working in a home the fact that the stylebook is a proprietary
fashion store, you can train your eye to critically publication—meaning that it is the property of
evaluate what you see when you visit home the company and not meant to be shared with
stores in your community. The only requirement competing stores.
is a sense of the basic elements that are
illustrated by the five basic wall planograms Home Fashion Display
shown in Figures 7.14 through 7.18. If you Techniques
follow the simple directives they provide and Home fashion items like small appliances,
duplicate any one of them in a store today, cookware, dinnerware, glassware, lamps,
your presentation will be up to current industry picture frames, vases, table linens, and candles
standards. You can start practicing right may be presented using traditional build-up
now. How many of the key wall-presentation techniques and basic design principles.
strategies listed previously can you find at work
in the planograms that follow? S E L F - S E L E C T I O N D I S P L AY S
The planograms in this chapter represent a In keeping with the philosophy that shoppers
sampling of current best practices from leaders like to handle and inspect things for sale, many
in home fashions. You will find them useful of the displays for these items are self-selection
if a company doesn’t already prescribe how displays (self-service) where customers may
it wants you to merchandise and display its choose items for purchase directly from the
walls. Many leading companies have created display. Retailers use counters or tabletops to

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 Figure 7.14 A 12-foot wall planogram
presenting dinnerware and serveware.
Elaine Wencl Art.

Figure 7.15 A 16-foot wall planogram

presenting picture frames. Elaine
GRAPHIC GRAPHIC Wencl Art.

Figure 7.16 A 16-foot planogram

presenting towels and bath products.
Elaine Wencl Art.

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 SIGN
SIGN SIGN
SIGN SIGN
SIGN

Figure 7.17 A 12-foot planogram presenting cookware. Elaine Wencl Art.

GRAPHIC GRAPHIC

GRAPHIC
How Summer
to Cooking
Grill

Rub Rub Rub Rub Rub Rub

ce

ce

ce
ce

ce

ce

ce
Sau

Sau

Sau
Sau

Sau

Sau

Sau

Figure 7.18 A 12-foot planogram with a summer grilling theme. Elaine Wencl Art.

combine displays with quantities of shoppable maintenance is a must. Visual merchandisers

merchandise, some of it in boxes ready to and sales associates must be alert to sell-
go. Since shoppers are encouraged to handle down, dust, and fingerprints. None of these
products on these working displays, daily encourages sales.

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 E D I TO R I A L S PAC E S
By teaming several large selling fixtures like
étagères, tall shelf units, decorative tables,
cubes (with and without shelving), dressers,
desks, and chairs, you can create floor-
standing in-store “windows” that tell shoppers
merchandise stories about decorative and
functional household coordinates they could
have in their homes.
A major editorial presentation can be built
1. 2.
on a platform to set it apart as a special focus
area. A massive display with furniture or selling
fixtures can be positioned on a large area rug
to define its boundaries. In either case, signing
and special lighting are appropriate. Where
possible, these editorials should be displayed
on both sides to present ideas and sell products
to people both entering and leaving the area.

B A S I C D I S P L AY C O N S T R U C T I O N
F O R TA B L E TO P S A N D
D I S P L AY S H E LV E S
The basis for nearly all display staging in the
home fashion area is the triangle. Building on
it, you can create effective tabletops and shelf
3. 4.
displays that have height variance, optical
balance, and visual interest. When you’re Figure 7.19 Build-ups with triangular composition add height, focus, and visual interest
gathering things to feature, select products in that will draw shoppers to home fashion products. Elaine Wencl Art.

odd numbers (threes and fives work best). The

build-up is a step-by-step process, demonstrated
for you in Figure 7.19. Also look at Figure 7.20
to see a dramatic tabletop presentation.
The first place to look for display props
is the department you’re working in and
then any logical adjacencies. Home fashion
products naturally lend themselves to use for
both sale and props. For example, use rolling
pins as props with marble pastry boards and
cookbooks, and use picnic baskets with casual
dinnerware.
Here are a dozen best practices governing
home fashion display construction. Once you
read them, you’ll see the logic. Once you use
Figure 7.20 A dramatic dinnerware display using
them, you’ll sell merchandise in profitable one color and a “pyramid” model. Judy Bell.
multiples.

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 Guidelines for Home Fashion Display hostesses want to present to guests visiting
Following are some guidelines for effective their homes. You want shoppers to purchase
home fashion displays: multiples. In this case, more is better.
• Arrange multiples in rows from front to back
• Don’t use a prop if an item that is for sale on tables. Use the principle of repetition in
will work just as well. your arrangement.
• Use one manufacturer or brand per tabletop • Present all products on small surfaces (like
or display shelf, using all of the coordinates pedestals and risers) at the same angle.
that have been designed for the specific Arrange shelved display products so they
style you’ve chosen. For example, use Mikasa face forward.
dinnerware and accessorize with glassware • A limited amount of product overstocks and
and silverware from other makers only after products in cartons (if they have attractive
exhausting all possibilities from Mikasa. graphics) may be stored under nested
• Use one theme. Example: Asian dining. tables. Cartons should be neatly stacked
• If there’s an opening in a piece of in parallel rows with identifying graphics
merchandise, put another piece of facing forward. Small items may be placed in
merchandise in it or on it. For example, fill: attractive baskets about the size of laundry
• Pitchers with long-handled serving utensils baskets. Cartons and baskets should not
• Glass canisters with cookie cutters and obscure platform edges or table legs.
rolling pins • Don’t put any products beneath a table that
• Glasses with artfully folded or rolled are not well-represented on the table top.
napkins • Watch closely for sell-down and replenish
• Vases with flowers or chopsticks or or reconfigure. Shoppers usually pass by
pinwheels assortments on half-empty fixtures.
• Large bowls with nests of smaller bowls
• Pots with dish towels, pot holders, and F L O R A L D I S P L AY S
place mats Floral designs, ranging from dried miniature
• Baskets with table linens, bath linens, accessory arrangements on shelves and
soaps, candles, flowers, picture frames, tabletops to floor-standing urns of oversize
books, stationery, and potpourri proportions, are often seen as the domain
• Follow the rule for filling containers with of the visual merchandising department.
restraint. Don’t fill everything. Two or three Visual merchandisers are the store’s artists-in-
clever “fills” per table top are adequate. Use residence, and flowers figure prominently in
just one for shelf displays. all aspects of decorative art from fine paintings
• Remember that the back of the tabletop to textile designs in home decor. Visual
display for shoppers entering the area is the merchandisers are generally charged with
front of the display for shoppers leaving it. creating a warm, friendly store environment,
On a 4 × 4-foot tabletop, center your riser and nothing adds more ambiance than the
unit and display both sides in mirror image. sight and scent of a lavish arrangement of fresh
Present merchandise that can be seen in cut flowers or vases of live spring blossoms.
both directions. Where do flowers fit in a store? There are a
• Masses of merchandise suggest opulence number of places and occasions where flowers
and largesse—the very feeling hosts and (fresh or dried) are a natural:

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 • At the store’s main entrance—as a
welcoming gesture, mood-setter
• On main floor showcase tops—to announce
seasonal changes
• On display platforms at escalator heads—to
complement editorial apparel and home
fashion statements
• As window props and stage props—to
Fan Circle
complement a theme
• As complements to home fashion
accessories—to demonstrate how a
vase or container will look with a floral
arrangement in it
• In customer service areas, concierge desks,
and offices—as a humanizing element to
diffuse tension or possible conflict
• As home furnishing accessories, in model
Complex Triangle Vertical
room vignettes—to establish a more
homelike mood
• As special event centerpieces on stage
or dining tables—to build theme or add
festivity to the affair

Some retailers contract with florists to

keep the store’s principal entrances supplied
with large floral arrangements at key times Simple Triangle Crescent

of the year. Others purchase ready-made

dried and silk arrangements from custom
display firms that specialize in large-scale
seasonal floral décor. Finally, members of the
visual merchandising department may create
wonderful floral arrangements—large and
small—by practicing the art until it becomes
second nature. S-Curve Horizontal

You can construct basic floral design shapes

in containers ranging from casual baskets to Figure 7.21 Basic floral design styles. Courtesy of Dorothy Kuesel.
formal vases and ornamental stands. The most
common arrangements are the fan, circle,
complex triangle, vertical, simple triangle,
crescent, S-curve, and horizontal. Figure 7.21
illustrates the various arrangement styles
listed here.

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 In addition to the basics of floral you could start there. Look for literal, almost
arrangement, here are some practical tips to photographic paintings by Jan Brueghel the
get you started: Elder (Large Bouquet of Flowers in a Wooden
Container), Ambrosius Bosschaert (Vase
• Choose one color group for each floral with Flowers), Jan Van Huysum (Flowers in
arrangement. (Refer to Figure 3.6.) Do not a Vase). Then study the looser, innovative
mix colors from different palettes together. floral presentations by Edgar Degas (Woman
(See Figure 3.7.) As an alternative, you with Chrysanthemums) and Vincent Van
may opt to work with traditional color Gogh (Sunflowers, The Irises, Red and White
schemes like monochromatics for attractive Carnations). There is a world of wonderful
arrangements. inspirations waiting to be discovered through
• Work in odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7), which are the research of a lifelong learner.
more pleasing to the eye. As an alternative to flowers, fruit can
• All sides of an arrangement are to be viewed be used to create unusual and unexpected
“in the round.” All views are as important arrangements. Bulgari’s table setting in Figure
as the front. Duplicate the elements used on 7.22 layers colorful fresh fruit on a table runner
the front of the arrangement on all sides. in an artful manner. Greens are worked in to
• The theme of the area into which the add texture, and candlelight spreads a warm
arrangement will be used dictates its style glow over the table setting, for an inviting,
and the container in which you place it. sensual experience.
Theme will also tell you how formal or
informal the structure of the arrangement Home Fashion Resources
should be. One current trend leans toward The best way to expand your knowledge
less formal arrangements that look as of home furnishing and accessory products
though they’d been freshly picked from a beyond your own home is shopping every
wildflower garden. resource you can find regardless of budget
• The size and scale of the container dictates category—yours or the store’s. There is much
the size and scale of the arrangement, as to learn—even if it’s what not to do. You can
does the space in which you plan to use the literally shop around the world by browsing
arrangement. A dining table centerpiece home fashion sites on the Internet. These two
that will be used for a special dining event can get you started:
should not be so tall that it interferes with
line of sight and therefore conversation • www.homeportfolio.com. Not only does this
across the table. However, if the dining table site have every possible home product and
is set as an in-store display, an oversized accessory, it has excellent color pictures and
arrangement can draw attention and descriptions that can give your home fashion
emphasis to the table setting. vocabulary a tune-up.
• www.marthastewart.com. Among the
If you want to study floral arrangement many home-related activities on these
from the masters, visit an art museum or the pages, you’ll find flower arrangements,
art books division of a library. The Flemish and housekeeping hints and tools, entertaining
Dutch painters and the younger Impressionists ideas, and a way to keep in touch with
really understood floral compositions, so lifestyle trends that affect merchandising.

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 Figure 7.22 Fruit, lacy greens, and candles are used to create an unusual
table runner. Bulgari’s store-reopening party at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York City. Eichner / WWD / © Conde Nast.

Home Fashion Store bedding, but also coordinating towels,

Brand Analysis bathrobes, and slippers.
Home fashion stores use many of the elements Pottery Barn’s brand image comes mainly
discussed in this chapter to create their own from its products, particularly its unique
distinct brand images. Crate&Barrel is a retailer and colorful assortment of pillows and table
with an outstanding brand image. Its consistent linens that update seasonally. Even if you
use of long lengths of brightly colored, are not in the market for furniture, Pottery
printed fabrics has become its signature, along Barn helps you freshen up your rooms with
with bold signs that feature light-hearted, the change of a pillow cover and a throw.
conversational copy. Crate&Barrel takes you on And it tells you how easy it is to make such
a journey with products that draw inspiration a simple change through signage and rich
from around the globe. room settings.
RH’s (formerly Restoration Hardware) Williams-Sonoma is known for its unique
brand identity has evolved into an upscale, seasonal tasty treats and everything you need
elegant, and stately residential environment. to mix, bake, and serve them. Colorful lifestyle
Its attention to detail in product displays is graphics and cookbooks in windows and
unparalleled as it not only features beautiful throughout the store are its signature.

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 Look at Figure 7.23. Cover the figure analysis. For example: Does the presentation
caption, and see if you can identify the four tell a color story? Is there a use of rhythm or
stores pictured. Now compare the stores in movement? What kinds of lines do you see:
the photos with each other. Which design and curves, horizontal, vertical, or diagonal? Is there
visual merchandising elements contribute to an element of surprise in the presentation?
distinguishing each store’s brand image? Questions like these will make your analysis
You can use this same type of analysis to easier and will ultimately help to create your
compare other store presentations and begin own dramatic presentations. Not every principle
to identify those that are most effective. It may or element will be used in every presentation.
be helpful to work through all of the design For example, you would not want an element
principles and elements as you analyze. You can of surprise in every display you set up. But
refer to Chapter 3 to review the core design as you begin, it is useful to review all of the
strategies and compose questions for your options available in your design tool kit.

Figure 7.23a Crate&Barrel. Judy Bell. Figure 7.23b Pottery Barn. Judy Bell.

Figure 7.23c RH (Restoration Hardware). Kathryn Barnard. Figure 7.23d Williams Sonoma. Judy Bell.

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 DESIGN GALLERY: R
 H, THE GALLERY AT THE HISTORIC MUSEUM
OF NATURAL HISTORY
RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) is a stunning blend
of elegant home furnishings in an historic architectural
setting. Housed in the former New England Museum
of Natural History in Boston, it is four floors of stately
showrooms crowned with sparkling chandeliers. RH was
initially a hardware store that, over time, has evolved
into a luxury lifestyle brand. The distinguished brand
has been replacing some of its smaller footprints with
“galleries” in states like Arizona, California, and Texas.
Joseph P. Nevin, Jr., senior principal at Bergmeyer
associates, the architectural firm of record for the
project, was quoted in the Boston Globe on March 6,
2013: “This property has been so exclusive for so many
years. What RH did is to bring back that broad appeal so
many people will feel warm and welcome.”
Neutral color and a combination of well-positioned
architectural and residential lighting fixtures are the
keys to creating the accents and shadows that shape the
space. Perfect symmetry is demonstrated in the bedroom
showroom, for a regal, yet comfortable environment.
The floor-to-ceiling sheer drapes create a calming
effect, appropriate for the bedroom setting. In the
lobby showroom, symmetry again plays an important
role as duplicate sofas, chairs, and tables are repeated
in the gallery. Oversized rugs provide structure as they
serve to frame each room setting. Can you name some
of the design principles and elements at work in these
showrooms?

Kathryn Barnard.

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 Shoptalk “Home Fashion Store Design” by Denny Gerdeman, founder, Chute Gerdeman Design

In late 1999, we began to develop a new concept for Eddie Bauer Home. After looking at what
other home fashions retailers were doing in both specialty and department stores, we decided
that we needed to create some romance around the Eddie Bauer brand and the home store

product, and that the best way to accomplish this was to tell a visual merchandising story in vignette, while the
through telling the consumer visual stories. The challenge other side holds quantities of the merchandise presented in
would be to create more intimate areas within the store, yet the story. We also used pieces of large furniture, such as a
still keep sight lines fairly open. These areas would be stages bed and an armoire, as merchandising fixtures.
for stories and give the customers a sense of discovery as The trick in designing any retail space is in creating the
they moved through the store. right balance—between intimate versus open, feature
In a home fashions store, it seemed only natural that we versus mass, branding elements versus operational
would create the feeling of rooms. To accomplish this, we effectiveness, customer versus retailer. It’s our job to find
designed two mobile, custom merchandising fixtures. One is creative ways to achieve this balance. If you do it right,
a free-standing translucent wall, which allows sight lines to you’ve told the consumers the stories they need to help
continue. The other is a tall fixture, substantial enough to them make their purchase decisions and increased sales.
capture the customer’s eye. Both fixtures serve as backdrops When it works, it’s magic.

Chapter 7 Review Questions Outside-the-Box Challenges

1. What are the various types of home fashion stores? Comparing Store Entrances
Name your own local examples of each type (ones not LOOK
named in this chapter). Visit a shopping mall that has at least three home fashion
2. What are the various types of home store entrances? stores. This may include department stores with housewares
Give three examples. departments. Answer the following questions about the
3. The author discusses merchandise presentation type of entrance each store is using:
standards for home fashion products. List the steps and
explain why each is important. 1. Does the store have a center aisle or is there a fixture
4. What are the rules for home fashion display? List them. positioned in the center front of the entrance?
5. What are the resources for home fashion trends? 2. If there is a center aisle, where does the aisle lead? To a
Give an example of a resource that is utilized by your fixture or to the back wall?
university, college, or place of business. 3. If there is no aisle, how many feet is the first fixture from
the store entrance? Do you consider it to be a signature
fixture? Is it featuring a trend or special pricing?

CO M PA R E
Compare the presentations by reviewing your notes. Which
is your favorite? Why?

I N N O VAT E
How would you use innovation in all of the presentations?

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 Comparing Store Layouts Critical Thinking
LOOK Activity 1: Home Fashion Tabletop Presentation
Visit three home stores or departments and make notes In Figure 7.24, you’ll find a sketch of an empty tabletop plus
about their layouts. What type of layout is each store drawings of a variety of home fashion merchandise and
utilizing? Is it a grid, a free flow, or a combination of both? accessories. Create a tabletop that supports the dinnerware
supplied for you. Use a combination of risers and baskets to
CO M PA R E design a display planogram highlighting some of the major
Compare the three layouts. Which do you prefer? Why? pieces and merchandise the rest so that the tabletop space
is used effectively. Trace any items that you think you need
I N N O VAT E more of; eliminate any items you don’t need.
How would you use innovation to improve the three
layouts? 1. Use props from Figure 7.24 only.
2. Merchandise the rest of the tabletop with self-selection
Comparing Store Fixtures merchandise provided for you in Figure 7.24.
LOOK 3. The floral colors on the plates should be one of the
Visit at least two home stores, preferably a Crate&Barrel current color trends. Choose any colors you like as
store and a Pottery Barn or Williams-Sonoma. Answer the accents.
following questions about each store: 4. Be prepared to explain or justify your choices in a
group presentation or one-on-one critique with your
1. What styles of wall fixtures are used? What colors are instructor.
the fixtures? What are they made of?
2. What styles of floor fixtures are used? What colors are Activity 2: Home Fashion Wall Presentation
they? What are they made of? In Figure 7.25, you’ll find a sketch of an empty 8-foot wall
3. If there are tables, how many different styles are used section plus drawings of a variety of folded merchandise
throughout the store? Do the table styles change from and accessories for a display on a specialty store’s back wall.
area to area? If they do change, what do you think the Present the items as stipulated below. Trace any items that
reason is? you need more of; eliminate any items you do not need.
4. Does the style of wall and floor fixtures fit the store’s
brand identity? 1. Do a Roy G. Bv vertical colorization of this wall section.
2. Color the folded items on the shelves.
CO M PA R E 3. Space the shelves appropriately.
Compare the wall and floor fixtures in the two stores. 4. Use the principle of repetition where appropriate.
Which do you prefer? Why? 5. Create two displays on the shelves that highlight
possible uses of the merchandise.
I N N O VAT E 6. Be prepared to explain or justify your choices in a
How would you improve the choice of fixtures? group presentation or one-on-one critique with your
instructor.

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 Figure 7.24
Elaine Wencl Art.

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 Figure 7.25
Elaine Wencl Art.

Top of Wall

48” 48”

Bottom of Wall

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 Case Study simulation—is creating an attractive display out of the
The End-of-Season Mystery Display merchandise at hand no matter what it happens to be. We
This case presents a problem that visual merchandisers encourage you to think outside-the-box and be as creative
encounter frequently. When there is strong sell-through as you can be.
on merchandise, a department can take on a sparse, sold- The instructor will assign each person to bring one of
down look. That’s when you must come up with an interim the following elements:
editorial statement that communicates a fashion message
while you wait for new goods. • A table covering (a tablecloth, a table runner, or four
place mats—even a small rug or a beach towel could be
T H E S I T U AT I O N appropriate depending on the theme)
As a team, prepare a new tabletop display for the casual • Four napkins (or napkin alternatives—colorful bandanas,
dining area. Assume that this is a short-term project and etc.)
that the display will be up for only one week. Then the • Four dinner plates
fixture will be used to introduce a new line of dinnerware, • Four salad bowls
glassware, and flatware that has been delayed at the • Four glasses
factory. The current selling season is summer. Your instructor • Four place settings of silverware
plays the role of the department manager and will assign • A serving container or large bowl
the color and overall merchandising theme. You will want • A serving basket
to make this temporary tabletop exciting and inviting • A serving platter or large plate
because this prime display space must always generate high- • Materials for a centerpiece—artificial flowers, plants,
volume sales. statues, toys—to fit the theme
• Container for a centerpiece
T H E S T R AT E G Y • A coffee carafe or a pitcher
Each person in the class will bring one item from his or her • Riser units of some kind
home “stockroom” to fit into the merchandise and color
themes, which your instructor will announce. If the class DIRECTIONS AND GOAL
is small, some people may have to bring more than one Bring all the materials to the classroom and assemble a
item. Do not show what you are bringing with others in tabletop display. The main goal is to show shoppers how
the class until they see it when you arrive that day. Your they might pull together an eclectic and attractive table of
challenge as a group—and what makes this a realistic mix and match elements in an eye-pleasing presentation.

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 part two practices and strategies for the selling floor

As you work on the next pieces of this project, • How do you plan to handle ADA (Americans with
refer to the preliminary research you did based on Part Disabilities Act) considerations for both customers and
One—Chapters 1, 2, and 3—in this text. By now, you employees? If you purposely incorporate ADA standards,
should have a fairly clear mental picture of your dream be certain to reflect that in your floor plan renderings.
store. The following sections will guide you through the • Choose colors for the walls and floors and, if possible,
next installment of the project (based on Part Two— include paint chips, samples, and so on. Explain how
Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7). Note: You’ll be doing floor plans these materials will support brand image and the
and planograms, so graph paper (or a software program atmospherics for your store. Refer to Chapter 3 to review
your class is using) may be helpful here and will help you color and other artful elements.
establish a consistent scale (for example, 1 square = 1 foot)
for future drawings and elevations.
Section Three
Section One • Choose furnishings and fixtures that carry out the store’s
• Lay out your store’s selling departments in a proposed brand image message as you present the merchandise
basic floor plan. On it, locate office/storage space, to customers. You may design your own fixtures or use
restroom(s), and fitting rooms (if appropriate). You may photographs and illustrations from print or Internet
add space for these items along the store’s back wall if sources.
you can justify the extra floor space. In that case, show • Explain why the fixtures you’ve chosen will facilitate both
access points. Explain why you feel you need the extra merchandise presentation and store image.
space. Refer to the samples shown in Chapter 4. • Develop a planogram key to label the types of fixtures
• With your target customers in mind, name some of your that you’ve chosen.
must-haves in terms of store layout. • Devise a scale planogram to show locations of fixtures
throughout the store (a floor set). Indicate what type of
merchandise you’ll be placing on or in each fixture—for
Section Two example, folded jeans, long-sleeved sweaters, toys for
• Design the store’s interior in terms of its atmospheric toddlers, lamps, or stemware.
elements—sounds, lighting and lighting levels,
displays, and traffic patterns. This will probably entail a
combination of sketches and written descriptions. You Section Four
will be able to refine your plans for lighting after you Complete at least one wall elevation and merchandise
have read Chapter 9 in Part Three. display similar to the planograms in Chapters 5 and 7. Be
• Explain what kind of physical image you want this store sure to include a rationale statement explaining why you’ve
to communicate. Describe how your store layout will made those specific choices.
affect customers’ mental images of themselves and your
new business.

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9781501315497_txt_app.indb 210 5/25/17 12:06 PM
 Par t Three CO M M U N I C AT I N G R E TA I L AT M O S P H E R I C S

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 8 Signage

Communication through Signage

Retail stores begin to communicate with potential shoppers before the shoppers ever
enter the store. From the minute shoppers read the store’s name or see its logo on the “Excite the mind, and
storefront, they are getting a message. An effective sign attracts attention and conveys the hand will reach
brand identity, giving shoppers their first impression of what they will find inside the for the pocket.”
store. Marciano’s graphic banner in Figure 8.1 is an excellent example. One glance at the Harry Gordon Selfridge

image in the window and the message is clear: Marciano sells glamorous fashion.

C O M M U N I C AT I N G B R A N D I M A G E
A retail store’s brand image should be carried through on every sign in the entire store
environment, from operational signs to merchandise signs. The most successful signs have
an identity that is so clear that if they were taken out of the store environment, the name
of the store would be evident. An exercise to compare signs from four home stores is
included later in this chapter.
Some stores repeat their brand names inside their stores. William Rast calls out its
brand on architectural design elements in a way that suggests the company stands for
more than just fashion. Unfinished wooden boxes and tables bring to mind an image of
hand-crafted quality for this high-end denim retailer (Figure 8.2). Also see Figure 8.4 to operational signs
see how Under Armour calls out their brand name behind the cashwrap. relate to the day-to-day

business of a store—listing
C O M M U N I C AT I N G T H R O U G H O P E R AT I O N A L S I G N A G E store hours, return policies,
Information on operational signs, such as the location of departments, checkouts, and emergency exits, locations
restrooms, can be communicated in a variety of ways. One-level stores often use ceiling or of help phones, department
wall-mounted signs, while multilevel stores post department and restroom locations near locations, and fitting-room
elevators and escalators. Some stores have interactive monitors that pinpoint the exact policies.
location of the particular item you’re looking for on a map.

AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

• Identify various signing functions

• Compare the expanding variety of signing media
• Decide when to sign merchandise
• Explain the guidelines for setting up signs in the store environment
• Write sign copy using a variety of techniques
• Design your own sign layout

Figure 8.0ab Chicago shoppers are welcomed with a bold message at Under Armour Brand House, the 2016
Shop! Design Awards Store of the Year. The store exterior dominates the Chicago retail scene. Design and
Project Management by Big Red Rooster. Photo Magda Biernat, Design Big Red Rooster and A+I. 213

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 Walmart, in Figure 8.3, creates an
entertainment world by using the same color
blue for navigation and information signing
throughout the department. This continuity
ties together a multitude of signs in an area
that offers a high level of information to
educate shoppers. The perception, at a glance,
is that this department will be easy to shop.
Under Armour Brand House in Figure 8.4, also
makes selection easy. It employs graphics and
bold type to help shoppers locate departments
like basketball, and the checkout is clearly
labeled with the Under Armour brand.
Ruby’s, a small breakfast café formerly
located in the Loring Park area of Minneapolis,
posted its operational signage on a sandwich
board on the sidewalk that read:

Eat late @ Ruby’s Café!

10 pm to 2 am
Thursday/Friday/Saturday
• Fresh New Menu
• Huge Pancakes
• Take Out
• Loud Music
Figure 8.1 A billboard-size banner in the window of Marciano in Manhattan
• Groovy Lighting
clearly conveys the message of the style of product you will find inside the store.
Antonov / WWD / © Conde Nast. • Tons of Fun!
Who says you have to go home alone?

Figure 8.2 William Rast communicates a strong brand image

with bold signage. Saradella / WWD / © Conde Nast.
214

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 Figure 8.3 Walmart’s
entertainment signing makes
store navigation easy, and
smiling faces promise fun for
shoppers in Jacksonville, Florida.
© Albert Vecerka/Esto.

Figure 8.4 Operational signage is employed to help shoppers locate the basketball department and to call out the checkout in rear of store;
Under Armour Brand House, Chicago. Photo Magda Biernat, Design Big Red Rooster and A+I.

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 As you can see, operational signage can • Fabric scrims (hanging panels) made of sheer
“Signage tells me a enhance both store environment and brand fabrics like silk and polyester may be printed
lot about a retail identity—and never seem as mundane as the with images or sign copy.
establishment, by their term operational implies! • Floor graphics add unexpected emphasis.
choice of fonts and
Floor graphics may be permanently cut into
other graphic elements.
C O M M U N I C AT I N G T H R O U G H the floor tile or applied in a non-permanent
Unimaginative,
unappealing and SIGNING MEDIA version that adheres to the floor. A
cluttered signage is A store’s ability to communicate is enhanced by manufacturer-sponsored hopscotch game on
usually accompanied by the use of the following graphic elements: the floor of a grocer’s cereal aisle practically
the same lack of interest guarantees that a shopping parent and
in all of the various
• Dimensional letters are effective in creating child will spend 15 to 20 extra seconds in
retail disciplines needed
a strong focal point, as in Figure 8.5. These front of that specific brand. See Figure 8.6
to create an exciting
environment.” letters are available in colored acrylics, woods, to see how Macy’s incorporated a lighted
John Dougan, retail and metals. Foam letters in many fonts and floor graphic for a delightful effect under
design consultant, sizes may be covered with metallic papers to a central mannequin grouping in its One
Minneapolis create upscale looks at a modest price. Below department.
• Static-cling decals may be applied to glass • Light source signage systems include
doors or windows for an artful, hand- neon, fiber optics, projected images, and
painted look. They are easily removed and lightboxes that hold Duratran images.
may be reused if carefully stored. Look again at Figure 8.6, Macy’s One Below

Figure 8.5 Macy’s department signage features

dimensional letters lit in a traditional arcade style.
Macy’s Herald Square, One Below shop, New York.
Mark Steele Photography.

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 Figure 8.6 Ceiling spots effectively light up a colorful banner
graphic, and neon lighting headlines a digital media wall to
draw shoppers further into the department. Macy’s Herald
Square, One Below shop, New York. Mark Steele Photography.

department, to see how overhead lights

accent a colorful banner in front of a column
as a lead-in to the department, and how
neon lettering is employed to draw shoppers
further into the department.

A wide variety of other media options

can be considered when developing signage.
Apple printed images for its stores on
different sizes of Lexan and created die-cut
translucent App icons (Figure 8.7). With a
goal of announcing Apple’s App Store and
promoting the idea that “There’s an App for
Everything,” this “Hanging Apps” display
created an eye-catching 3D effect.

C O M M U N I C AT I N G T O N E
Have you ever thought about a sign’s tone
of voice? Look at the difference between,
“TAKE A NUMBER BEFORE ENTERING FITTING
ROOM!” and “Please take a number before
entering fitting room.” Subtle details like type
font, case, and copy style make a dramatic
difference in the tone of communication. A
sign in uppercase type shouts, while lowercase
copy is friendlier and easier to read. In some
London stores, signs are very polite. You might
find one that says: “We would appreciate it
if you would take a number on your way into
the fitting room.”
Figure 8.7 Apple’s 3D “Hanging Apps” display.
Signs rarely have a playful tone. The Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA. REUTERS/Mike Blake.
best of them are found in one-of-a-kind

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 Figure 8.8 Bebe’s younger concept store, 2b, in San Francisco plays with different type
fonts and sizes for a show-stopping back wall. Antonov / WWD / © Conde Nast.

boutiques and some home fashion stores. In Signing Merchandise

one New York shop, colorful cartoon-style Merchandise may be signed with price points
signs in fitting rooms read: “We call cops on or copy to communicate that it is:
robbers.” A Chicago boutique painted “You
look beautiful!” over its fitting room mirrors. • Advertised with sale pricing
Imagine what the rest of the store might look • An unadvertised in-store promotion with
like from the tone of that single sign. A sign sale pricing
that underlines how pleasant it is to shop • Value-priced merchandise
adds to the feeling or tone of the store and • Brand-name merchandise
strengthens brand identity for that retailer. • Trend merchandise
Look at Figure 8.8. Bebe’s 2b (www.bebe.com) • A new product with special features
concept store used a variety of type fonts and • Clearance merchandise
sizes in its signage to create a playful back wall.
The tone is young and fun and beckons you to Clearly, these are all excellent reasons to
come all the way into the store. This effective sign a fixture. However, you need to take
technique is a real sales driver. your store’s routine pricing strategy into

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 consideration as you decide how many fixtures
will be signed. Retail stores with moderate or
discount pricing often sign every fixture in the
store, which sends a strong savings message
to bargain shoppers. Shoppers expect to see
signs announcing great values every time they
visit the store. Some truly committed bargain
hunters won’t even look at merchandise unless
there is a sale sign on the fixture.
When a store employing a strong regular-
price strategy has limited sales events, it has to
be more selective about signing its fixtures. If
every fixture in the store were signed routinely,
it would be difficult to emphasize particular
items because they would not stand out. A
major sale might lose impact because shoppers
wouldn’t notice much visual contrast between
special sale days and business as usual.
Too many price point signs can have a
negative effect on a store’s brand identity.
Imagine a high-end Madison Avenue fashion
store filled with pricing signs. Incongruous?
Bargain store strategies simply don’t fit an
exclusive store’s image.
Retail consultant Peter Glen once wrote
that the proliferation of signs in retail stores
was management’s apology for not having
enough salespeople on the floor. Somewhere
Figure 8.9 Celine’s Milan store promotes
between too many and none at all is the right
sophisticated style in this column mounted
number of signs for a store’s image. Too many graphic. Miranda / WWD / © Conde Nast.
signs cause shoppers to ignore them all; too
many words and shoppers won’t read any; too
few signs or words and customers won’t get image successfully. For example, Celine’s store
enough information. in Milan features a lifestyle graphic that sets
Merchandise may also be signed with a definite tone for the store—the epitome of
lifestyle graphics—signs that show apparel or sophistication (Figure 8.9).
home fashions in use—alone or in combination There are also times when it is useful
with price points. Some lifestyle graphics to employ photos of fashion models who
show only a portion of the actual product aren’t flawless beauties. Some retailers
and focus more on models’ faces. That’s a have experimented by portraying everyday
soft-sell strategy. It tells shoppers that the people for lifestyle photography. French
retailer cares as much about the enjoyment of Connection—a New York and European
their product as it cares about making a sale. junior and young men’s fashion store—once
Photos that show expression or set moods that featured large close-up images of young
shoppers can relate to communicate brand women wearing glasses, even though they

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 did not sell eyewear. Club Monaco featured • Do not mix the type of signs used. If your
billboard-sized graphics of a baby boomer store uses commercially printed signs, extra
with bushy gray hair and a full beard. Eileen handmade signs are not appropriate.
Fisher stores used images of Eileen and her • Replace any signs that become soiled or
staff members as models. These graphic images damaged.
grabbed shopper attention because they were
so unusual—and so recognizable. They showed
real people like you, doing real things, wearing HANDMADE SIGNS
real clothes, and using real products. As a Signs that are handwritten with markers or
visual merchandiser you must always be on the calligraphy pens are rarely seen in today’s
lookout for the next fresh idea for images that shopping malls. One-of-a-kind stores, however,
capture shopper interest. like the interesting shops in San Francisco’s
Castro Street area and in New York’s Greenwich
Signage Presentation Village, use handmade, even quirky signs
The accuracy, clarity, and appearance of signs with great success. In these instances, the
communicate something about a store’s brand handmade signs invite shoppers to enjoy the
image. Inaccurate or unclear signs set up stores’ casual atmosphere. Since many of these
negative reactions because shoppers resent stores feature wearable art and artisan-made
the time it takes to locate sales associates for products, the informal signage complements
correct prices or other information. If signs are the merchandise.
damaged, torn, or curled, shoppers may feel Stores like Fishs Eddy in New York
the store does not care about its customers or communicate tone via handwritten paper signs
its image. Shoppers may respond by becoming that correspond to the retailer’s image. These
careless about rehanging garments or about are charming additions, purposely designed
refolding merchandise properly after they have components of the unique décor. In a world
handled it. where it sometimes seems that everything
Here are five guidelines for effective signing has to be perfect, there can be something
presentation: spontaneous about handcrafted signs.
However, you must also know that these stores
• Be certain that a sign is necessary. are an exception.
• Display every sign in a holder. Signs should If a retailer is committed to hand lettering,
never be tacked to walls or taped to fixtures. it would be wise to hire a calligrapher whose
• Do not write on preprinted signs. Do not work is uniform, immaculately rendered, and in
cross out old prices or tape new prices on line with its image. Calligraphy is a Greek word
top of the old. If a price changes, the sign which means beautiful writing. An elegant
must be replaced. designer store could use this special effect to
communicate a tone of exclusivity to clients
who are accustomed to receiving invitations
The homespun approach to signing is not effective in most retail
retail realities

crafted by skilled calligraphers and dining at

operations, where hand lettering contradicts a store’s mood, image,
tables with hand-inscribed place cards.
and décor strategy. There, handmade signs make the entire operation

look unprofessional. This is especially true when employees who SIGNAGE DESIGN
don’t know how to spell, punctuate, or proofread are in charge of the In most corporate organizations, store buyers

marking pens. will initiate requests for signs for their products
by filling out forms listing the item and any

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 other information they want to communicate In order to provide effective guidance,
“Hire brilliant people, get
about it. They will indicate estimated delivery visual merchandisers must understand basic
out of their way, and
dates and tentative ad dates. The buyer may layout principles and copy writing. Whether clear the path for them
request illustrations or photographs and they are part of a multiunit organization or to do great work.”
indicate preferences—product-only shots or a one-of-a kind store, the process for sign Bob Thacker, executive
lifestyle photos, for instance. In some cases, production requires that they develop an eye vice president, partner
engagement, adopt a
manufacturers provide camera-ready artwork for excellent design.
classroom
and/or co-op advertising dollars. The request
is then routed to the in-store marketing (ISM) S I G N L AY O U T
department (also called visual merchandising in Most visual merchandisers are asked to design
some companies). and produce store signs at some point in their
In-store marketing managers review and careers. You will most likely do your work on
edit sign requests for accuracy—spelling, dates, a computer, but it’s a good idea to practice
and prices plus appropriateness to store image designing some signs by hand as you build and
and brand identity. Naturally, buyers want sharpen your composition skills.
unique department signs. However, if every In preparing a sign, you literally lay out the
sign were printed in a different style, the store elements on a sheet of signboard, hence the
would lose brand continuity, consistency in term layout. The elements of a sign are:
appearance, and points of emphasis.
The introduction of a garment constructed • Sign copy—the facts about the product
of a new fabric or an electronic product • Artwork—drawings or photographs
featuring new technology might merit • White space—the parts of the sign not
extraordinary treatment. There is a simple taken up with copy or artwork
technique to focus extra attention on a sign—
adding a sign “topper.” This is an extra sign All three elements are equally important,
inserted at the top of a sign holder. These and all three are subject to the art and design
may be die-cut into any shape, and they may principles you learned in earlier chapters. For
feature a store logo or advertising theme example, you may decide to use a perfectly
phrase. Alternatively, a “sider” can be added to symmetrical and formal layout with mirror
the side of the sign, if the sign holder permits. image elements divided by an imaginary
After approval of the ISM department, vertical line through the center of the sign.
the request is passed on to designers and Or, you may use an informal, asymmetrical
copywriters who produce basic signs following format and trust your eye to achieve an
an established style—listing a few bullet agreeable arrangement of the elements. In
points and a price, for example. Signage any case, your goal is to attract attention
for a larger collection or a company-wide to the merchandise by designing a sign that
seasonal theme may be done in-house, or it will create desire and prompt action. To
may be outsourced to a creative agency for a accomplish this, you must compose signing
multimedia advertising campaign that includes that draws shoppers’ eyes through the lines
signing. Corporate visual merchandisers or of the message, encouraging them to buy the
ISM departments often hire the agency and product. A book like Mastering Layout: On
manage these projects. Concepts come back to the Art of Eye Appeal by Mike Stevens covers
them for approval. Managers must maintain most of the fundamentals of signage layout.
the brand identity of their company, yet allow You can find it and other publications related
designers a certain amount of creative latitude. to signage at [email protected].

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 Stevens’ book covers how to see, organize, campaign-style, throughout a store on banners
and manipulate graphic elements for unified, or other types of signing. Avoid overused, trite
legible, and visually appealing results. phrases—unless you can put a clever twist on
them. Ideally, your store will hire a professional
SIGN COPYWRITING copywriter who can bring a fresh approach to a
Creative copy for signing strengthens a store’s storewide advertising blitz. Skilled copywriters
brand identity. Crate&Barrel’s unique sign- work so quickly that the cost is often lower
writing style employs short paragraphs with than you might imagine. If outsourcing is not
product information that speaks directly to an option and you’re elected to do the job,
shoppers in conversational tones: look for ideas in magazines and catalogs. A
thesaurus and a rhyming dictionary are a good
Our selection of pepper mills and salt investment for your professional library.
mills is nothing to sneeze at! Choose Creative copywriting includes the following
from clear acrylic individuals or sets in a literary techniques:
wide range of materials and sizes. Ah . . .
Ah . . . Ah-Choo! • Alliteration—Use of two or more words
with the same first letter: Relax, Refresh,
Williams-Sonoma creates add-on sales Rejuvenate.
by suggesting related products in its • Familiar phrases—Seeing Red!
conversational sign copy: • Puns—Plays on familiar phrases by
substituting similar sounding words: Fit to
Cinnamon Maple Syrup—Natural Be Tried.
Vermont Maple syrup is infused with • Quotes—”I base my fashion taste on what
Chinese cinnamon for outstanding flavor. doesn’t itch,” Gilda Radner.
It transforms waffles and pancakes. It’s • Rhyming words—Embrace Lace.
great in coffee. And it’s sensational over • Themed adjectives—Pamper, Nurture,
vanilla ice cream studded with Williams- Indulge.
Sonoma’s crystallized ginger. A Williams-
Sonoma exclusive. $12.75. DESIGNING YOUR FIRST SIGN
The following directions tell how you’d
Conversational signs assume that shoppers prepare a rough sketch for a printer if you
will stand still long enough to read them. If were placing a sign order. The sketch gives you
the signs are exceptionally well written, are and the printer something tangible to refer to
fun to read, and are used by a store whose as you discuss the sign either in person or over
image encourages browsing, shoppers really the phone.
enjoy these “silent salespeople.” However, most Assume that your sign will be laid out in
shoppers do not have the time to read lengthy a portrait (vertical) format on a sheet of
copy. If conversational signs don’t fit your store’s 11 × 14-inch paper. You’ll need a ruler and a
The optical center of image, you can also communicate product pencil to rough out the spacing for this sign. The
a sign is its focal point, where information by listing bullet points with concise first thing you’ll do is draw diagonal lines from
the eye naturally comes to descriptive phrases. Limit bullet points to three the top of each corner to the opposite bottom
rest, just above the center or four. Too much information may discourage corners on the sheet. The point where the lines
point (roughly a third of the the shopper from reading any of it. intersect is the exact center of the page.
way from the sign’s top edge). Simple phrases make the best themes for The optical center of the sign—a point
seasonal concepts, where they are repeated, where the eye naturally comes to rest—is just

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 above the center point (roughly a third of the
1”
way from the sign’s top edge). This becomes
the focal point of your sign. Mark it with a Diagonals
small x. The sign’s headline will be positioned
in this vicinity.
Margins, or borders, for this sign will be
1 inch on the top and sides of the sign. The
bottom margin will be wider—about 1¾ Optical Center
inches, which follows the general rule for
matting and framing art prints. Draw the
margins on the sign. Their lines should intersect
1” 1”
at the diagonals you’ve already drawn. Now
Center
you can see the frame or boundaries for your
sign’s composition. The border provided by the
margins guarantees that your sign will fit into
a sign holder with enough surrounding white Margins
space to frame the sign’s artwork and copy.
These proportional margins are customary for
sign making (Figure 8.10).
With margins and the optical center
established, the center of the sign must be
filled with copy. Imagine you are selling alarm
clocks. The Signing Request Form (see Box 8.1)
1-¾”
describes plans for an alarm clock promotion.
Figures 8.11 through 8.13 show how the copy
Figure 8.10 Note the exact center, optical center, diagonals, and margins
translates into fixture signing in three styles: (borders) marked on this blank signboard. Elaine Wencl Art.
conversational, bullet points, and item/price.
Common sign sizes are 5½ × 7 inches,
7 × 11 inches, and 11 × 14 inches. These sizes Chris Bailey from As Soon As Possible, Inc.
are primarily used for fixture signing. Full (ASAP), a digital signage and printing firm that
(22 × 28-inch) and half (14 × 22-inch) sheets serves Midwest retailers, says that signing style
are made to fit floor-standing sign holders and
poster frames (on escalator walls, for example). is becoming more about communicating
Fixture companies carry sign holders in many a message quickly and clearly while still
styles and fabrications for all these standard being visually appealing. In this time of
dimensions. websites and social media, the average
consumer’s attention span is very short,
SIGNAGE PRODUCTION so we have little time to waste in getting
Professional sign production is a necessary their attention.
expense of doing business. Although it is more
expensive than hand lettering a sign with Bailey adds: “One money-saving form of
marking pens, you need to weigh what not technology that is being utilized is ‘digital
having a quality signage program will cost screen printing’ or direct-to-substrate digital
your store in terms of image and effective printing.” In this process, “designs are directly
communication with shoppers. printed onto almost any rigid or flexible

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 signage request form
Start the day peacefully
Department: Housewares—Bed & Bath with a
Buyer: Jack Smith
Tymepeace TM
Chiming Alarm Clock.
Product: Tymepeace™ chiming alarm clock
Special features: Gentle chime alarm with
Trade in any working (but noisy) alarm clock and replace it with a
adjustable volume
new TymepeaceTM Alarm.
Colors: Stainless, brass, white, black
Our chimes may be adjusted to awaken you softly on weekends, or
Other: Trade in any working alarm clock and
turn them up a little for early morning weekdays.
replace it with a new Tymepeace. Trade-ins
Choose from stainless, brass, black, or white
will go to the Job-Seekers Project.
to match any room setting.
Price: $29.95 with trade-in; regular $39.95
Product in-store date: 8/15/2017
All trade-ins will go to the Job Seekers Project, a local social
Advertising date: 8/21/2017
service job seekers initiative that provides professional clothes
box 8.1 for people reentering the workforce.

Figure 8.11 (right) Conversational copy rendered in a formally

You’ll have two good reasons to wake up smiling.
balanced layout. Elaine Wencl Art.
$29.95 with trade-in
Figure 8.12 (bottom left) Bullet-point copy in an informally balanced
layout. Elaine Wencl Art. reg. $39.95

Figure 8.13 (bottom right) Product and price copy rendered in an

informally balanced layout. Elaine Wencl Art.

TymepeaceTM
Chiming TymepeaceTM
Alarm Clock Chiming
Alarm Clock
• Gentle chimes with
Gadjustable settings $29.95 with trade-in
(reg. $39.95)
• Stainless, brass,
white, black Trade-ins go to the
Job-Seekers Project

$29.95
with trade-in
(reg. $39.95)

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 material up to 1 inch thick.” According to Bailey says that small signs can be printed
Bailey, “This saves the cost of set-up, printing on inkjet or laser printers if the cardstock is
plates, and screens associated with traditional very thin. He names Adobe InDesign, Illustrator,
printing while providing the option of printing and Photoshop in both Mac and Windows
on several different materials.” platforms as professional software programs
Another form of technology presently in use with good graphic capabilities that can be used
is digital-based router or custom cut-outs of by both the experienced designer and, with
prints. “In the past,” Bailey says, training and practice, the moderately skilled
computer operator.
an expensive die would have to be Bailey says, “Good-looking custom-made
created to ‘die-cut’ unique shapes. Now signs aren’t really expensive when you consider
router cutting machines exist to facilitate what they accomplish. Our industry’s trends are
inexpensive custom cutting of almost bringing technologies that improve our speed
any shape. This provides a unique look and our quality. Faster, better, and cheaper—
that gives a competitive edge in the very those are our goals.”
small window of time you have to grab ASAP’s website (www.asap.net) features
your customer’s attention. an impressive glossary section of printing
terminology—a very useful tool for enhancing
Bailey also identifies what he describes any visual merchandiser’s working vocabulary.
as two of the stronger printing trends
going forward when he says that “visually Sign Holders
pleasing signage produced at the ‘speed You’ll find every possible configuration
of business’ and making use of the latest of conventional sign holders in fixture
technologies are what I’m seeing as successful manufacturers’ catalogs (Figure 8.14).
and cost-effective ways of communicating a Fabricated in metal, wood, and acrylic, or
message today.” combinations of materials, all versions have
Regardless of where your company’s advantages and disadvantages. Metal sign
technology resides, Bailey advises: “Look to holders are sturdy and have no light reflection
whom you’re speaking. When you want a problems since the sign has no plastic covering.
custom design for your store signature, you The advantage of acrylic is that the holder
ought to work with a graphic designer, either becomes more or less invisible, allowing the
your own or your printer’s.” He points out sign to pop (seem more prominent). Either
that larger signs necessarily belong in the version is acceptable. To promote storewide
professional printer’s domain simply because visual continuity, good retailers use just one
of the limits of noncommercial printers. “After type of sign holder.
the 7 × 11 sign, you’ve generally run out of Many retailers develop their own custom
in-house options.” He adds that conventional sign holders to further differentiate themselves
word processing programs are not usually from competitors. Speaking of competition,
PostScript-compatible, which means that it exists in the sign-holder industry, too. Sign
graphic design and copy writing done in holders in today’s fixture market now include
a small store’s backroom will not translate interesting curves and dimensional effects
effectively to the professional printer’s shop in response to retailers’ demands for new
for large sign production. fixtures and as a result of new capabilities in

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 Signing Resources
A great place to begin to look for signage
11x14 ideas is Signs of the Times magazine. It has
14x22
been a source of comprehensive sign-industry
news, technical information, and in-depth
analysis since 1906. Coupled with its online
magazine, SignWeb (www.signweb.com),
its mission is to educate and inspire signage
22x28
and graphics professionals worldwide. Visual
merchandisers will also find it useful to peruse
their local magazine stand on a regular basis.
Magazines like Wallpaper and Real Simple are
5½x7 amazing resources for cutting-edge sign copy
writing, layout, and type style. Both of these
magazines have taken an artfully designed,

7x11 fresh approach to the subject.

Catalogs are another great resource,
especially for conversational copy, lifestyle
photography, and current color names. IKEA,
Crate&Barrel, Pottery Barn, West Elm, and
Room & Board are all excellent resources for
Figure 8.14 A variety of commonly used, conventional
home fashions. Fashion apparel catalogues
sign holders. Elaine Wencl Art.
have largely been replaced by online strategies.
Check out any national brand apparel store
online for copy inspiration.
It is no accident that two half sheets are equal to a single full sheet.
retail realities

To see signs at work first-hand, visit your

Historically, the six-ply cardstock used by sign printers always came favorite shopping center. Look at a variety of
in full sheets that were 22 × 28 inches. Smaller signs were created by stores to see for yourself how messages are

cutting the full sheet in half (14 × 22 inches) and then in half again communicated. Look at the signs in Figure
8.15. Cover the figure caption and see how
(7 × 11 inches) and again (5 1/2 × 7 inches). This was an economical
many stores you can identify on the basis of
way to utilize the entire sheet.
their signing alone. How well do the signing
styles fit the company brand image? Which
are easiest to read? Which style would most
the printing industry. The fact that dimensional shoppers prefer, conversational or line items?
paper sizing is no longer a limitation paves the Which signs give the most information? Which
way for tremendous signing creativity. signs would most influence buying decisions?

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 Figure 8.15 Signage in home stores: Crate&Barrel (top left), RH (top right), Pottery
Barn (bottom left), Williams-Sonoma (bottom right). Judy Bell.

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 DESIGN GALLERY: UNDER ARMOUR BRAND HOUSE, CHICAGO
Winner of the coveted Shop! Design Awards’ 2016 Store
of the Year, this sports-centric, experiential retail center
on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile dominates the night
skyline. A dynamic black entry turret acts as a beacon
to athletes and sets the tone for this 30,000-square-foot
showcase for the brand’s newest innovative products.
Notice how the 30-foot diameter LED ring boldly
welcomes Chicago shoppers into the two-level rotunda.
Visual merchandising designers take advantage of the
massive space by outfitting a giant bust form in a bright
red Under Armour t-shirt, which gives new meaning to
the idea of a focal point. The open area around the bust
form allows breathing room before entering the many
shops devoted to categories: run, train, golf, hunt, and
fish. As you move further into the space, there is a high-
energy vibe with videos and graphics that include score
updates and social media.
Materials like natural wood, steel, and concrete
promote a feeling of power and strength throughout the
store. Fixtures are streamlined, mostly metal with wood
accents to ensure product is the main attraction. You
can see more photos and read more about the store at
bigredrooster.com, the firm that designed this winning
flagship retail extravaganza.

Photo Magda Biernat, Design Big Red Rooster and A+I.

Shoptalk “Sign Design and Production” by Ken Sinclair, formerly of Rainbow Signs, Minneapolis

I’m a believer in professional sign production for retail stores that consider effective
communication with customers as part of their mission. A full-service company with seasoned
consultative salespeople and an in-house creative staff can support everything that you want

to accomplish in your outreach to shoppers in a certain banners, full-sheet posters, and full-sized graphics that grab
market—things you probably could never do in most stores and hold your customers’ attention, the professional sign
using less than state-of-the-art printing equipment. maker reinforces your communications and builds brand
By interpreting what your company wants to say to its equity for you. How could you do all of that without some
customers and turning that into the creative sign toppers, help from experts?

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 A professional sign and graphics company is going to to catch grammatical or syntax errors on finished art. It’s
have more and newer equipment, better creative resources hard to put a name on that kind of service—other than
(often in-house), and the capability to produce higher- commitment to detail, pride in the work, and concern for
quality and more innovative printing than most signing customers. Always remember the age-old wisdom that “form
you could create on your own—saving time and money follows function.” Your most brilliant visual merchandising
in the long run. Your company wouldn’t have to own ideas can easily become too expensive, impossible to
the equipment or update it, staff the signing system, buy produce, or too cumbersome if you don’t consider how they
supplies, maintain equipment, print sufficient quantities to are to be made. Beginning designers need to get to know
justify those costs, warehouse, or distribute the signs once their sign makers’ capabilities and then work closely with
completed. Qualified printing companies even employ their them during the design process. That way, designs that work
own “apostrophe police”—prepress staff who are trained can be created economically and efficiently.

Chapter 8 Review Questions • Use an appropriate font and type size for the sign’s
1. What are the various types of merchandise signage? function and amount of copy.
What are the most important elements of a sale sign? • Draw the margins correctly.
2. Name three functions of signage. What are the steps to • Identify the optical center of the sign.
making a sign? • Think about balance, interesting lines that lead the eye
3. What are some of the guidelines for setting up signs in through the components, appropriate use of white space,
a retail store? proportion (the relationship of the parts to each other),
4. What are some signing resources that are used to and effective communication.
develop signs?
Present your signs in class or to your instructor and
explain your choices for font, size, layout, and copy.
Outside-the-Box Challenges
Sign Layout Specialty Grocery Product Sign Layout
LOOK Directions: Use the following information to create copy
Visit a local store that features signing as part of its and layouts for a 7 × 11-inch bulleted sign and a 7 × 11-inch
merchandise presentation on the selling floor. Look for conversational sign for the specialty product described here.
a sign listing only product and price, a sign that uses
conversational copy, and one that employs bulleted copy. LOOK
Sketch the copy and layout for each example. Read the following product description. Identify the
information to be featured in each sign. Product: PICNI-KIT®.
CO M PA R E A wicker picnic basket that is prepacked with safe,
Compare them to the sign layout guidelines and examples convenient, ready-to-eat deli-style foods sealed in packages
in this chapter. that can be reheated on a grill. Picni-kit® comes in three
sizes with enough food and place settings to serve 2, 6,
I N N O VAT E or 10. Prices range from $30 to $150. Contains appetizers,
At home or in class, using any word processing or sign- bread, meats, cheeses, dried fruits, and desserts.
making software available, design an improved version of Prepare at least two sketches each for your bulleted and
the store’s signs. conversational signs. For each sketch, do the following:

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 • Draw the correct margins. 6. How is illustration or artwork used?
• Identify the optical center of the sign. 7. Do the ads borrow from culture and/or historical
• Consider balance, white space, proportion (the references?
relationship of the parts to each other), and effective 8. What type of information (copy) is given regarding
communication. Choose appropriate type fonts. the advertised merchandise?
9. Are there any special features about the ads that you
CO M PA R E would like to comment on?
Select the best sketch for your conversational and bulleted 10. How does the marketing outside the store reflect
signs. Be prepared to explain your selections in class and the signage the retailer uses in the store to create a
exchange reactions with your classmates. complete brand image?

I N N O VAT E Write all your findings down and share them with the
Refine your sketches, taking into account the advice of your class. Based upon your findings, does this retailer create
classmates. a cohesive brand image using both their advertising and
in-store signage?
Critical Thinking
Brand Cohesion: Analyzing Retail Signing Case Study
Compared to In-Store or Direct Marketing What’s Your Sign?
A retail store’s branding package can include items such T H E S I T U AT I O N : P H A S E O N E
as signing, in-store marketing pieces, advertisements, and You are the new visual department manager for a store
direct marketing. that has what you consider a poor and confusing signage
program. It combines all-purpose machine-made signs
• Gather at least two examples of an advertisement or purchased from a store fixture catalog with hand-lettered
marketing effort from the same store (Internet ads; direct signs that reflect last-minute merchandising decisions and
mail pieces; radio, TV, or magazine ads) and then go to price changes. Your store’s owner asks you to create new
that store to see the relevant retail in-store signage and signing standards for the company’s two stores on opposite
in-store marketing pieces (counter cards, flyers, other ends of the city. The only instructions you receive are “Make
print materials—anything that can be defined as a sales the signs uniform so that we can produce them for both
promotional tool). stores at one time,” and “Be budget-conscious, please.”
• Compare and contrast the in-store signage with the The store, which is called It’s All in the Game, sells the
external ads and marketing pieces by answering the following types of games:
following questions:
• Board games for children and adults ranging from
1. What target market is each directed at? Monopoly and Scrabble to Chutes and Ladders
2. Where did you find the ad or sales promotion? • Popular computer games from nearly every software
Where is the sale signing found in the store? Do they company
resemble each other? • Miniaturized handheld games like golf and target
3. What image is the retailer attempting to portray? shooting
4. Is the merchandise featured, or do the ads focus on • Classic games like checkers and chess
prices or other elements? • Role-playing games
5. If prices are shown, are the goods at regular price or • Lawn games like croquet and bocce ball
sale? • Educational games related to math, language, and
science

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 All of the merchandise is boxed and shelved. Displays 5. Describe the merchandising shortcomings of
are confined to facing out the top box on the highest shelf alphabetizing the merchandise on shelves and
so that shoppers walking up the aisles toward the natural devise another method for organizing the store’s
birch shelving can easily review it. There is no back stock; merchandise. Then describe how new signage could
everything is out on shelves. Part of the stock is locked into make it work more efficiently for shoppers than the
security cases because it is expensive or poses a security arrangement currently in use.
risk because of its small size. Currently, signs are taped to 6. Explain why lifestyle graphics might be (or not be)
the front lip of each shelf below the stacked merchandise. appropriate tools for your new signage program.
The only information on them is the name of the item, 7. Describe a sign “topper” or “sider” that might help you
an SKU number, and a price. Clearance merchandise and add some visual consistency to your two-store signage
markdowns are marked with colored dots, and there is a program.
chart explaining the pricing scheme on the wall behind the
checkout counter. T H E S I T U AT I O N : P H A S E T W O
The store’s communication goal is to reinforce the store’s In addition to revamping the store’s signing, another
playful game theme. That hasn’t happened yet. Shoppers innovation to implement is an open computer game
need more and better information than they are currently library so that shoppers can actually test drive games in
getting from store signs. Games are grouped on shelves stock before purchase. Someone on staff has proposed an
alphabetically rather than by type or age group. The only area with tables and chairs plus two computer stations to
table display is the clearance table just inside the front door. facilitate this concept. This area is going to be a busy place
and will need informational signing so shoppers know
YOUR CHALLENGE how to use it without necessarily having to get extensive
1. Describe the tone or mood you would communicate directions from sales associates.
through your new signing program.
2. Select a type style or font that you think would help YOUR CHALLENGE
you accomplish this communication goal. Examine 1. Write the sign copy. Visualize the setting and write
the various fonts included with your word processing sign copy that welcomes your customers to the area
program to get started. and explains the process for testing the games and
3. Using the tone and the type style you’ve adopted, using your facility. For example, “Games are filed
create a 22 × 28-inch sign that welcomes shoppers into alphabetically in boxes at each computer station,” and
the store. “Please return game in appropriate slot when you’ve
4. Assume that you’re going to retain the current finished.”
clearance/markdown dot system. Write sign copy 2. Explain what you hope to accomplish with the
that will explain it to shoppers. You may supply any language and tone you choose for this communication.
additional details you need. Describe where you would 3. Describe where you would locate this informational
locate the dot information (end cap signing or floor- sign and how large it would have to be in order to be
standing full-sheet posters, for example) and explain readable.
your reasoning.

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 9 Lighting

Lighting Defines Store Brand Image

Lighting plays a major role in defining and strengthening a store’s brand identity. It
contributes to the overall atmosphere and feel of the entire store environment. Think
about the lighting in a Victoria’s Secret store. It may remind you of the lighting in your
own home, soft and warm with highlights and shadows. Compare that mental image to
the lighting in a Walmart—bright, cool, and shadow-free. Now imagine Victoria’s Secret
with Walmart’s lighting and vice versa. Aside from the fact that such a thing is highly
unlikely to happen, think about what this kind of change would do to either store’s brand
identity. Victoria’s Secret’s intimate environment would be entirely altered. Walmart’s
value message would not be clear if it were lighted like a residence. This example
demonstrates the degree to which lighting affects a store’s brand identity.
Ed Pettersen, Pettersen Retail Consulting, described how lighting in the retail
environment has changed over the years:

Lighting has become far more than the utilitarian device that it once was. It should
be used to set an overall tone for the space, while accentuating specific product. “Lighting significantly
Through various ranges of color and temperature, lighting can either illuminate affects how comfortable
the space in a generalized way, or it may be distinctly focused so as to elevate the a customer feels while
perceived value of a particular product, particularly where soft goods are concerned. they’re in your store. The
more comfortable they
feel, the longer they
Light fixture styling contributes to brand identity, too, as you see when you look at
tend to stay.”
Figure 9.1. Nordstrom’s award winning LED light weave display demonstrates that lighting Brad Stewart, executive
fixtures are more than functional. They add interesting atmospheric dimensions to store vice president sales,
designs, helping to draw shoppers through the entire environment. This airy, sparkling hera lighting
star-like lighting inspires a feeling of nature against the cloud-white ceiling and columns.

AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

• Describe how lighting helps to define store brand identity

• Explain why a lighting expert must always be consulted when a lighting system is
purchased
• Identify the three functions of lighting
• Recognize various lighting systems
• Establish lighting priorities
• Discuss current best practices for lighting

Figure 9.0 Page restaurant’s flowering light sculpture was honored in Shop! Design Awards, 2016; Terminal A,
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington, DC. ICRAVE, Designer and Eventscape, Fabricator. 233

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 Figure 9.1 Nordstrom’s award-winning light weave LED fixture is ceiling hung over an open area for a dazzling effect; Pacific Centre,
Vancouver, BC, Canada. Courtesy of Nordstrom, photo by Connie Zhou.

In Figure 9.2, Whole Foods Market, in their

40,100-square-foot store in Pompano Beach, FL,
designed their environment around a vintage
nautical theme. Their rope lighting fixture
carries through that relaxed beach feeling in
a unique, eye-catching manner. Imagine this
seating area without any decorative lamp
fixtures. Would the brand lose impact? How
important is lighting to the overall image and
feel of the environment?

Lighting Technology
Clearly, lighting technology changes constantly.
This presents a special challenge to store
designers and visual merchandisers since
lighting fixtures and systems are big-ticket
items. Intense research in the preliminary stage
is the only way to ensure that the system store
planners select satisfies lighting requirements
for the long term. Fortunately, retailers can
consult lighting specialists familiar with retail
environments to help with lighting strategies
that provide atmosphere, safety, and security
at the lowest cost possible.
Figure 9.2 Whole Foods Market’s award-winning rope lighting fixture in
Pompano Beach, FL. ID & Design International. Lighting manufacturers may have experts
who can put together comprehensive, one-

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 stop lighting programs for retailers. They

retail realities
begin their task by asking questions about the
store, its brand identity, its products, and its Some lighting systems may produce heat, accounting for a percentage
clientele. Once they understand the retailer’s of a building’s cooling load, which affects the expense of installing and
business, they make recommendations for
operating air-conditioning equipment.
specific lighting systems and offer advice on
how to manage them. Maximum lighting
effectiveness and minimal energy expenses
are the goals. Since operational costs can
easily outstrip the initial price of lighting BÄRO, a European lighting firm, started
systems, they also review hidden costs like their company fifty years ago with the idea
energy and maintenance requirements, plus of offering lighting for food products that
freight, handling, and processing for shipment. make their freshness and quality visible.
Independent designers, many of them Today they offer LED spectrums and special
members of the International Association of light colors tailored to different products. In
Lighting Designers (IALD), are also available. grocery, maximum product preservation is of
At some point, you may get involved in a key importance; LED lighting, with no heat
lighting system update for an existing store. radiation, offers the best solution. A quote
One of the first things you’ll look for is new from their website clearly demonstrates their
lamp styles that are compatible with current passion and expertise: “Nowhere is freshness The word lamp has at
systems. Replacing old lamps with newer, more clearly perceived than with fish: the ice least two distinct meanings.
more efficient ones can dramatically decrease must sparkle, the fish must shine. Brilliant, cool In the lighting industry, lamp
electrical costs for a store. However, updating light with a somewhat higher lighting level is is another word for light
the system to accept different lamps or light best suited to this” (www.baero.com). bulb. In layman’s terms, it
tracks may involve another set of expenses, applies to a lighting fixture
which is sometimes higher than those for new Lighting Functions complete with a bulb, a power
construction. This is where lighting consultants Lighting systems actually perform four source, a base, and a shade
are invaluable. They can wade through the functions in a store environment: ambient, that is either decorative or
pros and cons and help you find the best accent, task, and decorative lighting. purely functional.
balance between up-front expenses and long-
term savings. AMBIENT LIGHTING ambient lighting
Don’t lose sight of the major reason for The general, overall lighting that determines describes general, overall
changing an existing lighting system—the color rendition is called ambient lighting. If lighting.
opportunity to show your wares in the best you’ve ever had to ask a salesperson to take
possible light. Your worry about dollars leaving two garments out of the store into daylight color rendition is
the store shouldn’t take precedence over the to compare or match colors, you were the degree to which lighting
opportunity to bring dollars in. Compare costs shopping in a store environment that didn’t allows colors to be viewed
incurred to advantages gained. In addition to provide adequate lighting. In view of recent under conditions that are
operational savings, new lamps may improve developments in the lighting industry, that is closest to those offered by
color clarity for displayed merchandise. Stores unacceptable. Lighting that gives merchandise natural light. The lighting
that take advantage of new technology the best color rendition possible is never an industry uses the term Color
in lighting systems do so to enhance the option; it’s a necessity. Rendering Index (CRI) when
appearance of merchandise colors and to Just as colors appear brighter on a sunny listing specifications on
provide customers with optimal conditions for day and duller under cloudy conditions, each lamp.
making purchase decisions. merchandise colors appear to change under

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 Figure 9.3 Varying levels of ambient lighting
combined with accent lighting produces a
dramatic store interior at Louis Vuitton Rodeo
Drive, Beverly Hills, CA. Photo Stephane Muratet.

different lamps within a store. Color rendition ACCENT LIGHTING

accent lighting will vary from one store to the next, just Accent lighting is a supplemental light fixture
describes lighting effects as lamps vary from store to store. Even if that adds sparkle or punch to displays and
designed to emphasize certain two stores used identical lighting systems, creates special focal points in areas that already
wall areas, merchandise other factors like ceiling, wall, and floor have general light sources. Look at Figure 9.4
displays, or architectural coverings all influence the lighting levels in and notice how reduced ambient lighting adds
features in a retail setting. any environment. Dark-colored carpeting, for to the impact of accent lighting focused on the
example, will absorb more light than a light mannequins. Accent lighting also adds eye-
task lighting is carpet, resulting in a lower level of ambient catching interest to the back wall as cords and
designed to illuminate work lighting in a store. Ambient lighting can also light fixtures are arranged in an artful graphic
areas where strong, bright be intentionally varied to create a mood in a design.
light allows for detail work. luxury shopping environment like Louis Vuitton
(Figure 9.3). TA S K L I G H T I N G
Task lighting is implemented in work areas—
checkouts, alteration rooms, fitting rooms,
stockrooms, restrooms, and offices. Lighting
One of the most visual trends in retail and commercial lighting is the
retail realities

professionals pay special attention to task

balance between ambient and accent lighting. More and more retailers
lighting in apparel fitting rooms and above
are reducing ambient lighting levels and increasing accent lighting. full-length mirrors on the selling floor.
Employing new LED technologies, retailers are reducing costs and Here, the task is trying on clothes. Designers
increasing light levels. The net result? Customers are more drawn to understand that shoppers need to do this in a

various products and sales rise. setting with lighting that enhances both skin
tones and fashion colors (Figure 9.5).

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 Figure 9.4 Accent lighting plays two roles in this
window display as it focuses on mannequins and also
draws your eye in to the artful display of lighting
in the back wall. Macy’s, New York. Copyright
WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com
[email protected] 1.646.827.2288.

Figure 9.5 A large panel of task lighting overlooks

MAC’s makeup counter at Grand Central Station,
New York. WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 Ideally, fitting room lighting levels will here because they are still available, so it
A fluorescent lamp be closest to those used in homes, enabling is helpful to know their characteristics for
is a sealed glass tube filled shoppers to see themselves under conditions cosmetic or artistic effects.
with mercury vapor. Its inner that match residential lighting where the
surface is coated with a garments will be worn. Here’s something to FLUORESCENT LIGHTING
mixture of phosphor powder. keep in mind when fixturing fitting rooms: Fluorescent lamps provide ambient lighting.
When electricity arcs through side mirror lighting with LED with a high CRI They are inexpensive to operate and are
the gases in the lamp, it (color rendering index) will both faithfully commonly used as the only light sources in
produces ultraviolet energy reveal the colors of apparel, and also enhance discount and warehouse retail stores. Recently
that is absorbed by the coating the appearance of the customer, making improved fluorescent lamp systems have a
and causes the powder to them appear slimmer and more attractive. long life and offer a high degree of lumens
become fluorescent, emitting Investment here is wise and will directly per watt. A lumen is a measure of light coming
visible light. affect the bottom line. A fitting room is an from any source compared to the amount of
intimate space. Light should amplify the sense light produced by a burning candle.
CRI or color rendering of privacy and flatter the viewer and the Fluorescent lighting is commonly combined
index is the measure of the garments. Investigate the sort of lighting used with other lighting systems in department
ability of a light source to by cosmetic makeup artists—soft and flattering stores and specialty retail stores. Although
reveal the colors of various to the face. fluorescent lamps provide inexpensive general
objects faithfully. lighting in the store environment, they cannot
D E C O R AT I V E L I G H T I N G effectively accent merchandise or displays—a
decorative lighting Decorative lighting is primarily used to requirement in most retail stores. They are
creates atmosphere and create atmosphere and enhance the store also non-shadowing. This makes merchandise
enhances retail branding brand, but it can also effectively influence appear flat or non-dimensional. Retailers
and can also influence a customer mood. Position decorative fixtures in have requested general improvements in
customer’s mood. prominent locations like over tables that are fluorescent systems, and in response, several
centrally located in the store or inside shops lamp manufacturers have worked together
An incandescent to draw customers into uniquely branded to produce a line of high light-output and
lamp is a glass bulb with an areas. They can also be placed over escalators color-performance bulbs that complement
interior tungsten filament that as a navigational solution. Look again at merchandise and skin tones.
is heated by electric current, Figure 9.1 and Figure 9.2 for examples of
producing light. You may decorative lighting. INCANDESCENT LIGHTING
remember it as the common Incandescent lighting was long used as the
light bulb, but it has been Lighting Systems best method for true-to-life accent and task
phased out as energy-efficient The two best systems of lighting available lighting, but this energy-inefficient method
lamps become more common. today to achieve the various retail lighting of lighting is rarely seen today. Incandescent
needs are fluorescent and LED. Incandescent lamps give off a defined area of warm light
(the common lightbulb) lighting has been rather than the overall cool light produced by
effectively phased out in retail except when a fluorescent system. The type of lamp used
used purely for artistic effect. LED technologies determines the scope of the defined area.
are now available in versions with CRIs that Flood lamps light a wide area; spot lamps
rival those of incandescent lights, so their cover a narrower area. Spot lamps are made
“Lighting is the jewelry
of the store.” competitive advantage is clear. Halogen is in a variety of sizes and intensities. They
Ken Nisch, Chairman, now on the same path as incandescent, with can effectively cover a range from 1 inch to
JGA LED being almost seven times more efficient. 6 feet. Once you understand the range and
Incandescent and halogen lighting are included capabilities of individual spot and flood lamps,

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 it’s simply a matter of choosing the correct one safety concern!
for the task and fitting it into an adjustable
receptacle or can on a track system. Halogen lamps give off intense heat. Using
Incandescent light systems offer excellent them in selling areas requires extra caution so
color rendition, but they have a shorter lamp that the lamp never comes in direct contact
life and produce lower degrees of lumens per with merchandise or atmospheric drapings.
watt at a greater cost than the fluorescent Fixtures with halogen lamps should not
system does. Incandescent lighting enhances be placed where they might be touched
reds, oranges, and yellows, but blues are dulled. accidentally. Be especially aware of torchères
They are available in non-reflectorized versions, (floor lamps with exposed halogen bulbs)
or reflectorized versions, for more punch. that might tip toward hanging merchandise if
bumped by shoppers.
HALOGEN LIGHTING
box 9.1
Halogen and metal halide are other types
of incandescent lighting that traditionally
provided the color rendition closest to daylight. delivered light, LED fixtures often perform as
They offer longer lamp life and a higher lumen well, and in some cases significantly better A halogen lamp contains
efficiency, and are more efficient than standard than conventional fixtures, while consuming highly pressurized halogen
incandescent lamps by 10 to 20 percent. far less energy. gas that, combined with
Halogen lighting is commonly used for evaporated tungsten, cycles
accent and task lighting, and sometimes as an TECHNOLOGY TRENDS the gas back to the filament,
ambient lighting source. The cost for a halogen IN LIGHTING SYSTEMS which, in turn, cleans the
system is high initially, but its efficiency makes Tunable white LED technology is becoming a glass while maintaining
it cost-effective over time. It is important to mainstay in retail lighting. Users can “tune” lumen output throughout the
know that you should not handle halogen the amount of light in a space to change mood lifetime of the lamp.
lamps with bare hands; oil from hands will for special events, which is becoming more
cause the lamp to burn out more quickly. When important today as retailers look for ways to An LED (light-emitting
considering a halogen system, you should draw customers in as competition from online diode) is a tiny semiconductor
keep in mind that the person responsible for shopping steadily increases. Look again at similar to an incandescent
changing lamps will need special training. In Figure 9.3 to see how varying levels of ambient bulb in that it gives off light
addition, halogen is, like incandescent, also light enhance the luxury shopping experience when an electric current passes
being phased out. in Louis Vuitton. through it. However, it does
Other trends are growing in popularity, as not have a filament that will
LED LIGHTING reported in vmsd in April 2016. Nelson Jenkins, burn out and does not get very
The current darling of the lighting industry Lumen Architecture, NY explains, “As LED’s hot so it is a lot more durable
is the LED (light-emitting diode) lamp, which become smaller and more compact, their than an incandescent and
has evolved from the color-changing display outputs become brighter, it’s easier to integrate halogen light.
novelty over a decade ago to an increasingly those sources into architectural details, like
reliable source of white light. LED systems are behind backlighting surfaces or cove cavities”
inherently directional; they emit almost all (Figure 9.6). Jules Gim, CallisonRTKL, Baltimore,
of their light output in the desired direction, says, “You’re also seeing LEDs integrated into
rather than dispersing it. They require no translucent materials; say an animated and
gels or filters which can block a significant dynamic screen you can program, but when
percentage of a fixture’s light output. When you press a button, it transforms back into a
comparing lighting fixtures on the basis of clear piece of glass.”

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 Figure 9.6 Dynamic accent lighting energizes this active mannequin outpost at Under Armour
Brand House, Chicago. Photo Magda Biernat, Design Big Red Rooster and A+I.

teaches so well. For instance, he says that red

Lighting Windows and light on red paint or textiles will “pop” the red,
Editorial Displays adding brilliance to the basic color. The same
Lighting merchandise in windows and in red lamp shining down on a blue garment
editorial displays is a trial-and-error process as will make it look brown-purple. Red light on
you learn your craft. If possible, you want to a green garment will make it seem dark gray.
enhance the item or achieve dramatic effects On orange, red will make objects look quite
with a hint of additional color or emphasize pale. On yellow, a red light will leach the color,
the product to make it stand out in the leaving it nearly white in appearance. This
presentation. The last thing you want to do is means that you must use caution and good
distort a product’s true color. Lighting a display judgment when you add colored lighting
window may require adding colored lighting effects to display presentations. A light that
to correct color distortion that results from the adds atmosphere to your propping and general
sun shining onto merchandise or to heighten presentation may communicate a distorted
color contrasts for noon-hour window picture of the merchandise to shoppers.
shopping. Blue light on red merchandise will turn
In Visual Merchandising & Display, Martin the item violet, while blue on blue adds that
Pegler coaches visual merchandisers through brilliant punch you may be after. Blue on
the often difficult process of selecting colored yellow creates green hues, and blue on green
lamps to enhance product colors in windows will yield turquoise. On violet, a blue light
and editorial displays. In closed windows, you’ll will create blue-violet, perhaps adding depth
be working with display-specific light sources and richness to draped fabric, and that may
rather than ambient lighting and will have be an admirable goal. Always use your best
more control over your lighting effects. With judgment.
open-backed windows and on the selling floor, Green light on red turns the object brown.
you may have to override ambient lighting to Green on yellow takes the color in chartreuse
create a special impact. You may also want to directions, and green on green gives you a
create a uniquely colored lighting scheme for a more brilliant green. On orange, a green light
certain department’s atmospherics. That’s when will burnish it to the color of old gold. Green
you need to know the techniques that Pegler on violet will give you a dark gray-green.

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 If you want to emphasize orange, use • Back wall of the store
an amber light for a brighter, truer orange. • Editorial spaces, niches, and coves
Magenta on orange will give you a bright red- • Selling floor display areas; display windows
orange; on red you’ll have cerise. Magenta • Task areas: checkouts and fitting rooms
on blue brings up ultramarine blue, and on
yellow you’ll see orange. To get a hint of these You may think that all of this updating and
lighting effects, you can work with sheets of retrofitting is a managerial activity and not
colored acetate or experiment with colored something for an entry-level merchandiser
pencils by layering the lamp color over the to be concerned about. To a certain degree,
colors you lay down on a sheet of paper. that’s true. You probably won’t be selecting the
systems or placing the orders. However, you do
Priority Lighting Checklist need to be interested and concerned because
Visual merchandising managers and store as a practitioner you will be checking the
planners who are researching lighting updates lighting on the checklist daily. You may also be
for existing systems wisely use a checklist asked to train the selling staff to do the same.
approach to avoid overlooking critical items. Later in your career, you may be one of the
A list serves as a planning tool, helps prioritize decision makers participating in the research
key areas where improved lighting will make and planning.
a difference to store image and sales, and
helps assess maintenance requirements once General Guidelines for Lighting
the improvements are installed. The items on The following guidelines apply to the lighting
this checklist will show what areas are really of all kinds of merchandise:
important in terms of lighting and store image:
• Focus any adjustable light on merchandise.
• Fixtures on the store leaseline or department If you move a fixture, check to see whether
leaseline a light fixture needs to be adjusted. Lights
• Priority walls on either side of the store or focused on blank walls or blank floor areas
department entrance serve no purpose (Figures 9.7 and 9.8).

CORRECT INCORRECT

Figure 9.7 Flood lighting in a fashion apparel wall presentation. In the correct example, light fixtures
with flood lamps are focused on the merchandise. In the incorrect example, light fixtures are set on the
blank wall rather than on merchandise. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 CORRECT INCORRECT

Figure 9.8 Lighting in a fashion apparel floor presentation. In the correct example, a light fixture with a
flood or spot lamp is focused on merchandise on the floor fixture. In the incorrect example, the lighting
fixture is focused on the floor. Elaine Wencl Art.

CORRECT INCORRECT

Figure 9.9 Flood lighting in a fashion apparel wall presentation. In the correct example, fixtures with
flood lamps are crossed over the merchandise to maximize lighting. In the incorrect example, fixtures
are not crossed. Notice how the range of lighting is minimized. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 Spot
Spot

Flood Pin Spot

CORRECT INCORRECT

Figure 9.10 Lighting fixtures with flood lamps, spot lamps, and Figure 9.11 Showcase lighting. In the correct example, the position of the
pin spot lamps are combined to create impact for this outpost light fixture is angled so that the light does not create glare. In the incorrect
mannequin display. Craig Gustafson Art. example, the position of the light creates glare, which may irritate the shopper.
Craig Gustafson Art.

• Set adjustable lights at an angle rather than • Replace burned out lamps only with the
straight on to maximize the area that is same style of lamp. Spots should be replaced
lighted (Figure 9.9). with spots; floods replaced with floods.
• Combine spots and floods in a display area • Keep fixtures and bulbs clean. Dusty lamps
for a more dramatic look, as shown in may drastically reduce lighting output. Clean
Figure 9.10. the interior of the fixture, too, because the
• Set up accent lighting for displays with surface serves as a reflector for the lighting.
three to five times more intensity than the • Schedule regular cleaning or painting of
ambient lighting levels in the store. store walls and ceilings. Dust and dirt on
• Adjust lights in areas with glass countertops these surfaces decrease light reflection.
or mirrors so that there is no glare in • Dark floors and carpets absorb light, so light,
shoppers’ eyes (Figure 9.11). neutral colors are better flooring choices.

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 Demographic Awareness Distortions in color perception among people
You’ve read about several recent technological in this age group have implications for visual
developments in the lighting industry, and you merchandisers because of the large size of this
know that there will be more changes every demographic group.
day. There are other factors that will affect Our eyes work like cameras because light
how you’ll do your lighting tasks over the next must pass through an opening (aperture) and
decade. Two important demographic changes optics where pictures are formed. Aging clouds
are noted in this section by Color Marketing and yellows the eye’s optics and shrinks the
Group (CMG) and Envirosell, respectively. pupil. As an entire generation’s corneas yellow
Color Marketing Group (CMG), a with age, visual merchandisers will have to find
professional organization that forecasts color ways to compensate with lighting techniques
directions for manufacturers, sees a change that render store and display colors as truly as
influencing how shoppers will respond to possible.
color. CMG predicts that they will become About the amount of light needed for
disenchanted with the “fast-paced digital shopping, Underhill says, “The typical 50-year-
age” and look for more soothing and spiritual old’s retinas receive about one-quarter less
elements in their surroundings. light than the average 20-year-old’s. That
In-store lighting that creates a less hectic, means lots of stores, restaurants, and banks
less stressful shopping environment has the should be brighter than they are now. There
potential to attract more customers and can’t be pockets of dim light, not if shoppers
capture more business for stores. If retailers are going to see what they’re shopping for or
use high-tech lighting tools to promote even where they’re walking. Illumination must
satisfying high-touch shopping experiences, be bright, especially during the time of day
they will balance important philosophical and when older shoppers tend to arrive.”
environmental trends. As clear distinctions between steps and
Research by Envirosell predicts that baby risers disappear, stairs will have to be better lit.
boomers will soon have trouble seeing Lighting aimed at directional signing will have
gradations in color. This is simply a result of to be fairly intense because aging also reduces
growing older. According to Envirosell director the ability to see contrasts—edges and borders,
Paco Underhill, “The difference between for instance. Words and numbers will have
blues and greens will become more difficult to be larger. Needless to say, any signing—
for many [older] shoppers to perceive, and especially conversational signing—will require
yellow will become much trickier for designers easy-to-read type and also better lighting levels
to use—everything will look a little yellow.” than those currently used in some retail stores.

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 DESIGN GALLERY: P
 AGE, RONALD REAGAN WASHINGTON
NATIONAL AIRPORT
Decorative lighting is the focus in the Page restaurant
in Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport,
Washington, DC. The flowering light sculpture that
overlooks the restaurant’s bar was honored at Shop!’s
2016 Design Awards. Bringing the outside in, this
lighting fixture’s homage to nature is apparent.
Its petals align with ribs in the ceiling, which are
highlighted by custom LED fixtures concealed inside
the petals. The custom LED fixtures feature individually
controlled channels, with a range in color from white to
amber. Lighting can be programmed to balance natural
light from windows in the daytime, and to create a
warm environment in the evening.
Also notice the ceiling lights that appear as stars in
the cloud-like ceiling structure. The appeal of nature in
an airport setting is an effective way to calm travelers
and offer comfort as they wait for their flights. Under
the umbrella of this beautiful and innovative lighting
fixture, they are also provided with iPads for ordering
meals, accessing the Internet, and receiving real-time
flight notifications. It is easy to understand why the
combination of tech-savvy features and dramatic
architecture is part of a movement in airports to elevate
travelers’ experience. The visual merchandising of Page
is a good example to keep in mind of how lighting can
ICRAVE, Designer and Eventscape, Fabricator.
be used to influence customers’ moods and offer them a
welcome break in their busy schedules.

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 “Lighting Doesn’t Make the Environment, it IS the Environment” by Brad Stewart,
Shoptalk Executive
 Vice President Sales, Hera Lighting

I would suggest that store designers have one singular goal: Design stores to maximize cash
flow and profit for their company. Proper lighting is paramount to both:

Increase Sales: Lighting significantly affects how Considering that 70 percent of retail purchases are impulse
comfortable customers feel while they’re in a store. The buys, every increase in ETPR will increase sales per customer
more comfortable they feel, the longer they tend to stay. So visit. Proper display lighting is the main key to increasing
how do we use lighting to keep customers in a store longer? this ratio.
Environments with more daylight have proven to aid in this Decrease Costs: LED technology has evolved to be less
endeavour. An interesting and well-illuminated back wall expensive than fluorescent. Its life cycle cost has been
tends to attract customers deeper into the store. The deeper lower for some time. Now, it is even less expensive upfront.
they venture, the longer they stay. According to the NRF (National Retail Federation) the cost of
In addition, using proper and strategic display lighting changing a lightbulb in a retail store is $10 to $15 per lamp.
will increase what we call Eye to Product Ratio. ETPR is A quality LED will last seven years or longer without a single
defined as the percentage of time a customer’s eyes are lamp change. Combining savings in lamp changes with energy
focused on a product in a store versus any other object. savings makes LED the best practice in most applications.

Chapter 9 Review Questions Outside-the-Box Challenge

1. How does lighting reflect and define a store’s identity? Lighting Evaluation
Give an example of a store that you feel has excellent LOOK
lighting. How does that store’s lighting make you feel? Visit two retail stores of your choice. Answer the following
Does it impact why you shop at that particular store? questions for both stores.
2. Why does a lighting expert have to be part of the team
when designing a new store? Why is heat an important 1. Are the fixtures on the store’s lease line brightly
factor to consider when you are installing a lighting lighted?
system? 2. Look at all of the walls of the store, including the back
3. What are the four main functions of lighting? Give wall. Are they well lighted? What types of lighting are
examples of each of these used in a retail store. used?
4. How do lights direct customers in a retail store? Can 3. Are any lights focused on blank wall or floor areas?
you think of any retailer that uses lighting to guide 4. Are displays more brightly lighted than other areas of
customers through stores as they shop? the store?
5. Give three examples of some of the best practices 5. Is the checkout lighted well enough for transactions to
for the use of lighting and how lights can enhance be easily handled?
product. 6. What is your opinion of the lighting in the fitting
rooms?

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 CO M PA R E possibilities. One of their concerns is the lighting of the
Compare the lighting in the two stores. Which store has the store because they’ve discovered that fuel costs are rising
best overall lighting plan? again. Since they own their own building (which previously
housed a hardware store) and will have to pay for the store
I N N O VAT E remodel and monthly energy expenses, they are concerned
How would you improve the lighting in both stores? about containing costs: “We want to operate efficiently
enough to protect the bottom line on our balance sheet,
Critical Thinking but we don’t want to cut back on the necessary atmospheric
Lighting in Our Lives elements, either.”
You might not really pay attention to the types of lighting The entrepreneurs are looking at two types of retail
that you encounter each day. What are the lights in your options:
classroom, your house, the grocery store, your favorite retail
store? What light is used in your television and on your • A budget do-it-yourself picture framing warehouse that
computer screen? also sells inexpensive art prints and photography
For one day, keep a diary of all the types of lighting you • A high-end photography equipment/photo gallery
encounter. business with custom framing

1. Write down the date. You’re not a lighting expert by any means, but you do
2. Using the format of a calendar, mark off each hour of want to offer them some basic guidelines.
the day.
3. For each time you encounter a new environment, use a YOUR CHALLENGE
mobile device, or go to any new space, take notes and 1. Suggest a lighting format for each type of store and
look to see if there are lights. explain why each type of lighting (or combination
4. After your day is complete, do research and determine of lighting types) would be most effective for the
to your best judgment the types of lighting that each situation. Start the planning by discussing the type of
device, monitor, room, and space you were in that lighting needed to establish a strong brand identity
day utilized. Did you go get gas for your car? Did the or image for either retail concept. Address issues for
gas pumps have lights? Did you go to Starbucks? And ambient, accent, and task lighting.
so on. 2. Identify several sources where you might gather more
5. How many various types of lighting did you encounter information about current lighting technology for
that day? retail settings.
6. For each retail space: Did the type of lighting you 3. The building has traditional store display windows.
encountered match the environment in which you used Suggest how they could be used for each type of
it? Or do you feel that lighting used was poor for that business. Discuss the impact that decision will have on
particular space? interior lighting as well as on window lighting. For
example, do you envision open windows or closed
Share your comments and findings with your classmates. display windows for either store?
4. Draw a lighting layout for each store (referring to
Case Study guidelines and illustrations found in this chapter).
Let There Be Light 5. Go to www.visualstore.com or any other store fixturing
T H E S I T U AT I O N site and select some lighting fixtures that you believe
Assume that you are a visual merchandiser consulting for will accomplish the tasks outlined in your criteria list
three entrepreneurs who are about to enter retailing for for each store. Print the photographs or drawings and
the first time. They have several possible store concepts in attach them to your case study before turning it in for
mind. You are preparing to guide them as they weigh the evaluation.

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 part three communicating retail atmospherics

It is time to decide about your plans for Section Two

signage and lighting—important means • Do lifestyle graphics enter into your
of communicating retail atmospherics to communication strategies? Explain why they
shoppers—as discussed in Chapters 8 and 9. would or would not be appropriate for your
Build on the work you’ve already done for store.
Parts One (Chapters 1, 2, and 3) and Two • Explain what you hope to accomplish with
(Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7). the language and tone you’ve chosen for
your store’s interior signage.
Section One • Would handwritten signs ever be
How will your capstone store announce its appropriate for your capstone store? Why or
presence to passersby and potential customers? why not?
How will they know what’s for sale? How will • Explain why the age of your target customer
this store’s signage greet them? might or might not influence your store’s
signage strategies.
• Design (illustrate and/or describe) your • Write sign copy that enhances your store’s
capstone store’s exterior appearance and brand image and demonstrates the tone of
its exterior signage. Refer to the storefront voice that you will use to communicate with
description from Part One. your customers. Choose fonts, type size, and
• Prepare a rationale statement that explains layout orientation (vertical or horizontal).
how your exterior design strategies support Render examples of each on 8½ x 11-inch
your brand image as well as the interior paper or cardstock. Prepare examples for
atmospheric choices you’ve already made in each of the following categories:
Part Two. • Directional sign—for example, location of
service desk, restroom, or fitting room—
one sign
• Policy statement—for example, returns or
store hours—one sign
• Special promotion or special event—one
sign
• Regular-price merchandise—sign(s) for
three items
• Sale-price merchandise—sign(s) for three
items

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 Section Three
In Part Two, Section Two, you made several
generalized choices relating to the store’s
overall atmospheric elements—sounds,
lighting and lighting levels, displays, and traffic
patterns. In this section, you’ll be making more
specific plans for lighting.

• Describe and then prepare a rationale

statement for your store’s:
• Ambient lighting scheme
• Accent lighting scheme
• Task lighting scheme
• Explain why the average age of your target
customer might influence your lighting
fixture/lamp selections.
• Refer to the lighting plan example in
Chapter 9 as you develop and render a
comprehensive lighting plan for your
capstone store. Consider creating an acetate
or tracing paper overlay for your existing
merchandise and fixturing layout drawings.
Devise a key to identify the types of lights
you plan to use. Pay special attention to
fitting and display areas.
• Using photographs or catalogue illustrations
from any source(s), show the selection
of lighting fixtures that you believe will
accomplish your goals for lighting your store
attractively and effectively.

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 Par t Four V I S UA L P R AC T I C E S F O R N O N T R A D I T I O N A L V E N U E S

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 10 Grocery and Food Service Stores

Food as Fashion
Just as fashion has touched every item in the home, from trend-colored vegetable brushes
to Zen-style bamboo place mats, fashion has reached out to food. Minneapolis-based
Byerly’s said it best with its “You Are What You Eat” special event, which launched the
opening of its Maple Grove, Minnesota, store. Byerly’s unusual promotional show featured
fashion models dressed in outfits fabricated or trimmed in food products such as cinnamon
sticks, chocolate pieces, and Coca-Cola cans. See Figure 10.1 for an example of a model in
a stunning dress made of chocolate.
“Food is always at the
Minneapolis Star Tribune staff writer Terry Collins reported as follows: height of fashion—
whether it’s the newest,
Denishia Simmonds had a case of the chills Thursday. No, the Minneapolis model most chic restaurant
wasn’t nervous before taking the runway at a benefit fashion show at a soon- in New York City or a
local farmers’ market
to-open upscale grocery store in Maple Grove. She had to spend three 2-minute
in your hometown.
intervals in a 36-degree freezer to keep her dress, made mostly of milk chocolate,
Visual presentation is a
from melting. Later, model Dawn King shook, rattled and rolled onstage in a dress key ingredient for any
made of aluminum Coca-Cola cans, much to the delight of the diverse audience. food strategy. Color,
texture, shape, and style
Taking the “food as fashion” promotional theme a step further, Byerly’s put a smile all combine to create
a visual harmony that
on the face of every shopper by placing full-sheet posters in the store entrance featuring
will appeal to all of
a woman wearing a red beret—feathered with a croissant! With this brilliant campaign,
the senses.”
Byerly’s proved not only that food can be fashion, but that food can be fun. Cindy McCracken,
How is the “food as fashion” trend reflected inside today’s grocery stores? This trend independent retail
is visible from floor-to-ceiling—in store design, signage, packaging, and even the product professional
inside the package. Good design and effective retail strategies are not limited to apparel

AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

• Recognize important trends and fashions that drive grocery retailing

• Identify different types of grocery and food stores
• Recognize common layouts and fixtures
• Describe key locations for product displays
• Utilize techniques to create mass displays and focal areas
• Locate resources for creative inspiration

Figure 10.0 Clever conversational signage and appetizing open-sell display invites shoppers in to this
award-winning SuperValu flagship. Blackrock Shopping Centre, Dublin, Ireland. Client: SuperValu,
Agency: Household, Photographer: Malcolm Menzies. 253

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 Richard Turcsik reported on the newest Lunds
& Byerlys store in Edina, MN. “An economic
resurgence has hit the area, with much of
the development taking place right outside
[Lunds &] Byerlys’ doors.” This includes a new
complex of 250 apartment units. Therefore the
51,000 square-foot flagship store is filled with
tasty ready-to-eat offerings in their Creations
Café, which features rotisserie meats and
sandwiches, pizza and pasta, and a host of
others, including hot cases for breakfast, lunch,
and dinner. Lunds & Byerlys also debuted a
“Best in Class” marketing strategy to promote
dozens of items and categories, like fresh
mushrooms, spices, olive oil, coffee, meats,
cheese and artisan breads. Phil Lombardo,
chief marketing and merchandising officer
says, “In a Best in Class category, we want
Figure 10.1 An example the customer to think of us, top-of-mind, in
of a model wearing trend-forward and innovative categories.” See
a dress made of
lundsandbyerlys.com to learn more about how
chocolate during the
5th Salon du Chocolat this unique grocer differentiates their brand
in Moscow, Russia. from other grocers.
Sefa Karacan/Anadolu
Agency/Getty Images.
Grocery Brand Image
How do grocery retailers develop visual
merchandising techniques that fit their brand
retailing. They can bring new excitement to image? Some, like SuperValu in Ireland,
gourmet chocolates as well as to basic cans of employ creative and clever signing with an
green beans. And grocery stores, with their open marketplace presentation to invite and
tremendously varied product assortments, have engage shoppers. SuperValu operates 222
thousands of opportunities to be fashionable! stores, all part of the Musgrave Group based
In 1968, Byerly’s was billed as the first in Ireland. Look at Figure 10.2ab for two
premier grocery store in the country. Reviewed outstanding examples of brand identity at its
like a theatrical debut in Twin City newspapers, best. Architectural design elements like curved
the store opened with top-of-the-line gourmet aisles set the stage for visual merchandising.
and private-label products, an upscale Notice how lemons and veggies line the fish
deli, wide carpeted aisles in its dry grocery counters in bins as a reminder to shoppers
departments, an elegant gift shop with a to pick up that important seafood enhancer.
crystal chandelier, and service shops located at Along the cheese aisle, displays offer loaves of
the store entrance. French bread in a galvanized bucket, next to a
In 2015 the store was rebranded Lunds & crate and table with plates, crackers, and pears,
Byerlys (both grocery concepts long owned and everything a shopper needs for an appetizer
operated by Lund Food Holdings Inc.). In a March within reach. Now take a closer look at the
2015 post on www.groceryheadquarters.com, wide variety of signage: overhead illustrations,

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 Figure 10.2.ab A clear brand image is communicated through friendly
tone in signage, easy-to-approach grocers, and appetizing presentation;
SuperValu Flagship, Blackrock Shopping Centre, Dublin, Ireland. Client:
SuperValu, Agency: Household, Photographer: Malcolm Menzies.

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 lifestyle photography, chalkboards, banners; long enough in Chicago to see a large store
truly a rich assortment that all ties together to called The Fair, where everything imaginable
build a unique SuperValu brand identity. was sold under one immense roof. In Oregon,
Meyer entered the retail field by selling from
Groceries—Then and Now a horse cart, but soon upgraded to renting
There is a gem of conventional retail wisdom in a stall in one of Portland’s open public
the saying, “what goes around comes around.” markets where he sold tea and coffee beans
And it may be truer in today’s grocery store by the pound. Before long he was managing
operations than in any other form of retailing. the entire market and developed the “loss
Sometimes, the best way to predict the future leader concept” in use today as a strategy for
is to understand the past. increasing profits.
Consumers may say that they’re yearning Pricing one item per week below cost,
for shopping experiences reminiscent of their Meyer lured shoppers to the back stalls of
great-grandparents’ generations, but there the market where the item was stocked—a
are important differences, too. You need to trip that incidentally carried them past other
understand the changes that have taken place stalls, which made good use of the increased
and be aware of which nostalgic features of traffic. Meyer later sold retail groceries as
the “good old days” have marketable appeal “cash and carry”—a novelty in an age where
today while still maintaining all of the twenty- most people charged their purchases and had
first century’s practical advantages. them delivered.
American grocery stores in the early 1900s Putting good managers in charge of
were strictly full-service affairs. You handed individual stalls in the public market led to
the clerk your written order, and he (rarely, Meyer’s next innovation—one-stop shopping.
she) filled it for you. Since these stores seldom He, his wife, and his brother invested in
carried more than one brand of an item their venture—Mybros (Meyer Brothers)
and since they carried only dry goods, you Public Market—where all bulk goods were
were not a one-stop shopper. Baked goods prepackaged (another innovation). This was a
came from a bakery, produce came from the far cry from the day when clerks measured out
greengrocer, meat came from the butcher, and and packaged flour, sugar, corn meal, and so
dairy products came from a dairy store—or on from bulk containers for customer orders.
the milkman! In 1916, the grocery shopping In later years, Meyer would give public libraries
paradigm shifted on the East Coast when credit for inventing self-service, saying that he
Memphis entrepreneur Clarence Saunders had merely found a good use for their system.
came up with a novel concept, a patented In addition, it was really the automobile
“Self-Serving Store” with a novel name—Piggly that made one-stop shopping work for
Wiggly. Asked about the odd name, he told a Meyer. Shoppers no longer had to carry their
reporter that it had everyone asking “Why?” purchases home on foot or haul bulky parcels
He was only too happy to respond because on trolley cars; therefore, they could buy more
answering gave him a chance to explain how on a single shopping trip.
his unique self-serving store operated. While many retail strategies you see in
On the West Coast, another entrepreneur grocery store operations today are the result
was blazing a historic trail, seeking his fortune of the innovations of pioneers like Saunders
in the Gold Rush. On his way from Brooklyn, and Meyer, what’s truly remarkable is the fact
New York, 19-year-old Fred G. Meyer stopped that so many of their ideas seem as fresh now

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 as they were 100 years ago. In fact, as you read where, when, and how they want to. For the
about other trendsetters in this chapter, you most part, that would be near home, any time
may get the idea that the grocery business of day or night, and quickly. Consumers want
is headed back in that direction—but this grocers to provide a pleasant ambience, easy-
time around, you’ll see many twenty-first to-understand floor plans and shelf layouts,
century twists. accurate and informative pricing and signing,
along with innovative and value-added
Consumer-Driven Changes products or services (ethnic variety, health-
In an age of lightning-speed technology, the promoting foods, and enhanced functionality,
average consumer’s waking day is increasingly for example).
busier and longer. Evening meals and their Many neighborhood grocery stores have
preparation sometimes feel like unaffordable addressed these consumer demands. Some
luxuries—largely based on the time necessary have positioned an actual convenience
to shop, prepare, and eat—when consumers food department near their front doors.
are pulled in ten directions to meet family These “specialty shops” feature home meal
home meal
schedules. Food marketers have responded by replacements, ready to warm up in the
replacement (HMR)
foods are complete ready-
developing ready-to-eat offerings known as microwave, in addition to soups, salads, wine,
to-eat meals (portioned out
HMRs, or home meal replacements. Customers breads, and desserts. Checkouts are often just
in microwave-safe covered
can choose from a wide variety of meals to a few steps away, or right at the deli counter,
serving plates) or prepared
please every family member. A quick warm-up with quick in-and-out service for time-starved
entrees like meat loaf or
in a microwave or the oven, and a meal close shoppers.
roasted chickens.
to home-cooked is served. Even in supersized grocery stores, fresh
produce, bakery goods, meats, dairy products,
HOME MEAL REPLACEMENT and deli sections are looped near the store
NPD, a market research company entrance for one-stop shoppers looking for
headquartered in the US but operating in convenient HMR foods on the way home
twenty countries, posted this at npd.com: from work. In a way, this floor plan creates a
food boutique featuring higher-end, higher-
The quest for healthier and more margin (profit) convenience food that deserves
convenient meals is not without the prime location on the larger store’s floor
challenges. Consumers continue to plan. In terms of atmospherics, this approach
wrestle with issues of time and money immediately displays the megastore’s most
when deciding where to get their next attractive sights (garden fresh produce) and
meal. As a result, they have started scents (freshly baked breads and roasted
seeking alternatives to in-home meal chickens) to shoppers entering the building—
preparation. Over the next decade, presenting atmospheric elements that promise a
Americans are expected to replace pleasant shopping experience. See Figure 10.3.
even more of their homemade meals
with convenient alternatives from IMPULSE SHOPPING
supermarkets, discount stores and Consumers’ time crunch has undoubtedly
price clubs. led to more impulse shopping. Centra Hi-C,
a convenience store in Ireland, calls out their
Grocery retailing is truly consumer-driven. message to shoppers, offering good, healthy
Today’s grocery consumers want to shop food when they’re on the run (Figure 10.4).

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 Figure 10.3 Fruits on ice and bins of fresh veggies offer shoppers a healthy
pick-me-up; SuperValu Flagship, Blackrock Shopping Centre, Dublin, Ireland.
Client: SuperValu, Agency: Household, Photographer: Malcolm Menzies.

Michael Wahl, in his book, In-Store Marketing, With the exception of a few specific
states: items which triggered the trip to the
store and staples purchased virtually
The typical consumer comes into a store every trip, the majority of items are
with 20,000 choices, five of which are purchased on impulse.
new every day. She scans more than
300 items per minute looking for items INTERNET CONVENIENCE
she knows she needs and looking for SHOPPING
suggestions as to items she wants. According to John Karolefski at grocerystories
The consumer enters this marketplace .com, “The top trends for 2016 indicate that
virtually unarmed. Over two-thirds have traditional shopping patterns are changing.
no shopping list at all. Nine out of ten do Look for grocers to get creative and enliven
not bother to check the store’s circular what has been a mundane chore.” Regarding
for specials when they arrive. Eight out shopping online, Karolefski predicts that
of ten bring no coupons. ordering groceries online will surge in 2016.

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 O R G A N I C A L LY G R O W N F O O D S
An important change in American eating habits
is reflected in the consumer movement toward
healthier foods—including a strong trend
toward organic foods. The US Department of
Agriculture (USDA) has developed a system
for certifying producers and manufacturers
to ensure that food items on store shelves
labeled as organic are produced according to
acceptable organic standards. As part of that
system, the USDA has provided guidelines
for food companies that are marketing their
organic products as organic.
Visual merchandisers who are involved
with signing and presenting organic foods as
well as foods labeled “natural” need to pay
close attention to definitions. Natural products
are usually not organic, and those labeled
organic usually have the seals of approval.
This affects presentation adjacencies, as these
products must be clearly separated. With the
growing demand for organics today, visual
Figure 10.4 This cleverly signed convenience store merchandisers should ensure that signage that
addresses both the desire for healthy foods and calls out organic products is readily visible to
the time-crunch facing consumers today; Centra
shoppers as they walk down grocery aisles.
Hi-C, Ireland. Client: SuperValu. Agency: Household.
Photographer: Malcolm Menzies.
O R G A N I C A N D N AT U R A L
FOOD MARKETS
Conventional grocery stores are going head to
Many supermarkets without this offering will head in competition with specialty food stores
jump onboard. H-E-B and Hy-Vee have already that are moving into their neighborhoods—
opened impressive online stores. As another stores like Whole Foods Market as well as
option, a group of sixty-five retailers have small neighborhood co-ops. To compete
partnered with Instacart, where a Personal effectively, some conventional grocers are
Shopper selects items at customers’ favorite positioning organic dry goods and refrigerated
stores and home delivers them. product sections adjacent to their fresh
UberEATS offers food delivery “at the tap produce sections, creating a department
of a button.” Now open in Atlanta, Chicago, identity for these growing retail categories.
Houston, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Others are integrating organic products with
and Toronto, UberEATS has partnered with non-organics, but calling each type out with
hundreds of the best restaurants in these special signing. In terms of stock-keeping units
cities. The service is offered from morning until (SKUs), stores committed to the concept carry
10 p.m. every day. It also offers Instant Delivery between 400 and 1,200 items in their organic
(as fast as ten minutes or so), which features food departments, many of them private-label
three to five daily dishes in every city. offerings.

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 The Wedge Community Co-op (http://www wisely to these changing preferences and
.wedge.coop) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a demands. Whether these newcomers are
natural/organic grocery operation owing its feeding their own families or feeding other
name to the geography of the neighborhood consumers by opening ethnic specialty
where it started out in the 1970s. Cooperative restaurants, their foreign cuisines are the new
stores don’t really have typical square- staples in the average American consumer’s
footage descriptions because they often diet. Non-ethnic shoppers now purchase once
sprout up in rented space in shops and stores hard-to-find foodstuffs in local grocery stores,
once inhabited by other businesses—from and they also request recipes or seek out ethnic
convenience stores to former gas stations. They cooking classes to help with preparation.
are often found in older parts of cities, near
colleges, and on public transportation routes. Types of Grocery and Food
Elizabeth Archerd, member services director Service Stores
for “The Wedge,” says that it is owned, used, There are nine types of stores in this category:
and controlled by its members for the mutual traditional or conventional grocery stores,
benefit of all. It operates as a member-owned specialty food stores, hypermarket/superstores,
business, reinvesting its profits in the business warehouse stores, wholesale clubs, public
and returning a share of profits to members markets, pharmacy/food, convenience stores,
based on their purchases during the year and co-ops.
when the health of the business allows it.
Archerd says: TRADITIONAL/CONVENTIONAL
SUPERMARKETS
The historic principles guiding the The traditional or conventional supermarket
cooperative are very much the same as is a full-line, self-service grocery store with
they were in 1844 when the movement annual sales of $2 million or more. These stores
began in England. The seven Co-op generally range from 50,000 to 90,000 feet
principles are: open and voluntary and carry all food categories plus a variety of
membership; member economic household gadgets, paper products, health
participation; democratic member and beauty aids, and sometimes books, gifts,
control; autonomy and independence; and greeting cards. They may even provide
and special practices like member one-stop-shopping amenities like pharmacy,
education, training and information; banking, post office, videos, coffee shops, and
a demonstrated concern for the other services. Some focus on specialty foods
community; and cooperation with other like organic/natural and international products.
cooperatives. American examples include Albertsons, Central
Market, Kroger, Harris Teeter, Lunds & Byerlys,
ETHNIC AND EXOTIC FOODS Meijer, Publix, and Wegmans. London examples
As American consumers have traveled more include Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Marks & Spencer.
frequently and experienced different cultural
cuisines, they have developed preferences for S P E C I A LT Y G R O C E R S
exotic foods; and as more and more diverse Smaller than most conventional supermarkets,
ethnic groups have migrated to American specialty grocers range from about 1,000 to
cities, demand for foods from their native 40,000 square feet and focus on a particular
cultures has grown. Grocers have responded grocery category. An example is Pete’s Fine

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 Foods, known as “Canada’s greengrocer,” that MEMBERSHIP/
began as an 1,800-square-foot store and now WHOLESALE CLUBS
averages 20,000. In the United States, Eatzi’s Membership or wholesale clubs like Sam’s Club
is about 11,000 square feet and features fresh and Costco are retail/wholesale hybrids that
produce, gourmet foods and desserts, freshly average about 135,000 square feet in size. They
baked breads, and hot meal delis. Whole Foods tend to eliminate frills, concentrating instead
Market focuses on unprocessed natural and on price appeal in a warehouse atmosphere.
certified organic foods. Its stores, however, They carry 60 to 70 percent general
average a square footage of around 39,000. A merchandise and health and beauty care
newer and quickly expanding organic grocer, products as well as a grocery line dedicated
Fresh Thyme, averages around 28,000 square to bulk sales and items in case lots, large
feet. Other notable specialty stores in the packages, and multiple packs. Many of these
United States include Dean & Deluca, Trader stores also carry fresh and frozen perishables,
Joe’s, and Zabar’s. European specialty stores often in bulk packaging.
include the famous food halls of Bon Marché in
Paris and Harrods 102 in London. PUBLIC MARKETS/
FA R M E R ’S M A R K E T S
HYPERMARKETS/SUPERSTORES Public markets represent a century-old selling
Stores of over 150,000 square feet that carry concept, wherein a variety of food vendors and
both groceries and fashion apparel, home small farmers join together under one roof.
fashions, and other hard line categories One example is the Portland Public Market in
(generally 40 percent or more of the total Portland, Maine. This 33,000-square-foot space
space) are considered hypermarkets or also includes a café and demonstration kitchen
superstores. The two “stores” are side by side and community rooms on its mezzanine level.
with only a traffic aisle to separate them. Also Visitors to Seattle can easily spend an entire
known as combination stores, they may have day eating, shopping, and people-watching in
separate entrances but frequently share a the blocks-long Pike Place Market.
common checkout, with service shops along
the entire front of the store. Examples are PHARMACY/FOOD STORES
superstore versions of Fred Meyer Stores, Stores such as Walgreen’s carry a limited
Walmart, and Target in the United States and amount of convenience dry grocery items,
Carrefour in France. dairy products, frozen entrees, and ice cream,
in addition to a full-service pharmacy, non-
WA R E H O U S E S TO R E S prescription products, and toiletries.
Warehouse stores like Cub Foods range from
45,000 to 70,000 square feet and feature CONVENIENCE STORES
value-priced products for the budget-conscious Convenience stores generally average around
consumer. They carry more than 35,000 items, 2,000 square feet and carry a variety of the
primarily packaged dry grocery products, best-selling basic items, often paired with a
and they usually carry complete assortments vending area and gas station.
of perishables like fresh produce, meats,
and bakery products. Dry goods sometimes CO-OPS
remain in their cardboard shipping boxes on Cooperatives are businesses jointly owned by
store shelves. the people who use them to provide themselves

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 with goods and services that might otherwise to house thousands of inventory items. Look
have to be purchased elsewhere. Co-ops are at Figure 10.5ab, Quebec’s Valmont Galerie
formal organizations founded by their member- Gastronomique, to see checkout stations
investors to meet their common economic, arranged in a grid layout. Leading into the row
social, and cultural needs and aspirations of checkouts is a signature style produce fixture
through a democratically controlled enterprise. with curved end panels for an updated look.
In the second photo, a slice and dice station
Store Layout and Fixtures takes center stage as a place where customers
Most grocery stores today use a simple grid can have their vegetables prepared for a fee.
layout because of the sheer size of the stores Notice the clean aisles around the fixture and
and quantity of gondola fixtures required how other produce fixtures are also laid out in
a grid pattern.

GONDOLA FIXTURES
Gondolas are the basic capacity fixtures of
grocery stores. They often seem long and
monotonous to a critical eye, but they may
be updated with new finishes and materials.
Gondolas may also be enhanced by adding
cost-effective and flexible signing with
interesting graphic designs along the entire
run or by spacing signs at intervals to create
in-line focal points.

CUSTOM-MADE FIXTURES
Custom-made fixtures are becoming
more common in grocery and food store
“furnishings.” The Landmark Supermarket’s
architecture/design team won a Grand Prize
Figure 10.5ab Cleanly designed and merchandised fixtures are laid out in a grid
pattern to make shopping inviting and easy; Valmont Galerie Gastronomique,
in ARE’s (now renamed Shop!) 2010 Design
Quarter Dix 30, Brossard, QC, Canada. GH+A design studios (retail designers), Awards for their innovative environment
Yves Lefebvre (photographer). and fixtures (Figure 10.6ab). Challenged with
renovating a 66,450-square-foot windowless
basement, designers floated light-colored
planes and bowl shapes below the exposed
ceiling to bring new life and light into the
store. Gondolas and cases were curved to make
them more inviting and to add visual interest.
Deforestation is a problem in the Philippines,
where the store is located, so gypsum board
and glass-fiber-reinforced gypsum shapes were
used to integrate an inexpensive wood fixture
element. Curved floor tiles helped to accent
the curved display cases and increase their
visual drama.

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 Figure 10.6ab The Landmark Supermarket in Makati, Philippines, features beautifully curved, custom floor fixtures. (Above) Landmark’s
wine department. (Below) Landmark’s fresh produce area. Hugh A. Boyd Architects, photo by Toto Labrador.

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 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Continuing professional development should
be at the top of your to-do list, no matter what
aspect of the retail industry you work in—
fashion, food, hardware, or home store. There
are three strategies—looking, comparing, and
innovating—that will always help you grow
professionally. You can use them in virtually
any segment of the retail industry. Moreover,
you can apply them in this chapter to discover
and even forecast grocery retailing trends by:

• Reading trade magazines that specialize in

foods and learning from valuable statistics
Figure 10.7 Colorful graphics create a compelling shopping
experience in Target’s fresh produce department. David on consumers’ eating and shopping habits
Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images. • Visiting websites devoted to food
preparation, home entertaining, and
fine dining
GRAPHICS • Watching activity in the restaurant industry
Graphics are an important element in any and exploring cultural food trends
fixture design, and an excellent example • Reviewing the latest cookbooks and lifestyle
is Target’s fresh produce department magazines and discovering popular food-
(Figure 10.7). The marketing and design team related trends in home entertaining
added a circular ceiling sign to emphasize the • Shopping a variety of grocery stores and
fresh produce in the tiered fixtures below. The making note of the items that are being
oversized image of appetizing vegetables and featured and the ways they are displayed
other greens in the graphic in the background • Visiting specialty stores like Williams-
over the long refrigerated gondola also acts Sonoma that carry food items and studying
as an appealing wayfinding system. This offers the table-top displays
another example of how graphics are used
to create a compelling shopping experience After you have looked and compared,
and draw Target shoppers further into the you can embrace the trends and use them to
department. improve your work—highlighting products
and creating focal points that will stimulate
The Visual more impulse shopping in the grocery (or
Merchandiser’s Role any other type) store environment. As
It’s easy to assume that visual merchandising supermarket pioneer Fred Meyer always
in the grocery category is the shelf stocker’s advised his associates, “Adapt others’ ideas,
responsibility, but it couldn’t be further from don’t adopt. What works for others may not
the truth. The proliferation of products, as work for us. Find and keep the best parts,
well as an increase in consumer sophistication disregard the rest.”
due to the growth of food and lifestyle Remember that the store’s brand identity is
programming on cable television, has raised always tied into every single retail element—
expectations for food presentation in the signing, fixtures, and presentation. And keep in
retail setting. mind that food is fashion.

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 GROCERY AND FOOD A MARKETPLACE APPROACH:
P R O D U C T P R E S E N TAT I O N WHOLE FOODS MARKET
In this chapter, you have had a look at Whole Foods Market’s website
several outstanding grocery and food store (www.wholefoodsmarket.com) states that
prototypes, with some of the latest innovations it is a grocer that offers more than just their
in the industry. You can see how stage-set food products:
environments and custom fixtures help attract
shoppers into a store. But once inside, they At Whole Foods Market®, “healthy”
have basic expectations about things you’ll do means a whole lot more. It goes beyond
to enable them to have easy, pleasant shopping good for you, to also encompass the
experiences. greater good. Whether you’re hungry for
Michael Wahl’s In Store Marketing lists the better, or simply food-curious, we offer
ten most important consumer criteria in choice a place for you to shop where value is
of a grocery or food store: inseparable from values.

• Cleanliness Early on, Whole Foods Market adopted a set

• All prices labeled of core values to guide its purpose: selling the
• Good produce department highest quality natural and organic products
• Accurate, pleasant staff available; satisfying and delighting customers;
• Low prices supporting team member happiness and
• Freshness date marked on products excellence; creating wealth through profits
• Good meat department and growth; caring about its communities
• Shelves usually kept well stocked and its environment; creating ongoing win-
• Unit pricing signs on shelves win partnerships with its suppliers; and
• Convenient store locations promoting the health of its stakeholders
through healthy eating education. Since
Wahl goes on to describe what sets stores its 1970 single-store start-up, Whole Foods
apart: Market continues to apply this value-driven
philosophy to operations in its 270-plus stores
Virtually every successful store operator in North America and the United Kingdom.
measures up to these standards, yet One important manifestation of the company’s
we know that some stores are hugely feel for food products is day-to-day product
successful because they have something presentation.
extra. There are two factors that make Dan Blackburn, executive operations
some stores special. The first is that they coordinator, Midwest region, Whole Foods
manage to instil a sense of ownership in Market, shared some of the guidelines he uses
the store customers . . . “It’s my store” for grocery shelves and endcaps—what he calls
or “it’s like I designed the store.” The “The Three C’s”: “I look at our presentation
other factor is the ability to instil a sense as if I am a customer. If
it’s not clean, colorful,
of familiarity in the customer that leads • Cleanliness
and fresh, I won’t buy it.”
to a feeling of speed and efficiency in • Common sense
Dan Blackburn, executive
shopping—a sense of being in command • Color breaks operations coordinator,
or in control. “I just feel comfortable Midwest region, Whole
there,” . . . “Everything is so easy for me Advice about keeping a store clean and Foods Market
to find.” using common sense is easy to understand, but

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 what about color breaks? Blackburn uses fruit the assortment for shoppers. He adds that
juices to illustrate his color strategy: To avoid using multiples of one brand, color, or package
confusion for shoppers looking for particular design creates a much stronger brand identity
juice products among many arrayed on store and has a more colorful visual impact that will
shelves, Blackburn reasons that cranberry juice draw shoppers from a distance.
should not be positioned next to strawberry In many conventional grocery stores, shelves
juice on the store shelf because the colors are and endcaps are checked, restocked, and
so similar. He advises alternating juice colors: straightened several times during business
cranberry (deep red), peach (yellow-gold), hours. Major replenishment shipments or
strawberry (medium red), pear (neutral), planogram changes are generally scheduled
cranberry-raspberry (deep red) so that shoppers to be done overnight or at least during slower
can differentiate flavors more easily. traffic periods. With this strategy, shelves
Blackburn also recommends guidelines for always appear to be full and appealingly
positioning dry grocery items on shelves: arrayed. At Whole Foods Market, shelves are
restocked continually during business hours,
• Products should always be fronted— so that staff members are able to interact with
meaning that stock is pulled forward to the shoppers while they work.
front edge of the shelf. This makes the shelf The Whole Foods Market has a variety
seem full, even when it needs restocking. of special features that make shoppers
• Products should always be centered. Labels comfortable, and to feel their neighborhood
on all stock should face the front—even Whole Foods Market is “their” store. Produce
the stock behind the first row, so that as and cheese are presented with a marketplace
products sell down, the front of the next approach, abundant quantities stacked and
package is clearly visible to shoppers. arranged artfully to attract and delight. Large
• Products should always be aligned. Line graphics over wall areas tell stories about the
up items from front to back to give a people who produce food for Whole Foods
professional, crisp appearance. Market. Featured products are displayed on
tables throughout the store. A dining room
Blackburn prefers vertical presentations— with natural light provides a pleasant place for
ranking brand selections in sections from customers to meet friends, relax, and enjoy the
top shelf to bottom shelf. For instance, a store’s assorted deli and hot food offerings.
conventional grocer’s pasta section might
contain side-by-side brands—Creamette A MARKETPLACE APPROACH:
products ranked on the top, middle, and TA S T E M A R K E T E R I A
bottom shelves next to the Vigo brand’s three- Jump Branding & Design, based in Toronto
shelf, top-to-bottom array, followed by a (www.howhigh.ca), tells the story of how they
similar arrangement of private-label pastas. were approached by Catch Hospitality Group to
He also advises that no more than two to help them
three separate types of grocery items should
be stocked per endcap. If all canned soda pop realize an expression of how they
is on sale, for example, Blackburn suggests eat—and shop—in Oakville, Ontario.
that you choose only the three best sellers They imagined TASTE MARKETERIA as
(often from a single beverage bottler) for an a boutique-style shopping experience,
endcap presentation, effectively narrowing featuring the finest fresh, local, and

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 gourmet food items, selected by their
own chefs. The challenge was for us was
how to create a space flexible enough to
be both grocery market and sometimes
restaurant, and occasionally a classroom.
To top it off, we had to be flexible
enough to accommodate the owner’s
love for found and reclaimed items, to
find homes for the unique materials
and items he would bring to us along
the way.

Jump’s success with the project was realized

when they won “silver” in the Shop! 2016
design awards. See Figure 10.8ab. From
inside to outside, a clear brand identity is
Figure 10.8ab From the chalkboard posted out front offering fresh eggs and home-baked
established, with a rustic, reclaimed flavor. pies, to buckets of flowers and baskets of fruits inside, this store exemplifies a rustic and
The same oversized bouquets of flowers out cozy marketplace; Taste Marketeria, Bronte Creek, ON. Jump Branding & Design Inc.
front are brought in for continuity. The mix of
interesting packaged products with fruits and
vegetables encourage customers to commit to
a treasure hunt through the store. The hand
of the visual merchandiser is apparent in these
photos, adding texture and color to create a
tactile and enjoyable shopping experience.
To learn more about this unique concept, see
tastemarketeria.ca.

CROSS-MERCHANDISING
TA B L E T O P D I S P L AY S
Tabletops provide an opportunity for visual
merchandisers to reinforce the idea of food
as fashion. Tables are portable stages, giving
grocers great flexibility to stimulate appetites
for store products. A simple tabletop displayed
with a basket of lemons, a pitcher, glasses,
a stirrer, and a bag of sugar for making
retail realities
lemonade could sell crates of lemons in a
Cross-merchandising influences many grocery shopping decisions.
produce section by the power of suggestion
Shoppers are pleased when salad fixings like croutons and dressings
alone. And if that display were to include
a tablecloth, napkins, and a serving basket are conveniently merchandised with main salad ingredients in the

filled with lemon-iced cookies, an attractive produce department. Smart grocers were selling one-stop salad “kits”
platter with a lemon-frosted cake, or a lemon long before suppliers started packaging them in plastic bags.
meringue pie in addition to the lemons, you

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 would have devised a cross-merchandising model. These could run in the 100,000s
opportunity for multiple sales. of dollars for large suppliers. Kantar
You can apply all of the principles you’ve Retail Virtual Reality turns this into a
learned from other chapters to build displays much more efficient and cheaper process:
like the hypothetical lemon-themed tabletop. we use a virtual environment in which
In fact, the list of considerations for a fashion the supplier and the retailer can jointly
apparel display is exactly the same as the one design the planogram in a live mode,
used to merchandise grocery displays. If you and then navigate the store like they
were setting up a planogram for a grocery would in a first-person game. They can
chain, you’d probably devise a form that would iterate as many times as they want, they
resemble a list of considerations for a fashion can invite shopper feedback at all stages
apparel display. in the process, and they can do this as
Today, food really is fashion—or at least many times as they want—for each
one aspect of it. How we view food and other new product, for each new packaging
elements related to our home lives is our concept, for each new campaign, for
expression of the things we value, how and each range review!
with whom we spend our leisure time, and
where we live our lives away from work. For retailers, VR becomes an incredibly
powerful tool for continuous innovation. As
Virtual Reality Technology the pace of retail change accelerates, with
Virtual Reality (VR) is one of the world’s traditional channel definitions blurring, with
hottest technologies with companies including omni-channel still in its infancy, with shoppers
Facebook and Samsung releasing headsets in becoming more vocal and influential in driving
2016, primarily for use in immersive gaming the experience they want, and with margins
experiences. However, VR has already been shrinking, retailers and suppliers need a
used for the past ten years in the retail better, nimbler tool to design the store and
industry to help companies innovate new retail the shopper experience of the future. Virtual
concepts and make decisions in virtual retail Reality helps provide that workbench, from
stores, more quickly and at lower costs than the store concept five years in the future to
building physical stores. the new product hitting the shelf next week
One of the leading suppliers of VR for the (Figure 10.9).
retail industry is Kantar Retail Virtual Reality.
Its client list includes retailers such as Tesco Resources
and M&S in the UK and Target in the US. As As with apparel and home fashion fixtures, a
Cedric Guyot, chief executive officer of Kantar wide variety of feature and capacity fixtures
explains: for floor and walls are available from grocery
fixture manufacturers.
Not so long ago, when retailers and
suppliers went into a range review, either FIXTURE TRADE SHOWS
(or even both!) would build a physical The FMI Connect (Food Marketing Institute)
model of the new proposed planogram. show held in June in Chicago showcases the
They would then invite the other party to latest fixtures and food products, in addition to
discuss, they’d make changes and iterate hosting an array of seminar speakers covering
until they found a mutually acceptable topics from electronic commerce to the store of

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 Figure 10.9 An image of a grocery store gondola created with Virtual Reality technology from Kantar Retail, headquartered
in the UK, serving retailers worldwide. Red Dot Square Solution (a/k/a Kantar Retail Virtual Reality UK Ltd.).

the future. The FMI is a nonprofit association to grocery and food stores include: checkouts,
conducting programs in research, education, shopping carts, deli and meat showcases,
industry relations, and public affairs on behalf dairy cases, and specialty bakery fixtures.
of its members and their subsidiaries—food Manufacturers that specialize in lighting for
retailers and wholesalers and their customers food products also exhibit at the show. For
in the United States and around the world. You more information, see www.euroshop.de.
can learn more about them at www.fmi.org.
Another excellent trade show, Euroshop, is MAGAZINES, BOOKS,
held in Düsseldorf, Germany, every three years. AND TELEVISION
Its website describes Euroshop as the “very first Browse the book and magazine stands
trade fair to cater for the entire needs of the regularly because new publications with food
shopfitting industry.” This international show trends are arriving every day. Some of the
features more than a dozen warehouses filled current best include: Real Simple, Bon Appetit,
with exhibits from hundreds of international and Food & Wine. The Food Network cable
manufacturers with every type of fixture channel is another great resource for the
needed in any retail store. Products relating newest food trends and recipe books.

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 DESIGN GALLERY: S
 UPER VALU, BLACKROCK SHOPPING CENTRE,
DUBLIN IRELAND
SuperValu is part of the Musgrave Group, Ireland’s
largest grocery and food distributor. With 222 stores in
Ireland, they have been in service for over thirty years.
They won gold in the 2016 Shop! Design Awards for
their new concept store in Dublin. Matthew Brown, of
echochamber.com, says it well:

Innovation is being driven by value brands. This has

to be one of the most profound trends in retail;
transforming old notions of value and quality and
bringing democratic luxury to the mass market.
Irish supermarket SuperValu’s new Blackrock
flagship store is a perfect example and a radical
departure for the brand. With its handcrafted,
artisanal design notes, the new concept store has
a new identity that emphasizes richness, quality
and freshness, with storytelling and expertise at its
heart.

Look at the role signage plays in communicating

this store’s values. Local expertise is called out with the
image of a confident baker, and passion is portrayed by
an oversized tray of mouth-watering chocolate treats
topped with whipped frosting and drizzled caramel. A
banner boasts: “Freshly made right here by us, every
day.” To add an element of fun, conversational signage
chimes in with “Anyone for CAKE?” and “FLIPPIN’
BEAUTIES, Delicious and Fresh Pancakes all day.” This
engaging bakery even offers ideas on pairing up
favorites like high fiber bread with ginger jam in their
“Food Friendship: Tastes-Good-Together” signage.
The product itself takes center stage with an open
marketplace approach—the breads so fresh and ready to
grab-and-go, who can resist? Textured and flour-dusted
loaves, in a variety of toasted colors, rest on tables and
pullout carts that add dimension to a stage set for an Shop! Design Awards: Household Design, London.
entertaining shopping experience.

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 “Fresh Ideas Fast!” by Greg Duppler, former senior vice president, grocery
Shoptalk merchandising
 manager, Target

Creativity and innovation are essential elements in the success of any retailer in today’s
ultracompetitive world. There is an overabundance of “sameness” as you walk through
shopping centers and malls. People who take risks, break the molds, and innovate will have
the most fun and become the most successful.

Before coming to the grocery industry, I was in the Today’s business world is a sprint. If you stand still, you’ll
toy business, which is as exhilarating as work can be. be passed! Great ideas are quickly copied so you need to
Creativity, trend, and innovation are ways to bring life to relentlessly pursue differentiation. You always need to
toys. Meanwhile, food was viewed as a mundane category. listen, look, be open-minded—really open-minded—to
However, in the past couple of years, there have been generate new ideas and then implement them quickly to
quantum-leap improvements in merchandising, packaging, stay ahead of the competition.
and visual presentation of food. The bottom line is . . . have fun, think outside the box,
and make things happen—fast!

Chapter 10 Review Questions Outside-the-Box Challenge

1. Name a major trend in grocery retailing that reflects Give Them Something Extra
fashion or the zeitgeist right now. How are the two
related? How are they different? LOOK
2. Name some food or non-food items you might find in Visit three grocery stores and observe how they are
the ethnic or exotic food aisle of a grocery store. Have presenting the newest food trends.
any of these items been incorporated into mainstream
culture? CO M PA R E
3. Name three types of grocery stores and describe how Take notes on each presentation and compare them.
each is unique.
4. What type of floor plan does a grocery store utilize I N N O VAT E
and why? What are the guidelines for positioning dry Which presentation do you think is the best? Why? How
grocery items? would you improve all of the presentations? Present your
5. What are the guidelines of grocery and food product ideas to the class.
presentation?
6. What are some of the resources for creative grocery
inspiration? How are they similar to or different from
fashion resources?

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 Critical Thinking Activity 2: Trends in Grocery Visual
Activity 1: Cross-Merchandising Project Merchandising: Organic Versus Non-Organic
1. Visit a grocery store and make a cross-merchandising 1. Visit your local large format grocery store.
“shopping list” of products to include: 2. Find 5 to 10 items that the grocery store carries in both
• Fall apple display featuring apple cider, caramel organic and non-organic versions. Make sure the items
apples, and everything you need to bake an apple represent different categories, such as produce, frozen
pie (Figure 10.10a) food, meat, dairy, cereal, etc. Examine the following:
• Gingerbread cookie baking display (Figure 10.10b) price, packaging, volume or quantity, and product
2. Sketch a maximum of three appropriate prop elements placement in the store.
per display. 3. Which of these two items is the better deal? Which uses
3. Incorporate a sign and sign copy into your design for a more visual approach and why?
each display. 4. After your investigation, which of the two items,
4. Draw a planogram (using Figures 10.10a and 10.10b) the organic one or the non-organic one, would you
for each of the two assigned display projects. Include choose? Why?
merchandise, sign, and props in your drawing. 5. Did the store’s visual presentation of that particular
5. Present and justify your choices in a class discussion. merchandise have anything to do with your final
selection and, if so, why or why not?
6. Were the organic products located in different places
from the non-organic products? How is the packaging
different among organic versus non-organic, and do
these reflect different target markets?

3’

Figure 10.10a Elaine Wencl Art.

Figure 10.10b Elaine Wencl Art.

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 Case Study YOUR CHALLENGE
Demographic-Related Design Based on what you’ve read in the text, your own personal
T H E S I T U AT I O N knowledge, and additional research, write a paper
You are opening a small but complete grocery store for a describing the features you’d ask a designer to include in a
Town Center mall in a senior citizen housing development store layout that would accommodate grocery shoppers in
that contains one-level homes, multi-storied (but totally your location. Make a sketch of the actual store layout and
accessible) apartment units, and a nursing home complex. the square footage, using the knowledge you have gained
A town center is a small shopping center that resembles from previous chapters. Think about aisle width, signage,
a little village and is common among these types of seating, and so on. Include a section about services in your
communities. Older people relate to them because they shopping environment that shoppers in this demographic
remind them of towns from when they were younger. group would value. Make sure your store is following
Among the other stores in the town center are a barber ADA guidelines and requirements by visiting the US
shop and salon, a pharmacy, an adaptive gadget store, government’s requirements for ADA (https://www.ada.gov/
an optician, a medical-dental office, a post office, a men’s business/retail_access.htm) so that you are not restricting
clothing shop, a women’s clothing shop, and a travel service. your market potential.
Your store will carry fresh meats, produce, a bakery, and
dairy products, as well as frozen foods and canned goods in
smaller-sized packaging.

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 11 Nontraditional Retailing

Specialized Marketing
Changing shopping preferences and emerging technology have encouraged retailers
to alter some of their customary methods of communicating about their stores and
the products they sell. In some cases, retailers have even changed where and how their
goods are sold. These new retailing strategies may affect your career path because they
are opening up new opportunities for visual merchandisers. You’ll never be able to say
that visual merchandising is static. There are several developing trends discussed in this “From high-tech
chapter that will influence the work you’ll do—and where you’ll do it. In this chapter, we interactive kiosks to
electronic commerce
consider three types of specialized marketing in which visual merchandisers apply their
websites to mall
competencies: kiosks, e-tailing, and special events. pushcarts, nontraditional
retailing is exploding
Kiosks on all fronts. It offers
Retailing always moves forward with experimental spirit, yet some of its newest unlimited opportunity
discoveries look vaguely familiar—like the proliferation of pushcarts, kiosks, and booths in for growth—and cries
out for talented visual
the walkways of shopping malls all over the country. At one time, pushcarts transported
merchandisers who
the goods of street vendors from block to block in crowded cities. Kiosks sheltered can help these non-
outdoor newspaper sellers and food vendors. Small semi-permanent booths were used to conventional selling
hawk tickets or hot dogs on city sidewalks. environments come alive
Today, updated versions still sell food and drink, along with small fashion goods and to shoppers.”
household gadgets. Some kiosks sell products that are too large to be stocked in retail Marianne Wilson, editor-
in-chief, Chain Store Age
stores but may be delivered directly to customer’s homes. Others provide bridal and
newborn gift registries, and entertainment kiosks sell tickets for events. In a 2016 post
labeled, “Vending Kiosks: the Latest Trends,” Kiosk Marketplace discusses how vending
kiosks are expanding beyond snacks to serve a variety of different market segments and

AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

• Identify the various types of retail kiosks

• Discuss the visual merchandiser’s role with interactive kiosks
• Present merchandise on a cart
• Explore the career potential for visual merchandisers on the Internet
• Evaluate the visual merchandiser’s role in fashion show and special event production
• Develop a special event or fashion show concept

Figure 11.0ab ShopWithMe, a traveling popup that debuted at Pioneer Court in Chicago, offers the ultimate
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 are offering products that even include cars! to health enthusiasts from a kiosk. This creates
Some expect to see vending machines that a sensible adjacency (for both businesses) and a
dispense medications in doctors’ offices. Visit way to target a very specialized customer. And
www.kioskmarketplace.com to learn more the small business can test the market without
about the kiosk industry. having to lease, fixture, decorate, stock, or
Traditional kiosks may still stand on the staff a store for an entire year.
sidewalk, but modern kiosks are located in
shopping malls and even inside some retail KIOSK FIXTURE DESIGN
kiosks are freestanding stores. All three—pushcarts, booths, and Just a few years ago, kiosks were simple,
selling units, open on one or kiosks—are now generally defined as kiosks freestanding units built in a few different
all sides. even when they are wheeled carts. Today’s shapes and sizes. Mini-service kiosks housing
kiosks may require a salesperson, depending automated teller machines (ATMs) and retail
on the merchandise sold and size of the unit. store gift registries began as vertical boxes,
In smaller kiosks, without an open central often covered in bland almond-colored
core, salespeople are stationed adjacent to the laminate. No-frills functionality seemed to be
unit. Some recent models are built into walls the design criterion. Today, the kiosk design
or partitions along mall corridors, maximizing industry has exploded to include a broad
selling space while accommodating dense assortment of interactive models (Figure 11.1).
foot traffic. Self service kiosks are becoming One example, Fashionology, was a store
more prolific, especially in airports and created to offer tween girls the opportunity
other locations where people experience to design their own clothes and accessories
waiting time. through the use of interactive technology.
One of the most exciting present-day Girls began the design process as soon as they
uses of the kiosk is that of incubating a new entered the store, which featured an array of
retail business in a shopping mall—testing dazzling designs on the walls for inspiration.
to determine if a start-up merchant has a Using touch screen design pads, they began
merchandising concept with enough potential selecting the garment they wanted from an
to warrant investment in a full-sized store assortment of tops, bottoms, and dresses.
space. Many small incubator businesses After selecting embellishments for their
have grown to brick-and-mortar status after garment, they met with a staff Fashionologist,
successful gestation as a kiosk or pushcart who heat-pressed the key design elements
tryout. Often new kiosk business names and to the garment and handed the girls an
design concepts are copyright-protected in an embellishments tray. Their next stop was to
attempt to assure their originators that they a customized “Make It” table where they
will not quickly be knocked off, or imitated, by settled in to assemble their new look. When
competitors. the garment was complete, the tween would
niche
To a retailer, Because they can be rather small in try on her new creation and model it in front
marketing means terms of square footage, kiosks facilitate of a digital camera. The image was then
identifying a very specific niche marketing strategies—reaching out to displayed on a 70-inch screen in store and
market segment and offering very specific groups of potential customers simultaneously emailed to her to share with
a product or assortment of with highly specialized or seasonal product friends. Fashionology’s doors closed despite
products that research shows offerings. For instance, a shopping mall court its promise. It is included here because it is
the segment wants or needs with an established fitness apparel store an exciting visual example of how a kiosk can
and can afford to buy. nearby might be a perfect place for a start-up be beautifully integrated into a retail store’s
retailer to sell protein powders and energy bars environment.

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 Figure 11.1 An interactive kiosk in Fashionology, Beverly Hills. Boye / WWD / © Conde Nast.

Now look at Figure 11.2. The dramatic

beauty boutique becomes the focal point
inside the Duane Reade store in Herald Square,
New York City. This kiosk is used to introduce
new brands and is an example of design
excellence. It is truly a signature fixture.
As you can see in Figures 11.1 and 11.2,
kiosks may be custom designed to coordinate
with store or shopping mall architecture
and branded image. Brand manufacturers
frequently design their kiosks to build brand
identity inside department stores or as stand
alone mini-stores in mall settings. Depending
on their sizes and projected life spans, kiosks Figure 11.2 Duane Reade in Herald
Square, New York City, is anchored
can be fabricated in materials from cardboard
by a “Look boutique” kiosk.
to plywood to space-age plastics and laminates. Mitra / WWD / © Conde Nast.
Their designs can range from basic counters

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 The overuse of kiosks within a space may lead to visual clutter and visual merchandisers may not personally
retail realities

design the kiosk fixture or the programming

loss of continuity. Open traffic spaces are as valuable to floor layout as
viewed on the monitor, they may be asked to
white space is to signing. Open space helps shoppers to read a store’s
comment on how well the proposed design of
layout and get a sense of the store as a whole, and it assists them
the units fits their stores’ brand identities or
in moving through the store. When too many manufacturers’ brand be consulted about colors and artwork to be
kiosks fill open spaces, the shopping environment (mall or store) can used on-screen. Placement of these new selling
lose its own brand identity. tools is critical, too. Visual merchandisers know
their store layouts and will be able to identify
locations that will draw shoppers into the store
with overhead canopies to elaborately themed and keep them in the store once they have
miniature stores. arrived. They will also know where glare from
One major advantage to using in-store natural sunlight or atmospheric lighting could
kiosks is the retailer’s ability to build in a profit affect interactive screen viewing and where
center that takes up very little floor space. For sound from the kiosk might conflict with other
example, a discount store photo-finishing kiosk programmed sounds in the store (Figure 11.3).
can take up less than 3 square feet yet produce
very high dollar volume. Demonstration KIOSK FIXTURE RESOURCES
kiosks that spur sales in a department store Today’s designer kiosks really had their origins
housewares department can be equally in the point-of-purchase (POP) industry. Brand
lucrative in terms of sales per square foot. manufacturers created their own merchandise
display fixtures and offered them to retailers
KIOSK TYPES at little or no cost. Strategically, they hoped
There are five basic types of kiosks: to provide greater in-store visibility for their
products, to secure floor space in tightly
• Freestanding permanent units located in merchandised stores, to maximize brand
high traffic areas in shopping malls, train awareness, and to drive impulse purchases.
stations, and airports Most of the earliest POP displayers were
• Freestanding permanent units located in temporary structures with limited life spans—
stores often built to last only the duration of a special
• Carts—nonpermanent, mobile units located promotion. Later, many vendors offered more
in high-traffic areas in shopping malls (also permanent racks and fixtures designed to hold
referred to as RMUs, retail mobile units) their products exclusively. Stores with limited
• Mini-kiosks—permanent units like ATMs or budgets for fixture design welcomed them.
gift registries located in malls or in stores The only drawback was that vendor-furnished
• Newsstand or refreshment kiosks, which may POP fixtures didn’t always fit into store
be permanent or mobile units, located in décor schemes and diluted the store’s brand
malls or on city streets identity. As unified store design became more
important to retailers, vendor POP fixtures
M I N I AT U R E I N T E R A C T I V E became less popular.
KIOSKS From early POP spin racks filled with
Miniature kiosks with interactive monitors packages of pantyhose and disposable razors
offer retailers some of the most outstanding near checkout counters to countertop free trial
innovations and technology. Even though sample units, kiosks have come a long way

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 from their throwaway roots. Today, competitive
organizations specializing in kiosks provide
complete design and prototyping services,
extensive warehousing and distribution
facilities, and state-of-the-art manufacturing
resources, even though they still continue to
design the shorter-lived POP displays.

PRESENTING MERCHANDISE
IN KIOSKS
Updated versions of original vendor pushcarts
are now often designed to fit into the style
of a shopping mall’s architecture and are
frequently placed in groupings to create a
central marketplace.

Carts as Retail Mobile Units

Larry Gerow, president of Area Code
212 Display and Design, was interviewed
when he was responsible for the design,
implementation, and merchandising of
Minneapolis’s Mall of America’s numerous
carts. The carts are leased by individual tenants.
Gerow said:

Figure 11.3 Target’s interactive mini-station allows their guests

The carts are really just the same as
to shop for video games in the entertainment department;
stores—every square inch of space is Minneapolis. Craig Lassig/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
utilized, and the goal is to find a “hook”
that will catch shoppers’ attention. Even
though there isn’t a physical entrance to
a cart as there is with a store, the side Cart Design Strategies
of the cart [that] gets the highest traffic Area Code 212’s Gerow went on to say that
functions as a store entrance. cart merchandising and design strategy
involves eight steps:
In devising a merchandising design for a
cart, Gerow said that you must be aware of 1. Discover the tenants’ needs. Learn as much
mall regulations, including the position of as you can about their products—and
signage and how far signs or displays can their personal taste, even their favorite
extend out from the cart. Safety concerns colors. Gerow says that these people are
develop as props are attached to cart roofs, close to these carts; they have to live with
and elsewhere, so all prop items must be them, and so it is important that they are
carefully secured. Every mall has different comfortable with them.
guidelines, and today, every mall has carts— 2. Know the mall regulations for cart design
usually from ten to thirty. and signing.

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 3. Render a design that meets both the experiences,” predicts that entertainment,
tenants’ needs and the mall’s regulations. e-tailing, and interactive technologies will
4. Prepare a budget for fixtures, props, signs, come together in ways that have previously
and any special lighting. only been imagined.
5. Get design and budget approval.
6. Gather props and other materials and set PRESENTING IMAGES
the cart. FOR THE CAMERA
7. Do a safety check to ensure that there are Every product image you see on a website
no unanswered concerns. was passed through a camera’s lens at some
8. Do a security check for blind spots. Mirrors point and was translated into digital format
may be attached to the cart to provide for your monitor. Getting products ready for
better visibility from all vantage points. those shots is very similar to building displays
Carts usually have pull-down doors or or dressing mannequins, but the e-tailing
canvas wraps for after-hours security. visual merchandiser often has a different
title—that of photo stylist. Rather than being
Internet Retailing (E-tailing) employed in-store, this visual professional
As Internet retailing competition continues to works in a photo studio creating and propping
heat up, expect the most successful to be those merchandise setups for cameras.
companies that deliver in two major ways: first, Minneapolis independent stylist Lisa Evidon
with dependable, attractive, easily navigable got her start after three years in retail visual
websites; and second, with accurate, quick, merchandising and has since spent many years
and inexpensive product delivery. E-tailers have as a photo stylist. Her specialties are fashion
learned that it is not enough to have a great- and tabletop setups. Additional visual skills—
looking shopping site; they have to deliver on working with lighting, for instance—make a
their visual/virtual promises. Customers who photo stylist even more valuable in the studio.
become frustrated by delays on websites, who Many of these skills come strictly from hands-
have trouble placing orders, or who do not on experience, says Evidon, and are learned
get on-time gift deliveries simply “click away” while stylists are assisting more experienced
(the virtual equivalent of walking out of a stylists. Being able to manipulate merchandise
store that fails to deliver satisfactory customer effectively for the camera is a plus—larger
service) and either turn to an e-tailing garments might require special draping
competitor or return to brick-and-mortar stores techniques to make them seem less bulky, for
rather than risk disappointment again. instance—something a visual merchandiser
Does the proliferation of e-tailing already knows how to do.
websites have career implications for you? Repeated items that have to be specially
James Mansour, founder of Mansour Design, folded or stacked to show an entire color range
sees it this way: “The Internet is creating in a very limited space are nothing new to a
new opportunities for us to apply our skill visual merchandiser either. Food and grocery
sets online . . . We can be at the forefront, products might require special treatment to
integrating the shopping experience into make them glisten in the light or hold up
cyberspace, utilizing our understanding of under the extreme heat generated by studio
current land-based visual merchandising lighting. Those complex tasks may be easier
and customer shopping patterns.” Mansour, for visual merchandisers to learn because
who says his design job is to “craft consumer they already know how to improvise for the

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 sake of appearance and to arrange products colors are difficult to reproduce accurately,
attractively. With enough practical experience, it’s going to be website technicians, software
many stylists develop specialties in specific developers, and computer manufacturers who
areas of photography like food presentation. rule the appearance of products shown in
On set in a photo studio, whether the shoot online retailing rather than retailers. For now,
is intended for print advertising or for electronic many web retailers simply print disclaimers
retailing, Evidon describes her role as being saying that what you see (in terms of
the interpreter for the art director’s vision. merchandise color) may not be what you get.
“The art direction helps me make decisions Software vendors are aware of the need for
as I compose the elements of the shot for the accurate color graphic representation as well
camera,” she says. “For instance, I’ll know how as the need for higher resolution to produce
busy or how clean the shot needs to be. Or I’ll crisper, clearer product images. Producers
know whether we’re setting up for a vertical of products like Photoshop already allow
or horizontal format.” Evidon says that her photographers to shoot and store multipurpose
visual merchandising skills have “transferred images simultaneously—lower-resolution
completely” and that preparing for a shoot— shots for websites and much higher-resolution
including searching out and securing exactly the shots suitable for print media. They know that
right props and visual elements like antiques shoppers online or off want to be sure that
or flowers and greenery—is a large part of her what they see displayed on-screen matches
work. “Then it’s all composition from that point what they get when the delivery truck or mail
to the end of the shoot.” carrier arrives at their home bearing packages.
For Evidon, a day’s work means anything They also know, according to Shawn Kringstad
from preparing a steamed, wrinkle-free of Tele Edit, a postproduction company in
garment and procuring trend-right accessories Minneapolis, that the major limitation for
for a fashion model to building a beautifully online accuracy is the end-user’s in-home
composed tabletop presentation for a home color monitor.
fashion publication. She says that what
happens to the image after the shoot is the art The monitor is like an electronic filter
director’s or photographer’s concern, not hers, that tells viewers, “This is how I was
and that she doesn’t have to do anything out calibrated, so these are the colors that
of the ordinary to prepare for a photograph you’re going to see.” People may not
that’s slated for a website. “I always pay close have the technological capability to view
attention to the colors, patterns, and other everything that we shoot their way, so we
visual elements of the composition, no matter have to prepare our images for what we
where the shot will be used,” she says and then believe the average online shopper is able
adds, “I like the little challenges that I get with to receive. Today, that’s usually 25 colors
each shoot.” rather than the millions we could use.

PRESENTING IMAGES Postproduction companies like Tele Edit

ON-SCREEN translate the subject matter photographers
Showing true and compatible colors for web- have captured on film or in digital format into
page catalog presentations is another e-tailing usable images for video production. Other
challenge. At this stage of its development, companies can take those same images and
on-screen color registry is not perfect. Because prepare them for print media.

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 I N T E R N E T R E TA I L E R S ’ M O V E exhibits, product demonstrations, workshops,
TO B R I C K & M O R TA R and book signings are invitations to come into
An increasing number of online retailers the store or to visit store promotions off-site.
have begun to move to physical space. They are image-enhancing goodwill gestures to
This emerging trend is important for visual the community—”doing well by doing good.”
merchandisers to be aware of and pay Special events are used to:
attention to as another avenue for creative
expression and career growth. • Make stores into destinations for
Amazon opened their first physical store in entertainment and education as well
2016 in the University Village Mall in Seattle. as goods and services. In fact, one
All of the books are placed cover out in the of the buzzwords for the decade is
belief that it makes browsing more friendly. “retailtainment.” It suggests that the store’s
In addition to books, electronics are displayed function as a source of entertainment is
on tables for customer interaction. Birchbox’s becoming more and more important to
online business model encouraged customers shoppers who can get merchandise virtually
to “Try, Learn, Buy” beauty products by anywhere on earth.
shipping pink boxes of samples to subscribers. • Promote brand image by bringing fashion
They opened their first physical store in Soho designers and product-related experts or
in 2015. Bonobos, a men’s online retailer that celebrities into the store.
once sold its signature pants almost exclusively • Enhance retailers’ positions as community
online, has now over twenty physical leaders by sponsoring and participating in
“guideshops.” The stores carry little inventory local events.
onsite but are designed to help shoppers • Teach shoppers how to use products that
find their ideal fit. Warby Parker, a wildly might otherwise seem too complex or
successful online purveyor of eyeglasses, has technical to purchase.
been opening retail stores rapidly, finding that
these spaces only help their online business: Historically, special events have been
90 percent of those who shop in a store have the domain of the large department store
also checked out the website, and once they (with the correspondingly large promotional
make a purchase in store, they are likely to buy budget). However, as smaller retailers watched
more styles online. Hointer launched a shop in the bigger ones reap the benefits of special
Seattle with the goal of helping men find the events—increased store traffic, enhanced
perfect pair of denim jeans for any occasion. leadership image, event-related revenues—
They decided to offer the convenience of many have decided to enter the event arena.
online with instore shopping, to create the And they’re doing so creatively, inexpensively,
ultimate experience. Visit www.hointer.com and effectively. Fashion Bug, a national chain
to hear more about the future of retail from of budget fashion stores, invites women who
Hointer CEO Nadia Shouraboura, an impressive are regular customers to model informally
and innovative role model for the merging of for in-store fashion shows. It offers attractive
online and brick & mortar stores. incentive discounts to participants (who
frequently purchase the outfits they wear in
Special Events shows), features merchandise prize drawings,
Special events bring potential customers into and, of course, invites the models to bring their
the store. Under the special event umbrella, friends and family with them to see the shows
fashion shows, institutional shows, cultural and shop. Events like these generate handsome

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 sales for the price of a few posters, phone covers, prepleated skirting, bank pins (in case
calls, invitations to customers on local mailing the skirt arrives without clips), and masking
lists, and the time it takes to do fittings for tape (in case the hem is too long).
the models. Thinking like a visual merchandiser, you’d
Garden, fabric, and home stores routinely probably feel dissatisfied to let it go at that.
offer in-store how-to workshops that teach You’d probably want to make the table into
shoppers how to make the best use of their a vignette of some kind—turning the off-
latest products. Shoppers who stop by to learn site location into a better merchandising
about wallpapering or stencil-painting get opportunity for your store. Again, any display
hands-on demonstrations and go home with work done to enhance the lobby ticket table
information plus products and accessories— would call for skills you’ve already learned.
confident enough to do the jobs themselves. Perhaps some tall greenery near the sign
Some savvy home improvement stores like holder might create a better backdrop for
Lowe’s and Home Depot provide the table. Perhaps a dressed and accessorized
age-appropriate hammer-and-nails or mannequin might reinforce the fashion show’s
craft activities for children accompanying theme. If you’re a true visual merchandiser,
their parents to the store on weekends—a you’ll always think about what you can add for
guaranteed customer-pleaser (and sale-builder)! emphasis and interest. You’ll always want to
Visual merchandisers’ roles in special events give something extra.
are as varied as the events themselves. They
may be called on to create a store presence in SPECIAL EVENT
off-site locations by erecting and decorating T R A D E P U B L I C AT I O N S
booths, tents, and stages at bridal fairs, career AND PROFESSIONAL
workshops, or investment seminars. They O R G A N I Z AT I O N S
may be required to setup signing, tables, Today’s retail special events have grown in
and product displays or establish traffic size, scope, and stature from a simple in-house
patterns with ropes and stanchions for book trunk show to the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving
signings. They may set up platforms and demo Day Parade to a Neiman Marcus Fortnight
stands for product demonstrations as well as “Spain extravaganza” featuring a live bull in
collateral (supporting) displays for product its Dallas, Texas, china shop. The retail special
outposts outside of normal department selling event department has evolved as a necessary
spaces. They may participate in the design organizational bridge between a company’s
and execution of flower shows, gala parties, advertising department, its fashion office, and
holiday animations, fashion shows, or special its display department to transform stores into
interest programming for targeted consumer “retailtainment” destinations. Most people
groups (National Baby Week, back-to-school currently working in retail events started in
promotions, or a women’s health expo). other areas and are attracted by the creativity
The principal requirement for visual and variety of projects the department handles
merchandisers involved with special events is every season.
the ability to anticipate what will be needed Even though the following publications
to make the event run smoothly. Checklists and organizations are not strictly focused
are invaluable. To simply skirt and sign a on retailing events, they represent this
fashion show ticket table for a bank lobby ten one-of-a-kind industry and are a source of
blocks from your store, you’d need to preplan inspiration as well as connection with vendors
everything required—signs, sign holders, table and services.

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 Event Solutions magazine (www.event to performance art—theatrical productions
A catwalk is a narrow solutions.com) helps event professionals with lights, music, catwalk staging, and full
walkway. In theatrical around the country and around the world stage-set constructions. In between these
production, it’s the bridge over keep abreast of new ideas, new products, and extremes, you’ll find models “working the
the stage lights, up in the “fly” new strategies for their events. The magazine tables” in retail store restaurants, still modeling
area that allows technicians to is published monthly, with a digital edition in store windows, and strolling through
change and aim spotlights. In rapidly growing in popularity with busy event department store aisles during informal shows.
fashion, it’s the narrow runway professionals. Retailers are always looking for new ways to
extending out from the stage Special Events magazine (www.specialevents involve customers with merchandise.
that allows fashion show .com) is a resource for event professionals As a visual merchandiser, you may be asked
patrons unobstructed views of who design and produce special events to become involved with a store’s fashion show
models and garments. (including social, corporate, and public events) productions. You may be working for a store,
in hotels, resorts, banquet facilities, and a manufacturer or designer, or a production
other venues. Each issue provides design and company, or freelancing for any of them. Your
menu inspiration, practical tips on solving shows could be done in several venues: on the
problems when producing events, sources for retail site or in theaters, auditoriums, or hotel
great products and services, sales-building ballrooms.
strategies, and business management tips—all The extent of your involvement in show
to help make readers creative, productive, and production will depend on your skills,
profitable professionals. experience, and ability to work gracefully
The International Special Events Society under extreme pressure. Fashion shows are
(ISES) is a trade organization whose purpose is frequently last-minute productions with
to educate, advance, and promote the special as little as a day or two to produce a show
events industry and its network of professionals generally staged away from the store because
along with related industries. Its members can of rental expense and space availability.
earn a Certified Special Events Professional If you’re presenting a show in-store, you
(CSEP) credential through a combination of may only have hours to execute your plans
specialized coursework, on-the-job experience, because disruptions that interfere with normal
and service to the eventing industry that reflects operations must be minimized.
a commitment to professional conduct and
ethics. ISES is the only international umbrella Types of Shows and Venues
organization representing professionals in all Even with all the constraints, fashion shows
disciplines of the special events industry. To can be great fun. Fashion shows give visual
learn more, go to www.ises.com. merchandisers a chance to use skills they don’t
One ISES member, eventwise get to practice every day. What follows is a
(www.eventwise.co.uk) has an ultra- cross-section of typical fashion show formats:
informative website that features its clients,
case studies, and event packages that may • Haute couture shows, selling season (semi-
give you inspiration for special retailing annual) openings, and press previews that
events of your own. allow influential customers and fashion
journalists to see original designs in
FA S H I O N S H O W S especially festive atmospheres before the
Fashion shows range from models traversing rest of the world sees them. These events
improvised aisles on designer showroom floors can happen anywhere in a fashion city—

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 designer showrooms, themed restaurants, frequently done on a main stage at the
trendy nightclubs, or hotel ballrooms— venue. You might be required to supply a
depending on the designer’s budget and the special stage setting for that show or as your
size of the expected crowd. store’s contribution to the event overall. In
• Trunk shows involve better, bridge, addition, your store may have a large booth
and designer-name manufacturers’ space to decorate—related to merchandise
representatives showing distinctive and that fits the expo theme or to the corporate
exclusive items from selected fashion lines to image and brand identity of the store.
clientele in or near the specific department. • Special event shows in the community
In some cases, the items come literally out frequently team retailers with other
of a trunk on hangers. But in most cases, businesses in co-sponsorship roles. For
trunk shows use one or two models who try example, a major fashion store may partner
garments on for clients’ approval and special with a newspaper or magazine to present a
ordering. Preparation for this type of show spring and a fall fashion show at a theater
generally entails facilitation rather than or concert hall, auditorium, arena, or other
production, creating comfortable salon-like public venue. The events may be part of
seating areas, rearranging fixtures, adding a downtown retailers’ initiative to bring
furniture and accessories in the department, shoppers into the city or, with charitable
skirting refreshment tables, adding fresh-cut tie-ins, be positioned as fundraisers. These
flower arrangements, and adding accent tend to be rather elaborate shows with
lighting to the trunk area. large budgets and tremendous production
• Tearoom/restaurant shows are mostly value. They often have the excitement
informal with models working a of a Broadway stage show and offer a
predetermined pattern through the dining challenging but satisfying medium for the
area. This is generally done with appropriate visual merchandiser.
music and no commentary. Formal runway
shows require commentary, special lighting, Location
and a stage treatment scaled to the stage Fashion shows take place in many types of
and venue. venues. A show’s location is important only if venues are locations
• Informal department shows are likely to you’re the one who must select the site and where a special event or
involve models and clothes, but little else. make the rest of the arrangements. Otherwise entertainment takes place.
If there is to be commentary by a sales you and your visual team simply cope with The word comes from the
representative or retail fashion director, whatever the venue offers in the way of Latin verb venire, which
things may become more formal. Perhaps staging challenges. means “to come.”
a low stage will be erected, at which point
you’ll be required to create a small on-stage Themes
vignette or a simple backdrop and perhaps All shows have themes, stated or implied.
provide special accent lighting. Seating is Sometimes they reflect the fashion seasons;
generally provided if there is a stage. sometimes they name or honor notable fashion
• Themed expositions (a women’s fitness designers; sometimes they link retailers with
expo, or a bridal fair, for example) take nonprofit causes or civic or social organizations;
place in auditorium settings with retailers sometimes they tie in with major community
often participating in sponsoring roles. events. Themes often dictate the mood and the
If your store hosts a fashion show, it’s pace of the production.

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 box 11.1

example of an event
To see how all of this works, let’s envision a large-scale fictional charity fashion show to launch a spring pop concert
series in an orchestra hall. It will be a joint venture for several sponsors.

Theme For this hypothetical show, set design will be influenced

Spring on the Seine by structural changes made to the concert hall. Venue
managers plan to install a false floor to cover their normal
Beneficiary main floor theater-style seating. Ranked in tiers that follow
The USO—an organization with sites in major airports— the floor’s natural slope, the new decking will hold tables
offers hospitality and assistance to traveling military and chairs where patrons may eat and drink during the
personnel and their families. The nonprofit organization concert and fashion show. Table-high decorative white
needs to upgrade its airport facility. All proceeds (after fencing and shrublike greenery provide safety and add to a
expenses) from this event will go to this project. parklike atmosphere.
The visual merchandising team sits down with the
Specifics fashion coordinator and decides to
The following details represent the kinds of considerations
that would occur in the planning of a fashion show: • Design their set pieces to tie in with the hall’s existing
parklike décor.
• The orchestra plays as part of its spring concert series and • Install two catwalks leading from the stage to the first
donates the cost of added catwalk staging sections plus deck aisles so that models can walk into the crowd and
lighting and sound technicians. Since the event is planned exit into the side halls leading backstage. As a safety
for a scheduled concert, there is no hall rental fee. measure, potted summer flowers will edge the catwalks.
• The airline donates round-trip tickets for two to Paris • Build twelve white flower carts as stage set pieces and fill
(or any destination on its normal routes) plus catered them with fresh-cut flowers. Models will gather flowers
food and soft beverages for show attendees during the from one of the carts and present them to patrons at
concert. The trip will be the event’s major door prize. tables as they come off the catwalks.
• The florist donates fresh-cut spring blossoms for patron • Project light-effect silhouettes of Parisian images on
tables and set pieces. Table pieces will be arranged in hanging screens in colors matching each segment’s
vases; cart flowers will arrive in galvanized containers fashion statement.
scaled to fit the carts.
• The newspaper donates three full-page ads, plus a Although the planning must take place months ahead of
feature story about the USO’s good works, its current the event, this project will be executed in a few hours, since
needs, and the benefit show. It guarantees advance the flower carts, platform riser unit, and catwalks will be
publicity in prime space right up to show time. It also completed well in advance of deadline and delivered to the
furnishes the event signing and programs. hall by rehearsal time. The rest of the visual merchandisers’
• The retailer supplies all garments; arranges for a well- chores will depend on the arrival of the flowers and the
known fashion designer to do commentary; books and amount of time needed to set them in place.
pays models for fitting rehearsal and show; pays the
fashion coordinator’s salary; furnishes a professional
choreographer; and donates set design, execution, props,
and services of the visual merchandising department.
• The USO handles ticket sales and all related expenses.

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 Themes also assist show planners in creating viewing fashions for sale. Like window
effective advertising and publicity campaigns backdrops, fashion show sets must never
necessary to bring a targeted audience to the be more important or elaborate than the
fashion show. Retail sponsors often schedule fashions shown.
and coordinate fashion windows to be part of
the overall publicity and advertising campaign. E X T R AVAG A N Z A S
Themes also give visual merchandisers their Some large-scale fashion events layer many
basic window and set design cues. different scenes onto a basic stage set through
the use of plasma screens, banners, and
Equipment other visual devices. One set may feature
Most of the places where you’ll be asked to a specific fashion designer, another may
stage fashion shows won’t have appropriate present a theme like evening formal wear,
lighting or sound equipment for your while another may provide a backdrop for
purposes. That means specifying and renting an emerging trend. Many fashion shows also
equipment and arranging for lighting and include segments with dance performances
sound professionals to set the equipment and musical acts ranging from choirs to rock
up and run it during the show. Be aware bands. Each theme offers an opportunity to
that most nonretail venues have contractual create theatrical sets far outside the realm of
requirements to provide union labor for any traditional fashion shows.
stage lighting or sound production required. Look at Figure 11.4 to see models
Store departments generally have adequate presenting outfits by designer Gaurav Gupta
accent lighting for perimeter and aisle displays during the finale of the Lakme Fashion Week
but haven’t been fixtured for stage lighting. in Mumbai, India. Lakme Fashion Week was
In-store sound systems don’t have to be created with a vision to “redefine the future
elaborate. Most stores use portable systems of fashion and integrate India into the global
with cordless microphones. As is the case with fashion world.” Lakme, a beauty and cosmetics
lighting, off-site shows may require equipment retailer, promoted its “Sculpt” line of makeup
rental if the venue does not have a built-in at this event. The sculptural set was in line with
system. Naturally these are expensive items. both Gaurav’s signature drapes and structure.
Major shows in-store or at a different venue Models, one by one, designed with wind
will have planned production budgets to blown hair, emerged from inside the central
cover major equipment rentals. In-store, your white sculpted form and spread out onto the
production charges will probably be based on runway and down staircases onto a circular
cost recovery for store-owned equipment and stage. Piano and cellos created the perfect
in-house staff. mood as models walked to the tempo of the
romantic music.
Staging
Designing a fashion show set involves
retail realities

essentially the same elements used in

enclosed window planning with one notable
A fashion show can feature non-apparel merchandise—a trade show in
exception—the mannequins move and you
don’t have to dress them. However, the the window fashion industry featured leotard-clad dancers modeling

backdrop you provide must complement swaths of elegant textiles and colorful drapery fabrics.
fashion and color trends, restate the program
theme, and create a favorable mood for

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 Figure 11.4 This sculptural stage set accentuates every model as if part of a museum exhibit; Gaurav Gupta show, Lakme Fashion Show Week,
Mumbai, India. Pramod Thakur/Hindustan Times via Getty Images.

Shoptalk “Interactive Retail Experiences” by James Mansour, Founder, Mansour Design

The convergence of entertainment, information, and commerce is opening up ever-widening

opportunities to create high-touch, relevant, and fun experiences for consumers. The best
interactive interfaces and kiosks lead the consumer into a unique relationship with a brand that
is both a virtual and a three-dimensional experience.

Today’s exciting, innovative, seductive retail experiences Six Steps to Successful Visual Merchandising
have their roots in the 2000 years of human enterprise. 1. Visual merchandising is 3D branding. Know your brand
I have accumulated a fascinating library of images of mission, support it, refine it, and evolve it.
markets, bazaars, and stores through the centuries. It’s 2. Think and create from a strategic point of view. Do not
amazing to discover how relevant they are to today’s world. work in creative isolation; try to understand how all
After all, we are still trying to entice the same women, men, areas of the business interconnect.
and children, just a few generations later. Shopping has 3. Set the highest standards for your work and compare
become a part of our DNA! Here are a few inside tips I give your work to the best in the world.
my clients and associates: 4. Every time you find yourself shopping—at flea markets,
in record stores, or in delis—study the process: apply
what you learn to your own work.
5. Use visual merchandising to organize the customer’s
experience. Imagine that you are creating a theme park
and the merchandise is a souvenir.
6. Be passionate!

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 DESIGN GALLERY: SHOPWITHME, PIONEEER COURT, CHICAGO
The ultimate in non-traditional retail is the ShopWithMe
traveling pop-up, which blends together an online and a
physical store. Janet Groeber, contributor to design:retail
wrote: “Want to open a traveling pop-up store? Why
ship the fixtures when you can just update the digital
files? ShopWithMe’s ‘smart store’ offers the next
wave of retail design with a tech-savvy, flexible store
environment—all ready to go up overnight.”
The Las Vegas–based ShopWithMe retail logistics
specialist worked with Giorgio Barruso Design of Marina
Del Ray, CA, to create this next-generation, futuristic
concept.
Barruso, a visionary Italian architect, is widely known
for his innovative and experiential designs. Recognized
internationally, he was named a Retail Design Luminary
in 2006 and Designer of the Year in 2005 by design:retail
magazine. Of his ShopWithMe project, which won
gold for its shapeshifter wall in the 2016 Shop! Design
Awards, Barruso explains: “This 3000 sq. ft. structure
challenges traditional models of retail architecture
by allowing different brands to temporarily inhabit
a technologically advanced, highly interactive and
consumer-centered space.”
The shapeshifter wall featured 900 individual screens,
which moved independently or could be grouped
together to form shelves or hanging racks. By using a
ShopWithMe mobile app, shoppers found that when
they walked by the wall, a shelf would move forward to
recommend items held within the wall. The system tracks
what the shopper browses and makes recommendations
based on the shopper’s behavior.
The first stop and debut for ShopWithMe was Benny Chan/Fotoworks.
Chicago’s Pioneer Court in November of 2015. The store
featured TOMS Shoes and Raven + Lily for one week,
offering a full range of their products. Then the structure
was packed into a custom container and shipped to its
next stop in Nevada, ready to be downloaded with new
files for other brands!

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 Chapter 11 Review Questions Critical Thinking
1. What are the types of retail kiosks? Give examples of Creating an Interactive Kiosk for an Online Retailer
each. You have been hired as the new visual merchandiser to
2. What is the visual merchandiser’s specific role with design a kiosk for an online retailer that does not have any
interactive kiosks? brick & mortar locations. Visit the Internet and choose a
3. Name a retailer who has gone from online to brick & retailer that you know does not have any retail locations.
mortar. How has this enabled that particular retailer to
change its image and grow its business? 1. Design the kiosk, ensuring it reflects the image of the
4. Give examples of how a visual merchandiser can impact online retailer.
an Internet website. 2. Describe how the kiosk will differ from the online store.
5. What is the role of the visual merchandiser in fashion 3. Make a rough sketch of each kiosk.
show or catwalk productions? 4. Include a brief specification list of the visual elements
you’d use—colors, materials, sign style, and so on.
Outside-the-Box Challenge 5. Be sure that your design allows room to display or
Comparison of Kiosk Design present the merchandise. Identify merchandising spaces
LOOK in your sketch.
Visit a mall. Look for kiosks in the open (commons) areas. 6. Present your ideas in class discussion or use as a team
brainstorming exercise.
• How many are there? Describe the kiosks you find by
type and merchandise categories. Case Study 1
• Do they appear to be part of the mall’s architecture and Designing a Food Fashion Show
overall décor scheme? T H E S I T U AT I O N
You work for a grocer who is known for innovative
CO M PA R E merchandising ideas. You have been asked to prepare a
1. Visit larger retail stores in the mall. Do you see kiosks food-related fashion show for the store’s anniversary party
employed inside any of the stores? in mid-October.
2. How large are these in-store kiosks? Describe their
purposes. YOUR CHALLENGE
3. Do the in-store kiosks harmonize with the overall store Using food products of all kinds:
décor?
• Develop a theme for an in-store fashion show to be held
I N N O VAT E on the store’s anniversary weekend.
1. Explain why you think the mall and/or store kiosks • Think outside the box and describe as many food items
complement or detract from the overall décor. as you can that could be used as a costume decoration.
2. Describe what you think should happen to bring each The food decorations may be applied to neutral or
kiosk design you saw into better harmony with its black garments like plain tops and skirts or T-shirts and
surroundings. trousers, or they may be fabricated from clear plastic

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 shower curtain liners and sewn by a dressmaker. You may The city has a thriving international community near
apply your food products to either type of garment, or the State University, and Martin and Suan are investigating
you may specify other types of clothing. Hats, shoes, and leasing store space in a building near that community. They
belts may also be trimmed with food products. Assume have also contacted the managers of a large regional mall
that you will be able to hot glue or hand stitch any in the city’s suburbs to see what opportunities they might
items you choose to the clear plastic garment (and, yes, have for a space there. Rent in the university area is fairly
think about refrigeration if you’re using anything that high, but they suspect that the regional mall’s fees will be
melts easily). even higher.
• Design a woman’s long formal gown, a child’s shirt and The regional mall managers surprise them. “We want
pants set, a man’s suit, and a chef’s hat and apron. You smaller start-up businesses in our tenant mix,” they tell the
may accessorize with food products, too. Attach your two entrepreneurs. “And, we want to build more diversity
sketches to your project. in the retail mix.” They add, “We’d like to offer you a larger
• Write fashion show commentary for the garments you’ve kiosk at a reduced cost, and help you get started by not
designed. charging you for the first three months of your lease. This
• Design a 6-foot diameter round platform stage that will enable you to invest in a custom design to establish
is 2-feet high and include two sets of steps—one for your kiosk’s ‘look,’ and bring in more merchandise. If you
entering the stage and one for exiting. Include stage do well, you’ll be third on the waiting list to move into a
decoration that’s appropriate to the theme. permanent space when one becomes available. We don’t
• Design a full-sheet sign to announce the show to the anticipate a long wait, as there are a couple of lease
public. You may assume that an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of typing renewals due at the first of the year. We generally see some
paper is the full sheet. Attach it to your completed movement among stores at that time.”
project. Martin and Suan are intrigued. There are currently two
• Present your mini-fashion show to your classmates. other ethnic businesses in the mall; one of them has moved
into a store space and the other appears to be struggling
in its kiosk. The drawback to the kiosk space may be its
Case Study 2 size—a third of that of the stand-alone storefront. They
An Ethnic Kiosk are also concerned about traffic. They wonder if they will
T H E S I T U AT I O N attract enough customers if they are out of the university
Martin Ogabe and Suan Tepu have decided to open a small neighborhood and away from the concentration of
retail operation that will feature food items and other international students and immigrants living there.
treasures from their native Kenya. Since their arrival in the Martin and Suan plan to carry traditional artisan-
city, they’ve been in touch with a number of immigrant beaded suedes, native textiles (khangas—printed fabric,
families in the area who long for the sights, sounds, and and kikois—woven goods), jewelry, books, art objects, and
scents of home. Many of them were not able to bring many certain nonperishable food items like spices and canned
artifacts with them when they left for America and have goods from Nairobi’s City Market. To establish a brand
asked Martin and Suan (who both work for a major airline) identity for their space in the mall, Martin and Suan would
to bring them certain things when they travel to Africa on like to be able to use some special ethnic design features to
business. make the kiosk reflect its merchandise theme.

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 RESEARCH YOUR FINAL ASSIGNMENT
If you are not familiar with African art, clothing, or food Think about the type of merchandise that will be sold and
products, you may want to visit the college library for more list the kinds of fixturing that should be included in the
information. Look in encyclopedias, the economics section, kiosk design: for example, wooden poles, masks, baskets,
or the art history section. It is also quite possible that your woven mats. Sketch the front elevation of an ethnic kiosk
college has an expert on campus. Don’t overlook faculty, that Martin and Suan might use.
student, and staff resources.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Explain the advantages of each potential business site
for this fledgling business.
2. Outline the disadvantages to each.
3. Create a list of critical demographic factors the partners
should weigh carefully as they evaluate each business
site.
4. What are the constraints, if any, for kiosk design and
operation that they must research prior to design of
this kiosk?
5. What questions should Martin and Suan ask when they
speak with the center’s managers?

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 part four visual practices for nontraditional venues

Unless your capstone store is actually Section Two

related to the grocery or food service industry, • Design an appropriate retail mobile unit
you may believe that the contents of Chapter (RMU) for one area in your capstone store.
10 do not apply to you and your store. Sketch at least one elevation and include a
However, given that bookstores now commonly list of materials and colors you’d employ.
host coffee bars and small lunch counters, and • Explain its purpose (this could be your
grocery stores also sell cards, books, and gifts, cross-merchandising opportunity) and the
you might reconsider. Many current practices strategic manner in which you plan to use
by grocers and restaurateurs might be ahead it (as a demonstration table, perhaps, or a
of the trend and worth your consideration— way to introduce a new product or vendor
cross-merchandising, for example. to the store, or as a seasonal presentation,
for example). Will this be a selling unit with
Section One assigned personnel? Why or why not?
• Create two separate lists of cross-
merchandising possibilities for your capstone Section Three
store based on your previous selection of Describe in detail an in-store special event
merchandise categories in Part One, Section that’s appropriate to your capstone store’s
Two, of the capstone project. merchandise and its clientele. Include enough
• Explain how cross-merchandising could detail that someone could actually begin
positively impact sales totals in any production planning (for example, what,
department where you employ a cross- where, when, who, and why, at a minimum).
merchandising strategy.

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 Par t Five TO O L S A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R M E R C H A N D I S E D I S P L AY

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 12 The Magic of the Display Window

Store window displays have the potential to create magic. From an animated holiday
scene to merchandise inventively displayed in lively vignettes, window displays can vignettes are a
entertain, educate, and stimulate demand. This ability is known in the industry today as condensed version of a larger
the “Wow! Factor.” Strategic window designs draw traffic into the store from the street scene. For example, a home
and support sales. furnishings vignette might

establish the mood and the

Retail Theater scene of a larger room with
From a creative point of view, presenting merchandise in the confines of a traditional only a few elements—a chair,
store display window is a tightly controlled exercise in retail theatrical production. Retail an end table, and a lamp.
theater, like conventional theater, is a vehicle for communication. It has the potential
to carry merchandising messages. The traditional enclosed window offers an advantage
because nothing happening inside the store can distract attention from the window’s
presentation of fashionable, desirable merchandise.
Window designers can isolate and emphasize merchandise to create moods, project
attitudes, teach lessons, make announcements, or present fashion statements. By
controlling every element they use—lighting, props, color, texture, scale, mannequins,
forms, signing, and theme—visual merchandisers also control communication. They believe
that windows help shoppers project themselves into the displayed merchandise and
prompt them to visit the store interior.
Window designers also believe that memorable windows are an integral part of both
“Style is a magic wand,
store image and reputation for fashion leadership—that windows say something tangible and turns everything to
and important that differentiates the store and its products from competitors. gold that it touches!”
Over the last three decades, many retailers came to see enclosed windows as barriers. Logan Pearsall Smith
Consequently, storefronts evolved from block-long banks of enclosed windows to plate

AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

• Recognize a variety of architectural window formats

• Explain how windows function as vehicles for communication
• Apply basic window display theory to meet retail goals
• Plan effective window merchandising themes
• Identify appropriate props and signs to carry out specific display themes
• Adjust lighting for windows and editorial displays

Figure 12.0 An artful ball gown filled with floating floral appliques is the star in this magical window.
Harrods, Knightsbridge, London. WindowsWear Photo. Copyright WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.
com [email protected] 1.646.827.2288. 297

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 glass sheets that allowed shoppers to see One possible reason is the cyclical nature
directly into the store. The theory behind this of fashion and all things related to it.
change was that people would buy more if Retail developers are looking for ways to
they could see, touch, and try. Display windows differentiate their shopping centers, and
in shopping malls followed that trend as well. windows have been open-backed for more
Today, enclosed windows are more the than an entire generation. Perhaps it’s time for
exception than the rule. However, some something new. That something may come in
developers are specifying that enclosed the form of enclosed display windows.
windows be built into new retail stores’
architectural plans again, even in big-box Architectural Window Styles
discount and specialty retailers. Windows are Window styles are as varied as the architectural
coming back, making this a very important styles of store buildings. A downtown
chapter for your professional development. department store may have flat, straight
front windows, where the glass is flush to
the exterior walls and runs parallel to the
sidewalk (Figure 12.1). Some stores feature
arcade windows, where store doors are set
WINDOW ENTRANCE WINDOW back several feet from the sidewalk and
display windows line both sides of the recessed
entryway (Figure 12.2). Sometimes, angled
windows start at a building’s corners and slant
STREET toward set-back doors, forming a triangular
Figure 12.1 In this floor-plan view you can see straight front windows flanking a recess beneath an overhang (Figure 12.3).
store entrance. Elaine Wencl Art. Occasionally you’ll see a corner window with
one solid rear wall and two glass sides—a
triangular display space offering a clear view of
all but a very small part of the presentation’s

WINDOW ENTRANCE WINDOW back side. There are also bump-out windows,
which resemble bay or greenhouse windows.
Many indoor mall stores are totally open at the
front with no glass at all.
In light of current trends that value
STREET
historical store architecture and seek to
Figure 12.2 This floor-plan view shows a storefront with arcade windows. Elaine
preserve its character—including window
Wencl Art.
features—it’s a good idea for you to begin
to think about what you’d do if you were
challenged to deal with them on the job.
WINDOW WINDOW

ENTRANCE ENCLOSED WINDOWS

A fully enclosed display window has a solid
back wall, two side walls, and a glass front
that faces the street (or indoor mall leaseline).
STREET It is essentially a box. Visual merchandisers
Figure 12.3 This floor-plan view shows how angled storefront windows lead generally enter these windows via hidden
shoppers into the store. Elaine Wencl Art. doors leading from stockrooms or fitting

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 rooms. A bank of three or four windows may
share a common access door. Figure 12.4 A masked window presentation at Marshall Field’s, Minneapolis. Judy Bell.

Most enclosed windows borrow elements

from theatrical production to create ambiance
or conceal artifice—painted backdrops, scrims,
masking and proscenium arches, and lighting
grids (Figure 12.4).
The famous Lord & Taylor elevator windows
in New York City take theatrical techniques
a step further and can actually be raised and
lowered so that the entire window box can be
trimmed in the store’s basement and then be
brought up to view at street level. An elevator
window can also be positioned slightly below
street level so that passersby can look down
and into the display window if that view makes
sense to a particular theme at the time.
Some stores—particularly jewelry stores—
feature closed shadow box windows that
are situated several feet above the sidewalk differentiates the display area from the
for eye-level viewing of smaller-scaled selling floor, and the presentation is viewable
merchandise. In New York City, some of the from both inside and outside the store.
display windows at Tiffany & Co., Bulgari, and People who are on the street will see not
Cartier are still elegant shadow boxes. only the merchandise display, but also other
A few stores employ freestanding island merchandise and any activities taking place
windows (also described as lobby windows) on the store’s main floor. Open-back window
or kiosk displays that have glass on all four displays must be propped simply and focused
sides, rendering them viewable from any carefully or viewers will miss the fashion
direction. You might find this type of window message in the competing visual clutter. For
as a unique feature of an older store with an these reasons, it is important to develop strong
arcade front or as a stand-alone display feature focal points, color schemes, or merchandise
in a courtyard or indoor mall setting. These themes for window displays and any feature
specialized windows are as difficult to display fixtures in the window’s immediate vicinity.
as corner windows in that the merchandise can Occasionally visual merchandisers will drop
be seen from all sides, making it hard to hide swags of fabric or no-seam paper panels from
any artifice or “tricks of the trade” used to put the store’s ceiling to the floor behind the
the display together. open-backed window displays. More often, a
large graphic poster is suspended from ceiling
OPEN-BACK WINDOWS to floor, providing a visual anchor for the
Open-back windows sometimes have little merchandise being presented. Either strategy
formal display; merchandise shown on the provides the impression of a backdrop for
store’s interior fixturing becomes the display. the display without limiting too much of the
However, many retailers place a display view to the store’s interior. Another unusual
platform in front of the window glass and open-backed window treatment might
create a formal display there. The platform involve painting or applying colorful seasonal

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 scenery or graphic messages directly onto the windows and plan in-store editorial displays
window glass. and department presentations, selecting props
Half-open windows use partitions or and mannequins and ordering signs that tie
architectural dividers of some kind to separate directly to the ad copy or theme.
the display space from the store proper. The When the merchandise arrives in the store’s
divider must be compatible with the store’s receiving department, it is unpacked, hung,
interior theme, yet plain enough to enhance steamed, ticketed, and moved to the selling
the presentation. In a resort town shop selling floor where it will be strategically placed on
casual weekend wear, one retailer uses split-rail wall or feature fixtures. Visual merchandisers
fencing and artificial evergreens as an open visit the selling department, select agreed-
window backdrop, suggesting a woodland upon merchandise and accessories for
theme that is very much in sync with the rustic windows, platforms, and displays in the selling
wooden walls and fixturing used throughout department. Then they do their magic. The
the rest of the store. Some retailers use the artfully presented merchandise sells out, and
plain backs of shelving units as the rear wall of the cycle is repeated with new merchandise. If
the display area; others use pieces of antique the store is a smaller mom-and-pop operation,
furniture to define their window display space. there may be fewer specialists involved, but the
process is essentially the same.
Window Display in Practice
Open or enclosed, windows play a critical role WINDOW MERCHANDISING
in a store’s merchandising strategy; they are FUNCTIONS
communication tools that reach out to current Fashion apparel windows advertise the store’s
customers and potential customers. When fashion leadership position by presenting the
store management commits advertising and store’s newest trend merchandise. They also
promotional dollars to an item of merchandise, educate shoppers by showing mannequins that
a chain of retail communication activities begins. exemplify how current trend garments may be
As soon as department store and specialty coordinated with accessories and shoes.
chain-store buyers return from market Home fashion windows may feature the
trips where they have purchased goods, latest dining trend, complete with the utensils
they communicate with the sales support needed to cook and serve a meal. They
departments in order to launch promotional may also feature candles, dinnerware, and
campaigns featuring some of the more table linens that relate to the dinner theme,
important fashion items. This retail support encouraging shoppers to create all of the
team—composed of buyers, merchandise ambiance they might find in a restaurant in
managers, the advertising group, and visual their own homes.
merchandisers—discusses ad timing, theme Promotional windows feature products
development, and relevant trends. Support that are part of an advertising strategy
team members decide what the intent of the promoting an entire line of goods, a single
window display should be—promotional, item, or a special storewide event. Holidays
institutional, fashion, or sale-oriented. like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day also
Merchandise managers make plans for provide opportunities to stage exciting
receiving the merchandise and placing it on window productions.
the selling floor. The advertising department Sale windows announce the store’s
prepares, schedules, and places ads in selected major sale events and may not feature any
media. Visual merchandisers schedule display merchandise at all—implying that the store is

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 stripped down and ready to sell out to the bare table: stacks of cookbooks, small appliances,
walls at low, low prices. cooking pots and utensils, spice racks, kitchen
Drive-by windows are exterior store linens, and packaged food products.
windows viewed by people driving on city The final touch could be to send cooking
streets or passing through shopping mall aromas wafting out into the street through
parking lots. As you might imagine, these strategically located ventilation fans which
window treatments must be larger in scale to would entice window shoppers to enter
be seen and understood from a distance. Large the store.
items—if they are repeated—can say a great Interactive windows, once featured in a
deal about the store and its products. Visual Stores of the Future exhibit at GlobalShop,
impact can also be achieved by using masses were created by retail architect/designer
of merchandise, larger-than-life graphics, David Kepron. The store windows in Kepron’s
backdrops, and intense, well-lit color schemes. “dot com” shop could literally communicate
Michigan Avenue’s Crate&Barrel in Chicago with shoppers day and night. Electronic
capitalizes on large second- and third-story components, connected to oversized screens set
windows to repeat specific merchandise items up in the window’s interior, invited passersby
like sofas, lamps, ceramics, and stoneware pots. to interact with window displays by touching
In many cases, huge photographs carry themes sensitive panels on the exterior glass. Viewers
and images that identify both the merchant could virtually design their own window
and merchandise to passersby who see them displays by calling up brands and images that
from blocks away. interested them from a programmed menu.
Live or demo windows are one of the more According to Kepron:
effective ways to capture shoppers’ attention.
Live models in windows have caused many The “dot com” experience demonstrates
shoppers to stop and notice when the model that we no longer need to consider
subtly moves or winks at an unsuspecting e-commerce and traditional bricks-and-
passersby. It never takes long for a crowd to mortar retailing as separate approaches
gather in front of a window that has activity to selling goods or services. Indeed,
and movement. technology and retail design can exist
leveraging, used as
a verb, means gaining a
Imagine a kitchen product shop with crisp together, where the root of retailing—
mechanical advantage, or
white café curtains hung on a brass rod across the social experience—is enhanced,
adding impact, power, or
the lower third of its display window. Inside, leveraging your brand to create lasting
effectiveness; for example,
raised up on a black-and-white tiled platform customers.
adding impact to a store’s
stands a butcher-block demonstration table.
brand identity by using an
The window’s sign—a hand-chalked menu Kepron points to the practical opportunities
interactive display window.
board—asks: “What’s Cooking?” In smaller that interactivity offers for retailers whose
letters, you see the response: “Pasta Fagioli! At shopping mall stores close by 10 p.m. nightly:
3 p.m. and 5 p.m.”
What will be on display in this hypothetical Look at the number of malls whose
window? According to the sign, one special tenants include entertainment [movies,
element would be the store’s resident chef— restaurants, nightclubs] venues that
demonstrating how to use many of the kitchen operate beyond the mall’s normal
utensils and equipment the store sells. During shopping hours. Why shouldn’t retail
non-demonstration hours, there could be dozens stores continue to interact with shoppers
of display possibilities for the butcher-block after hours? Imagine the possibilities if

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 shoppers could still look at and order or simply promote their own community
merchandise after the store’s doors leadership positions in windows that exhibit no
closed for the evening. merchandise at all.

An artist, retail architect, and store designer, Window Display Theory

David Kepron adds, “Technology does not have Many retailers believe that exciting fashion
to be an either/or proposition for a retailer. displays in store windows are miniature
Stores of the future can blend real and virtual theatrical productions that turn passersby into
boundaries into truly three-dimensional window shoppers. A display window’s fashion
catalogs that function twenty-four hours a day, image must be strong enough to stop traffic—
seven days a week.” foot traffic, that is. The fashion message must
be strong enough to compel window shoppers
NONMERCHANDISING to enter the store and locate the item in the
WINDOW FUNCTIONS department. Effective fashion windows mark
Window displays serve purposes other than the first step in a planned progression that
showing tangible items of merchandise. leads shoppers from viewing to purchasing.
institutional Nonmerchandising displays—devoted to
windows are devoted to intangible ideas and causes—are described as Fantasy-to-Reality Theory
intangible ideas and causes
institutional windows. Window theatrics may be retail fantasies,
and promote an image for the
Institutional display windows are often romances, dramas, comedies, or adventure
store as an institution rather
donated by civic-minded retailers to publicize stories, but they are always designed to engage
than featuring merchandise.
and support special events that benefit imagination and make shoppers think about
nonprofit charitable organizations in their what it would be like to own or wear the
communities. Examples are the Special merchandise on display. The fantasy-to-reality
Olympics and The Easter Seal Society, civic theory guides shoppers from their first look at
groups like museum docents (guides), and merchandise in windows and editorial displays
supporters of orchestras and zoological to the selling floor and into the fitting room in
gardens. These institutional windows can also three steps:
be used to publicize social issues.
Retail store windows respond to Step 1 The window’s larger-than-life version
national and local news events, too. Cities of fashion—merchandise that is propped
“Windows entice people with championship sports teams may do or posed to amaze, amuse, and enthuse—
into our world and into congratulatory windows. There have been draws window shoppers into the store. This
our mindset. The basis
special windows during local, national, and is the fantasy stage.
of a Paul Stuart window
international crises—wars, earthquakes, oil Step 2 The retailer presents the window
is to stop people in their
tracks and get them to spills, etc.—showing support for the people merchandise inside the store and less
look at the window. and issues involved. It all revolves around retail theatrically, using editorial space in prime
With fourteen windows, management’s desire to project an image interior locations. These are stepped-
they can walk around of community involvement, humanitarian down presentations. That is, they echo the
the block and get an
concern, or support for the topic. theme of the window display, but are now
image of what the
Retailers do these special windows to presented in the context of the store. If
store’s about.”
Tom Beebe, VP Creative enhance corporate image and build goodwill the window display is fantasy, the platform
Services, W. Diamond for their companies. In addition, they may presentation is more realistic. Merchandise
Group New York City choose to celebrate milestones in their stores’ here looks more true to life than it does
histories, publicize their own activities, in the window, and lighting and props (if

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 any) seem less dramatic. Shoppers now fantasy-to-reality theory
have a chance to personally inspect the
merchandise—touch the fabrics, examine Step 1: Window display features fashion in a
garments and accessories, and look at theatrical presentation.
price tags. Editorial signing directs them to Step 2: Interior platform features fashion in
appropriate selling departments. the context of the store.
Step 3 In the selling department— Step 3: Department features fashion on
on feature fixtures or walls, shown hangers, to try and buy.
on mannequins or not—the window
box 12.1
merchandise is ready for purchase. Here is
reality, where shoppers can actually handle
the items they’ve admired and try them on.
Departmental signing gives information
about price or product use and care, or it
may describe occasions where shoppers
might wear the featured fashions or use the
displayed products appropriately.

Alternatively, fantastic window displays

featuring out-of-this world themes may simply
be mood setters. A lush setting with butterflies
and garden fairies may urge winter-weary
window shoppers to enter the store to enjoy
the store’s spring flower show. A holiday-
themed window may invite shoppers to bring
their little ones to the store’s toy department
or auditorium Santa Land presentation
(Figure 12.5). The general strategy here
is retail “soft-sell”—entertaining and
encouraging a shopping mindset rather than
pushing sale of specific products. Repeated
annually, productions like these become
“must-go-must-see” traditions that draw
shopper traffic and build goodwill.

Window Display Themes

and Inspiration
The prime source of thematic inspiration for
window displays is always the merchandise
itself. Visual merchandisers take their creative
cues from the store’s merchandise, looking at
each product’s end use, fabrication, style, and
color as they begin to develop display themes.
Figure 12.5 Saks’ holiday windows are designed to delight both children and adults with a
The window’s motif (dominant theme idea) is storybook fantasy theme; Saks Fifth Avenue, Manhattan. Whalen / WWD / © Conde Nast.
only a supporting device. When theme choice

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 Figure 12.6 An intimate apparel window theme. The window designer found a creative way to feature many styles and colors of bras and
panties at Intimacy in San Diego, California. Morrison / WWD / © Conde Nast.

is the visual department’s responsibility, the fashion message. Shoppers who see both
window designer seeks ways to support the forms of communication are more likely to
selected merchandise with ideas that will make the connection and realize the retailer’s
bring focus and direction to the presentation. commitment to the merchandise. They have
Because the store window is such a powerful been reminded twice that the retailer is a
communication tool, it is crucial that themes fashion leader.
speak directly to targeted customers and focus Theme inspiration can come from:
attention on the merchandise. In this case,
communicating requires a common language— • Product’s end use, fabrication, style, and
theme—that the store’s target audience will color
relate to and understand (Figure 12.6). • Current directions in fashion design—
Sometimes window themes are set by hem lengths, fashion silhouettes, popular
the corporate advertisers who also use designers
merchandise to drive theme. When the • Popular color palettes—seasonal traditions,
advertising department composes a theme, the designer, or market-driven color choices
visual merchandiser’s task is to find a creative • Recent, current, or upcoming events—
way to reinforce the retail ad’s message. Tying global, national, or local happenings that
in with the ad can double the impact of the involve or influence fashion

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 • Influential cultural directions—fads, I N S P I R AT I O N F R O M
merchandising and lifestyle trends, new WINDOWSWEAR PRO
books, magazines, recent films, plays, art, WindowsWear PRO (http://pro.windowswear
architecture, entertainment .com) is the leading digital resource used in
• Historical perspectives—well-known courses in visual merchandising, marketing,
symbols, recurring or retrospective fashion store planning, retail design, and branding
designs, significant anniversaries of events around the world. Professors and students
• Retail image decisions—unique or signature value WindowsWear PRO as an innovative
architectural, decorative, or stylistic elements and engaging platform for fashion and
exclusively characteristic of the retailer’s merchandising-related curriculums with an
image or the store’s design emphasis on high-tech, and they base their
• Holidays—Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, curriculum on what’s current in the market.
Father’s Day The service provides a database that is always
• Nostalgia—1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s kept up to date with thousands of the world’s
• New developments in props or decorative visual displays. It also analyzes the displays
items available from the display industry— and the fashion in them. See an example of a
innovative items like metal shopping bags, stunning WindowsWear PRO display window
crystal-clear up-scaled ice cubes, or unusual- in Figure 12.7 and in chapter opener photos
looking mannequins and their alternatives throughout this textbook.

Figure 12.7 WindowsWear PRO is

the leading digital resource used
in curriculums around the globe.
Copyright WindowsWear PRO
http://pro.windowswear.com
[email protected]
1.646.827.2288.

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 Professors use WindowsWear PRO for in-class size painted to match one color from the
“The window display is lectures to foster discussion on the latest design stamp backgrounds) per window. Window
the first message you and fashion trends. In addition to rich visual backdrops, floors, and returns could be
are sending to regular imagery and data, the subscription provides painted flat black.
and potential customers.
the same trend analysis and reporting used by 5. Select mannequins: Three to five
Therefore, you must
carefully plan the
leading professionals. Schools also integrate the mannequins per window would represent
merchandise and how service directly into their course work. infant through preteen sizes, both
it is presented. It’s like Whether you’re the one to determine the genders, diverse ethnicities, and various
how you get dressed window theme or you are carrying out a theme active poses—climbing, sitting, etc.
each day. You carefully that’s been chosen for you, the next step 6. Select accessories: Colorful play clothes,
coordinate the clothes
involves using your own ingenuity to search footgear, hats, socks, hair accessories,
you want to wear and
the manner in which you
for ideas. eyeglasses, sunglasses, outerwear, and toys
style your hair or apply would all complement the licensed shirts.
makeup. Your storefront The Mechanics 7. Sketch proposed window presentation:
window displays should of Window Magic Even a rough drawing with stick figures
be given the same level The mechanics of creating window magic can saves unnecessary mannequin and prop
of importance.”
be broken down into seven steps: handling later. A sketch helps visual
Greg M. Gorman, The
Visual Merchandising &
merchandising designers build focus, work
Store Design Workbook 1. Select the merchandise category: For out optical weights, and bring balance to
example, you could be displaying all the elements that must work together.
children’s licensed Looney Tunes T-shirts. It allows pre-setting prop placement and
2. Select the color story: If the licensed shirts preliminary lighting strategies. It also
come in both brights and pastels, choose clarifies color schemes. Sketching ensures
just one color group for the window. quality and consistency through an entire
3. Select theme: The licensed children’s bank of windows—especially when
T-shirts could tie in with the issue of a new more than one person is doing the work
postage stamp in the Looney Tunes series (Figure 12.8).
from the United States Postal Service. A
promotion for the launch of the 2000
stamp featuring Wile E. Coyote and the
Postage
Road Runner would be an example. Copy Stamp
in vinyl lettering pressed onto the window
glass: “Cotton Collectibles to Write
Home About—Join STAMPERS [the USPS
collecting club].” This strategy combines a
fashion and an institutional window.
4. Select props: Each of the four current
postage stamps in the series could be
rendered as a 4 × 8-inch poster. There
could be one per window. Mannequins
would carry oversized lined tablets,
colored pencils, and envelopes with
smaller cartooned postage. In addition COTTON COLLECTIBLES TO WRITE HOME ABOUT...

to the stamp graphic, there could be two Figure 12.8 Working planogram sketch for Looney Tunes
wooden cubes in stepped-up sizes (each stamp window. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 TECHNIQUES FOR POSITIONING seven mechanics
MANNEQUINS IN WINDOWS of window magic
When you see window mannequins that
seem to stand on their own, you’re seeing Step 1: Select merchandise category.
an example of window magic. Striking a Step 2: Select color story.
mannequin means removing it from its Step 3: Select theme.
customary metal support rod and metal Step 4: Select props.
or glass base plate, then securing it to the Step 5: Select mannequins.
window floor with wire so that it seems to Step 6: Select accessories.
be standing on its own in the display setting. Step 7: Sketch proposed window
Why not use the base plate? Many visual presentation.
merchandisers think that the mannequin’s
box 12.2
base plate and rod detract from the drama
they want to achieve in their windows. Some
are not fond of the mannequin that has
its support rod built into its foot, making the floor where it is secured to a nail. The
it impossible to accessorize with real shoes mannequin must tilt slightly against the striking a mannequin
without destroying them. Nor are they wire to counterbalance without its base means removing its support

comfortable with mannequins with premolded plate. Note: If the mannequin is “steady rod and base plate and

shoes. They reason that shoppers expect to on its feet,” a single wire may suffice. securing it with wire so it

see an entire outfit down to the last fashion 3. If the mannequin does not seem stable, seems to stand on its own in a

accessories—including shoes. add a second wire to the waist loop display. This technique is used

In Confessions of a Window Dresser, author and extend it to the floor for additional exclusively in closed window

Simon Doonan says that mannequin wiring is stability. displays because of concern for

one of the “few manually skilled activities in 4. If the wire develops a shine once the the safety of both customers

display.” The process of striking a mannequin spotlights are set, apply a colored marker and mannequins.

requires two people. There are several or paint along the wire to dull the
approaches to striking, and each method is reflection and camouflage the device. For
useful in certain merchandising situations: example, a black marker will dull silver
wire. The color you choose should match
Option 1 Many visual merchandisers prefer the color of the background. Take great
to use a wiring technique that circles the care to protect the garment worn by the
mannequin’s waistline with a tight loop of mannequin.
wire. This technique is very useful when a
mannequin is dressed in pants, since the back Option 2 This option works well when the
seam of the garment does not have to be mannequin wears a snug-fitting garment
cut to accommodate a wire attached to the that must not have heavy gauge striking wire
buttocks screw as it might be with Option 2. piercing its fabric or seams—a one-piece slip
dress without a waistband, for example. Two-
1. Lift the mannequin from its base, and piece swimwear and other bare-midriff looks
position it on the floor (Figure 12.9). challenge the waist loop option, too. In cases
2. A second person will attach a single like these, striking wires may be attached to
strand of wire around the waist and twist the thumbscrew that normally secures the
it tightly to complete a loop. Then the mannequin to the support rod at its buttocks.
trailing end of the wire is extended to As in Option 1, color the wire if necessary.

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 Figure 12.9 Striking a
mannequin is typically
a two-person task done
in four steps. Craig
Gustafson Art.

Option 3 With this option, which ensures seeing mannequins with two strands of taut
the most stable stance of all, the mannequin piano wire emerging from beneath their skirts
remains on its supporting rod. The rod is then “erodes fantasy” just as much as being able
slipped into a normal base plate socket that to see their base plates, so his strategy is to
has been removed from a glass or metal base design and order better-looking mannequin
and bolted permanently to the window floor. base plates.
Once the mannequin and rod are in position,
it is simply a matter of tightening the screw MANNEQUINS WITH TROUSERS
where the rod fits into the base plate’s socket. If a mannequin is to wear trousers, the
Striking mannequins is a style choice, not garment’s back seam must be carefully slit
a rule. Barney’s Simon Doonan observes that open with a seam ripper to accommodate the

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 striking wires for Option 2, or, with Option safety concern!
3, the support rod. Garments with flat-felled
seams and lined garments must be handled Striking mannequins is a technique to be used
very carefully so that you do not damage the only in enclosed windows. You’d never strike
fabric. The opened seams must be repaired a mannequin in an area where there was
before garments are returned to the selling the slightest chance for a shopper to come in
floor. If you have an in-store alterations contact with a wire. It’s not safe for shoppers
department, repairs can be done there. If not, or mannequins.
garments must be sent out for expert repair.
box 12.3
This is a routine display expense. Customers
should not be able to detect any repair work.
For obvious reasons, Option 1 is the preferred cartoons and kids’ play clothes go with the
technique for mannequins in trousers. active images portrayed by the four stamps.
Hosiery and socks shown on mannequins Tip 3 Merchandise must always be more
cannot be returned to stock and are important than props. Take a long, hard
generally charged to the visual department look at your window. Subordinate props
or written out of stock by the fashion used as risers should blend into the scene
department manager. and not distract from the theme. You don’t
sell props and you don’t sell risers; you
Tips for Propping Windows sell clothing. It’s a matter of balance and
The following tips will help you maintain unity emphasis in the right place.
within a window or span of windows: Tip 4 Use realistic silk flowers or foliage
instead of plastic unless you are presenting
Tip 1 Select one major prop that you can a retro theme. Don’t ever mix plastics with
support with strength throughout an silks. Lighting picks up the differences, and
entire span of windows. You may use a the whole effect suffers.
different single prop per window if each
has equal thematic value: for example, a TECHNIQUES FOR
different leisure sport activity and related BUILDUPS IN WINDOWS
paraphernalia for each window in a Father’s Historically, large display windows have
Day series—golf in one, tennis in another, featured smaller-scale accessory displays
biking or bowling in others. The unifying known as buildups, laydowns, or setups on the
element is the leisure sport. Even so, the window floor. These were often packages of
props should be consistent in scale from fragrances, toiletries in bottles and jars, and
window to window—oversized tee, ball, accessories—handbags, shoes, jewelry—that
and club; gigantic tennis racquet and net; enhanced the fashion image of the larger,
huge bike chain and spoked wheel; or, featured display items but lacked stand-alone
perhaps, 3-foot high bowling pins. size. Massed in a miniature presentation of
Tip 2 Select props that make sense with the their own, a buildup suggests “go-with items”
theme. Think about what goes naturally that can add to the value of the sale. That
with the merchandise you are presenting. tradition exists today, although it has taken
Prop choices must be limited for the sake of some appealing twists along the way.
impact and clarity. Select props that call up Some large windows are actually masked
strong, clear images. In the postage stamp and sectioned off into mini-windows to
example earlier in the chapter, kids go with accommodate special accessory presentations.

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 Others establish a second focal point off to frame. Figure 12.10 shows an example of
one side of the main attraction with the use a traditional buildup at Williams-Sonoma
of special graphics and, in some cases, special and 12.11 presents an alternative style of
fixtures to show subordinate themes. In all buildup at Levi’s.
cases, the goal is the same—adding interest to
the presentation and value to the customer’s TECHNIQUES FOR LIGHTING
purchase. Window lighting has a theatrical goal: to
The following guidelines will help you create mood, build drama, and heighten
create a traditional buildup presentation in a excitement. In fact, many lighting terms, tools,
fashion window: and techniques come straight from backstage:
track-lighting hardware, spotlight “cans,” PAR
1. Select a small, neutral riser unit—a small spotlights and floodlights, pin spots (narrow
plaster column or a clear polycarbonate spots), dimmers, attachable colored gels, and
cube, for example—to anchor a buildup. spotlight filters. Several national retailers even
The riser could also be an item of employ freelance theatrical lighting specialists
merchandise tied directly to the window’s for window production in their major locations.
larger theme. For example, an elegant
French provincial jewelry box matching the
antique Louis XIV chair and ornate picture
frame that prop a window mannequin
in an elaborate ball gown might be an
effective choice for a riser. In this case,
dazzling jewelry, evening bags, long
gloves, and expensive perfume might
cascade from the open drawers of the
jewelry box, suggesting additional items
for add-on purchase.
2. Select a location for the buildup. Imagine
that the display window is a picture frame.
Using optical weight, position the buildup
so that it balances in the frame with the
mannequin and other props.
3. Select the appropriate related accessory
merchandise.
4. Compose a still life—formally or informally
balanced—that uses all the appropriate
art and design elements—height, depth,
color, contrast of shapes, textures, and
sizes. The buildup must stand on its own,
yet relate to the larger items in the main
window display. Use one larger focal piece
and an odd (3–5) number of subordinate Figure 12.10 This open window display uses a
graphic backdrop to isolate it from the selling floor.
items. Triangles are ideal buildup formats.
Fixture buildups enhance the message with related
The line of the composition should draw merchandise; Williams-Sonoma, Miami. Judy Bell.
the eye down, through, and out of the

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 The rules that apply specifically to window Figure 12.11 White buildups in a variety of heights create an artful display space for
lighting are useful for all aspects of store merchandise when combined with images by Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst; Levi’s
lighting as well: pop-up store on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. Keenan / WWD / © Conde Nast.

• Show merchandise in its true colors. Unless

your company’s window policy is more
about dramatic impact than profitable
sales, the danger of distorting color is to
mislead shoppers. Ideally, what they see
in the window is what they should get in
the store.
• Focus on merchandise. Special effects are
wonderful, but merchandise is the reason
for turning on the lights.
• Make the lighting devices a discreet part of
the presentation. Focus on what is presented
rather than on how it is presented.

From the archives of vmsd (Visual

Merchandising + Store Design), in an article
titled “Points of Light,” here are several
best practices for windows which still hold
true today:

• Using multiple beamspreads is a great trick

in the display lighting toolbox, but visual
merchandisers often don’t take advantage
of it. Use a flood for overall lighting
combined with a narrow-spot to target
small items like a diamond ring or a pearl
necklace.
• Use gels to create theatrical effects and
make colored merchandise pop, or to mute
the color somewhat. Light-blue gels, for
example, can make black look richer.
• Position window track fixtures carefully, in
front of merchandise displays and as close lighting using high color gels is usually not
to the window line as possible. If the track feasible, but floods and spots will suffice.
is placed in the center of the window you • To optimize lighting’s effectiveness, visual
will be lighting the top of the merchandise merchandisers need to pay close attention
rather than the face. to maintenance issues—not only changing
• Incorporate [open] window displays into the burned-out lights, but refocusing lights as
interior architecture of the store. Because merchandise changes seasonally so that
most mall stores have no dividing walls luminaries don’t wind up shining onto blank
behind their window display areas, dramatic walls or walkways.

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 You can even find professional window ledge and countertop displays, or they will add
“Good lighting can guide lighting tips online. One particularly good clutter instead of emphasis.
the customers’ eyes, website is www.fashionwindows.com, The same is true for the interiors of
reveal the color and cut where visual merchandisers can read articles display cases. If a department has a center
of the merchandise, show
excerpted from trade publications, view island display case for stock surrounded by a
the styling and tailoring
details, and emphasize
window photographs from all over the world, perimeter counter over glass-front stock cases,
the qualities of the outfit, chat with others in the field, search for new select one space per side for decorative displays
helping the merchandise and used props and mannequins, or look for that incorporate stock, props, and graphics.
to be pre-sold to the employment. From a distance, these small displays can break
customer.” the visual monotony of row upon row of
Boyd Davis, online editor,
TECHNIQUES FOR LEDGES packaged merchandise and highlight certain
www.fashionwindows .com
A N D D I S P L AY C A S E S important products. They focus shoppers’
Ledges and display cases may be thought of attention and are very useful reminders about
as small windows, especially when it comes to advertised items. Display case interiors should
composition and propping. These atmospheric be reset when advertising changes or when
presentations add visual interest to store areas new products arrive.
that primarily stock packaged goods in secured Look at Figure 12.12, where a multitude
showcases (cosmetics, small leather goods, of display windows are stacked to feature
jewelry, watches, etc.). They may be used to high-end sunglasses and handbags. Each case
create focal points in select areas throughout a is individually lit and displays only one or two
department, including perimeter walls. Choose items. The resulting museum-like quality is very
locations carefully and edit the number of appropriate for the Versace line.

Figure 12.12 A series of sleek black display cases offset by a clean white display wall and floor cubes creates a
glamorous setting for Versace merchandise; Versace, Northpark Center, Dallas, Texas. Coulter / WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 HOUSEKEEPING Paul Stuart at 16th Street, fashion windows
Begin any display in windows, on ledges, and in fifteen prestigious stores became an off-
in showcases with a thorough dusting and glass site exhibition—The Window Show. The
cleaning. As you complete a display, seek out weeklong show was dedicated to the memory
and remove any loose threads, staples, wire of legendary Tiffany & Co. window designer
trimmings, and so on. Check to ensure that Gene Moore, who died in 1998. One year prior
fashion items have no tags or threads showing. to his death, Moore donated thirty-nine years
Step outside store windows and inspect of window archives to the Cooper-Hewitt,
displays for minor details. where they can be studied. Tom Beebe, former
Daily, before the store opens, revisit displays creative director of Paul Stuart (a New York
that are accessible to shoppers and reposition City retailer), and a good friend of Moore’s,
merchandise that has been handled. Walk served as the project’s design liaison.
through all of your areas; dust and clean as you New York window designers created fifteen
go. A display, even in an enclosed showcase, unique presentations based on artifacts from
gathers dust. Remember that shoppers’ first the Cooper-Hewitt’s departments of textiles,
impressions are lasting impressions. They wall-coverings, applied arts and industrial
reflect the store’s image and your professional design, drawings and prints, and its library of
reputation. archival material from American manufacturers
Don’t forget the safety and security and designers. Their mission was to tie in the
aspects of this housekeeping tour. Be sure artifacts with their store’s brand image and
that mannequins aren’t tipped precariously, merchandise.
that their hands are properly positioned, Retail Ad World (October 1999) had this to
and that accessories are still in place. If visual say about the show:
merchandisers are not available during all
store hours, sales associates may have sold The show demonstrated the museum’s
items from your editorials and not had time to mission to explore the important role of
replace them before the store closed. design in daily life by focusing on an area
Some stores maintain a hands-off policy that is often taken for granted—window
when it comes to selling merchandise out of a as design, and window trimmers as
display or a window. But no store, regardless of designers. By turning store windows into
its policies, should be showing merchandise that “satellite galleries,” the exhibition also
has sold down to the point that the displays are served to showcase the breadth and scope
featuring one-of-a kind or one-of-a size. Why? of Cooper-Hewitt’s distinctive collections.
Telling customers that something they can see
right in front of them is not available is never The show was notable for several firsts—
a good thing. Still, tearing apart a display on adding a new chapter to the history of window
Friday evening that won’t be repaired until display:
Monday morning is never a good thing, either.
• The first time a museum has recognized
Windows as an Art Form window display as a decorative art with an
An amazing thing happened in May of 1999. outside show.
Store windows were elevated to an art form • The first time stores recognized each other’s
and all of New York City saw it happen. From displays.
the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, • The first time designers from competing
Smithsonian Institution at 91st Street, to stores met together for a common purpose.

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 The Cooper-Hewitt’s program brochure
added this note:
Leonard Marcus (The American Store
Window) saw the “scene behind the
window” as a reinforcement of the
theatrical nature of store windows and
the city itself as a “sphere of public
performance.”
The opening credits for the 1960s TV
sitcom That Girl underscore the author’s
point. While the show’s opening theme
plays, the main character (actress Marlo
Thomas) stands before a store window
where she is startled to meet the gaze
of a mannequin that seems to have
turned into her double. The mannequin
winks at her. That wink, “acknowledges
the complicity between the passerby as
audience and the window as the stage. In
this psychodrama, reenacted every day in
cities around the world, the mannequin
serves as our double, representing the
Figure 12.13 The Window Show (1999) was a collaboration of fifteen of Manhattan’s
impulse to pass through the glass and
most prominent retailers, in an off-site exhibition organized by the Cooper-Hewitt,
Smithsonian Design Museum. Sherle Wagner’s store, a venue which showcased luxury step into the store window’s realm of
tile, precious metal faucetry, and handprinted designer sinks participated and featured a drama, fantasy, and desire.”
window designed by Anne Kong. Anne’s window featured large scale replicas of paper
See Figure 12.13 for a photograph of a
dolls from the 1800s adorned with Sherle’s doorbells and knobs, etc. She added an
image of her daughter’s hand to suggest the essence of play in this artful and inspiring window by Anne Kong, which was included in
window. David Kong. The Window Show.

Shoptalk “The Window Show” by Tom Beebe, creative consultant, New York City

There have been some wonderful, magical moments in my career—the timing has been right
and the project was in line with the stars and the moon—when I’ve been able to create energy
and maintain the momentum.

I hope that doesn’t sound too worldly for you, but understood that the Cooper-Hewitt wanted to recognize
honestly, I think that’s what happens sometimes when display as a design field and wanted to acknowledge Mr.
things go 100 percent right for me. You’ll find other words Moore’s thirty-nine years in the Tiffany windows, helping to
to describe those moments, I’m sure, but I hope you have elevate all of our work to artful status.
lots of them in your creative life. I’ve had fine role models and mentors as I worked my way
The Window Show was one of those moments for me. up—the best of them all was Gene Moore. And, as famous as
In a nutshell, I was a player in a tribute to the art in our he was, he always called himself a “window trimmer.” As we
profession and an homage to the genius of Gene Moore. scurried around and convinced fifteen stores and as many
We were working on the project just prior to his death, window designers to participate in The Window Show, each
and so he knew it was going to happen. I was so glad he window keyed off items and artifacts in the Cooper-Hewitt’s

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 extensive design collections, people asked, “Why go to all minimal of minimal presentations, when the wires are cut,
this work for something that’s going to last only a week?” the pins are nibbed, and the lights come up, the curtain
I hope my answer was loud and clear: Why should we is drawn away, and the time has come for “ooohs” and
not? That’s what we do! As others do their day-to-day work “ahhhs.” That moment never fails to make me think of Mr.
and live their lives, we “window trimmers” do our passion. Moore, who was always waiting to do his best window . . .
We create work that is our craft—work that has developed time after time.
deep in our hearts and souls and is transformed through I hope that my craft continues to develop (and my mind
our minds and hands into the windows, the stage, and our and soul along with it) and that I can keep after more of
street theater, for all to see. those magical moments when the timing is right and the
We don’t feel able to think fast enough or move fast spark of an idea is in harmony with the universe. That’s
enough or have enough patience. Whether we fill our space when, as Mr. Moore would say, “I am my window and my
with merchandise and props upon props or create the most window is me!”

DESIGN GALLERY: HARRODS, KNIGHTSBRIDGE, LONDON

Harrods is London’s most must-see-must-shop
destination, an upscale department store in
Knightsbridge founded in 1849 by Charles Henry Harrod.
Beginning in a single room with two sales staff and a
messenger boy, it sold mainly tea and groceries. Today it
covers more than a million square feet, seven floors, and
330 departments of both luxury and everyday products.
Harrods offers many services to its shoppers: from
corporate gifts to personal shoppers to theater tickets,
this retailer is truly customer centric. The Harrods Group
includes several other enterprises: Air Harrods provides
VIP helicopter charters; Harrods Estates is a unique
portfolio of exclusive and sought-after properties for
residential sales and leasings; Harrods Bank provides
competitive, modern personal banking products; and
Harrods Aviation offers aircraft handling services at
London Stansted and Luton airports.
The power of a single mannequin dressed in a
stunningly artful ball gown is demonstrated in this
magical window at Harrods in London. The unique
quality of the floating floral appliques on the face of the
Copyright WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com
gown is emphasized by soft highlighting, which gently
[email protected] 1.646.827.2288.
fades out as it reaches the hemline. Even the grained
finish on the mannequin adds to the luxurious look of dramatic shadows. What would that do to the perceived
the gown. Overall, the drama is intensified by a ring of richness and quality of the gown? What kind of mood
stars surrounded by a background of textured blue light. does this window set for a shopper passing by? Would
Imagine how different this window would look without they, for an instant, imagine themselves wearing the
the combination of lighting techniques, without the gown at an elegant event?

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 Chapter 12 Review Questions 4. Historical perspectives
1. Describe the difference between enclosed windows and 5. Retail image decisions
open-back windows. Give examples of retailers who 6. New developments in props or decorative items
utilize each and how they do so. available from the display industry
2. Give two examples of how retail store windows
communicate to the customer using the theoretical Once you have identified how the themes are developed
foundations in this chapter. and executed, explain how these particular concepts are
3. Where can theme inspirations for a window come targeting various types of retail consumers and why they
from? Explain at least two of these. are either an excellent idea or not so good. Discuss whether
4. What are the seven mechanics of window magic? you feel these windows will be successful in selling the
5. What does striking a mannequin mean? What other merchandise they are displaying and why. Back up your
techniques do visual merchandisers use to make answers with facts and figures if necessary from various
mannequins stand upright? sources.
6. Give examples of how lighting is used in store windows.
7. How are ledges and display cases used as small Case Study
windows? Design Challenge
T H E S I T U AT I O N
Outside-the-Box Challenge You have applied for a position as the visual merchandising
Window Review director of a local department store. Until this time, you’ve
LOOK worked exclusively as an independent contractor in the
Visit three to five stores with enclosed windows and evaluate menswear area. One of your pre-employment challenges is
each window. Take notes on the categories of merchandise, to prepare window presentation concepts to be executed by
color scheme, theme, props, mannequins (if any), product the staff. The interview committee asks you and the other
accessories, and housekeeping, using the form in Figure 12.14. two finalists to complete an impromptu design challenge
You may make as many copies of the form as you need. that you will present during your second interview on the
day after tomorrow.
CO M PA R E
Compare the presentations. YOUR CHALLENGE
The bulleted items that follow are your tasks. The
I N N O VAT E numbered items represent four specific challenges—with
What would you do to improve each of the presentations? specific design requirements.
Be prepared to discuss and justify your critique in a class
discussion. • Identify a theme for the window that could also be used
as a sign copy headline.
Critical Thinking • Write sign copy (or specify a lifestyle graphic to be placed
Theme Development and Critique in the display as a means of communicating the window’s
of Store Windows contents).
Visit five different retail stores. Photograph or sketch their • Specify colors, props, and style of mannequin (if used).
store windows. Next, identify whether they are using: • Sketch a front view of your window concept.
• Label any figures or items necessary for committee
1. Current directions in fashion design or popular color members to understand the concept.
palettes • Be prepared to present all four concepts, although time
2. Recent or upcoming local events may permit you to discuss only one of them with the
3. Influential cultural directions committee.

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 The four concepts are: 3. Design a white sale window concept for a department
store using large banners announcing the sale. Assume
1. Design a fashion window display concept for the fall that you have state-of-the-art display props and
season that does not rely on a single autumn leaf or materials.
pumpkin for its props. 4. Design a tween trend window to appeal to a back-to-
2. Design an institutional window concept that celebrates school audience in August.
the opening of a new exhibit at a local art museum.

STORE WINDOW REVIEW

Window Function

1. Function is fashion, promotional, institutional, sale, or other?

Merchandise

2. Merchandise theme is seasonal, fashion, trend, dressy, casual, or other?

3. Merchandise category is:

4. Merchandise included accessory items. Y N NA

5. Merchandise color scheme is bright, pastel, or other?

6. Merchandise is wrinkle free. Y N NA

Mannequins (if used)

7. Mannequin use is appropriate for merchandise. Y N NA

8. Mannequin pose is natural. Y N NA
9. Mannequins appear to relate to each other. Y N NA

Props

10. Props selected for the window relate to theme. Y N NA

11. Props do not dominate the window display. Y N NA
Signing

12. Identifies trend, designer, brand, or item features. Y N NA

13. Directs shopper to selling area in store. Y N NA
14. Signing type is large enough for easy reading. Y N NA
Housekeeping

15. Window glass is clean (inside and outside). Y N NA

16. Window floor is clean, lint-free, dust-free. Y N NA
17. Fixtures, buildups, mannequin bases are clean, dust-free. Y N NA

Figure 12.14 Elaine Wencl Art.

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9781501315497_txt_app.indb 318 5/25/17 12:12 PM
 13 Mannequins and Mannequin Alternatives

Communicating Self-Image and Fashion Image “Mannequins are the

The mannequin is regarded as one of the fashion retailer’s most powerful communication high-octane gasoline
tools. Used strategically, it speaks volumes about fashion trends and a store’s brand that fuel the throbbing
identity. We know that in order to communicate effectively, a store mannequin must of my window-dressing
Lincoln Continental.
relate to a shopper’s self-image. When shoppers follow current fashion—read about it,
No matter how groovy
talk about it, look at it, buy it, and wear it—they are defining self and describing who
your window concept
they are through the clothing they wear. In fact, more than one industry writer has is, a dreary mannequin
suggested that visual merchandisers would gain valuable insights into shopper self-image can reduce it to the
by observing and studying shoppers in stores. level of suburban
You could easily practice this technique on your own. Station yourself in a place where dinner theater.”
Simon Doonan,
you can look out at passersby. Are people hurrying by or do they seem to be examining
Confessions of a
the items on display? What do you think they’re seeing and thinking about in terms of
Window Dresser
shopping for merchandise? What conclusions can you draw from your observations? How
could you relate your findings to merchandise presentation?

MANNEQUIN EVOLUTION
To trace the history of the mannequin as a medium for communicating fashionability,
you may also want to consider the evolution of the human body. A discovery made in
preparation for a 1997 Christian Dior retrospective show at New York’s Metropolitan “Mannequins in their
Museum of Art shows just what kinds of changes have taken place. fiberglass silence both
As the Metropolitan’s Costume Institute designers prepared to dress mannequins in whisper and shout at
costumes spanning Dior’s haute couture career, they found that many of his garments potential customers,
using their own brand
didn’t fit their standard exhibit mannequins. The museum’s principal mannequin supplier,
of body language to
Pucci International, needed to design and fabricate an entirely new series of figures to fit
reach passersby. Frozen
the Dior designs. in time and space,
mannequins constitute
statements to be
interpreted, each decade
in their development
AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO
a testimonial to the
• Explain how the mannequin is used as a communication tool
era and society that
• Identify resources for mannequins and mannequin alternatives produced them.”
• Evaluate criteria for matching mannequins to store image Marsha Bentley Hale,
• Follow guidelines for dressing and maintaining mannequins vmsd, August 1983
• Develop strategies for placing mannequins in departments

Figure 13.0ab Ralph Pucci’s “The Art of the Mannequin” exhibition explored the innovative mannequin
designs that reflected cultural trends over three decades. MAD, The Museum of Art and Design in Manhattan,
2015. Installation photo of ‘Ralph Pucci: The Art of the Mannequin’ 2015. Photo by Butcher Walsh. Courtesy of
the Museum of Arts and Design. 319

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 From his early career as a fashion illustrator In his Manhattan workroom, Ralph Pucci
“Most of the store- to the 1947 introduction of his revolutionary is putting the finishing touches on his
window figures . . . “New Look,” until his death ten years later, [company’s] latest mannequin collection
reveal the spectrum Christian Dior’s fashions were constructed for for department stores, “Goddess.” As
of human proportions
his ideal client body for that era—a figure the name suggests, Goddess is no waif.
honored in different
evidently a bit shorter and thicker-waisted Mr. Pucci said he wanted hot and sexy,
eras. Their facial features
vary, too, as do their skin than the Costume Institute’s longer, leaner so she is two to two and a half inches
tones, and these aspects, mannequins. more curvaceous than his standard form
whether naturalistic or At the time, Pucci mannequin sculptor and takes her cues not from runway
surreal, will say much to Michael Evert said, “For the Dior show I’m models but from Beyoncé and Jennifer
the sociologically minded
having to create a mannequin to fit the Lopez. “People with these types of
about the tenor of the
clothes, because it’s as if there’s an idea of body are flaunting it,” he said. “They’re
times in which they were
designed.” what people’s bodies are supposed to look like comfortable with it.”
Tom Tobias reviewing that really does not correspond to what most Across the country, in the fashion
a Fashion Institute of people do look like.” district in downtown Los Angeles,
Technology graduate What Evert and his colleagues on the Dior Goddess already faces competition. Block
exhibition. New York
project learned was that bodies have changed. after block of storefronts that sell clothes
Magazine, June 28, 1999
These changes are partly due to improved at wholesale prices not far from the
nutrition, better health care and medicines, and Harbor Freeway display mannequins and
clearer understandings of how our bodies work pant forms with even more treacherous
and must be maintained. The last century saw curves. Store owners point at the tight-
people growing taller, living longer, and doing as-a-glove fit of jeans and stretch pants
more. Those factors all contributed in some way around 38-inch hips, ultra-voluptuous by
to the changes currently taking place in the classic mannequin standards. Sales, they
fashion industry and the mannequin industry. say, are up as a result.
Today’s mannequins are designed in “If you have your eyes open, you
response to anatomical trends as well as to see this type of body becoming more
current events, social trends, and value shifts relevant,” said Mr. Pucci . . . “You can’t
in a global fashion market. If haute couture flip through a magazine without seeing
decides that tiny waistlines are in and full sexiness. You can’t get away from it.
bosoms are not, then the current generation of Mannequins should reflect the times we
mannequins will reflect that trend as designer live in.”
fashion trickles down. These new fashion
trends may take some time to arrive in stores, Mannequins have stood and sat, smirked
but if fashion designers and global media make and smiled, or plumped up and thinned down
decisions to change the ideal body type they to match the fashions of the day for centuries.
are designing for, it may be time to order new If bodies evolve in the next several centuries,
mannequins. you may be certain that mannequins will, too.
Case in point? From the archives of the
New York Times in 2004, Mireya Navarro REFLECTING THE TIMES
wrote about Ralph Pucci, president of No one is positive when the first mannequin
Pucci International, a premier supplier of appeared, but most agree that the
mannequins for fashion figures as well as dressmaker’s form is its basis. Historically, that
museums and exhibits, in an article titled could have occurred as early as the time of
“Store Mannequins Can Now Breathe Out”: Egyptian pharaohs. Small design models known

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 as fashion dolls were utilized in Europe and beautiful forerunners of today’s realistic action
Colonial America in the 1700s. Like an itinerant figures. They were posed to interact with other
cabinetmaker’s scaled furniture models, these mannequins on display, participating in fashion
remarkable costumed miniatures served as vignettes—a novel idea at the time. Imans’s
portable displays for skilled seamstresses, work, while prophetic, was not universally
showing potential clients what hand-stitched approved and the conservative retailers
fashions were available to order. continued to display fashions on their stiff,
Early in the last decade, Smithsonian staid, and more or less upright pillars of the
magazine published an important feature wax community (Figure 13.1a).
article titled “Mannequins, the Mute Mirrors According to mannequin historian Marsha
of Fashion History,” by Per Ola and Emily Bentley Hale, World War I and its necessary
d’Aulaire, that explored the mannequin’s rationing brought about changes in perfection
origins and evolution. “Most experts agree that standards for women’s body shapes. “Sugar
the succession of stages set in motion during rationing had trimmed down the figure in
the Industrial Revolution—the manufacture contrast to the buxom ideal prior to the war.”
of large, steel-framed, plate-glass windows, Working in factories and businesses while the
the invention of the sewing machine, the male workforce fought, eager younger women
electrification of cities—cleared the way for put aside cumbersome fashions for higher
[the mannequin’s] arrival.” hemlines—exposing legs for the first time—and
It makes sense. Larger store windows made headed straight into the Roaring Twenties
it possible for passersby to view merchandise flapper era after the war ended. In response,
inside the store. With the development of the the mannequins of the day began to reflect the
electric light bulb, genteel people strolled and more active and energetic roles that women
window-shopped as pleasant entertainment were assuming (Figure 13.1b).
after an evening meal. Progressive merchants As a result of new technologies developed
began lighting store windows during evening during the war, mannequins made of less
hours to take full advantage of the new volatile (meltable) materials like plaster
custom. replaced fragile wax figures. The down side to
By 1885, a British manufacturer of wax that was a loss of the delicate facial sculpting
dressmaker forms (Gems Wax Models and, possible with the wax medium. As a result,
today, Gemini Mannequins) and a French more abstract mannequin features evolved,
company, Siegel and Stockman of Paris, were which were in sync with postwar modern
making and exporting wax mannequins and attitudes and experimentation in all aspects of
some “articulated figures” with wooden design.
hands and bendable fingers to the United The 1929 stock market crash forced the
States. American companies like The French next generation of mannequin development
Wax Company of Milwaukee entered the in the form of one-dimensional poster art
competition. On both sides of the Atlantic, the forms and wooden cutout alternatives.
collective design challenge was the creation of During the subsequent Depression of the
features and poses that both represented and 1930s, when people escaped to fantasy lives
flattered the shoppers whose attention they in Hollywood’s spectacular movies, stars sang,
were meant to capture. danced, skated, skied, sailed, and did all the
Some advanced wax mannequins, like things their audiences couldn’t do in real
those created by another French maker, Pierre life. Mannequins—including some of the first
Imans, were strikingly accurate and artistically designed to replicate famous fashion models—

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 Figure 13.1 Fashion mannequins, like the clothes they wear, have changed over time.

a b c

Examples from the twentieth century: A more active and energetic posture in a Siegel A Depression-era mannequin of the 1930s by the US
A wax mannequin by Pierre Imans, and Stockman mannequin from Paris, circa 1920. producer Cora Scovil, which provides escapist fantasy
vintage 1911. Marsha Bentley Hale Courtesy of Siegel & Stockman. and glamour. Cora Scovil.
Mannequin Archives.

d e f

Wolf & Vine mannequins from California, 1945. A Twiggy mannequin by Adel Rootstein, 1966, An abstract mannequin of the 1980s
Greneker. exemplifying the inspiration of Mary Quant’s Mod from the Prismatic Profiles series by
designs. Copyright Rootstein, www.Rootstein.com. Decter Mannequin Company of Los
Angeles, adaptable to displaying
fashions for shoppers of any age or
ethnicity. Vaudeville Mannequins
formerly Decter Mannequin.

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 became equally active, creating lifestyle miniskirted “Mod” English fashions roared
fantasies in stores and windows where people across the Atlantic and radically changed “The idea of bringing to
who were experiencing tough economic American fashion (Figure 13.1e). life the fashion models
conditions could window-shop and hope for It isn’t unusual for fashions to change from the magazine was
Adel’s groundbreaking
better times (Figure 13.1c). abruptly several times during a decade if the
idea. Outdated fifties
World War II brought an end to the grinding communication that puts fashion-conscious mannequins looked
poverty of the “Dirty Thirties” but also brought people in touch with markets and products the wrong age and the
the European mannequin market to a near halt. all over the world functions efficiently. In wrong shape modeling
This allowed talented American mannequin the 1960s, we weren’t aware of the personal the new Mary Quant
designers and manufacturers the opportunity potential of the computer, but we became a miniskirts.”
Kevin Arpino, creative
to market their products in the United States nation of jet setters, and we travelled freely.
director, Adel Rootsein
without European competition. In Denmark, Society’s pace accelerated, and shoppers often and Co., London,
Hindsgaul, a firm known primarily for store complained that they were stressed-out from speaking about the
fixturing, geared up to supply the European trying to keep their lives from unraveling. company’s late founder
market with fashion mannequins and survived Americans were into wash-and-wear clothes,
the war years, establishing an international wash-and-wear hairstyles, instant foods, and
reputation that remains strong today. anything else that they could buy to streamline
Plastics and fiberglass were World War II their lives.
technologies perfected during the postwar era. Other, very real, shadows appeared in
The female form, camouflaged for years under American culture, and waves of change
war factory coveralls, emerged victorious as the brought another evolutionary turn to
country’s young soldiers returned from Europe mannequin design. You can see the results in
and the Pacific. Women were back in style. styling showing liberated female body forms.
Pinup actresses Marilyn Monroe and Ava Some mannequin breasts developed nipples,
Gardner were icons of femininity. Movie belly buttons were bared, postures and poses
star mannequins, sexy and glamorous, became more aggressive—mirroring what was
went up on pedestals. And during the late happening in society during the tumult of the
1940s and early 1950s, live runway models 1960s, carrying over to the early 1970s.
attempted to look and act like the postwar By the 1970s, fashion windows and their
window mannequins—emulating New Look inhabitants were deeply into “telling it like it
exaggerated bosoms and nipped in waists; is,” and relating to each other in scenes that
vamping on spiked heel pumps. During this depicted the bumpy ride that much of post-
decade, more sexuality than ever before Vietnam-era America was experiencing. If you
was evident in female and male mannequin were to compare the facial expressions on
collections, and once again, mannequins mannequin faces in the 1970s to those on the
seemed intentionally interactive, telling stories faces of Depression-era mannequins, you’d
and setting mood with aware-of-each-other have to ask yourself who was really depressed.
poses (Figure 13.1d). The 1970 figures often seemed troubled,
tense, and even tired. Add to that an emerging
REFLECTING THE TRENDS counterculture and increasing interest in
Some say that the realistic mannequin life in galaxies far, far away, and you had an
styling we take for granted today began, or interesting mix of mannequins on the menu,
at least speeded up, when Adel Rootstein’s because mannequin manufacturers responded
Twiggy mannequins and Mary Quant’s 1960s to nearly every trend.

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 In the 1980s, mannequins became citizens Holm-Bertelsen added preadolescent
of the world, and more realistic, flattering, and adolescent markets to the list of strong
and beautifully rendered ethnic mannequins groups that would affect mannequins in the
came to live in retail stores in major shopping decade: “We’re noticing more young body
areas all over the country. At the same time, images packed with plenty of attitude. And
abstract mannequins without any distinct New York City illustrates another trend clearly:
features emerged with the ability to cater to from the elegant romantics seen in such
shoppers of any ethnicity (Figure 13.1f). In upscale windows as Bergdorf Goodman to the
addition, higher levels of activity, vitality, color fascinating motion of animated mannequins at
and excitement came to the abstract action Old Navy, realism is in.”
figure category. Name a sport; there was a In 2001–2002, a new trend emerged—a
mannequin prepared to compete. virtual mannequin explosion. Gap relocated on
In the 1990s mannequins came out of their Michigan Avenue in Chicago and opened with
windows and off their platforms to be seen more than 500 mannequins. Simple to dress,
shopping, waiting for friends near an elevator, smooth-finish mannequins with magnetic arm
relaxing against display tables, looking over fittings and no heads were displayed in mass
the escalator railing to watch shopping activity with amazing impact. Victoria’s Secret opened
on the floor below. Their collective message to a store in New York City with more than 300
shoppers was: “We’re not remote, set apart, or mannequins and forms.
untouchable; we’re just like you. In fact, we’re This trend has continued today, as Gregory
out here with you, enjoying the store, taking Karp wrote about the opening of Uniqlo on
open sell is fixturing in the ambience.” Call it “open display” if you Michigan Avenue in the Chicago Tribune,
that makes most merchandise
will; this disarming strategy really predated the October, 2015:
(even items traditionally kept
movement toward open sell in the late 1990s.
in locked cases) accessible
Another decade of evolution brought new The 60,000-square-foot store is on three
to shoppers without the
challenges. In February 2000, VMSD associate floors . . . and will be the largest of the
assistance of salespeople.
editor Randi Holm-Bertelsen identified retailer’s 40-some U.S. locations, except for
increased demand for mannequins with heads the New York flagship on Fifth Avenue.
as one of the most identifiable trends in the A long escalator, a signature element of
decade. Her article “Mannequins Get Real: A [flagship] Uniqlo stores, takes 85 seconds
Softer Realism and Heads Prevail,” spotlighted to ride from bottom to top. Uniqlo’s store
California mannequin manufacturer George in Chicago will have about 400 workers,
Martin, who wryly observed that everyone outnumbered by nearly 500 mannequins,
in the last decade had “headless mannequin many inside display cases in museum-like
disease, thinking ‘it’s all about merchandise.’” exhibits, while dozens more are visible
Martin felt that there was more to it than that: from Water Place across the street.
“Aside from the fact that heads give a display
more proportion, they have also become Target also introduced mannequins into their
important commodities because retailers are stores with remarkable sales results. Phil Wahba
more ‘ethnic conscious.’” Essentially, retailers told the story in Fortune, in October 2015:
are taking closer looks at their markets and
communicating awareness of their diversity For years, it seemed all Target needed
back to consumer groups. to do was bring in shoppers and put its

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 trendy apparel and cool home items Greneker is continuously working to
on racks and shelves and just ring them improve its eco-footprint. From simple
up. But because of the Great Recession recycling to conscientious energy
and increased competition . . . the management, we try to choose the right
discount retailer that pioneered “cheap path for our company whenever we can.
chic” had to overhaul its approach to Our eco-responsibility extends into our
merchandising. product packing because it isn’t right
Enter Brian Cornell, who took the to simply ship our green mannequins
reins last year. “We realized we were and forms in containers that will pollute
making them [customers] work too somewhere else.
hard.” Cornell told the WWD Apparel When it’s time to replace our
and Retail CEO Summit . . . “When you qualifying products, we’ll make
walked into our store to browse, all you arrangements to transport the used parts
saw were a sea of racks . . . so we owed to the nearest appropriate recycling
our customer a better presentation.” center and provide a credit at the market
“Last year, Target added consultants value of the recycled material plus 10%
to its beauty sections, as well as less the cost of transportation, toward
mannequins to showcase clothing items the purchase of new forms.
and give customers ideas on how to put
an outfit together, department store- The foregoing discussion is just part
style. Cornell told the WWD audience of a story that reaches far beyond the
that sales of items worn by mannequins, limits of how mannequins have been used
which are now at 1,400 of Target’s nearly historically. What future developments in
1,800 stores, have increased by 30%.” the production of mannequins hold for
the visual merchandising industry and its
Visit www.greneker.com to see yet another practitioners remains to be seen. The exciting
trend response influencing mannequin part is knowing that you may be part of
production for the twenty-first century. these future trends and may have an impact
Greneker, a Los Angeles-based mannequin on it. Practitioners and students of visual
and display manufacturer, has gone green merchandising could be talking and reading
to satisfy the growing demands of an about your work ten years from now.
ecologically oriented marketplace segment.
Innovative mannequin producers for more
than seven decades, Greneker pioneered
cellophane and papier-maché in its designs Have you ever heard a mannequin referred to as a “clotheshorse”?
early on and then went to fiberglass and retail realities
This term comes from the historic practice of storing elegant (and
poly-composites from the aerospace industry
voluminous) upper-class men’s and women’s costumes on dressmaker
when it was young. Today, it is still pioneering
by fabricating mannequins in its new forms or “clotheshorses” to protect lavish trimmings and preserve

sustainable, recyclable Gren-S Soy mannequin appearance between wearings. The only other storage option
and form material. was an armoire or a “clothespress” suitable for less elaborately
Says Greneker Vice President Creative, David structured garments.
Naranjo:

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 Sourcing Mannequins design:retail’s website (www.designretail
Among the skills you’ll use and value most online.com) includes breaking news,
as a visual practitioner is knowing where galleries, projects, and events for a quick
sourcing is the process of to look and how to find the products you look at the most important goings on in the
finding resources for use in a need, or sourcing. Today, you can source—or visual merchandising industry today.
business. search—globally, nationally, and locally on the vmsd’s website (www.vmsd.com) features
Internet for initial research on fixtures, props, design galleries, hot topics, products,
or mannequins to save yourself (and your directories, videos and a career resource
company) time as well as travel expense. In the where you can see what jobs are available,
information-gathering phase of sourcing, you’ll or post about the type of employment you
also want to acquire hard-copy promotional are seeking.
materials from manufacturers that will build Shop! Retail Environment’s website
your knowledge base and a library of reference (www.shopassociation.org) features
materials. Later, when you get into the information on their publications, events,
markets, you’ll see first-hand what your sources and suppliers.
have in store.
TRADE SHOWS
INTERNET SOURCING The largest annual US visual merchandising
To start your work in this chapter, visit and store design market is scheduled in Las
www.fashionwindows.net to see and source Vegas at Mandolay Bay every March. Every
mannequins. Click on “Stores & Boutiques” three years, you can also attend EuroShop
and then “Mannequins” in that menu will in Dusseldorf. You’ll learn more about trade
give you access to many fresh photographs shows in Chapter 14.
and topical articles to read online or in print
for future reference. To gather background FIELD TRIPS
information and develop a better feel for the Students in resource-rich market centers like
lore of the display industry, the talents of the New York and Los Angeles can visit mannequin
people in it, and the way it operates, more in- showrooms during seasonal markets to learn
depth printed publications are the next logical mannequin resourcing from the ground up.
items to add to your visual merchandising tool Anne Kong, a professor and former chairperson
kit. Not only will you learn about mannequins of Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design
and windows, you’ll update your fashion at Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of Technology
vocabulary, discover new links to other vital (FIT), occasionally takes her students behind the
aspects of the industry, and expand your retail scenes, as well, to mannequin manufacturers’
trend awareness as well. design and production areas. If your program
conducts field trips to market centers, you
T R A D E P U B L I C AT I O N S might ask that a similar tour be added to the
Three of the most familiar sources of trip itinerary. It’s an important learning step.
trade information for the visual field are If you become a display manager or director,
design:retail, vmsd (Visual Merchandising and you will at least have to compare the value of
Store Design), and Shop! Retail Environments mannequins to the utility and effectiveness of
print magazines. All three resources offer a mannequin alternatives. Even if your present
feast of new products and contact information store doesn’t use mannequins, your next
to manufacturers of mannequins, visual props, employer may, and then you’ll need to know
and store fixtures. You can get a preview of about them. As a display practitioner, you will
what these magazines offer on their websites: have to know how to choose mannequins and

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 how and when and where to use them to best pace of trend retailing and look at the
advantage. As is true of any major purchase— practicalities of mannequin upkeep—
for yourself or an employer—it’s wise to do current hair and makeup styling—more
extensive research and comparison shopping retailers are beginning to opt for
before you buy. the fresher characteristics offered by
abstracts. They can be more reflective of
Choosing and Buying the times and evoke important feelings
Mannequins and spirits without being too specific.
Before mannequin buyers commit significant
amounts of money—from $450 to $700 per Pucci points out that it has been over a
figure, with very high end mannequins in the decade since his firm produced a realistic
$1,200 range—it is important for them to study mannequin collection in the image of a
the trends affecting the marketplace. Granted, specific fashion model or celebrity. “If realistic
they’ve already done a lot of homework mannequins can be done with a truly unique
by sourcing. They know what’s available in slant, they’re great to do, but I feel that trying
the marketplace. Their next questions must to duplicate someone without capturing the
be: How long will these mannequins be individual’s ‘essence’ is a mistake.”
fashionable? How long will these mannequins Pucci now prefers to create figures and
communicate our image and fashion message forms that are both a reaction to and a
to our customers? reflection of the moment—the art, music, and
architecture that influence people’s lives. As a
MANNEQUIN TRENDS result, he enlists designers from those realms
In trend-driven marketing, visual merchandisers to reinvent the mannequin. Pucci’s “yoga”
must anticipate trends and respond to demand. mannequin collection—first introduced in 2002
No retail division can afford to tie up resources and modeled after Christy Turlington—and the
in tools that fail to produce results. Robert Clyde Anderson collection—illustrate
One current and very important trend is the broad range of mannequins available
mannequin customization. Bernstein Display from this very innovative mannequin designer-
at www.bernsteindisplay.com features a manufacturer (Figure 13.2).
Customize It—Drag & Drop interactive game Another Pucci collection, illustrator Ruben
where you can mix and match all the parts of a Toledo’s “shapes” collection in petite, plus-sizes,
mannequin. “Bernstein Display’s unparalleled and tall female forms, has the artist’s trademark
service includes a customization program. tiny hands and feet on bodies that are full-
Working closely with our clients we can create a blown in tribute to voluptuous femininity no
product that is exclusive and ultimately defines matter the garment size. Pucci says:
your brand. We can transform any existing
products with an array of finish and fabric The larger sizes were amazingly
options, or create something completely new.” successful. We took a chance because
An increasing reliance on abstract forms we believed that size range doesn’t limit
reflects far more than a fashion trend, anything, including being attuned to
according to Ralph Pucci. He sees the adoption art, fine dining, good music—things that
of abstract mannequins as a business trend: everyone enjoys. Shoppers responded
very positively to seeing mannequins
I think realistic mannequins are becoming in their sizing, but even more, they
dinosaurs, even when they are very well appreciated the art Toledo brought to
done. When you consider the frenetic the project.

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 Figure 13.2 Two very
different styles of
In her previously mentioned article, “Store
abstract mannequins
from Ralph Pucci, New Mannequins Can Now Breathe Out,” writer
York City. (Above) Yoga Navarro says:
mannequins, designed
in the likeness of Christy
Turlington, at Marshall
A national body measurement survey
Field’s, Chicago. (Right) released this year by the Textile
An exclusive series of Clothing Technology Corporation, an
mannequins for Marshall
apparel research organization, and the
Field’s by Robert Clyde
Anderson. Judy Bell. Commerce Department found that on
average, men and women have gotten
5 to 10 pounds heavier in the last
decade. “Women, whose average weight
is now 155 pounds, gained the most in
the hips,” said Jim Lovejoy, the survey’s
director. “That means more pear shapes
and an increasing demand for changes
in apparel fit, so outfits can account
for bottoms that, unlike those of the

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 hourglass figure of the past, are more We had discovered the magazine
ample than tops,” Mr. Lovejoy said. illustrations of Robert Clyde Anderson
and were struck by his style—the way
The article continues: his characters had an aristocratic, sort
of “uptown” feel to them. We began
Others who follow the mannequin to call them “the brownstone people,”
industry said more accurate portrayals because they looked like people you’d
could go only so far. “Even if you’re see on a city street in a typical residential
going for realistic or bigger,” said Steve area of brownstone buildings, and, as
Kaufman, former editor of vmsd, a we fleshed out the concept, we began to
magazine for retail designers and store tell a story.
display professionals, “ultimately the
mannequin needs to be built to carry the The company commissioned Anderson to
clothing in as perfect a way as possible.” create a collection of figures that would evoke
But Mr. Kaufman said that current style six such individuals. One of the company’s
trends like the popularity of jeans, low goals was portrayal of age and ethnic diversity
riding and otherwise, required more that would widen the collection’s ability
realistic dimensions. to communicate with more shoppers. The
characters took on special individual identities:
DESIGNING AND
M A N U FAC T U R I N G One was a [white] “wanna-be” actress;
MANNEQUINS another was an African-American
As the mannequin industry is reaching out woman. We also wanted to have an
to other art forms for its design work, it is older couple and wound up with a
spending more time on conceptualizing— woman in her sixties, very chic and
thinking outside the box—to capture the flavor modern, who was probably an art
and pace of the era. gallery owner. Her companion, a man we
Ralph Pucci describes the manufacture of call Hamilton, is a former Ivy Leaguer,
a mannequin as a process that begins with in very good shape—he probably
imaginative ideas from those new resources. plays handball—and he works in the
“From the conceptual directions, we work financial world.
in-house with artists and models to sculpt a
miniature prototype. If that seems promising, Before the new figures were launched
we move ahead to full-size bodies, creating in Pucci’s Manhattan showrooms and
molds, fabricating bodies in fiberglass and photographed for promotional catalogs, they
heads in plaster.” were dressed by fashion designer William
Although mannequins are created in a Calvert and positioned interactively before a
series of poses or collections—groupings of brownstone streetscape mural done by Robert
mannequins that appear to be related by Clyde Anderson. All that remained was an
styling, gender, age grouping, size, ethnicity, opportunity for the brownstone characters to
positioning, or other characteristic— silently tell their stories to mannequin buyers
mannequins can be used singly, in pairs, or (Figure 13.3).
groups. The overriding trend is storytelling. Each mannequin’s posture, makeup,
Pucci’s “brownstone” collection is a story in hairstyling, facial expression, height, weight,
itself: stance (position), and so on are designed to

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 Figure 13.3 Pucci
International’s
“Brownstone People”
are city-smart and
fashion-savvy. Judy Bell.

send out attitudinal messages that the store Workday Casual series, commissioned from
hopes will be perceived and received by the Pucci in 1994 by Andrew Markopoulos for the
targeted shopper. They are meant to say: “If company’s department stores (Figure 13.5).
you understand the lifestyle we represent, then Ralph Pucci said:
this is the store for you.” Some mannequins are
purely fashion mannequins and are meant to They selected one mannequin style to
represent a sort of chic but neutral “everyman” represent their merchandise throughout
or “everywoman” persona that will speak to their stores, from one department to the
the average shopper with a particular self- next. They took a stand on their image,
image and level of fashion awareness. a look that describes what they’re all
Some mannequins make very strong about, and they acted on it. When they
statements reflecting currently popular lifestyle commissioned us to do their Workday
trends, and they project attitude to match. One Casual rollout, they went all the way
immediately thinks of counterculture or youth with more than a thousand mannequins
culture trends that have influenced clothing for for their stores. Where they couldn’t
an entire age group (Figure 13.4). place mannequins, we created busts
Many stores choose a “signature and cutouts for shelves and ledges that
mannequin” that will appear in every window restated the workday theme. If shoppers
and in every in-store editorial. One such didn’t “get it,” they simply weren’t going
signature collection was Dayton Hudson’s to at all.

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 Figure 13.4 Mannequins with attitude introduced up-and-coming New York designers Acne, Rag & Bone, Rogan, Superfine, Threeasfour, and
Ksubi at Barney’s, Madison Avenue, New York City. Seckler / WWD / © Conde Nast.

Figure 13.5 Ralph Pucci’s Workday Casual mannequin collection was designed
M AT C H I N G M A N N E Q U I N S exclusively for Dayton Hudson’s department store division. Judy Bell.

TO IMAGES
Deciding on a series of mannequins—
essentially, hiring your store’s silent sales
force—is as important as hiring the right
individuals for a live selling staff. Ideally, both
will look like your store’s image, represent
your product lines appealingly and effectively,
and both must sell merchandise profitably. The
decision process involves establishing some
criteria for mannequin selection—matching
the right mannequin to store image and/or
current trends.

INTERPRETING STORE
BRAND IMAGE
Store brand image is the visual merchandiser’s
first criterion for mannequin selection since
many fashion stores believe they have
developed niche positions and do not offer
“flavor-of-the-week” fashion innovations to
their clientele. If they’re committed to classic
fashions or a client lifestyle, some retailers may
prefer the more abstract, more neutral display

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 figures that can carry fashion without locking DETERMINING THE LOOK
into a distinct mannequin persona or fashion With your store’s identity clearly in mind,
statement. consider whether it’s best to use realistic
A store that responds more quickly to mannequins, action-posed abstract forms, or
contemporary fashion trends may think that custom-designed mannequins that look like a
it can be chameleon-like, poised to become popular model. Mannequins are manufactured
whatever its customers want it to be. In that of fiberglass, resin, foam, metal, wood,
case, it will embrace mannequin stylings more glass, fabric, or cardboard. Many full-figure
in keeping with recent fashion directions, mannequin bodies are frequently molded of
lifestyle trends, and current social attitudes— fiberglass layered with resin-reinforced plaster
even if it means changing mannequin styles skin. Realistic mannequin heads are molded,
more frequently to keep pace. then sculpted in plaster and painted before
Large department stores frequently own hand-painted finishing makeup is added to
multiple series of mannequins that portray the reflect a current fashion look. Abstract heads
variety of fashion images necessary to serve the are detailed (or not) to match their design
multiple market segments that make up their specifications.
customer base. With more room and larger Recently, translucent and transparent
budgets, they also have the luxury of choice. abstract mannequins have been fabricated
They can use one series or another to match out of space-age plastics. Such is the pace of
the form and function of the merchandise to change in visual merchandising.
be shown. Today’s realistic mannequin heads are
A department store might own hundreds of mostly topped with stylable wigs of the same
mannequins, for example, a series of elegant synthetics used for human wigs retailed in
mannequins, a series of active mannequins, stores and salons. Permanently styled vinyl
a collection of juniors, misses, men, children, “hard” wigs (once secured with bank pins in
infants, and special sizes (tall, petite, and cork inserts in mannequin skulls) are practically
plus-sizes). It might also have both realistic- a thing of the past unless a very definite or
looking and abstract (stylized) mannequins very complicated hairstyle is integral to a
in its collection. Since every display begins realistic figure’s fashion image.
with products, it simply has to decide Abstract mannequins, not dependent
which mannequins will show them the best on realism, are frequently smooth-headed
advantage. Smaller stores (with smaller visual creatures with minimal facial detail. Some
merchandising budgets, fewer windows, and abstract models may have molded hairstyles
less floor space) may have fewer mannequins that can be modified with plug-in ponytails,
to choose from, have to use them longer, and chignons, or other add-ons for variety’s sake,
do more with them, so they must be extremely and others may sprout wigs of rope, yarn,
selective as they plan purchases. raffia, wood shavings, or something yet to be
devised, as part of their unique designs. Let’s
INTERPRETING look at what’s available today.
MERCHANDISE IMAGE
Since merchandise is always the focus of an Realistic Mannequins
editorial presentation, choosing an appropriate Realistic mannequins replicate human anatomy
mannequin or a series for a particular display is and facial features and may be modeled to
critical to its success as a selling vehicle. portray any age, size, ethnicity, or attitude.

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 Buyers may select anything from upright to
seated to reclining and any number of action
poses—in full stride, with legs apart to straddle
a backward-facing chair, or with a raised, bent
leg suitable for posing with one foot on a cube
or chair (Figure 13.6).
Hairstyles and makeup are generally
contemporary, but special collections may be
quite avant-garde portraying counterculture or
other unorthodox fashion looks. High-fashion
(haute couture) mannequins frequently mirror
makeup and hairstyles popular on designer
catwalks worldwide, some of them more
extreme than what is normal for streetwear. In
fact, some buyers term them semi-realistic or
stylized. This is especially true if the mannequin
has all human features except colorful makeup
or natural skin tones. Be aware: the more
extreme or faddish hair, makeup, posture, and
attitude are, the shorter the lifespan for the Figure 13.6 Realistic mannequins designed and manufactured by Bernstein Display,
mannequin. New York City. Bernstein.

Abstract Mannequins
Not particularly true to human anatomy in an although children’s forms are probably
everyday sense, these figures are about impact the most popular. Built over a flexible wire
and effect. They will have a normal torso to infrastructure to keep their foam-padded
carry fashion garments, but facial features, extremities in place once posed, these figures
arms, and legs may be elongated or otherwise can be positioned almost anywhere a retailer
exaggerated, and sometimes heads or arms needs them—atop a fixture, on a ledge, or
are absent altogether. You’ll find them in any flying through the air like trapeze artists.
color or finish that’s appropriate to store décor They may be very obvious in bright colors or
and image. If these fashion statements fit your dazzling white coverings, or they may seem
store’s image, they may have greater longevity to disappear into scenes made in colors that
than realistic forms, particularly if they create a match backdrops. Again, as long as they
signature look for your store (Figure 13.7). fit a store’s image, these are less expensive
mannequins with indefinite life spans.
Soft-Sculpture Mannequins
Soft-sculpture mannequins are covered Puppet Cutouts
with fabric or leather rather than paint and Puppet cutouts can be fabricated of corrugated
frequently have little facial detail. Some are cardboard, foam core, plywood, plexi, metal,
serious, formally posed figures; some are purely or any other stiff material and articulated
novelty figures designed to communicate with bolts and wingnuts or other hardware
a decidedly informal mood. Soft sculptures fasteners to create entertaining, informal
may portray either gender or any age group two-dimensional action figures. Toy-like in

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 Figure 13.7 Three styles of abstract mannequins: Whimsical kids’ mannequins at JCPenney, Manhattan Mall, New York City (top
left); casual mannequin threesome at Esprit, Los Angeles (top right); and ballerinas at Juicy Couture on Fifth Avenue in New
York City (above). Ericksen / WWD / © Conde Nast.

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 appearance, they adapt well to children’s Hosiery Forms
fashion and merchandising. They can be Hosiery forms may be right-side up or upside-
purchased, commissioned, customized, or built down; they may be one-, two-, or three-
in your own prop shop. Versatile and novel dimensional in design (flat, half-round, and
alternatives to three-dimensional mannequins, fully round). To show fashion from the toes up,
these are not for every store image but, for the there are:
budget-conscious, they can brand the store as
well as entertain. • Shoe and foot forms
• Sock forms
Animated Mannequins • Knee-high forms
Animated mannequins can wear merchandise • Stocking leg forms
for active lifestyles, and the technology • Pantyhose forms
to set them in motion has emerged. One
sports-oriented line from Europe, Animated Innerwear Forms
Cyberquins, can mimic slow-motion human Fashion is not limited to outer garments.
activity—walking, sprinting, or cycling—in a Underwear and intimate apparel mannequin
store window or on a selling floor. These high- alternatives are available in varying sizes and
technology figures may eventually find homes skin tones, fabrications and finishes, for both
in sporting goods store interiors and other genders and all ages. You will find:
retail stores.
• Brief and boxer forms
M A N N E Q U I N A LT E R N AT I V E S • Panty forms
In Chapter 5, you read about mannequin • Corset forms
alternatives designed specifically for wall • Lingerie forms
system merchandising. The alternatives • Swimwear forms
described here are designed for selling floor • Bra forms
use, on or near fixtures. Alternatives may
be simple and very utilitarian, or they may As an alternative to innerwear forms, one
be more elaborate, in designs that reinforce creative retailer used simple white hangers
other aspects of store fixturing and décor. to display bras and panties (Figure 13.8).
Mannequin alternatives are economical for Combined with artfully arranged gift boxes,
four reasons: this series of shadow boxes delivered an eye-
catching statement in a cost effective way.
• You can focus shopper attention on
merchandise fashioned for specific parts of Ready-to-Wear Forms
the body without having to dress the rest of To accommodate layering and accessorizing
a form. ready-to-wear, these alternative forms are
• You do not have to pay for an entire designed for both genders and all ages. They
mannequin in order to have a dimensional may be mounted on flat bases for table- and
display. fixture-top presentations or on bases and
• You can place alternatives in display pedestals for floor display (Figure 13.9). You
areas and strategic spaces that cannot could purchase:
accommodate a full figure.
• You add brand identity and visual interest • Shirt forms
for shoppers at minimal cost. • Blouse forms

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 Figure 13.8 Creatively displayed lingerie on simple white hangers at Journelle, New York City. Ericksen / WWD / © Conde Nast.

Figure 13.9 Traffic-stopping formation of men’s forms displaying hoodies at Niketown, New York City. Judy Bell.

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 • Bust forms through the side seams at the armpit
• Swimwear forms and waist to lock the shirt in place and
• Suit forms minimize any slack fabric. You should now
have a smooth shirtfront that reveals the
Dressing a standard men’s shirt form is body contours of the form underneath.
one of the more challenging tasks of a visual Whenever you pin into fabric, work in
merchandiser. Jeff Spizale is national director the seams or double the fabric over itself.
of sales and marketing for Presentations Then, if a sales associate tries to remove
Plus. He grew up as one-fifth of a father-son the garment from the form, there will
team of visual merchandisers, respected in be less chance of damaging the fabric. A
the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area as well-rigged form should have only ten to
expert menswear visual practitioners. Here, he twelve pins in the total presentation.
offers step-by-step instructions for basic dress 5. Forming the sleeve attractively is the next
shirt or sport shirt rigging. step. Take four sheets of white wrapping
tissue and form two cylinders of the same
1. Select a shirt with a standard 16-inch general shape and size as the shirtsleeve
neck size. (All menswear bust forms are and slide them gently into the sleeves of
standardized to measure 16 inches at the the shirt. Then, insert a Styrofoam coffee
neck, 42 inches at the chest, and 36 inches cup (upside down) into the cuff of each
at the waist.) The fabric-covered form is sleeve. This gives the cuffs shape and keeps
padded so that you may push common the tissue in place. The stuffed sleeves
straight pins into it, anchoring the shirt can simply hang naturally, or you could
to its contours. Some shirts are meant bend one sleeve at the elbow and pin
to fit more loosely than others. Ask the the cuff to the side of the form with the
department buyers or an experienced shirttail draped over the cuff—a technique
associate about the ideal fit before that mimics a person with his hand in his
you begin. pocket—in a casual pose. The style and
2. This is the most important step—properly fabrication of the garment will determine
press the garment. For a dress shirt, whether the shirt’s presentation should be
reverse the collar and iron this portion on formal or casual.
the underside (underpress) so there will be 6. In this last step, you may add a necktie or
no wrinkles pressed into the collar’s front. drape a sweater, coat, briefcase, book bag,
Repeat with the cuffs; press the body of or other accessories that seem appropriate
the shirt and the sleeves last. Wrinkles are to the look you’re after. These items help
never an option. complete your display, adding colors and
3. Slip the shirt over the torso form so that textures. Accessorizing builds multiple sales.
the shirt buttons form a vertical line. To
hold everything in place, push a common PURCHASING MANNEQUINS
pin near the collar’s top button and then Once you’ve decided on a mannequin style or
pull the front of the shirt taut, placing a collection, you must think about lead time. lead time is the amount
pin near the bottom buttonhole. Now the You won’t be able to order one day and of time it takes to complete
shirt is securely anchored to the form and receive your shipment the next week. Ordering products from receipt of order
the placket lies straight. mannequins from stock rather than having to production.
4. At this point, smooth the shirt front them custom-made requires less lead time, but
toward the side seams, placing pins even then more and more manufacturers are

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 producing to order rather than maintaining fit the store’s apparel. While mannequins are
large inventories waiting to be sold. It’s not designed to meet more or less standard sizing
unusual to wait as long as sixteen weeks for a specifications across the garment industry, they
mannequin shipment to arrive on your loading are not all created equally. Mannequin sizes
dock. Custom orders, especially commissioning vary among manufacturers and it’s important
a design for a mannequin that will belong to check bust, waist, and hip measurements
solely to your company or have an unusual along with overall height and even shoe sizes.
finish, may take even longer because of the If your store uses a variety of mannequins
design and approval phases that precede other from different manufacturers, typical in
production steps. department stores, trial and error wastes time
when you’ve steamed and prepared garments
R E C E I V I N G A N D U N PAC K I N G for mannequins only to find they don’t fit
MANNEQUINS well. Knowing your store’s apparel sizing is
Mannequin support rods are bent at specific an important aspect of mannequin dressing
angles to support the mannequin properly. to master. With practice, you’ll learn each
When you unpack a new mannequin, use a figure’s unique fit requirements. You may want
sharp permanent marking pen to indicate the to write the sizes on the waist or hip plate as
support rod’s back side and its bottom end. If a reminder of correct garment size for that
you don’t do this immediately, the figure may particular mannequin.
be damaged in setup. In any event, you will not
be the only person handling it in the future, so SELECTING GARMENTS
this is an important step toward protecting the FOR MANNEQUINS
store’s investment as well as ensuring safety for Here are some suggestions to help you in
the mannequin, you, and your customers. selecting garments for mannequins:
Each torso section plus any removable parts
should also have an identifying number or • Choose garments for a single end use, by
symbol already marked on both locking plates fabrication, style, and then color for each
so you can reassemble parts correctly when grouping of mannequins you plan to use.
you’re dressing multiple figures. If not, mark Example: a group of mannequins wearing
the parts yourself. Label hands right and left garden party prints in bright cottons or a
as well. group of mannequins in pastel cashmere
Sometimes brand-new mannequin joints holiday sweaters. Choose garments that
fit rather snugly. To make it easier to position make just one statement. Fashion impact
arms and fit the male-female connectors more comes from repetition and congruity.
easily, you can swipe the connecting plates You’d never want to confuse shoppers
and connectors with an absorbent cloth lightly with mixed messages in a single display.
sprayed with a lubricant like WD-40. Spraying Instead, underscore each statement with a
the joint and plates is not advisable because strong presentation, endorsing that specific
of potential for over-spraying and drips to end use.
damage the mannequin’s expensive finish. • Choose items that are stocked in quantity,
so that the mannequin will not have to be
LEARNING SIZES redressed immediately. If an item is already
OF MANNEQUINS selling down without your help, it’s time
You already know that a mannequin has to fit to move on to the department’s incoming
a store’s image. It is equally important that it merchandise.

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 • Select the proper size of garment. than others. Be sure that you understand your
• Write down the sizes of all the garments store’s mannequin policies before you dress
and accessories you will be using and post one for the first time.
it for the sales staff. Most stores operate Preparation makes this task easier. Here are
with a duplicate copy sign-out book that some general guidelines related to necessary
accounts for any merchandise you’re taking housekeeping, record keeping, and safety
off the selling floor for use in the windows. practices:
One copy is placed in a secure location in the
window with the merchandise. The other • Wash your hands before handling
copy stays in the department—usually at the mannequins or garments. Oils and dirt from
wrap desk so that sales associates can easily your hands can damage the value of both.
refer to the list when a customer is waiting • Steam or press all merchandise.
for information. The sign-out book is an • Remove any price tickets and extra buttons
important security safeguard for both you that cannot be tucked out of sight and
and the store. reposition them with a ticket gun to the
• Repeat the colors in the garments with inside of the garment’s fabric label, not to
appropriate accessories for a tied-together, the garment.
coordinated look. Choose accessories to • Remove string tags for jewelry and
clothe the mannequin from head to toe. store them in an envelope along with
Think of this task as dressing a live model a description of the item. Earring cards
for a fashion show or photo. Effective must also be saved along with a brief
presentation of earrings, watches, hats, descriptor for reticketing and return to
handbags, briefcases, day planners, hosiery, the department. If earring backs do not
shoes—even eyewear—can teach shoppers fit the mannequin’s ear, place them in the
how to accessorize fashionably and trigger envelope with the card. Staple the envelope
additional purchases for the store. At the to the sign-out sheet corresponding to the
same time, you must practice restraint. merchandise.
Accessorize the mannequin according to • Peel off sticky labels that can’t be hidden
your store’s seasonal fashion message or by turning them away from view and place
follow trend directions you see in current them on a piece of waxed paper along with
media. Eventually, you’ll develop a feel for a brief description of the item. Save the
an appropriate level of accessorization for SKU number so the item can be reticketed if
your store’s fashion image. necessary.
• Before you start dressing your mannequin,
DRESSING MANNEQUINS choose a place to work that keeps walkways
Most stores have a protocol for mannequin clear and safe for shopper traffic.
dressing that says when and where this will
be done. Some stores require mannequins After these important preliminaries—work
to be dressed and undressed away from the space cleared and all materials assembled—
selling floor or that the work is completed follow this step-by-step dressing procedure:
before or after store hours. Many stores
cover their windows so that passersby don’t 1. Remove mannequin arms, hands, torso,
see mannequins undressed or even partially and wig. Place them in a cart, rather
assembled. These safety concerns and aesthetic than on the floor, as a safety precaution.
concerns are more important to some retailers Remove the legs from the base and

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 Figure 13.10 Pantyhose and
pants may be easily pulled slip on pantyhose, socks, or anklets,
onto a mannequin’s legs while if the mannequin is a realistic version
you are seated on the floor.
(Figure 13.10).
Craig Gustafson Art.
2. Slip pants on the form. Skirts are not put
on until step 5.
3. If the mannequin is going to stand on its
base, you have two options for placing the
mannequin back onto it without slitting
the back seam (Figures 13.11 and 13.12).
Option 1 If the pant leg and hem or
cuff are wide enough to accommodate the
space between the leg and rod, you may
Figure 13.11 In Option 1, the simply lift the mannequin up and settle it
mannequin’s lower half is onto the rod at the square fitting in the
removed from its rod, dressed,
mannequin’s buttocks. Then tighten the
then returned to the base by
lifting the form and easing set screw connecting mannequin to the
the pant leg down over the rod. Some mannequin dressers work in
rod. Tighten buttocks screw pairs to do this step and may also fit the
when the form is standing
shoes onto the form at the same time they
on its base once more. Craig
Gustafson Art. stand the form back on the base.
Option 2 Remove the rod from the
mannequin and the base. Then fit the rod
back down the leg after the mannequin is
back on its feet. Tighten the set screw at
the buttocks and then tighten the screw
into the base plate.
If you’re using a standing or striding
mannequin, the pant leg may not
hang properly with the rod in place
(Figure 13.13). If the pant leg is pulled
taut by the rod, don’t use that pant. Or
you can carefully slit the back seam and
insert the rod through the opening.

Figure 13.13 This pant is too narrow for the rod to be

Figure 13.12 In Option 2, the rod is slipped down the pant leg and fitted through and the pant is pulled taut in an unnatural
the mannequin’s legs are fitted onto the base. Craig Gustafson Art. manner. Craig Gustafson Art.

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 Action figures and mannequins with Figure 13.14 The heels of shoes must be
the correct height to ensure that the
longer strides generally have one bent
mannequin will stand properly and safely.
leg that must be removed for dressing Measure the space between heel and
and undressing. Treated like an arm, it is floor and write it on the bottom of the
inserted through the waistband before mannequin’s foot for future reference.
Craig Gustafson Art.
the straight leg attached to the hip section
has been inserted. Holding the bent leg
and pant in one hand and balancing the
inverted form between your feet, you’ll
slide the empty pant leg over the straight
leg’s foot. As the pant slides nearer the hip
section, you’ll be able to snap or lock the
bent leg in place. This task is easier for two
people to accomplish.
Because of all this maneuvering you
may decide to select a larger size than
the mannequin usually wears and pin any
excess fabric away after the garment is
on the figure. There is no simple way to Figure 13.15 Grasp the
mannequin torso firmly
describe this procedure, you’ll simply have
when fitting it back onto
to do some hands-on experimenting until
the hips. Slide it over the
you know the mannequin well. hips until the peg on the
4. Slip on the mannequin’s shoes. Be sure bottom of the torso slips
into the hip fitting. Twist
that the shoe you’ve chosen has the proper
it until it locks in place.
heel height. Measure the mannequin as Craig Gustafson Art.
shown in Figure 13.14. If the heels are too
low, the mannequin will tip backward; too
high, it will tip forward.
Be sure that the shoe is properly fitted
to the mannequin’s foot. Shoes with
gaping sides or shoes that slip off the
figure’s heel are never acceptable because
customers won’t buy or wear shoes that
look as if they will fit poorly. Ill-fitting
shoes left on mannequin’s feet for long
periods of time in hot windows tend to
form in position, causing damage that open to accept arms (with hands removed)
makes the shoes unsalable. in the next step. If you are layering tops
5. Slip a skirt over the waist or hip, but do (i.e., a turtleneck under a sweater, or a
not zip or button. blouse under a jacket), slip the sleeves
6. Twist torso back onto waist or hip section together so that you can insert the arms,
(Figure 13.15). wrist first, through the neck opening into
7. Slip front- or back-closure tops onto both sleeve layers at once. Guide the arm
mannequin (pullovers must slip over a to the locking plate and gently slip it into
wigless head) torso and leave garment place (Figure 13.16).

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 Figure 13.16 Carefully
slip the mannequin arm all buttons are buttoned and all zippers are
through the garment, zipped. Add a belt if appropriate. Tug on
stretching the garment’s
sleeves and hems to smooth the fit.
fabric as little as possible.
Slide the arm over the
Check that hosiery doesn’t ghost
locking plate until it slips through outer garments. Gaps and misfit
into place; then adjust the areas of a window mannequin’s costume
arm to a natural position.
may be pinned discreetly. Your goal is to
Craig Gustafson Art.
smooth the lines, not remanufacture the
garment. Pinning isn’t done on the selling
floor mannequins because shoppers may
be handling the garments. If the garment
is the correct size for the mannequin,
pinning will not be necessary.
9. Replace brushed and styled wig. Be sure
the hairline fit is natural.
10. Accessorize neck and ears. Mannequins
have pierced ears, but some models are
Figure 13.17 Adjust
mannequin arms and too rigid or their ears are set too close to
hands into natural the head to accept French wires and some
positions, as shown in the hoops without bending them badly out of
correct example. In the
shape. Posts aren’t always long enough to
incorrect example, one
hand is backwards, and accept their backs. Clips generally do not
one arm is pulled forward stay on at all. Tacky gum (the kind used
so that the hand is
to hang posters) will hold pierced and
suspended in the air. Craig
Gustafson Art.
clip earrings in place. If you can’t hook
the French wires or hoops correctly, avoid
them for that particular mannequin. You’ll
soon learn which figures can wear certain
accessories.
11. Adjust hands and arms to natural positions
(Figure 13.17). Add any handbags or
bracelets before twisting hands into
CORRECT INCORRECT place at the wrist joints. To make the
handbag seem more a natural part of the
Use care when layering garments so mannequin’s costume, it should be tucked
that you don’t create more bulk between under an arm or held by the mannequin in
the mannequin’s arm and torso than the same way that a model might carry it
it is meant to accept. The clothes will on a fashion show runway.
look bunched-up, and the stress on the 12. When the mannequin is in place and
mannequin’s arm joint will eventually properly lit, step away (outside if this
loosen and damage the arm locking plate. is a window mannequin) and check
8. Button top garments and tuck them into the figure from head to toe. Make any
waistband. Adjust to create a smooth and necessary adjustments. Make sure that
natural blousing of fabric at the waistline if all mannequin bases, risers, and window
that’s part of the fashion look. Be sure that floors or pedestals are dust free.

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 M A I N TA I N I N G M A N N E Q U I N S safety concern!
Mannequins are among your store’s most
visible fashion fixtures. They are also among In-store mannequins placed on pedestals
the most frequently handled. The fact that or riser platforms must be removed from
they attract attention is good, but the fact that their safety glass or metal bases and bolted
they may be disturbed by customer handling is directly to the units where they’ll stand. This
not—unless you maintain their appearance and prevents them from being bumped or tipped
grooming daily. accidentally by curious shoppers.
Watch for:
box 13.1

• Exposed price tags

• Improperly positioned wigs, hands, and POSITIONING AND
accessories PROPPING MANNEQUINS
• Missing accessories or items of clothing Positioning mannequins with props in a
• Substitutions (resulting from sale of the triangular shape is more effective than
original garment) positioning them in a straight line. If you
• Shopworn garments look at Figure 13.18, you’ll see a mannequin
• Dirty-looking skin grouping in a triangular format that creates
• Hosiery with runs or sagging wrinkles a three-dimensional presentation with more
• Dusty risers depth and greater visual interest than would
• Trash on the riser or in the area of the display have been accomplished if the mannequins
were all at the same height.
SCHEDULING CHANGES The triangle is also a useful way to analyze
Shoppers should never have to search out the positioning of fixtures, props, and
selling stock for merchandise that they’ve mannequins arranged on a floor or platform.
seen on editorial mannequins. Since editorial
Figure 13.18 A triangular
mannequins should always be positioned with format is implemented in
adjacent two-way or four-way selling fixtures this mannequin grouping.
with stock of the displayed garments, sell-down Craig Gustafson Art.

will often dictate your schedule for changes.

Other retail practices also require the visual
department to change the store’s mannequins
frequently:

• Management’s expectation that regular

weekly shoppers will see something new
each time they come to the store.
• Strategies that schedule quick, significant
markdowns to keep stock turning through a
department.
• Aggressive weekly advertising schedules that
include backup floor displays in key editorial
positions.
• Transfer and consolidation of groupings to
facilitate sell-through.

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 Figure 13.19 The three-
dimensional arrangement
of mannequin, prop,
and sign in the correct
example has more visual
interest than the incorrect
example, where they are
arranged in a straight line.
Craig Gustafson Art.

Sign
Sign

CORRECT INCORRECT

Used as you see illustrated in Figure 13.19, If you use two mannequins in an editorial
the triangle forces mannequin and prop into platform grouping, a single larger prop will
better optical balance with the prop and probably be all that the space can carry. Try to
sign relating more closely to the form after work in odd numbers if you can, because they
repositioning. are more pleasing to the eye.
Probably the most important thing to Mannequin positioning, with or without
realize is that grouped mannequins, frequently props, can tell stories and set tone. Multiple
used in odd multiples (3 or 5), must relate to window mannequins can be positioned so
each other in theme, in color story, and in that one is standing alone while the others
physical proximity. The group must also relate are positioned in a conversational grouping—
to the props selected in exactly the same ways. causing viewers to wonder what’s going on.
They should all touch somewhere—either Mannequin positioning can also focus
physically or optically. The correct view in attention precisely where you want it. Imagine
Figure 13.19 shows an optical relationship. mannequins lined up in military file diagonally
The potted plant isn’t really touching the across a window floor, all wearing purple
mannequin; she is positioned behind it. But the garments, except for one mannequin dressed
two elements appear to touch; lending depth in brilliant red. A dramatic presentation with a
and texture to the composition, causing it to point of emphasis is created without the use of
feel tight, or closely related. a single prop.

M A I N TA I N I N G
retail realities

Jeff Spizale urges visual merchandisers to “follow the logic of the MANNEQUIN IMAGE
garment.” He says that a formal oxford-cloth dress shirt should look In fashion retailing, an industry with continual
visual change, mannequins are going to
crisp and “squared-away,” while softer, more casual garments ought to
become outdated after a time and will have to
call attention to luxurious fabrics and textures with less formal rigging.
be replaced. Expensive as they are, mannequins
are still the best way to help customers

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 retail realities
visualize garments. Sometimes you can update
Place floor fixtures that stock items on display next to fashion
a mannequin series with new wigs and prolong
mannequins on editorial platforms. Customers want to take a closer
the inevitable need to update.
look at garments in their sizes immediately after they see them in

Cycling eye-catching displays. Don’t make them search through an entire

Some retailers cycle their mannequins, saving department for the garments you have featured.
their newest, trend-right figures for prime
window presentations and rotating last season’s
mannequins into the store for interior editorial manufacturers provide renovation services.
and departmental use. Eventually, outdated Patina V, at www.patinav.com, says:
mannequins are either sold, sent to the
mannequin factory for refurbishing, donated to Creating a new lease of life for your
a school or a thrift store, or discarded. mannequins is a way for us to make an
eco-responsible statement towards a
Refurbishing more sustainable fashion. Whatever your
Mannequins don’t always age gracefully, demands may be (a simple repair or a
and some are accident-prone. This gives full makeover), our renovation service is
rise to an important visual merchandising committed to supplying you with a high
support system that can extend or restore a quality product, close to a brand-new
mannequin’s usefulness. Some mannequin condition, with a limited investment.

Shoptalk “Innovation Grows a Business” by Ralph Pucci, President, Pucci International, Inc.

In spite of differences in generation and location, I think that you, the reader, and I probably
have much in common. When I started my career in this industry, it was with an established
company that had an interesting history, rich traditions, and exacting quality standards. It was a
business dedicated to serving its customers beyond their expectations.

I started out in my family’s business, and you may be them brilliant colors. Having done all that, it was necessary
starting out in one that belongs to someone else’s family. As to keep our vision fresh in other (and sometimes surprising)
I once did, you may feel alternately challenged and hemmed ways. I came to believe that display mannequins can (and
in by the company’s traditions and standards. But at the heart should) do more than simply wear clothes. In Pucci’s reach to
of it, you’ll probably end up doing those things that best serve lead the industry, we’ve commissioned well-known people
your company’s mission and its customers, just as I did. from other creative fields—a pop artist, an interior designer,
I helped grow the business I’m in today. From exclusively a fashion designer, an architect, and an illustrator—to push
doing mannequin repair in the 1950s, we turned to the parameters of mannequin design for us. Our vision is to
mannequin design and manufacture in 1976 when it was create an identity for our products that will help you do the
my turn to lead the firm. We set ourselves apart by same for yours in whatever retail business you join.
anticipating trends and doing things that differentiated Would you agree that a mannequin ought to
Pucci from its competitors. communicate with customers, whether they be young,
First, we took a rather innovative approach and let our trendy, sophisticated, or chic? Do you think a mannequin
mannequins recline and relax on the job. Then we painted should enhance the total visual environment and be

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 your company’s most efficient salesperson? Do you want I want what you want—to have people lined up on the
the mannequins you use to add a unique point of view, sidewalk to see your windows and to see shoppers throng
a certain freshness, and a creative element to an item the aisles to view fashion in your selling departments where
traditionally made purely with function in mind? If you’re art and fashion have come together to create history,
nodding your head “Yes,” we do have a lot in common. tradition, and high, high quality.
I wish you well in your work.

DESIGN GALLERY: R
 ALPH PUCCI: THE ART OF THE MANNEQUIN, MUSEUM
OF ARTS AND DESIGN, NEW YORK
Ralph Pucci, the iconic and renowned New York designer,
is highly regarded for his innovative approach to
mannequin design. In 2015, an exhibit at MAD (Museum
of Arts and Design) was the first to explore his work.
MAD’s (www.madmuseum.org) online description
reads: “As Pucci was building his business in the 1970s
the notion of the ‘super model’—the living model with
a personality—emerged. Pucci captured this catalytic
moment in his work, finding inspiration from sources as
varied as Greek and Roman statues and the performance
costumes of the New York Dolls. More than commercial
armatures or sculptural forms, his mannequins became
agents of change in our attitudes to the body, to fashion,
and to individual identity . . . having collaborated
with luminaries such as Diane von Furstenberg, Patrick
Naggar, Andree Putnam, Kenny Scharf, Anna Sui, Isabel
and Ruben Toledo and Christy Turlington.”
“Most people think you go to the Yellow Pages, call
and order two white, two black mannequins, and it’s over.
We wanted to show that great mannequins are works of
art,” said Ralph Pucci in an interview with Zoe Zellers for
design:retail magazine (April/May 2015). Zeller writes, Installation photo of ‘Ralph Pucci: The Art of the Mannequin’ 2015.
Photo by Butcher Walsh. Courtesy of the Museum of Arts and Design.
“Pucci believes this show will shine a light on the entire
industry—the creativity, excitement and energy that the
visual world has to offer, but often has been overlooked. the studio workshop, complete with a workbench,
‘It should make you think, it should make you smile, it sketches, and tools. (Go to www.madmuseum.org for
should challenge you,’ Pucci says, adding: ‘Obviously photos and a fabulous video.) Over thirty of Pucci’s most
having a show at MAD is our proudest moment.’” important mannequins were displayed; you can see a
Silent Selling author Judy Bell attended the exhibition representation pictured here. Also look at the colored
and was most impressed that it covered every stage molds shelved along the wall, used in production of
of the mannequin process, including a re-creation of Pucci’s artful and innovative mannequins.

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 Chapter 13 Review Questions SCENARIO
1. List three ways that mannequins reflect the zeitgeist You have been hired by your favorite retail store to
and fashion. purchase new mannequins or body forms for all of their
2. List three major sources for mannequin purchasing. stores. You must present this to the company’s president
3. What are the most important aspects that a visual and vice-presidents for approval.
merchandiser should think about when selecting
mannequins for a particular store? 1. Identify your favorite retail store.
4. Give three mannequin alternatives and state how they 2. Select three looks that this store would feature from a
are used. fashion publication or their website that you’d like to
5. What are the proper steps for dressing a mannequin? put into the store window. The threesome should have
6. Discuss one of the positioning techniques of mannequin some connection in theme, season, color story, and/or
display. attitude. Cut them out and mount them on a sheet of
typing paper. Add appropriate accessories to the page.
Outside-the-Box Challenge Don’t worry about the size or scale of the pictures.
Window Review Just be sure that the look meets the text’s general
LOOK requirements for selection—end use, fabrication, style,
Make six copies of the mannequin checklist in Figure 13.20. and color.
Take the forms with you as you visit three stores with 3. Describe your favorite retail store’s fashion image and
enclosed windows showing mannequins and three stores explain how the fashions and accessories you’ve chosen
with interior mannequin displays. Fill out the charts with all fit that image.
the required information. 4. Now show what they are currently using as their store
mannequin or body form. Visit several mannequin
CO M PA R E manufacturers’ websites and scan recent issues of
Compare the presentations—windows to windows, displays design:retail, vmsd, and Shop! Retail Environments to
to displays. select the mannequin (or series) that would be most
appropriate to wear the garments you’ve chosen for
I N N O VAT E your store window. Print a photo of the mannequin or
Choose the one presentation from each chart that you series that you’ve chosen.
believe needs the most improvement. 5. Describe the types and kinds of mannequins that you
saw and rejected. Explain your reasoning.
• What changes would you make? 6. Collate your report. Justify your mannequin choice
• Explain why you think your changes will improve each using criteria from this chapter, and present your
presentation. findings in a group discussion.

Critical Thinking Case Study

Sourcing and Selecting Mannequins Choosing Mannequins
Directions: This exercise will help you make the important T H E S I T U AT I O N
connections between store image, merchandise, and Assume that you are a sales representative who is going
mannequin selection and send you off into cyberspace to to represent a consortium of mannequin manufacturers at
source mannequins. a national visual merchandising market. Your company’s
mission is offering one-stop mannequin shopping for
retail merchants no matter what size or style of stores they
work for.

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 MANNEQUIN CHECKLIST

1. Mannequin fully dressed? Y N

2. Garments properly adjusted? Y N

3. Garment tags hidden? Y N

4. Mannequin fully accessorized? Y N

5. Accessory tags hidden? Y N

6. Exposed “skin” is clean, print-free? Y N

7. Wig is brushed and styled? Y N

8. Arms and hands positioned properly? Y N

9. Hosiery in good condition, properly fitted? Y N

10. Shoes in proper position, fitted properly, dust-free? Y N

11. Mannequin base clean, dust-free? Y N

12. Riser/platform clean, dust-free? Y N

13. Mannequin secure on base or platform? Y N

14. Supporting stock of merchandise nearby (if interior display)? Y N

15. Signing in place and current? Y N

Location:

Date:

Observer:

Action Required:

Figure 13.20 Elaine Wencl Art.

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 YOUR CHALLENGE Assume that each of these stores has a display window.
Prepare a brief presentation using appropriate mannequin Go to any of the following websites (or other websites or
(or mannequin alternative) photographs or drawings for six trade magazines) to find photos or drawings of at least one
of the following clients: appropriate mannequin or alternative to fit each store’s
image and justify your choice in a written paragraph. You
• The Club—an upscale exercise enthusiast shop for men may add any necessary details about the store’s image to
and women strengthen your presentation. If possible, include budget
• Just Like New—a consignment shop featuring infant and figures for purchasing two or four mannequins and explain
children’s clothing why you might prefer to have more than one.
• The Pantry—a kitchen and cooking enthusiast’s shop that Mannequin Websites:
carries chef’s garb
• Sagebrush—a Western-themed clothing boutique chain • Bernstein—www.bernsteindisplay.com
operating in Arizona, Colorado, and Montana ski-country • dk display corp—dkdisplaycorp.com
resort areas • Fashion Windows—www.fashionwindows.com
• Artisan Alley—a wearable art apparel shop and gallery • Global Visual Group—www.globalvisualgroup.com
• Tween Scene—a national trendy clothing chain for girls • Goldsmith—www.goldsmith-inc.com
aged 9 to 13 • Greneker—www.greneker.com
• CEO—a conservative menswear apparel store specializing • Hindsgaul—www.hindsgaul.com
in high-quality suits, shirts, shoes, leather goods, ties, and • John Nissen—www.new-john-nissen.com
other accessories • Mondo—www.mondomannequins.com
• Fairchild’s—a national moderate-price department store • Patina-V—www.patinav.com
chain specializing in clothing for the entire family • Rootstein—www.rootstein.com
• Getaways—an upscale resort wear boutique for men and • Seven Continents—www.sevencontinents.com
women • Universal Display & Design—www.universaldisplay.co.uk
• Expeditions—an adventure sport clothing and gear • WindowsWear—www.windowswear.com
store for men and women, which also carries camping,
climbing, and diving gear
• Underworld—a specialty shop that sells natural fiber
underwear for men, women, and children
• Abondanza—a women’s clothing shop that specializes in
business apparel and special-occasion dressing for plus-
size women

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 14 Building a Visual Merchandising Department

Organizing Your Professional Work Environment

Attention to detail makes the difference between a good visual merchandiser and a great
one. The way you handle detail on your job determines your working brand identity.
Whether you’re presenting mannequins in windows or presenting yourself in the way
you dress and act, you are expressing your personal identity. When a visual merchandising
executive can look at a display you’ve done and instantly know that you did the work,
you’ll know that you’ve established a trademark—a reputation—for a certain performance
level. That trademark should stand for excellence and a regard for detail.
The late retail observer Peter Glen, longtime writer for vmsd magazine, always offered
astute, career-level advice in his monthly columns. In one, he offered two powerful ideas
that could have direct bearing on establishing your working brand identity and putting
its indelible stamp on your career in a fast-paced industry. Glen wrote that concentration
cuts through chaos and changes it to clarity, and then he added, “A composed mind is a
confident workshop.” Glen’s remarks seem apt because you may not have much more than
concentration and a composed mind in your toolbox as you get started in the fast-paced “I will try every day
field of visual merchandising. to never say, ‘What
Glen’s topic was multitasking—a word coined to describe people routinely attempting difference does it make,’
(but not always succeeding) to juggle many tasks at once. With a ringing telephone as his remembering that no
detail is small.”
example, Glen advised,
10 Years of Peter Glen:
One Hundred Essays for
Finish what you’re doing. The assumption here is that whatever you are doing when the Improvement of
the phone rings, you are already doing something. You have decided what is most Work, Life and Other
important, which gives you clarity and concentration, and presupposes order and Matters of Consequence

AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

• Set up a visual merchandising office with basic supplies

• Organize tools for visual merchandising tasks
• Develop a visual merchandising resource center
• Plan a productive market trip
• Write a purchase order
• Plan a visual merchandising budget
• Create an idea board for presentations to executives

Figure 14.0 Uniqlo’s dazzling holiday window encourages colorful gift giving. 5th Avenue, New York.
WindowsWear Photo. Copyright WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com [email protected]
1.646.827.2288. 351

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 even planning. So with that in mind, Becoming the Go-To Person
“You have to be able to when the phone rings, keep doing what Visual managers need well-organized
walk and chew gum. . . . you are doing. Do it right. Do it until workspaces with accessible, easy-to-find
The term ‘multitasking’ it’s finished and then go on to the next information—contact names and phone
must have been coined
(predecided) priority and concentrate on numbers for product-line vendors, up-to-
after following visual
that. Answer the telephone when it’s the date and accurate budget reports, idea files,
people around for a day.
It requires diving into highest priority, not when it rings. . . . resource files—to support their work routines.
many disciplines and You have to believe that without control Maintaining a professional, well-planned
pulling them all together you’ll be multitasking helplessly, and that workspace, and becoming the person others
with too little time and only concentration leads to your best go to for information, can lend credibility to
too little money. It’s
effort at anything. your working brand, or style, and the ideas
also what makes the
you express. When people in your department
work so challenging and
exciting.” If you’re going to be a visual merchandising begin to say: “Go to [insert your name here]
Christine Belich, Christine manager—and the assumption here is that for that,” you’ll know you’re on your way to
Belich Design and you will be—you’ll need a strong resource wherever it is you plan to go in your career.
adjunct professor center to back up your work. Your powers to In the book, Be Your Own Brand, A
prioritize, to organize, and to pay attention Breakthrough Formula for Standing Out from
to detail will be critical to your success. the Crowd, authors David McNally and Karl
Being focused and operating efficiently will Speak offer a theory that everyone has a brand:
lead directly to increased productivity, and
productivity is what’s going to get you noticed. Your brand is a reflection of who you are
Something as simple as having the right and what you believe, which is visibly
supplies within reach will free more of your expressed by what you do and how you
time for activities that will build your visibility do it. It’s the doing part that connects
and reputation (your working brand image) in you with someone else, and that
your department and your store. Never forget connection with someone else results in a
that the first product you’ll ever market on the relationship. In reality, the image of your
job is yourself! brand is a perception held in someone
This chapter is dedicated to providing else’s mind. As that perception, through
survival strategies, effective practices, and repeated contacts between you and the
useful tips that organize the environments other person, evolves and sharpens, a
in which visual merchandising professionals brand relationship takes form.
labor—their workshops, toolboxes, offices,
suitcases, briefcases, and calendars.
Setting Up Your Toolbox
If you’ve accepted a position as a visual
merchandiser with display responsibilities,
Competitive retailing exists behind the scenes in the office as much as
retail realities

don’t be surprised to discover that the only

it does on the selling floor or out in the mall. Just as stores compete
place you have to call your own is your
for business, departments in corporate offices compete to gain
toolbox. After all, if you’re doing what you
company resources for their projects. The more professionally visual were hired to do, you’ll be out on the floor or
merchandisers present themselves and their work environment, the in the windows doing your job, not planted
easier it will be for them to gain credibility and secure positions as behind a desk.

essential and productive elements in the retail operation. If that’s the case, that toolbox will be your
first resource center, holding everything you’ll

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 need to work efficiently and effectively. At the • Assorted small bandages, antiseptic
same time, you’ll need to be able to lift and • Premoistened towelettes “I knew I’d arrived as a
carry your “office” from place to place, so it • Prepackaged dry-cleaning product ‘go-to person’ when I
can’t literally hold everything an office usually had to put a padlock on
my toolbox.”
contains. Start assembling your toolbox by The list is extensive—and could be expensive
A visual merchandiser
reviewing your job description. Knowing what as well. If you work for a corporation, your
the company wants you to do will tell you tools will probably be supplied, but if you have
what you’ll need to do it. your own business, you will need to purchase
An inventory of essentials for a fashion tools. Before you buy every item, ask an
window toolbox might include: experienced visual merchandiser for a guided
tour of his or her working toolbox. Display
• Large, lockable toolbox with lift-out routines vary, and reviewing someone else’s
tray/drawer survival kit may help you edit the list to purely
• Padlock essential items.
• Striking wire (20-gauge) metal Borrow a letter–M–from the SCAMPER
• Monofilament thread (50-pound test) plastic model (see Chapter 1) and “minify” at every
• Heavy sewing thread and needles with large opportunity. For instance, elect to carry a
eyes (yarn size) reversible head screwdriver that stores one
• Diagonal wire cutter head in its handle when the other is in use;
• Pliers, adjustable and needle-nose carry three or four bandages and a small tube
• Adjustable wrench of antiseptic in a resealable bag or container
• Allen wrenches, hex wrenches rather than full-sized packages.
• Tack hammer The same toolbox for an interior fashion
• Tack claw/staple puller display person may not require striking wire, or
• Awl or hole punch wire of any kind. Instead, that person’s toolbox
• Pin-pusher (brad driver) may require a bag of ceiling clips compatible
• Assorted small screws, common nails, and with the store’s ceiling grid system, or a rubber
brads mallet rather than a tack hammer. It may also
• Screwdrivers (Phillips and straight slot) require all of those items plus some that are
• Bank pins (#17), T-pins, dressmaker pins (#20) not on the list. After a few days on the job,
• Wrist cushion or pin cushion you’ll learn exactly which tools you will need
• Staple gun and staples for your work.
• Fabric scissors, small and large (very sharp) Remember the padlock on the list? If you
• Paper scissors, not for fabric want to maintain a reliable set of personal
• Razor blades, single edge tools, you will need a lock and a secure place
• Exacto knife, blades, safety cap to keep your tools overnight. Some seasoned
• Retractable utility knife merchandisers even color their toolboxes and
• Clear tape, masking tape, double-face tape hand tools with fluorescent spray paint so they
• Floral adhesive or foam tape tabs can spot them when they’ve “strayed” or been
• Velcro adhesive tabs left behind.
• Wood glue, rubber cement, epoxy glue
• Straight edge/metal ruler Setting Up Your Office
• Measuring tape, steel and cloth When you progress to the point where you
• Seam ripper and safety cap have a space to call your own, you will need to
• Whisk broom, disposable dusting cloth think about your office setup. Your office, an

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 expression of your working self, will eventually BASIC DESK REFERENCES
reflect your working style, so you may as well There are additional essential and extremely
accommodate that right away. useful priority supplies you’ll need to keep
your brand identity strong. Among the more
BASIC OFFICE SUPPLIES important ones are the references that can
Know your work habits. If you’re a spread-it- guide your written communications and oral
all-out person, you’ll be happiest with a fair- presentations. Rely on them so that your skills
sized work surface. If you’re a filer and don’t will grow stronger with each project.
work well in clutter, you’ll need filing cabinets,
tote boxes, and open shelving. Try to provide • Writing reference books: a dictionary,
yourself with a comfortable chair and the type a rhyming dictionary, and thesaurus, as
of task lighting that helps you work efficiently. well as Strunk and White’s The Elements
Whatever size, customize your workspace for of Style and The Chicago Manual of Style
function and comfort. for authoritative assistance with spelling,
Your office fittings may be divided into punctuation, and writing style issues. Your
priority tools that you use daily, like pens and computer’s spell-check feature tells you
markers, and those that you use occasionally, only that a word is spelled correctly, not
like manufacturer resource catalogs and price whether that word is the correct one for
lists. You may find it helpful to have a small your document, e.g., our or hour, or you’re,
reserve of these items on hand and replenish your, or yore.
them regularly. You’ll soon discover other • Graphics references: Pantone color specifiers
indispensable tools and develop a list of your (coated and uncoated chips for universally
own as your responsibilities become more understood color choices) and International
defined. Paper’s Pocket Pal: The Handy Book of
Graphic Arts Production.
Priority Office Tools • Company references: policy and procedures
manuals for signing and fixtures, and
• Desk or wall calendar any additional proprietary presentation
• Business card file guidelines.
“Your mobile phone
• Sticky notepads • Professional references: Every visual
allows you to travel with
everything you need • Pens, pencils professional has favorite dog-eared and
to know about your • Art gum erasers much-used sources for expert opinion. This
business, from calendars • Rubber cement textbook can be a practical reference that
and contacts to task • Spray mount you can take to your workplace. Then add
lists to drawing pads
• Pencil sharpener Your Idea Starts Here, 77 Mind-Expanding
for creative thinkers
• Ruler Ways to Unleash Your Creativity by Carolyn
to e-mail, and even an
alarm to remind you • Steel and cloth tape measures Eckert, a virtual buffet of inspiration and
where you need to be • Stapler and staples colorful graphic images to inspire and
when your calendar gets • Tape and dispenser delight. Wake Up Your Creative Genius, by
crazy! Just remember to • Paperclips Kurt Hanks and Jay Parry, is a refreshing
back up the information
• Push pins paperback that can renew your energy and
because without it you
• Bulletin board recharge your creative batteries. Creative
may be lost.”
Tony Mancini, chief • Scissors Whack Pack by Roger Von Oech is a deck
executive officer at • Calculator of cards that can easily be stored in a small
Global Visual Group • Highlighters and/or sticky page flags tray on your desk. Choose one a day for a
• Markers jumpstart to a creative day.

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 Organizing Your Work Any personal staff-related information, from
performance reviews, for instance, must be
BASIC ORGANIZER SYSTEMS kept in a locked file.
You will need in/out baskets for internal
company mail; in/out baskets for external mail; M A I N TA I N I N G YO U R O F F I C E
and a “hot file” for important requests and The work in any retail organization moves “Have you ever tidied
projects. A planner of some kind is essential. The at a fast pace. Sometimes multitasking madly, only to find
workplace is too fast-paced for a manager to without multifiling results in near-avalanche that all too soon your
home or workspace is
operate efficiently without an electronic and/or conditions. It is all too easy for project files to
cluttered again? If so,
paper management system to organize time stack up, mail bins to overflow, and desks to
let me share with you
and activities. Some people have turned to their become overrun (if not totally obscured). The the secret of success.
computer’s planning system linked to a mobile appearance of your desk and office is part of Start by discarding. Then
phone as the ideal way to manage all planning your brand. Make it a rule to file documents organize your space,
of time and activities. You may find it helpful to from meetings and samples from vendors, etc., thoroughly, completely,
in one go. If you adopt
print out a paper copy of your weekly/monthly at the end of every day before you leave. It’s
this approach—the
schedules with all activities visible at a glance as a good practice to block the last hour of your
KonMari Method—
you move from meeting to meeting throughout day on your calendar as “office hours,” so you’ll never revert to
the day. It will also be handy to have a bin on you are guaranteed that personal time at the clutter again.”
your desk for “hot” projects, and another bin end of most days. You’ll really feel the reward The Life-Changing
for materials that arrive in the mail until you from that action when you enter your office in Magic of Tidying
Up, the Japanese
have time to file them. the morning.
Art of Decluttering
A prioritized daily to-do list, where you can
and Organizing, by
check off completed tasks, is a motivating tool. Building a Multimedia Marie Kondo
It also can be used as a record of what you’ve Resource Center
done to date, which will be useful at review There are resources and ideas everywhere
time. A simple notebook or sketchbook can you go, and you must be prepared to capture
function as a daily journal of highlights from them, even if you are not on the time clock.
meetings that you attend. Book and stationery If you remember only one idea from this text,
stores usually carry an assortment of notebooks it should be this: look (take a picture or do a
and journals, some of which would be suitable sketch), compare, innovate.
for professional use. Select a notebook color
and paper weight that you will enjoy working CAPTURING IDEAS
with and carrying with you every day. Choose There are five key items you should never be
your journal carefully—it will become part of without so that you are always ready:
your personal brand image. Your colleagues’
appreciation that you value their ideas and • Smartphone for photos
opinions enough to write them down will help • Tape measure
to build your brand as a serious professional.
In your office, you’ll have to maintain a few
Many creative individuals work best with their work spread out
retail realities

files in a nearby cabinet for materials related to

around them. If you are one of them, remember to put everything back
company operations, general information, and
user information for company communication in its place after your projects are completed. An organized office is the

tools like e-mail and voice mail. If you manage sign of an organized individual, a quality that is critical for handling
a staff, you’ll need to establish a file folder for a large number of projects and people. In short, if you want more
individual staff members with information on responsibility, prove that you can handle what you already have.
their weekly projects, concerns, and requests.

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 • Calculator “unprecedented consumer power, enabled
• Pen by technology and globalization, is
• Small notebook revolutionizing retail” (2014).
• David Kepron’s Retail (r)Evolution, “takes
If you see a great storefront in your travels, the reader through the ways the human
you’ll want a photo to remind you why you brain has traditionally responded to retail
thought it was so effective. If you discover environments, and how recent technological
a good-looking fixture, you may want to innovations are changing everything”
sketch its features and record its dimensions (2014).
accurately. If you need to figure prices or
square footage in a hurry, you shouldn’t have If you’re looking for something outrageous
to do the math in your head. These are the and funny and often inspiring, you might try
subtle tools of the comparison shopper. Be a
discreet observer. • Simon Doonan, Confessions of a Window
The sketches and photographs, along with Dresser (2001)
things you make note of, become the basis for
building a multimedia resource center in your READING ABOUT
office that will support your work (and the THE INDUSTRY
work of your department) for years to come. You can begin to build a visual merchandising
resource center by subscribing to trade
G AT H E R I N G I N S I G H T S magazines specific to the visual merchandising
A N D I N S P I R AT I O N S industry. Purchase plastic or corrugated
Sometimes we simply need to look to others magazine files to store back copies of your
for fresh or unusual perspectives on our magazines. Keep two years’ worth on file and
industry. Visual merchandisers and retail after that recycle them.
observers are beginning to write about their design:retail, vmsd (Visual Merchandising
craft; their views on retailing; their take on and Store Design), and Shop! Retail
consumer issues; or the way art, science, Environments are trade magazines that relate
current events, or economics affect their work directly to your work in visual merchandising.
as marketing practitioners. Style Guide is a German retail publication. You
This has been more of a doing industry may subscribe to these magazines in print or
than a writing industry, so the shelves are just online. Two other fabulous resources are www
beginning to fill with insightful books geared .echochamber.com, where you can sign up for
to our business concerns. However, an excellent monthly online updates, and GDR Creative
starting place would be the following books: Intelligence at www.gdruk.com, where you can
sign up for weekly online updates.
• Paco Underhill, Why We Buy: The Science
of Shopping—Updated and Revised for the • design:retail—www.designretailonline.com
Internet, the Global Consumer, and Beyond • vmsd—www.vmsd.com
(2008); Call of the Mall: The Geography of • Shop! Retail Environments—
Shopping (2004); and What Women Want: www.shopassociation.org
The Global Market Turns Female Friendly • Style Guide—www.style-guide.biz
(2010)
• The New Rules of Retail, by Robin Lewis The following list of other publications
and Michael Dart, who explain how relates to manufacturing trends, product

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 developments, retail operations, merchandising shoe industry. A weekly news magazine,
specialty areas, and specific merchandise it focuses on the fashion, retailing,
categories that you’ll be working with during manufacturing, and financial segments of
your career. Understanding the factors that the market, spotlighting the hot designers,
affect retail businesses in general will be newsmakers, and business leaders, as well as
a real advantage in your work. Once you style trends in all aspects of men’s, women’s
know what’s available, you can decide which and children’s dress, sport, and athletic shoes.
publications will give you a competitive edge in Home Furnishings News (ww.hfndigital.com)
terms of product knowledge and other insights serves the home products industry with need-
that can advance your working identity and to-know news about furniture, housewares,
your position with your company. textiles, consumer electronics, and computers.
Chain Store Age (www.chainstoreage.com) Progressive Grocer (www.progressivegrocer
magazine is known as “the voice of retailing” .com) describes itself as “the voice of the
among retail decision makers. A monthly retail food industry for over 90 years.”
publication, it provides readers with critical Progressive Grocer targets a core audience
information on the retail industry. Departments of top management at headquarters and
include: retail technology, payment systems, key decision makers at store-level. Readers,
real estate, e-retailing, and store planning, from chain supermarkets to regional and
including operations/facilities management. local independent grocers, supercenters,
STORES (www.stores.org) magazine is one wholesaler distributors, manufacturers, and
part of the communications and information other supply chain trading partners, rely on
group of the National Retail Federation (NRF), PG for authoritative, comprehensive, relevant,
the world’s largest retail trade association. research-based editorial content and need-to-
Collectively, STORES Media report on strategic know news.
issues facing retail executives, including retail There are many other exceptional industry
technology, online retailing, communications, magazines and publications to round out your
marketing, merchandising, and other vital library, depending on the merchandising style
store operations. and the product focus of your store. Ask your
SmartBrief (www.smartbrief.com) is a supervisor or the store’s trend department
free online newsletter covering several key about the magazines and newspapers the
industries related to marketing and retailing. company relies on for its market and trend
Its editors handpick the most relevant and information. You may request to be added
important news from all over the media, to the in-house circulation list for these
summarize it, and link to the original sources. publications. You may also want to subscribe
Women’s Wear Daily (www.wwd.com) is a to popular newsstand magazines for the
weekly newspaper for the fashion industry. general public or special focus magazines that
The newspaper covers the entire gamut have editorial content focused on your area of
of fashion: business issues, fashion trends, responsibility.
retailing developments, international ready-
to-wear, couture presentations, and market B U I L D I N G A M A N U FAC T U R E R S’
overviews. WWD is written for retailers LIBRARY
and manufacturers of women’s apparel, Set up a manufacturer’s product file to
accessories, fibers, and textiles. organize and store the materials you receive.
Footwear News (www.footwearnews.com) First, purchase clear file tabs in a variety of
is the leading publication in the international colors. Choose a different color for each

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 category you would like to include in your Where will your archive come from? Where
sourcing file, for example: will your portfolio come from? Photography
can record how you’ve grown professionally
• Red for mannequins and mannequin and remind you of theme ideas you’ve tried,
alternatives fixturing techniques that worked well, and
• Orange for display props props, mannequins, color stories, and lighting
• Yellow for fixtures tricks worth remembering. You can become
• Green for sign holders, printing processes, your own press agent and your own historian.
photography At the same time you’re photographing
• Blue for lighting fixtures things that relate to you personally, you must
• Purple for design resources document your professional work for the
company. Remember, as a company employee
Create file labels with manufacturers’ you’re not just marketing yourself. You’re part
names. Arrange them in alphabetical order in of a team. Later on, as a manager, you will be
your file cabinet. If the manufacturers build marketing your department and its projects,
fixtures, insert the name in a yellow clear tab. too. Here’s how to do it:
If they produce and sell mannequins, insert
the name in a red clear tab. If they sell both, • Build a photo library of every project
insert both a yellow and a red tab. By the time your group completes. Don’t overlook the
your resource file grows to several drawers value of “before” and “after” to show
and cabinets, you will enjoy the convenience improvements.
of being able to quickly pull out all of the red • Date each project and include notes on the
tabs in the file for an in-depth mannequin store location where the project was tested,
search. When you’ve finished, they can easily its costs, and a list of stores where the
be slotted back into the alphabetical system. project was adopted and installed.
A few manufacturers and distributors • Archive proposals and supporting materials
provide their clients with large binder that didn’t receive initial approval. Ideas
presentations that encompass all of their that are not accepted the first time they are
product lines. You’ll need a bookshelf to store presented may be successfully resurrected at
them in some orderly arrangement so that they a later date. Bits and pieces may inspire even
are readily accessible when you need them. better projects.
• Preserve project pictures to document
BUILDING A PHOTO LIBRARY what you and your teammates in the
There are professional people in our field who department have accomplished. This
have faithfully photographed every window, builds a departmental track record—a
documented every major rollout, cataloged graphic history. At some point, you may
every holiday animation, and logged every need to justify your department’s expense,
major promotion as proof of their endeavors. demonstrate its effectiveness to the
They are the meticulous record keepers and company, or document a body of completed
archivists of our field. We are lucky to have work to gain new resources. Photographs
them. Many examples of their work appear in are also helpful during progress reviews,
this book and they have both lengthened and to remind your supervisor of your
widened our view of visual merchandising. accomplishments.

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 B U I L D I N G A M AT E R I A L S If you hold a management position and
LIBRARY your budget allows, plan to attend all of
What’s the latest trend in floor coverings the visual industry’s markets, and any other
for heavy traffic areas? Where could we buy conferences or conventions relevant to your
spray paints that will look the same on plastic company’s retail business.
lettering as they do on wood? Is there a local In addition to EuroShop, which is held in
upholstery fabric store that will match the Germany, there are several US markets, trade
wallpaper we found in the antique store in shows, and exhibitions that offer a wide range
New York? These are the kinds of questions of visual merchandising products. Generally,
that you may be asked in visual merchandising. attendees at these major markets and
They are also the kinds of questions that take exhibitions are retail and point-of-purchase
valuable hours to answer if you do not have a design professionals, visual merchandisers,
materials library. How to build your library: store designers, contract designers, and brand
marketers.
• Set up a system of clear boxes to hold The following ideas can get you started on a
samples of trend materials such as laminates, resource library that can either help you build
plastics, fabrics, paint, and carpet samples, a case for attending major market events or
showing the most recent product entries ease your transition from inexperienced work-
available to planners and designers. related traveler to seasoned frequent flyer:
• Set up a system of clear boxes to document
materials and sources currently in use in the • Set up a travel file for each city you visit or
store. Label each sample to show its vendor plan to visit. Whenever you travel, collect
and style number, where the materials are informational guides, brochures, and maps
being used, and date of installation for from local tourism organizations.
each. This facilitates reorders in the event of • Contact convention and visitors’ bureaus
damage or excessive wear. for the cities you’d like to learn more about
and request materials and maps. You can
B U I L D I N G A T R AV E L usually find a website and tour its links to
OR MARKET LIBRARY points of interest and make inquiries about
One of the benefits of retail employment materials at the same time.
is travel, provided you make a point of • Where® magazines are targeted
developing familiarity with the cities you visit. exclusively to the visitor market, providing
If you work for a national or international timely local information on the best
retailer, travel may be a part of your basic job shopping, dining, cultural attractions, and
description. entertainment that cities have to offer
Building a travel library that includes their guests. Online, you’ll find Where® at
information about cities where your company www.wheretraveler.com. Make notes of
currently does business—or plans to open favorite restaurants and hotels, and add all
stores in the future—is a career-booster. of these to your travel file.
Companies send confident, competent people • Mapeasy’s Guide Maps (www.mapeasy.com)
to represent them away from home base. By are exceptional. Hand-drawn, they include
doing some research up front, you’ll be better landmarks that really give you a feel for
prepared to be that representative. the particular city. They are color-coded

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 with hotels, restaurants, retail stores, and networking. With a professional audience of
attractions. You can find these maps at your over 12,000 people, GlobalShop is the industry’s
local bookstore and online. top networking destination each year.”
• To check specific dates and look for other
shows that may have meaning for your R E TA I L D E S I G N CO L L E C T I V E
particular visual merchandising specialty, Retail Design Collective, produced by Shop!
visit The Tradeshow News Network (TSNN) at Association (www.shopassociation.org) is an
www.tsnn.com. annual event in New York every December that
provides retailers with an opportunity to see the
Markets, Trade Shows, highest-quality gathering of visual and design
and Exhibitions resources, displayed with depth and creativity.
Descriptions and approximate schedules follow The participating showrooms represent many
for the most popular trade shows and exhibits. of the finest providers of visual and design
resources available today and are known for
GLOBALSHOP their inspired design and fashion sense.
GlobalShop (www.globalshop.org) is produced The Shop! website enthusiastically explains
by the design sector of Emerald Expositions why the Shop! Market Week is a must-see
and sponsored by Shop! (www.shopassociation event for attendees: “This one of a kind event
.org) in cooperation with IIDA (International promised to deliver excitement, inspiration,
Interior Design Association). The market is held education, and networking. Visit trend-setting
annually at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. This is showrooms, flagship retail and the most
America’s largest annual store design and stunning holiday display windows anywhere in
in-store marketing event. The massive show the world!”
floor is divided into five pavilions: Store The PAVE (Planning and Visual Education
Fixturing Show, Visual Merchandising Show, Partnership) also stages their fundraising gala
Store Design and Operations, Digital Store, during the RDC market. You can read more
and At-Retail Marketplace. about PAVE in Chapter 15.
In 2017, GlobalShop is celebrating having There are two other annual retail design
served the retail design industry for over conferences that are fabulous for inspiration
twenty-five years. Their website is filled with and networking: design:retail’s FORUM, and
information for potential attendees. Click on vmsd’s IRDC (International Retail Design
ATTENDING COMPANIES to get an idea of Conference). You will learn more about these
the scope of retailers who shop this market. conferences in Chapter 15.
Here’s why: “As a retail expert, you impact the
customer experience. Whether your focus is EUROSHOP
design, planning, or marketing—your success EuroShop (www.euroshop.de) is the
hinges on keeping up-to-date with the latest largest international store design, visual
knowledge and using the right tools to connect merchandising, and retail equipment show in
with changing consumers.” the world. It is held every three years during
At GlobalShop you can experience the the month of March in Düsseldorf, Germany,
newest innovations and products, learn about attracting more than 2,200 exhibitors from
emerging retail trends, and build your business fifty countries and 100,000 trade visitors from
contacts. It really is an “unbeatable opportunity over 100 countries. Attendees benefit because
to expand your business network through they can discover the best possible solutions
social events, directed discussions, and informal and services available worldwide. Of EuroShop

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 2017, the website describes, “the meshing of Planning a market trip well in advance of
web, mobile and bricks & mortar will stay high the actual show date assures you of both hotel
on the to-do list, just the same as sustainability, availability and the best rates. Many market
resource conservation and energy efficiency. and exhibition producers hold blocks of rooms
But new buzzwords will be coming to the fore, for attendees and may even have arranged
like e-food, customer journey, pop-up store.” for reduced airfares, but all of these should be
EuroShop is now divided into Seven researched and booked as early as possible, the
Dimensions: POP Marketing, Expo and Event day marketing for the event hits your email!
Marketing, Retail Technology, Lighting, Visual
Merchandising, Shop Fitting and Store Design, Reserving Rooms
and Food Tech & Energy Management. These It’s probably wise to make hotel reservations
seven dimensions are color-coded on an for the Shop! Market Week in Manhattan up to
overview sitemap on the website. It’s worth one year in advance. This show is held during
a look to see the sheer size of this show, the holiday season. If you don’t reserve until a
housed in seventeen warehouses, where you few weeks before the market, your only option
find it necessary to board shuttles to reach may be a room priced at over $600 per night.
all of the destinations. Don’t miss the video You may find accommodations in New Jersey
on the website to give you a real feel for the or New York’s other boroughs, but you’ll need
excitement of this global market. to consider the extra time necessary for the
commute. Manhattan is especially busy during
PLANNING A PRODUCTIVE the holidays, and at times it may take as long
MARKET TRIP as a half-hour to move a single mile in traffic.
Always plan to spend a minimum of three to Learn to use the subway system for speedy
five days at any market. Anything shorter is not transportation.
cost-effective. If you do not reside in the city
where the market or convention is being held, Reserving Workshop Seminar Tickets
prepare a list of new retail stores or remodels Most market registration is free if you
that you can tour while you’re there. These preregister (except for EuroShop, which
strategies will double the value of your trip. charges a fee for 1 day tickets, 2 day tickets,
Provide your supervisor with your schedule. or season tickets). You may register to attend
A sample schedule might look like this: markets on the Internet. One of the most
attractive features of the markets is their
• Monday: catch an early flight to your educational and professional development
destination city, check in to hotel, visit programs with timely topical seminars and
new or leading retail stores afternoon and special speakers. These events require tickets
evening because of limited seating. They should be
• Tuesday: continue tour of new or leading booked early because many of the sessions are
retail stores sold out at show time.
• Wednesday: attend opening day of
conference and seminars, visit vendor Networking
booths, attend opening night reception Opening night receptions, award
• Thursday: attend conference seminars, visit presentations, and other hospitality events
vendor booths and city showrooms are networking sessions with the bonus of
• Friday: attend conference and seminars and entertainment, food, and drink. Book these
visit vendor booths important tickets in advance. There is usually a

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 fee, but these dollars are well spent. Receptions showrooms, and pavilions; a lower-heeled or
provide relaxed opportunities for visual flat shoe with support is recommended. You
merchandisers to get to know manufacturers may be on your feet for ten or more hours
and suppliers personally rather than as voices each day. Do take a pair of athletic shoes or
on telephones. An important function of your sneakers if you are planning a day or two of
position, even if you don’t see it in your job touring retail stores.
description, is developing cordial working
relationships with reliable vendors. This ability Packing
is critical to your advancement in the field. Free Be sure to take along the following items to
of the pressure to sell and buy, you can both make your trip and your information gathering
enjoy each other’s company. easier and more productive:
Manufacturers’ showroom parties are by
invitation only, but there is no charge. You • Business cards. Bring at least fifty for your
may be invited because your company is a first trip. If you are just beginning to build
good customer of the manufacturer. You may a resource center, you will be collecting a
be invited because your company has been great deal of information and will be asked
identified as a potential customer for the for your business card in return. As an
manufacturer. Go. It’s another opportunity to alternative, some trade shows will scan your
get acquainted with people in the industry. entrance badge for your information. But
business cards are still important because
Dressing the Part you may meet new colleagues on the
By day, business attire, workday casual, or showroom floor, at seminars, or in other
unique trend looks are appropriate apparel for networking events.
the market. Keep in mind that your business is • Shoulder bag with a wide carrying strap
fashion, even if you don’t work in an apparel or a backpack. Catalogues and brochures
store, and that your own personal identity is are heavy, and a thin shoulder strap will
reflected in your appearance. Take advantage become uncomfortable. A shopping bag
of the opportunity to present yourself as a on wheels is a good alternative, but check
fashion industry professional. first to see if these are allowed in pavilions.
By night, depending on the fashion season Manufacturers will offer to send brochures
and the occasion itself, trend looks are fine. or email information, but it is always best to
You’ll find that many market-goers wear travel collect them yourself, so that you will have
basics that can be dressed up with accessory a complete presentation to show to your
changes. If you are planning to attend a colleagues when you return to your office.
manufacturer’s showroom party, ask in advance • Mini-stapler. You can use it to attach
about appropriate attire. Although business vendors’ business cards to their brochures,
attire is always acceptable, many attendees so that you can locate them easily when
dress in cocktail attire, especially in New York you want to contact someone about a
City, where there may be multiple types of particular product. A small stapler is a
events to attend in one evening. simple tool, but it is critical for organizing
Comfortable shoes are a necessity no matter your materials.
what else you wear. Bring at least three pairs
of comfortable (not brand-new) shoes so that Shopping the Trade Shows
you are able to change each day, or even The Center for Exhibition Industry Research
twice a day. Athletic shoes are too casual for posts extensive trade show attendee

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 information and strategies on the Trade Show there, move on and come back later. Keep
News Network’s website, www.tsnn.com. Some asking questions and writing down answers.
of its trade show-goer guidelines include: Revise your questions in response to what
you learn during your vendor visits. Keep
• Look at the show as an essential opportunity working at your priority list.
to learn firsthand about your fast-paced • Take advantage of trade show extras. Special
industry—new technologies, new materials, events, promotions, and incentives may flow
new ways to do business. freely. Since trade shows are showcases for
• Make trade shows part of your business new products, you may see some launched
plan, not a perk of your job. You need the there. You might get a chance to speak to
networking, the fresh perspectives, and the technicians and designers who’ve been
the in-person look at products you’ve only directly involved in the formation of the
read about. Keep an ongoing information new product or line.
shopping list on your desk all year, and do • Follow up after the show. Go back to the
the research in person during the show. office and confirm any deals you might
• Exhibitors participate in trade shows to have put into motion, record the names
sell; you attend to gather information and and phone numbers of new contacts you’ve
make purchases. It’s your responsibility to made, sort your information and samples.
gather information from a variety of sources Make three piles. One for action, one for
before you make decisions about buying. future reference and reading, and one to
Preplanning your buying agenda will help pass along to colleagues in the store.
ensure that your company’s needs are met. • Prepare a report for your supervisor. Get on
• Plan your shopping strategy. Refer to your her or his next staff meeting agenda. Start
shopping list of informational needs and an information shopping list for the next
identify four or five must-see exhibitors. trade show on your calendar.
Prepare a short list of questions to ask each
one. Make a list of would-like-to-see booths
for your second pass through the exhibition

retail realities
halls. Network before, during, and after the
A great deal of networking takes place immediately before and after
show. When you enter an exhibit hall, look
seminars. Other excellent opportunities for networking are round-table
for colleagues who are exiting the show.
Ask, “What exhibit should I be sure not discussions facilitated by industry leaders who are always interested in

to miss?” When you return home, be sure meeting talented young professionals.
to share the information you’ve gathered
with your staff and peers. The interest and
enthusiasm you communicate to them helps
ensure that you’ll be thought of as a go-to
person.
Because booth space is limited, vendors show only small portions
retail realities

• Come equipped, mentally and physically.

of their lines, usually their newest products. Most have binders
You should start with the must-see
businesses before you start picking up with photographs that you may ask to review in the booth. If you

samples and literature from other vendors. find an item that interests you, ask them to send you a copy of the
Use your floor map and mark your priority photograph. You may also ask to purchase a sample of an item you
visits first. Wear a watch; budget your time. need immediately.
If must-see vendors are busy when you get

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 Setting Up Visual Here is a format used in one effective
Merchandising Projects project filing system:
Being a go-to person means that you
have developed a reputation for being • Write the project’s name or title with bold
organized and being able to produce marker on a white label and position it on
accurate documentation when it’s called for. the upper-left-hand side of an expandable
As your career develops, you will need to pocket folder. Add a sticker with a project
discipline yourself to become a respectable number.
record keeper. Whether you work for a • Develop a project planning form that lists
large corporation or have your own visual information like the project name, its
merchandising business, you will need a objectives, strategies, names of contact
systematic method for recording and tracking people, and due dates on its header. If
information related to projects, contacts, and the project involves fixture development,
deadlines (Figure 14.1). include a safety engineer as a contact. Under

Figure 14.1 A project

PROJECT PLANNER ILLUSTRATIONS/PHOTOS BUDGET/COSTS
planning system that
includes an expandable
file with labeled folders
and a project planner # PROJECT NAME
form. Elaine Wencl Art.

:
Date

R
NNE Not
es
CT PLA tin g #1
PR OJE Mee
NG :
AN DISI Due
Date
ME RCH Date
:
A L
VISU
ect: tes
Proj 2 No
ti ng #
ct ive: Mee
Obje
ur:
o To
titi on t
Co mpe Date
:

rs:
ade Not
es
o j e ct Le disin
g:
g #3
Pr chan tin
e r Mee
al M
Visu
ing:
Si n
g
m:
ogra
Plan nnin
g:
ePa l
Stor g n:
esi
re D
Fixtu
ing:
Buy
ty:
Sa e
f

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 that, provide spaces to write consecutive, Setting Up and Managing a
brief updates on all meetings related to the Visual Merchandising Budget
project. Then, if someone else must fill in for In a business environment, creative ideas must
you at a meeting, that person can refer to always have strong financial backbones. Even
the meeting updates and report on current when they do, creative projects must do more
project status. than merely pay for themselves. They must
• Place the project planning form at the front generate income and contribute to profits.
of the expandable file in a manila folder
labeled “Project Planner.” TRACKING AND
• Label two more manila folders and title REPORTING SYSTEMS
them: “Illustrations/Photos,” and “Budget/ To be considered a credible business manager
Costs.” Place these inside the expandable as well as a creative merchandiser, you’ll need
file to organize project paperwork. to develop resource management skills that
• If a number of different people need access demonstrate your ability to use the company’s
to project files, arrange them by number in resources wisely and bring resulting profits
an open file so that they are easy to find. back to the organization. To accomplish
Develop a multiple project master form that that goal, you must be able to control your
lists each current project, its current status, budget: You must know the exact dollar
due date, and the name of the person in amount available in your budget at any time.
your area responsible for overseeing each Before you make purchases or hire any outside
one (Figure 14.2). agencies or consultants, you have to know how

VISUAL MERCHANDISING PROJECTS

# PROJECT DUE DATE CAPTAIN STATUS
1 Valentine’s Day January 15 Tracy Waiting for design approval, need 10/15.
Windows

2 Private Label November 15 Cheryl Props due to arrive 10/30.

Cosmetic Event

3 Cruisewear Kiosk November 15 Jenny Written instructions for stores due 10/15.

Figure 14.2 A project list which may be reviewed weekly to ensure accountability of project leaders and timeliness of tasks. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 many unencumbered dollars are available for Like any other system, an effective
spending. budgeting system is one that you actually use
Your working relationship with your to guide your work (Figure 14.3). It will be
company controller’s office or its bookkeeping a record-keeping system (like your personal
department is very much like your relationship check register) that accurately describes and
with your personal bank. You trust the bank allows you to track:
to handle your money correctly on your
behalf. It knows how to do it, and you let it. • The total amount (in dollars) available at the
However, you also keep a check register, record beginning of your department’s fiscal year
the checks you write, and once a month, you (or specific reporting period)
compare your version of expenditures to the • The total amount already spent (bills that
bank’s monthly report (statement). Where have been paid)
there are discrepancies, you work with the • The total amount outstanding (dollars
bank to explain and correct (reconcile) the already encumbered or bills that have not
differences between its records and yours. yet been paid)
Tracking and managing your department’s • The total dollar amount that remains
finances is really no different—at least from a available in the budget
record-keeping perspective.
If you’re working in an established WRITING PURCHASE ORDERS
business, the mechanics of the company’s To track what is being spent, your department
financial system are already in place through will probably use a purchase order (PO) system.
the controller’s office or the accounting Most companies have these systems in place
department, but you must still keep your and expect you to use them and to follow
eye on the purchase orders you write from guidelines for working with the established
your department’s account. In your personal purchase order system. Many of these systems
checking account, although the bank has are accessible only through an in-house
no control over your spending (the checks computer network. If you operate your
you write) it can refuse payment on your own business, you may purchase a software
overspending or warn you that you’re spreadsheet system that tracks spending,
exceeding your balance. In business, when generates purchase orders, and writes checks. If
you overspend your budget, you can count on you’re keeping your company books manually,
hearing from the controller or your supervisor. you can buy generic accounting books and
Ideally, neither happens, but both scenarios purchase order forms at an office supply store.
depend on your paying attention to vital Purchase orders should have consecutive
details. identifying numbers to facilitate orderly
record keeping. You will want to track each
document and, in many companies, you are
retail realities

responsible for each numbered form. Missing

Ability to maintain a balanced budget is an important criterion for
forms, or gaps in PO sequence, will alert you to
advancement. It is a straightforward way to demonstrate your skills
a possible problem. It could mean that you’ve
and business sense to your employer. It is also a great selling point spent money that you haven’t accounted for or
for your résumé as you move on to other positions or companies. assigned to your budget, or it could indicate a
Employers value positive results. security problem. Look at the purchase order in
Figure 14.4.

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 VISUAL MERCHANDISING BUDGET REPORT Date:

BUDGET
DESCRIPTION AMOUNT PAID OUTSTANDING BALANCE

Agency, Creative $500,000.00 ($20,000.00) ($20,000.00) $460,000.00

Photography 100,000.00 (5,000.00) 95,000.00

Prototypes 100,000.00 (50,000.00) 50,000.00

Travel, Competitive Shopping 50,000.00 (20,000.00) (5,000.00) 25,000.00

Samples 50,000.00 (5,000.00) 45,000.00

Special Projects 100,000.00 (80,000.00) 20,000.00

Freelance 100,000.00 (30,000.00) 70,000.00

TOTAL $1,000,000.00 $210,000.00 $25,000.00 765,000.00

Balance $765,000.00

BUDGET WORKSHEET/AGENCY, CREATIVE

PURCHASE INVOICE
ORDER # VENDOR DESCRIPTION DATE PAID OUTSTANDING

001 Hovel Group Valentine Signing 10/15 ($20,000.00)

002 Chute Private Label 11/25

($10,000.00)
Gerdeman Shop Concept

003 Smart Private Label 11/25 (10,000.00)

Associates Shop Concept

TOTAL ($20,000.00) ($20,000.00)

Figure 14.3 A budget report that includes both paid and outstanding invoices and a budget worksheet.
Elaine Wencl Art.

As you fill out the description of items clearly describe each task they have agreed
on a purchase order, be sure all of the (contracted) to do. Place one copy of the
information is accurate. This document is a purchase order in the project file for reference
legal contract between you and the supplier. If as shipments arrive or creative projects are
you are hiring consultants or creative agencies, delivered.

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 PURCHASE ORDER

Carolyn’s
PURCHASE ORDER NUMBER:
5480

ORDER DATE SHIPPING DATE ARRIVAL DATE PAGE OF PAGE

BILL TO 10/25/10 1/25/11 2/03/11 1 of 3
Carolyn’s Inc. ORDER PLACED WITH PHONE NUMBER

VENDOR
4590 Broad Street Peggy Egan (516) 555-7311
Bernstein Display Carmichael, CA 95608 F.O.B. POINT
7 Harbor Park Drive 10%
SHIP TO
Port Washington, NY 11050 22 locations
FREIGHT ALLOWANCE PARTIALS ALLOWED
NO
(see attached) TERMS

your standard instructions printed here

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS

Mark each box to the attention of the individuals noted on your standard instructions printed here
the attached sheets.
ITEM NUMBER QUANTITY U/M DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE TOTAL SHIP TO

MA-SAM-B-1 220 Samantha mannequin $550.00 $121,000

Size 8 + tax and
Hands on hips shipping
Molded shoes
Translucent fiberglass
(10 mannequins to each
location, as per attached)

ORIGINATOR’S REPRESENTATIVE PHONE NUMBER APPROVED BY

TSA TOTAL
Figure 14.4 A sample Carolyn Holland (916) 555-1000
purchase order. Elaine
Wencl Art.

C R E AT I N G A N E X E C U T I V E tools. Giving the viewers something to visualize

P R E S E N TAT I O N and touch engages them in your presentation.
One of the most challenging aspects of any Your presentation boards may be any style,
corporate visual merchandiser’s job is selling provided that they are uncluttered and easy
creative ideas to the company’s internal clients for your viewers to see from their positions in
and upper executives. Independent contractors the room. Ideally, they should be sized at least
also sell ideas to retail clients. To gain support 22 × 28 inches or even double that size for a
for your ideas and the use of resources in more dramatic, significant presentation.
either situation, your presentation skills are What you present and how you present
very important. You may only have one chance it are expressions of your working brand
to make a favorable impression. identity. Your presentations should reflect
Your ideas and plans must always be your standards for a quality project and a
presented concisely and clearly, and they must quality presentation. More than anything,
generate excitement and enthusiasm. Graphic you want to direct attention to the important
presentations add power to your spoken concepts you’re presenting. If you make many
words—especially when you want listeners to presentations to the same audience, you may
visualize the finished project—since people find it helpful to change your board styles
aren’t always visual thinkers. and layouts to create new visual interest. For
Presentation boards, accompanied by example, a standard plain black foam-core
samples or actual models, are powerful selling presentation board may be updated with a

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 computer-generated border or sidebar for a
Do not turn presentation boards backwards with the intention of

retail realities
fresh look.
Each presentation should feature one turning them around one by one as you present. Today’s executives
board that lists the project’s objectives and know at a glance if an idea is of interest to them. You risk alienating
strategies. Your idea boards will feature them with what they may interpret as time-wasting theatrics.
renderings or photographs. Photographs Perception is reality. No amount of presentation will save ideas they
look best when they are enlarged to at least
do not accept.
6 × 8 inches. Professional-looking boards never
have photographs mounted directly on them.
Each item on the presentation board should Display your idea boards on floor easels in
first be mounted separately on white paper the presentation room. If you have samples
or card stock with no less than a quarter-inch or models, easels may be set up on tabletops
border before being positioned squarely on with the samples displayed in front. If you are
the board, grid fashion, in clearly horizontal making a sizable presentation with several
and vertical lines. An easier solution is to print exhibits, prepare a brief agenda outlining
the photographs with white borders, so that key points and hand the agendas out to your
mounting is not necessary. An even easier audience as they enter the room. Do not post
solution is to print the images in larger sizes financial information on presentation boards.
on your computer. Do not position photos and State it clearly and simply on 8½ × 11-inch
renderings at angles; for a more professional paper, and hand it out only if your audience is
look, arrange them in a grid pattern interested in the project, after you have made
(Figure 14.5). your presentation.

PROJECT TITLE
PROJECT TITLE
CO CO
PT N
CE IO

M NC
N TIT

PE E
CO PE

OBJECTIVES
TI PT

COMPETITION
OBJECTIVES
TI
M

1.
O

CONCEPT
CO

1.
2.
2.
STRATEGY
1. COMPETITION
2. CONCEPT
TO T

CO

3.
O EN

N EP
EW T
N

4.
PH RR

C
CU

STRATEGY
# 2

1.
2.
NEW
CURRENT PHOTO 3.
CONCEPT #2
4.
#1

CO
CE W

N
PT
E

EW PT
N

NEW NEW
N

CE

CONCEPT #1 CONCEPT #3
N
CO

#3

CORRECT INCORRECT

Figure 14.5 A project presentation board. In the correct example, all photographs and information
sheets are laid out in a grid fashion. In the incorrect example, the items are pasted on at angles,
resulting in an unprofessional look. Elaine Wencl Art.

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 DESIGN GALLERY: UNIQLO, 5TH AVENUE, NY
Uniqlo (pronounced “YOU-nee-klo” in the US) is
so named because of its origin in Japan as “Unique
Clothing Warehouse” in 1984. By 1994, there were 100
stores operating in Japan by parent company “Fast
Retailing,” a holding company for seven main brands,
including Helmut Lang and Theory. Today there are
over 1,500 Uniqlo stores in sixteen markets worldwide,
from Australia to Indonesia to Russia, with more than
forty in the United States. Their flagship on 5th Avenue
in New York City boasts an impressive design with a
dominant staircase in the center of the store, a must-see
architectural dynamo.
The massive success of this brand is due to providing a
solid assortment of basics along with unique collections of
high-end designer partnerships with the likes of Jil Sander
and Christophe Lemaire. The quality and wearability of
Uniqlo fashions are excellent, with all offerings at the
lowest of prices. In addition, they have long been at
the forefront of innovative high-tech fabrics, like their
HEATTECH, AIRism, and UV cut (sun protection) styles.
Their designer UT (Uniqlo t-shirts) is designed to “add
fun to your everyday wardrobe with a collection of pop
culture icons.” This winning combination of innovative
fabrics in their basic assortment and designer fashion
partnerships have been the catalyst for this brand’s
Copyright WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com
massive expansion plans to solidify itself as a global
[email protected] 1.646.827.2288.
brand. You can learn more about the brand’s story and
their commitment to community at both the local and
global level at www.uniqlo.com by clicking on WHO
WE ARE. in indoor and outdoor fashions show the breadth of the
The window pictured in our Design Gallery assortment. Six mannequins are lined up at the front—
encouraged holiday shoppers to “Give Color! Find your notice the rhythmic pattern that is formed by positioning
holiday gift” at their 5th Avenue flagship store in New the mannequins in a short-tall-short-tall sequence.
York. In support of this theme, a graphic backdrop with Balloons in primary colors and a variety of sizes add fun
colorful photos of men, women, and children outfitted and holiday spirit to this engaging, delightful window.

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 “Letter to the Reader: Organization, Administration, and Credibility” by Eric
Shoptalk Feigenbaum,
 head of workshops, WindowsWear

Retail is the showplace for new ideas, new concepts, and new products. As such, the store
environment becomes a selling stage for the merchandise offerings of the day. The essence of
retail is the ability to compel the prospective customer to stop, look, and buy. The question

that confronts every retailer is: What encourages a customer As you ascend the organizational ladder, your
to shop in one store rather than another? The answer: administrative abilities will be called upon as often as your
A well-planned, coordinated team effort that includes creative abilities. The running of a visual merchandising
marketing, merchandising, store planning, store operations, department is a multifaceted endeavor. You will be asked
and, of course, visual merchandising. Every endeavor that to manage multiple tasks and meet strict deadlines. A good
you undertake in the retail world will be a team endeavor. administrator knows how to prioritize responsibilities.
Every team member’s contribution must be in sync with Moreover, documentation of what needs to be done,
the established company image and stated company goals. what has been done, and what will be done is essential.
Long gone are the days when a display man would emerge The development of your administrative abilities will
from a back area of the store with a multitude of props complement your creative energies and creative sensibilities.
to present a single item. Today, the visual merchandiser is You are an integral part of a team. As such you have
an integral member of a holistic selling team. The retail specific responsibilities. Your teammates will depend upon
formula is simple: “Buy It, Show It, Sell It.” Our role as visual you. Each teammate’s performance and deliverance is vital
merchandisers is to interface with all members of the team to the success of the whole. Complete your assigned tasks
in order to show the merchandise to its best advantage. in a professional and timely fashion. If you declare that a
Each team member has a defined role, bringing specific particular task will be complete by the first Tuesday of the
contributions and insights to the overall team effort. following month—be sure that it is. Your team and your
Beyond the obvious—creativity—the successful visual supervisors will soon know that you are reliable. You will
merchandiser will possess and consistently demonstrate become a go-to person. This is credibility. Don’t drop the ball!
the following three attributes and/or skills: organization, During the course of your visual merchandising
administration, and credibility. Visual merchandising is career, you will make numerous trips to the various
a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week occupation. You must visual merchandising and store design markets. You will
be a sponge—soaking up all stimuli whether they are experience a change of roles—you will be the customer.
visual, literary, contemporary, traditional, popular, or What will compel you to shop one vendor rather than
offbeat. Read anything you can get your hands on, see another? As any targeted customer, you will be inundated
movies, visit museums, and listen to music. All of this with a blizzard of stimuli and messages. Employ your
collected information is applicable to the art of visual organizational skills. Walk the entire market once for an
merchandising. Remember, retail is a mirror of society and overview, then a second time with focus. Zero in on what is
visual merchandising is the reflected image of life and important to you, on what will make your job easier, and on
culture within that society. The ability to have information, what will make your company more successful. Be a sponge,
inspiration, and sourcing at your fingertips is essential. You but a selective sponge.
must develop your own filing system for this information. With a professional sense of organization, administration,
Upon building a visual merchandising department, you must and credibility, you are now positioned for the center
organize your workplace both physically and mentally. stage. The store environment is a critical medium in the

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 selling mechanism. The store itself is the fulfillment of the the merchants, the marketing, with store design. You’ve
customer’s expectations. It’s the delivering of every promise interfaced with store management. Now is the time to
that was made to the customer through marketing and execute. Be organized, be a leader, and deliver what you
advertising campaigns. Visual merchandising is the “icing promised and what is expected. With a well-developed sense
on the cake.” It’s the first tactile representation of projected of OAC (organization, administration, and credibility), you
merchandise that the customer will see. You’ve worked with will now be able to let your creativity loose.

Chapter 14 Review Questions 1. Select a system that seems to combine strong positive
1. How does a visual merchandiser become the go-to features that you already have in your present setup
person for their particular retailer or place of with solutions to some of the challenges you noted in
employment? Question 3.
2. What are the priority tools for setting up your office? 2. Create a picture of the comparison system and identify
Your toolbox? and label the improvements.
3. What types of libraries should you build for a visual
merchandising resource center? I N N O VAT E
4. How would you organize a productive market trip? 1. Design an improved workspace or resource center for
5. What are the steps to writing a purchase order? yourself based on your comparisons of your present-day
6. Where would you begin to write a visual merchandising reality and an improved, custom-designed ideal.
budget? 2. Present your picture of your current workspace and
7. How do you create an executive presentation? compare it to your new design. Share your findings and
results with classmates in a small group discussion.
Outside-the-Box Challenge
Creating a Resource Center Critical Thinking
LOOK Building Your Brand and Business Practices
Take a picture of your current office space (at home or at DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
work) and describe how it functions as a resource center for 1. If you had to describe your working “brand identity” to
you today. You need a photo to capture details (clutter) that someone in a job interview, what would you say about
you’d naturally edit out with a sketch. yourself? Pair up with someone in class and do this
exercise together.
1. Does your workspace meet all of your current needs? 2. Is your working brand identity different from your
Describe what you actually do in that space. personal brand identity in any way? Note: it isn’t
2. What are its strengths? What works well for you? unusual for people to think that the two are different.
3. What are its more challenging aspects? 3. Describe what you think about the chapter’s premise
that being the go-to person is advantageous to career
CO M PA R E advancement. Do you share that sentiment? Disagree?
Visit a store that sells and displays office organizers or desk Explain.
and storage systems. Find one additional source on the 4. Describe your current time-management system. Use an
Internet, too. example to demonstrate how it currently works or does
not work to keep your life operating smoothly.

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 5. Assume that you and some of your classmates are YOUR CHALLENGE
going to present a time-management workshop. As Option 1—Use the tool list in this chapter and price the
a group, create a list of ten useful ideas that you’d items to discover a bottom-line figure for a practical tool
present at the workshop. Provide a real-life example to and accessory assortment that will prepare you to work
accompany each idea. Present your workshop in class. independently.
6. Assume that you are planning to go to GlobalShop for
the first time. Go to the website www.globalshop.org Option 2—Invite an experienced visual merchandiser to
and do the following: bring his or her toolbox to your classroom.
• List participating manufacturers that you would like
to visit. 1. Ask your guest to compare the items in his or her
• Find a way to rationalize or justify your attendance toolbox to the items on your list and comment about
at GlobalShop. the tools that person finds indispensable.
• Prepare a presentation that could be made to 2. Prepare a list of questions you might ask relating to
a group of executives who control the funding your guest’s training and experience as a professional in
for your first trip to GlobalShop to get their the field. Possible topics:
endorsement of your venture. Show them your • The creative process in day-to-day work
proposed itinerary. • All-time favorite or least favorite display project
during career
Case Study • Sources of inspiration and fresh ideas
Setting Up a Professional Toolbox • The role of competition in the company’s visual
T H E S I T U AT I O N strategies
You have been employed as a visual merchandiser in • Required (or helpful) technical skills or background
a large department store for nearly five years and feel (art, drafting, theatrical lighting, stage carpentry,
that you are ready to strike out on your own as an electricity, etc.)
independent contractor. There are a number of interesting • Sources of product and technology information
shops, galleries, and restaurants opening in a revitalized • On-the-job training, mentorship, potential for
section of a former warehouse district near the river that growth, and advancement on the job
flows through your city, and you want to be part of the • The role of teamwork in the department
excitement. Your business cards and brochures are at the • The department’s place in the corporate culture
printer, and the only remaining item on your to-do list • The politics of the department and corporate culture
revolves around equipping yourself with a professional • Networking opportunities, employment
toolbox. You know that leaving your present position means opportunities
leaving behind the tools that have been supplied for you up
to this point.

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 part five tools and techniques for merchandise display

This section of the project focuses on Section One

display windows (Chapter 12) and mannequins • Identify the type of window that you’ve
and mannequin alternatives (Chapter 13). If chosen for your capstone store (open,
you have chosen to deal with fashion stores, closed, etc.). Show it from an overhead view.
these are slam-dunk chapters. If you have • Explain how you expect your store’s
chosen to sell hard lines or food service, you windows to routinely function (promotional,
may have some unique challenges. Regardless, institutional, etc.).
there’s something in here for everyone. Really. • Identify a theme and write related
The logical conclusion for this creative sign copy.
project focuses on presenting your ideas to a • Specify colors, props, mannequins,
decision-maker—perhaps your instructor—or alternatives, background materials
to a creative team—perhaps a group of your (drop-down graphics, for example), and
classmates. any other elements to be included.
Personal presentation of an idea that’s • Sketch a front view of your display
near and dear to you can be an exceptionally window concept.
powerful selling strategy—provided that you’re • Select at least one area within the store to
well-prepared. As Chapter 14 in your text locate a related editorial display. Identify it
says, “What you present and how you present on a floor plan. Sketch your editorial idea—
it are expressions of your working brand front view. Explain its purpose and how it
identity. Your presentations should reflect your ties in with your planned window display.
standards for a quality project and a quality
presentation.”

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 Section Two Section Four
• Select a line of mannequins (if appropriate) • Prepare and produce a constructive critique
or mannequin alternatives that fit your form that can be used by members of your
store’s brand image. Explain your choices in audience during your presentation to give
terms of your store’s brand image. Include you feedback on your capstone concept and
photographs or drawings of your choices. its presentation. What do you think people
• Choose a line of mannequin alternatives to should attend to—your professionalism,
either replace standard mannequins or be your creativity, your attention to detail?
used in conjunction with mannequins on • Write a one-page reaction paper to be
the selling floor. Explain why you’ve chosen turned in to your instructor. It should include
these alternatives—how they are a better your frank comments on the capstone
choice for your unique circumstances, for project’s most positive as well as its most
example. Include photographs or drawings. challenging aspects. For starters, you might
want to touch on the following:
Section Three
Consult with your instructor to determine what • What you learned about visual
kind of capstone presentation is expected. merchandising that surprised you
• What you learned about managing
• A PowerPoint presentation with illustrations a major project over the course of a
and/or slides selected from various parts of semester
the Capstone Creative Project. • What you wish you had known at the
• A series of presentation boards representing very outset of the course
various parts of the Capstone Creative
Project.

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 15 Visual Merchandising Careers

Beginning a Career in Visual Merchandising “Visual merchandising has

Do what you love. As you begin to think about your professional career, consider that infinite opportunities. At
you want your work to bring you a psychological reward as well as a paycheck. If you one time it was mainly
are going to spend forty or more hours each week in the workplace, why not spend it in in retail. Today, it’s how
companies communicate
a career that is engaging and fun? Why not get involved in something that you have a
their brand, and who
passion for, and enjoy?
they are—galleries,
Since you are just beginning, you may not know exactly what you want to do. magazines, automotive
Sometimes hobbies and leisure activities are accurate career indicators because they showrooms, restaurants,
represent things you enjoy. Let’s assume that you’ve already narrowed the field to architectural firms,
retailing. If you enjoy indoor and outdoor sports, you may want to look for employment etc. It’s about how you
pursue the options. Get
at stores like Niketown or Sports Authority. If you are happiest when you are entertaining
out there and make a
in your home, you may want to check into opportunities at stores like Crate&Barrel,
difference!”
Pottery Barn, or Williams-Sonoma. If you read fashion apparel magazines and stay in tune Tony Mancini, chief
with the latest trends, a position in your favorite fashion specialty or department store executive officer, Global
may be a good place to start. Visual Group
If you live in a larger metropolitan area, try to connect with a major retailer for your
first full-time job. If there aren’t immediate openings, consider an internship—paid or
unpaid—to showcase your skills and add credibility to your resume. Aim as high as you
can go in the community where you live. The better known your earliest employers are, Fortune 500
the better are your chances of moving up. For example, Fortune 500 companies frequently companies are the
hire people trained by other industry leaders, knowing they will benefit from the new 500 largest companies in
hires’ experience with those companies. Another plus is that companies of this stature the United States ranked
usually provide the best benefits and opportunities for growth. A job with such a company by revenue (gross sales).
will help you build a more impressive résumé and make you more marketable. Fortune magazine publishes

the list annually.

AFTER COMPLETING THIS CHAPTER, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

• Identify many visual merchandising career options

• Build a professional portfolio
• Prepare to interview effectively for a visual merchandising position
• Discuss constructive interpersonal strategies to advance your career
• Use networking skills to establish yourself in the retail community

Figure 15.0 Kate Spade’s window is certain to bring smiles to chocolate lovers. Madison Avenue, New York.
WindowsWear Photo. Copyright WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com [email protected]
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 The top Fortune 500 retailers in America for K E N A L B R I G H T, P R E S I D E N T,
the year 2015 (http://money.cnn.com) were led SEVEN CONTINENTS
by these ten: After high school graduation with an
honors diploma and college scholarship,
1. Walmart I left home, finished a year of college,
2. Costco and then worked a summer with four
3. Home Depot overlapping jobs. Along the way, I
4. Target discovered that I was “tapped out” on
5. Lowe’s conventional education. At age 20, I took
6. Best Buy my winnings, bought a motorcycle, and
7. Sears Holdings hit the road to experience life.
8. TJX Companies After a year in the cultures of Central
9. Macy’s America, Mexico, the U.S. and Canada,
10. Staples I took a two-month break for more
self-evaluation. That accomplished,
No matter where you begin your career, I liquidated the bike and took more
each path you try is part of your journey, but two years to see Europe, North Africa,
may not be your final destination. In other Central Asia, India, Southeast Asia,
words, there is no need to think you are stuck Japan, and Hawaii. Now 24 years
in any one position or that you have not old, it was time—to take stock of my
gotten off to the best start. If you discover global interests, to choose an economic
that you are not well suited to a position that course for my life, to have fun, and to
you were initially excited about, you have stay stimulated.
still made progress. The only way to find My business began with a parasol—
your professional niche is experimentation. found in my travels. In Northern Thailand
Looking back, you’ll find that no single I noticed a cottage industry fabricating
experience was a waste of time because decorative parasols of handmade paper
you learned something from each situation. with painted patterns. I bought some
Experienced people will tell you that figuring and they sold very well at retail for
out what they didn’t want to do eventually residential interiors, but they quickly
lead to discovery of what they wanted to migrated to furniture store windows. The
do passionately! parasols were serendipitously spotted by
There are countless stories of interests that people in the visual industry—and my
grew into great career successes. Here are four vision was realized!
of our favorites. Seven Continents was named for
the places I’d been during that journey
of self-discovery. It began as a firm
retailing antique textiles and artifacts
retail realities

from Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan. Our

focus was creating reproducible products
You can accelerate career progress by starting out with a national
using the indigenous materials and
retailer. Later, when you compete for positions in other companies, techniques from these locales.
your early connections may be determining factors in your being hired. We had barely broken into the
Canadian market when America
beckoned. Bloomingdale’s bought in,

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 and Saks Fifth Avenue followed. We an “old Neiman’s” way of doing display
were in business. We were a hit! We that everyone who was part of it is still
discovered the NADI show and booked so proud of. . . It’s almost like a secret
the last available space. . . . club. The standards I learned at Neiman’s
Fast forward 20 years: We have 250 are with me today. They are what I try to
on staff in Toronto, 150,000 square feet, teach to everyone else.
sales of $35 million. My risk became
my reward and perhaps will be my The teamwork theme is still strong with
legacy—$10 million. I sold the firm but Belich:
still run it. We are chameleons. We
continue to invent new proprietary I came to Sony when the company was
products twice per year, and the rewards just getting into the retail business and
keep coming. From seed to reality, it’s was part of a team that created and
great! They call me Mr. Ken. marketed the retail brand Sony Style. I
had many exciting opportunities at Sony
CHRISTINE BELICH, FORMER that go far beyond the traditional role
V I C E P R E S I D E N T, V I S U A L of visual merchandising. I was part of the
MERCHANDISING, SONY team that created several retail venues
While studying art at Kent State University, for Metreon, a Sony Entertainment
Christine Belich, former executive creative Center in San Francisco—a huge and
director of Sony Style in New York, landed a challenging project. We also reinvented
part-time job at a local department store, a the Sony Style store and connected it to
branch of the May Company known today as e-commerce and Sony Style magazine.
Kaufman’s. She says that the only apparent
criterion for that job was to be “a fashionable TONY MANCINI, SR., CHIEF
looking art student. In the 1970s and in the EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
Midwest, I must have stood out in my vintage GLOBAL VISUAL GROUP
wardrobe.” I started my career as a stock boy for the
On the job, Christine learned the basics— Anderson Little Company. One time I
stapling pads, dressing mannequins, and was in this store shopping for a suit for
rigging forms. “I learned some on my own Easter, and someone asked me whether I
(out in my little branch store) and some worked there. Little did I know a couple
from the ‘road crew’ that visited me once a of years later that I would indeed work
month supplying me with endless bolts of there.
felt and piles of dried foliage. When I had After stocking the store, I became
learned enough, I joined that traveling team.” involved in sales and suddenly had
Eventually she moved on to Texas and Neiman an opportunity to display product
Marcus in Houston. in the store. I loved it! That led to
a regional merchandise position, to
I spent years there, then continued assistant director, to divisional director.
with Neiman’s in Westchester, New Anderson Little was once owned by the
York. I learned so much about Richman Brothers Company, a division
display excellence—how to make the of the Woolworth Corporation. I was
merchandise stand out and on its own promoted to corporate director, visual
without the clutter of props. There is merchandising and store design for the

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 Richman Brothers Company. After 17 the largest visual company in the nation.
years, I moved on to Herman’s World Twenty-plus years later, I still love coming
of Sports in New York as director, and to work, and I’ve never once been bored.
within 6 months became vice president
of visual merchandising and store design. Twenty-One Visual
Then, the most exciting call of my career Merchandising Careers
came from the Walt Disney Company. There has never been a better time to begin
After one and one-half years as a a career in visual merchandising. Once limited
director, I was promoted to a position to “trimming” windows and in-store displays
where I was responsible for store design in apparel stores, the visual merchandiser’s
planning, merchandise presentation, role has dramatically expanded—in the level
retail project services, special events of positions, in the scope of positions, and in
display, fixture manufacturing, and the earning capacity.
sculpting production division. Today, someone who began as a display
Along the way I have met the most specialist might become a vice president of
incredible people and established visual merchandising in almost any retail-
friends and personal relationships in related environment—a grocery chain, a group
this industry. I am involved in four of automobile showrooms, a shopping channel
boards of directors. Still, there’s so much on television, or a website.
more to do! You can absolutely have a Trends indicate that today’s consumers
phenomenal career in this industry. It appreciate and expect good design in all of
takes creativity, business savvy, courage, the products they bring into their lives and
and most important—passion! their homes, no matter what their income
or spending capabilities. This shouldn’t come
RICHARD STOLLS, CHAIRMAN, as a surprise to you when you consider the
GLOBAL VISUAL GROUP myriad sources of lifestyle information that
Actually, visual merchandising is my consumers can access online and onscreen. As
second career. I was 35 years old, running a result, employment potential for someone
a chain of women’s shoe stores, and with a “good sense of design” increases
was very, very bored. We had a display proportionately.
department (it was called display in As design-related positions and
those days), and I started to attend the responsibilities evolve, their exact titles and
NADI [National Association of Display types vary among retail-related companies. A
Industries] shows. I loved the excitement, look at the following twenty-one job titles and
the creativity, and the passion that was job descriptions—plus interviews with people
part of the industry and began to meet who hold some of these positions—will give
some of the players. I felt that I wanted you an idea of what’s available today:
to be a part of this industry. One of the
suppliers we bought from was a small 1. VISUAL MERCHANDISER/
company called Trimco. On January V I S U A L P R E S E N TAT I O N
3, 1979, I joined Trimco as its general SPECIALIST
manager. Three years later Buddy Stein This person is primarily responsible for
and I bought Trimco, and the rest is the hands-on construction of displays and
history. We built our company, today product arrangement on fixtures. In many
called Global Visual Group, to become cases, that includes maintaining whatever

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 the presentation includes as well as initiating and list products to be placed. This is largely
the original display. Department stores often an inner office (corporate) position, but it
employ two or more visual specialists with is essential that specialists have had hands-
departmental responsibilities, i.e., menswear on experience merchandising wall and floor
or junior fashions. Depending on sales volume fixtures in a store environment.
and size, specialty stores may have one visual
position per store, or a single visual specialist 4. VISUAL TRAINING
may be responsible for weekly or biweekly SPECIALIST
visits to a group of stores. This is an excellent Visual training specialists train sales associates
entry-level position. in multiunit chains to coordinate and
present merchandise with brand identity
2 . C O R P O R AT E V I S U A L and visual image in mind. They use videos,
DESIGNER visual merchandising guides, and update
A visual designer creates new presentation bulletins provided by visual communication
techniques, develops fixtures for product specialists. Training specialists may travel from
displays, and may also do graphic design. The store to store or use video conferencing and
designer, who works with manufacturers and company television broadcasting. An outgoing
printers to build prototypes to be used in the personality with excellent interpersonal
corporate stores, is responsible for testing communication skills is required because
them before they are adopted companywide. a large part of the job is motivating sales
The visual designer presents testing results to associates to follow company standards and
management to facilitate corporate decision create effective presentations. A teaching
making. When the fixtures or techniques are or training background is desirable, but not
rolled out, the designer works with a visual necessary. A clear sense of the company’s
communication specialist to write simple vision, mission, goals, objectives, and strategies
instructions for installation and use of the is essential.
fixtures. This position requires a seasoned
visual professional, often with five or more Interview
years of experience, including attendance at Jenny Phillips is a former senior training
national markets. team specialist for the Target Corporation
in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After four years
3 . P R E S E N TAT I O N S P E C I A L I S T / with Target, she was promoted to this senior
ADJACENCY SPECIALIST position. She came to the company with a
These specialists work closely with store buyers bachelor’s degree in marketing and took
to develop planograms and floor layouts extended fashion merchandising courses along
showing placement of products and fixtures. with her other work. She credits internship
This position requires excellent written positions with a strong focus on fashion as
communication and computer design skills. her lead in to employment after graduation.
In some retail organizations, walls are set “I interned as a fashion show stylist and as a
in one store, then photographed. With an photo stylist and in Dayton’s special events
accompanying set of directions (identifying office working on short-term projects. Based
specific products and suggested placements), on my work there, I secured a full-time position
the photographs are sent to the other stores, in the special events department.”
ensuring uniform implementation chain-wide. Her position at Target involved traveling
Other stores do graphic schematics on paper for the corporation, in total, about nine weeks

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 a year. Her greatest challenge? “Reinventing 7. VISUAL MERCHANDISING
ways to continually convey the importance MANAGER
of attention to detail.” What does she enjoy This individual manages a corporate creative
most about her career? “That I am able team representing a variety of positions,
to use creativity. I enjoy fashion and I love which vary according to the corporation’s
when something sells because of how I put it organizational framework. In addition to
together.” Her advice for visual merchandisers strong organizational skills, an ability to direct
who are beginning their careers? “Expose and motivate creative people is required.
yourselves to as much of the industry as Because orchestrating interaction among
possible—especially through internships—just other store departments is a key part of this
to get the experience.” manager’s role, excellent political skills will
Phillips had two important mentors make this manager’s role easier to perform.
who supervised her early work during her Department stores often employ a visual
internships. They allowed her the freedom manager in each branch store to coordinate
to explore alternatives and take chances and oversee the activities of its visual
in unfamiliar territory. “They were always merchandisers. In the corporate headquarters
supportive.” Perhaps even more important, environment, this manager may supervise
Jenny Phillips says, they asked questions “. . . visual designers, visual merchandisers, visual
and they listened.” trainers, and communication specialists.

5 . V I S U A L C O M M U N I C AT I O N 8. VISUAL MERCHANDISING
SPECIALIST D I R E C T O R / C R E AT I V E
This individual writes copy for the visual DIRECTOR
merchandising guides and visual merchandising The individual in this corporate position directs
update bulletins and develops the videos teams of managers for visual and point-of-
that corporate visual training specialists use sale departments. Visual directors must have
as communication tools to support training keen awareness of industry trends and must
efforts. In addition to being effective in a be able to act as expert advisers for the vice
directive sense, this specialist’s writing must be presidents to whom they report. In addition to
as descriptive and imaginative as any ad copy the organizational skills that go with direction,
and must motivate as well. Moreover, because presentation skills, and ability to sell ideas are
the work requires so much attention to detail, critical. Visual directors often have to present
this person’s organizational skills are critical for their ideas to the highest levels of upper
successful employment. management at corporate meetings.

6. VISUAL ART DIRECTOR Interview

Art directors sketch graphic designs or develop Tom Beebe, Creative Consultant, and for many
layouts on computers, hire photographers years creative director of Paul Stuart, New York
and models, and oversee photo shoots. They City, began his career thinking he wanted to go
also select the photos to be used in graphic into advertising. Instead, his father suggested
signing and pass them along to the production that he look into display as a creative field
department. The visual art director also that was growing at the time. He began at
supervises any technicians supporting the art Gimbels, assembling fixtures and gathering
department’s work. as much product knowledge as he could

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 from the retail side of the store. From there edge of design and presentation. The senior
he travelled uptown to Bergdorf Goodman, vice president usually attends the corporation’s
then Neiman Marcus—each time moving into higher-level meetings, often reporting directly
increasingly responsible positions until he was to the corporate CEO.
named regional display manager for Nieman’s
East Coast stores. Beebe found a home in 11. INDEPENDENT VISUAL
Manhattan’s Paul Stuart store windows in 1986, M E R C H A N D I S I N G C O N S U LTA N T
and remained there for fourteen years—six This seasoned professional usually has had
of them as creative director—with more than fifteen to twenty-five years of experience in
3,332 windows to his credit. the visual merchandising industry in a variety
After a stint as creative director for of management-level positions. Consultants
Fairchild’s Daily News Record, Beebe has come may have developed specialties as a result of
back to retail as a creative consultant. In 2010, their extensive experience, including visual
Mr. Beebe was presented with the prestigious fixture design, graphic design, store design
Markopoulos Award, an honor named after concepts, and training. Most consultants
the late visual merchandising legend Andrew contract for hourly work or bill companies on a
Markopoulos and given to one outstanding project-by-project basis.
industry professional annually by DDI.
12. INDEPENDENT
9. VICE PRESIDENT OF VISUAL CONTRACTOR
VISUAL MERCHANDISING Visual contractors (formerly known as
The vice president of visual merchandising freelancers) are equivalent to visual
leads a team of directors for visual, point-of- merchandisers who function at a middle-
sale, and, in some organizations, the store management or senior-management level.
planning and advertising departments. This They specialize in hands-on production of
top management position requires excellent displays, working with independent specialty
leadership, political savvy, and negotiating stores or corporate retailers on special projects.
skills, in addition to strong communication and Depending on the size of the project and its
organizational skills. Vice presidents attend scope and timing, they either work with staff
a multitude of meetings and are frequently from the contracting store or hire their own
asked for their opinions; therefore, they must visual merchandisers or laborers to accomplish
be able to think objectively, clearly, and quickly the projects. Here, the ability to manage and
in this important consulting capacity. market a small business is critical. Working
independently calls for self-motivation and a
10. SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT strong entrepreneurial spirit. Visual contractors
OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING sign contracts with retailers that often include
This individual has a visionary role. As leader confidentiality agreements that protect project
of other vice presidents in the corporate details and marketing strategies.
lineup, the senior officer develops concepts
and spearheads strategies for both short- and Interview
long-range projects. At this level, the senior New York contractor Steve Platkin, a visual
vice president must have an extraordinary merchandiser for more than thirty years, has his
ability to think outside-the-box and motivate roots in men’s window displays. “I learned my
others to lead their departments to the cutting trade through apprenticeship with the (now

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 defunct) Men’s Display Guild. In menswear I Interview
worked my way to upscale apparel boutiques Tracy Tommerdahl, founder of Tommerdahl,
and then to women’s and accessories. Along Inc., was involved in her own visual services
the way I did some photo styling and now I do business for twelve years. A generalist,
trade show exhibits.” Tommerdahl’s company specialized in
Asked about the unique challenges of “what needs doing” for corporate visual
contracting, Platkin says that dealing with departments—designing visual fixtures, writing
schedule changes and last-minute cancellations installation instructions and merchandising
need to be considered when embarking on guidelines for fixture implementations,
a contractor role. The pace can be hectic. “If creating planograms, constructing presentation
you carry enough independent stores to make boards, photo styling, and testing prototype
a living, you have to do at least three stores a fixtures. In short, Tommerdahl created a niche
week, leaving little time to buy and prepare business built on the things she has liked best
for each one.” Contractors cover their own about her work: “The creative process and
business overhead: salary, studio/shop rent, unlimited opportunity for variety.”
additional labor costs, travel, display materials, To sample this entrepreneur’s résumé is to
insurance, and so on. “These are not small sample the opportunities she has sought out
expenses, and retailers don’t always realize for variety’s sake: “I have 2 years of college
that my fees have to cover more than my own credits and 25 years of experience. I have been
time.” Platkin thinks newcomers should know a sales supervisor and a display coordinator for
about these factors, but he’s quick to add that two Midwest specialty stores, Braun’s and GiGi,
there is an upside, too. a sales associate at The Limited, an area display
He advises newcomers to the field to manager and merchandise manager for Casual
remember that “The merchandise is the focal Corner, and a visual merchant for Target’s
point,” and then adds his personal mantra— Everyday Hero.”
”Image is everything.” Her greatest challenge has always been
“Trying to keep one step ahead of the newest
13. VISUAL MERCHANDISING trends and creativity on a stop watch.” To
C O R P O R AT I O N P R E S I D E N T students who would like to have their own
A visual contractor sometimes chooses visual merchandising companies someday, she
to legally incorporate his or her growing says, “Get as much hands-on experience as
business in order to employ a permanent possible. Leave your ego at the door!” Then,
staff of visual merchandisers, adequately she says, “Learn to produce creative ideas
insure against liability, and provide additional that are customized for your client’s needs yet
services for retailers. No one should start such maintain a practical application.”
a venture without consulting an attorney Tracy’s largest client was Target headquarters
about incorporating options available, the in Minneapolis. After many years of an
prudent and necessary requirements for outstanding partnership with a variety of
business operation, and liability insurance. departments at Target, she accepted a position
Unless the new business already has an as Creative Merchandising Solutions Expert, her
operational infrastructure in place, the position today. Her business management skills,
attorney may recommend firms specializing in keen understanding of visual design principles,
business start-ups that can provide support in and creative style all led to the development of
those areas. a made-to-order position.

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 14. INDEPENDENT STYLIST It’s harder to get started today.
An independent stylist works as a contractor Department stores used to be “little
for a corporate art director. At her or his colleges” that helped people explore
direction, the stylist purchases props and work in other areas. Today I’d say figure
prepares home fashion products or fashion out how to hold a flexible job that pays
apparel for advertising or graphic photo the bills while you make yourself available
shoots. This involves polishing glass, removing as a stylist’s intern or helper. What’s the
labels, coordinating decorative accessories, best training for a position like mine?
pressing out wrinkles, basting hems, and Being on the set as a helper or intern
sometimes applying clamps to cinch in with your eyes open—steaming, pressing,
garments from behind to ensure that each reticketing, packing up, and unpacking—
item fits the model as if it were custom-made. that’s where to start. Work your way up,
Stylists pay close attention to details during building skills and building your portfolio.
the photo shoots, and they readjust items as Study trends and looks because you never
needed between shots. For home products want your work to look dated.
or fashions photographed without models,
stylists actually display the product in buildups Evidon sees the biggest difference between
or on layout boards. A background as a visual the photo stylist’s job and that of the visual
merchandising specialist with experience in merchandiser this way: “The visual merchandiser
handling both hard and soft lines is essential seems to have greater freedom to be creative
for this position. Another means of gaining within the store image than the stylist does
experience is serving an internship with interpreting the art director’s vision. I have to put
guidance from an experienced stylist. much of my artistic independence aside when
working in the studio for an art director. Then it’s
Interview all about the client and the product image.”
Minneapolis stylist Lisa Evidon has all of the
necessary background, from college training 15. VISUAL MERCHANDISING
as a design artist and part-time retail sales jobs C R E AT I V E / A R C H I T E C T U R A L
and internships to her professional start as a DESIGN
full-time visual merchandiser. This visual merchandiser expands the typical
scope of architectural firms, after the
In college, I learned by trial and error store interior is complete, using her or his
that I was more of a three-dimensional professional display and presentation skills
hands-on artist than a two-dimensional to enhance the total look of the store. There
drawer and painter. The people with a are a variety of titles for this position, ranging
future seemed to be out there doing from visual merchandising director to vice
something, so that’s where I went—to president, depending on the firm. Firms usually
find a job where I could start doing employ a few visual merchandising specialists
things. That took me to retailing. inside or outside of the firm, to call upon as
projects dictate.
Evidon says that it’s quite rare to move
directly from visual merchandising into photo Interview
styling despite the fact that that’s exactly how Robb Cook, former director of visual
she got her first position. merchandising and store design for Shea, Inc.,

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 a Minneapolis architectural firm, began his 1 7 . M A N U FAC T U R E R ’S
career as a “trimmer” at Sears, moved on to R E P R E S E N TAT I V E
become a visual manager for JCPenney, and This is a sales position in which an individual
was park-wide visual designer at Camp Snoopy may represent one or more manufacturers. A
in Bloomington, Minnesota’s Mall of America. single manufacturer may employ a team of
Cook believes that architectural firms will professional business-to-business salespeople
hire more visual merchandisers in the future who will represent only that company’s products
because “they are finding that it enables them nationally and internationally, or an individual
to offer additional services to their clients.” may work as an independent representative
What did Cook enjoy most about his showing noncompeting products for several
position with Shea? “I loved the variety. I store fixture manufacturers on the same basis. In
worked on everything in softlines and hardlines either scenario, sales representatives are typically
from A to Z, cosmetics to haute couture, responsible for a specific region of the country
shopping centers to pet stores.” He advises and travel to meet with retailer customers on a
visual merchandisers beginning their careers to regular basis. They may also present their line(s)
“take every opportunity that is presented to of products at regional and national markets.
you to express your individual creativity. Keep
a photo library of all your visual projects as a Interview
foundation for your portfolio.” Ed Shilling is a west coast sales representative
Cook is thankful to those who have for Pucci which is based in New York City. Ed
mentored him through the years. Early in his began his career as a “window trimmer” at
career during his internship at Sears, a mentor George Muse Co., a men’s store in Atlanta. He
noticed his work and offered him a position traces his career path from there: “Following
in special projects at the corporate offices. that, I was an assistant director of display at
“He continued to offer support and guidance Saks in Atlanta, then a visual merchandising
throughout my career at Sears.” Cook later director at August Max in New York City.
found another mentor at Mall of America’s After that, a creative director at Winkleman’s
Camp Snoopy. “Even though I did not have an in Detroit, and finally vice president of visual
entertainment background, he offered me a merchandising and store planning at Ivy’s,
visual position which enabled me to make an Florida.” If you charted Shilling’s work history
indoor theme park come alive.” graphically, you’d see a career ladder.
Shilling also knows visual design work,
1 6 . M A N U FAC T U R E R ’S having served as vice president of design
DESIGNER at Niedermaier in Chicago, where the
This person designs visual props, store fixtures, international manufacturer makes custom
signing, and graphics for a manufacturer who products for retailers, the hospitality industry,
sells to retailers through catalogs, brochures, Fortune 500 companies, architects, and
permanent market show rooms, and trade designers. Now a full-time sales representative,
shows. Sometimes the designer has an Shilling spends about 40 percent of his time
engineering and manufacturing background, on the road covering coast-to-coast sales
sometimes a retail background, and sometimes territories. “It used to be 80 percent, but due
an architectural background that brings him to better communication [technologies], I can
or her into contact with retail businesses and travel less. The increased number of business
leads to a specialized design connection. mergers means there are fewer clients to see.”

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 His greatest challenge seems to fall in the became the editor of Display & Design Ideas”
category he calls “time frames.” He most enjoys (today known as design:retail). He later joined
“the creativity . . . and the people.” Shilling the staff at vmsd as editor.
advises newcomers to the visual field, “Don’t Kaufman earned a journalism degree from
be afraid to move onto the next step, don’t be the University of Illinois. In college, he had
afraid of challenge, and don’t follow the rules!” planned to be a sportswriter, which might
explain the advice he offers to people starting
18. VISUAL MERCHANDISING out in their careers: “Don’t view life as a linear
SPECIALIST / MARKETING FIRM experience. Don’t assume that if you start here
A creative position within a marketing firm you are going to get there. Life is full of curves
specializing in retail environments, the specialist and turns and even reversals, and you can’t
devises and implements advertising strategies always plan for them, nor should you try to.”
to support the retail effort. This person needs Although Kaufman didn’t grow up in
to know a great deal: the demographics and retailing, it didn’t take him long to get to
psychographics driving the retail economy know and like his target audience. “The [visual
overall, retail trends and climate nationally merchandising] industry is filled with creative
and locally, and what the client retailer’s people who are on a mission. It’s fun to spend
competition is doing. In addition, this person time with them. I find it fascinating to see how
must understand current retailing practices in they fit their creative impulses and ability into
general and client retailers’ visions, missions, the business of retail.” These same people pose
goals, and objectives specifically. He or she must Kaufman’s greatest professional challenge:
be able to think out of the box and present “Writing to people who know more about the
ideas effectively as the agency sells clients on topic than you do. It’s a huge responsibility—
the agency’s proposals and visuals. you want to provide a service; offer them help
in some way.”
19. MAGAZINE EDITOR—
VISUAL INDUSTRY 20. VISUAL MERCHANDISING
TRADE MAGAZINE INSTRUCTOR
A magazine editor has a three-pronged The visual merchandising instructor is
focus: magazine content, readership, and usually licensed and/or holds a degree in
advertising, which all combine to produce a education, marketing, or a related art field.
product that is profitable. Editors must have a Courses are offered in vocational-technical
broad awareness of cultural, social, economic, schools, community colleges, and four-year
political, and industry trends, and the ability to institutions as well as high schools and
synthesize these trends in order to inform or proprietary colleges. The instructor should
instruct their readers. have previous professional experience in
visual merchandising. In fact, in some states,
Interview licensure is based on having a specific number
Steve Kaufman, former editor of vmsd (Visual of full-time hours of related employment. The
Merchandising + Store Design) magazine instructor needs to be able to teach hands-on
explained how he got his start in visual display skills and know current trends, retail
merchandising communications. “I’d been a operational practices, and marketing strategies,
writer and editor long term, when I saw an as well as understand the retail climate locally
ad in the New York Times, answered it, and and globally in order to prepare students

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 for employment in retailing in general and backgrounds other than visual merchandising,
visual merchandising in particular. Ideally, the and many of them arrived without much
instructor will have networking connections sales or business experience at all. Instead,
to the local retail community and be able to many were computer experts—formally
facilitate internships and student employment. trained engineers or self-taught “hackers”
The instructor’s biggest challenges usually and everything in between—innovators who
relate to teaching in an environment that recognized the commercial potential of the
lacks store space, merchandise, and up-to-date Internet as creative communication media.
equipment and fixtures, thus making it difficult
to apply skills in a realistic setting. R E TA I L O R G A N I Z AT I O N A L
STRUCTURES
21. INTERNET ONLINE The organizational structure for all of the listed
STORE DESIGNER in-house positions varies greatly within retail
Up to now, you’ve read about people whose corporations. In some, visual merchandising
early work as visual merchandisers led them stands alone, performing only creative, hands-
to new positions where they have built on on functions. In other organizations, the
their previous experience. Now you’re going creative functions may be combined with the
to read about someone whose career started presentation, point-of-sale, and store planning
somewhere else and led him to the visual departments that actually execute the creative
merchandising industry as an online site department’s plans. The charts in Figures 15.1
developer. through 15.4 show some typical organizational
Site design and development is a career area structures. A chain of 100 specialty stores might
that’s still evolving. Understandably, there is not operate with a small team of ten for visual,
a long tradition to describe exactly what this in-store marketing, and advertising, while a
job entails. Until the end of the last century, group of 500 department stores may have a
there were few sophisticated e-commerce sites, staff of 200 performing these functions, in
let alone a community of online retail stores. addition to a large team of outside contractors
The pioneers in this field generally came from and consultants.

Figure 15.1 An organization VICE PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT

chart with visual staff STORE OPERATIONS PERSONNEL

reporting to both store

operations and personnel.
Elaine Wencl Art.

DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DIRECTOR

VISUAL MARKETING IN-STORE MARKETING TRAINING

VISUAL VISUAL
COMMUNICATIONS VISUAL ART TRAINING
SPECIALIST DESIGNER DIRECTOR SPECIALIST

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 VICE PRESIDENT Figure 15.2 An organization
ADVERTISING chart with visual staff
reporting to advertising.
Elaine Wencl Art.
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
VISUAL MARKETING PRODUCT PRESENTATION

VISUAL MANAGER MANAGER

VISUAL SPECIAL HARDLINES SOFTLINES
VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS PROJECTS PRESENTATION PRESENTATION
DESIGNER SPECIALIST COORDINATOR
PRESENTATION PRESENTATION
SPECIALIST SPECIALIST

DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
IN-STORE MARKETING TRAINING

MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER

HARDLINES SOFTLINES VISUAL, ISM AND
ISM ISM PRESENTATION
TRAINING

ART ART
VISUAL ISM PRESENTATION
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
TRAINING TRAINING TRAINING
SPECIALIST SPECIALIST SPECIALIST

VICE PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT Figure 15.3 An organization

ADVERTISING STORE CONSTRUCTION chart with visual staff
reporting to store planning
and construction. Elaine
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR Wencl Art.
IN-STORE MARKETING STORE PLANNING

MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER

HARDLINES SOFTLINES VISUAL PRODUCT
ISM ISM MARCHANDISING PRESENTATION

VISUAL SUPERVISOR SUPERVISOR

ART ART VISUAL VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS HARDLINES SOFTLINES
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR DESIGNER MERCHANT SPECIALIST PRESENTATION PRESENTATION

VICE PRESIDENT Figure 15.4 An organization

VISUAL MARKETING chart with visual staff
reporting to visual
marketing (another name
for visual merchandising in
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
VISUAL MARKETING IN-STORE MARKETING some organizations). Elaine
Wencl Art.

ART ART
DIRECTOR DIRECTOR

MANAGER MANAGER MANAGER

VISUAL VISUAL PRODUCT
TRAINING SPECIAL PROJECTS PRESENTATION

VISUAL VISUAL VISUAL VISUAL

TRAINING COMMUNICATIONS VISUAL VISUAL PRESENTATION PRESENTATION
SPECIALIST SPECIALIST DESIGNER DESIGNER SPECIALIST SPECIALIST 391

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 A quick glance at the organizational charts Don’t let your ambitions for the future
in Figures 15.1 through 15.4 shows that all translate into a lackluster performance
the visual staff may not report to the same today because that’s the first place a visual
senior executive. In the first example, training merchandising executive will look for a
is a component of human resources, so visual recommendation of your work.
people in charge of developing others’ skills
report to personnel, while visual teams Career Tip 2 Sales associates are
involved in designing presentations report to occasionally asked to execute displays in
store operations. In the fourth scenario, visual their departments. This is a great way to
merchandising may be a more integrated develop your visual presentation skills.
function with all visual teams reporting to the Experimenting with a product display,
same individual. tracking the difference it makes in sales, and
Whatever the structure, visual documenting the results is a good practice.
merchandisers, presentation specialists, fixture Positive results are concrete, bottom-line
designers, in-store-marketing, and training items that demonstrate that you understand
departments must actively communicate the connection between effective
with one another to create a profitable retail presentation and sales results. Be sure that
operation, whether it’s one store or a thousand it’s okay to do displays before you go off
stores. Every project requires highly productive on your own. Follow company policies and
brainstorming and strategy development presentation guidelines.
sessions, with ideas coming from many business
perspectives. This is where visual merchandisers Career Tip 3 Whenever you have an
can bring their trend awareness and design opportunity to create a display, photograph
skills to encourage their colleagues to push your work for your professional portfolio.
the envelope and ensure their organization’s Center the display carefully in the
leadership position. viewfinder and take several photos from
different angles and various distances. The
Visual Merchandising Career best shot can be enlarged to 6 × 8 inches
Strategies or 8 × 10 inches. Anything smaller is not
Once you’ve decided that you want to pursue suitable, because details are not visible.
a career in visual merchandising, strategic
thinking can expedite your progress. If you’re Career Tip 4 If you can, work for a retail
already employed, there are some things you organization that will expose you to a
can do immediately. Otherwise, you will have variety of responsibilities. You may be
to wait until you’ve had experience. Let’s begin able to sample several facets of the visual
with some things you can do right now: merchandiser’s role in the store by watching
what others do. In an organization with
Career Tip 1 If you already work in a store fewer than a hundred stores, a visual
but have ambitions to move into visual department may perform many functions
merchandising, you are in a good position in addition to window and departmental
to make your ambitions known. However, displays: visual fixture design and
while you’re reaching for the next rung on development of presentation planograms,
the career ladder, you must continue doing fixture concepts, in-store marketing, and
exemplary work at the rung you’re on now. training.

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 Career Tip 5 Seek out internship or volunteer Being creative simply isn’t enough to
experiences where you can practice visual guarantee success in the visual field any
merchandising techniques. Volunteering more. With all of the changes taking place
to work in nonprofit gift shops operated in the retail industry, use of interpersonal
by hospitals or museums may help you skills accounts for at least half of any visual
experiment with merchandise displays and merchandising position. Creative people who
build your experience base. Goodwill, Easter once worked alone or in very small teams now
Seals, and the Salvation Army operate thrift interact daily with key corporate managers,
stores and desperately need volunteers directors, and vice presidents, and routinely
who can do extra things like attractive wall conduct visual training programs for groups of
and window displays, floor merchandising, 25 to 75 store employees.
and sales training for their employees- Professionalism and political savvy are
in-training. Volunteer to coach DECA interwoven with survival skills and success on
(Distributive Education Clubs of America) the job at all levels. In other words, how visual
retail competitors at your local high school. merchandisers present themselves and their
Volunteer to judge their competitions. These ideas is now just as important as how they
activities are credible and valuable on a present products.
résumé, and they are never overlooked by Here are ten tried-and-true strategies to
companies that encourage their employees work with as you develop a more marketable
to volunteer in the community. It shows that image of yourself in your workplace:
you value what they value.
• Look at yourself in the mirror. How are
Career Tip 6 You are a lifelong learner. Build you presenting yourself? Any kind of
your skills by attending seminars, trade artful streetwear clothing, for instance,
shows, training sessions, discussion groups, is fun to wear but may not send the right
and classes that interest you. Even if they message to others in your organization.
are unrelated to your industry or current Pay close attention to what’s going on in
employment, these extracurricular activities the corporate culture and dress accordingly.
will help you gather information, develop No matter what you wear, groom yourself
interpersonal skills, and meet new people. impeccably. You can maintain your own
You never know when an employment unique look, but accomplish it subtly.
opportunity may evolve out of a connection Communicate your skills and abilities in ways
made through someone you meet at one the company understands and values.
of these activities. These professional • Look at the big picture, both the creative
development efforts belong on your résumé and business aspects of retailing. You
as well. represent the vision of your department as it
interacts with others in the corporate setting.
GET TING ALONG IN Think of people in other departments as
THE WORKPLACE your departments internal customers and
It’s a fact that more people lose jobs because of give them top-notch service. In truth, they
poor interpersonal skills than because they lack are the end users of many of the services you
technical skills or talent. Failure to get along and your colleagues provide.
in the workplace equates with failure to hold • Become a student of the world. Read the
onto a position or advance in a career. newspaper and keep up-to-date on current

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 events, especially in the business section. also be good for the rest of your department
Not only does it help to keep conversations and the organization as a whole. If you
going at business lunches; you will be want to be viewed as a potential manager,
perceived as a person who is in the know give others credit for contributing; someone
(and therefore, credible) when you present will notice that you have an attitude that
information on trends or new concepts and strengthens teamwork.
merchandising strategies. If you don’t have • Don’t burn bridges. If you decide to leave a
a newspaper subscription or can’t afford job because of personality clashes or other
all the trade papers and magazines, go differences, leave on a positive note. With
to the Internet on your breaks. Excellent the constant movement in the industry,
publications to read are the New York Times, there’s a very good chance that you will find
USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Women’s yourself reconnecting with the individual(s)
Wear Daily, Forbes, Business Week, and you thought (or hoped) you’d left behind.
The Economist. The quickest and most Never criticize a former colleague. They may
comprehensive way to catch up on global have network connections with people in
news is by reading The Week. This weekly your current company.
magazine is a digest of the main stories and • Develop and maintain contacts with key
how they were covered by wide variety of people inside your organization. Instead
print and online columnists. It also covers art of working through lunch at your desk,
and books, the best programs to watch on have lunch with a coworker in another
television and by streaming. Other features department or with a sales representative
include best new products, best new apps, or a designer from an outside agency. The
best dining, dream travel, and more. up-and-comers you network with today
• Learn to listen to all sides of any discussion. are tomorrow’s organizational influencers.
Even if you go into a situation with strong Opportunities that you never dreamed
beliefs, keep an open mind, look at the big possible can develop through informal
picture, and be prepared to negotiate. You conversations.
may not have been born a negotiator but • Seize every opportunity to speak to key
you can learn to be one. Negotiation is a people in your organization. Some of the
powerful professional tool. most important conversations take place in
• Think before you speak. You don’t always elevator banks. If a colleague asks how you
have to give an immediate response. It’s are, you may want to mention how much
acceptable to gather your thoughts and give you are enjoying a particular project you
yourself time to think things through before are working on. Let them know you are an
you commit yourself or your coworkers enthusiastic member of their organization.
to major ideas or projects. If you’re being Remember to edit your conversations; speak
pressured, simply say that you need time to succinctly.
consider all the points and do some research • Learn the names and positions of all of
before you reply. the executive management people in
• Accept challenges that will make you and your company. Whenever the appropriate
your co-workers visible in the organization. opportunity arises, introduce yourself.
Be prepared to deliver and then over- You’ll stand out from the crowd and be
deliver! If challenges aren’t given to you, remembered if you make yourself visible at
invent your own. What is good for you must the right time.

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 GETTING AHEAD IN will have little trouble embracing the goals
THE WORKPLACE it has set for itself.
The ten tips and hints you’ve just read can • Market your department to the rest of the
be put into practice from day one in your company. Consider developing a logo and a
career. You may also need some management- tagline for your department. Use them on
level strategies immediately. It isn’t unusual printed interoffice memos and other tools
for a fairly new visual merchandiser to start to help familiarize the rest of the company
managing a department after only six months with your departmental goals. Treat your
to one year of training, especially in a smaller department like an important product and
retail operation where staff size is limited. Here sell it to your internal customers.
are additional strategies to use as you enter • Once you launch a visibility campaign (or any
the next natural phase of your career: other internal program), revisit it regularly
and reinforce its value to the group. If the
• If you are in a management position, hire campaign fails through lack of support from
people who appear to be practicing the you, your team will question your leadership
same ten strategies you’ve just learned credibility and be skeptical about other
about. They are exactly the kind of motivational techniques you use.
workers you’ll need on your team. They • Visit stores in your organization on a
can carry the department (and you) to regular basis, even if the majority of normal
great achievements. working hours are spent in a corporate
• Make it your goal to build a strong identity office. In addition, work in the stores
for your department within the company. If occasionally. Associates will understand that
you put the department’s progress high on you’re accessible.
your priority list, your career will take care • Model behaviors you want store associates to
of itself. use, and establish standards for performance.
• Invite your entire team to write a Demonstrate something you want them to do
mission statement that describes what in a certain way—how to set a floor according
your department has to offer the larger to a planogram, for instance. Then ask them
organization. For example, “We turn ideas to set the floor in another area. Next, ask
into reality.” Your department is a part them to train others to do the task they’ve
of the corporate culture, but it’s also a just completed successfully. The “see one, do
microculture of its own. Ask yourself what one, teach one” strategy accomplishes several
kind of culture you want to work in and useful tasks for a manager:
what kind of culture will foster the results
you want for the larger organization. 1. It communicates to associates that you’re a
• Invite your entire team to develop goals for real working partner.
your department. For example, “Our goal 2. It sets standards for acceptable
is to train all of our stores to use the latest performance.
presentation techniques in order to increase 3. It shows associates that the tasks they’re
sales.” Retail goal statements should always being asked to do can be accomplished
include the words “increase sales” or words and are worth doing well.
to that effect. If there are no profits, there 4. It helps associates internalize (learn) an
is no company. If there is no company, there important task and empowers them to
are no jobs. If your team understands that, it take ownership of it.

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 WO R K I N G W I T H VA R I O U S NETWORKING
PERSONALITY AND Networking is the all-important human
THINKING STYLES connection. Whether you know it or not,
Individuals are not all motivated in the same each time you interact with another human
way. Whether managing a group of creative being and exchange even the smallest bit of
thinkers or working alongside them, this is information, you are building your network
critical to understand. Anneli Rufus in her book and expanding your world.
Party of One explains: You already have active networks in your life:

Some of us appear to be in, but we are • Family, friends, and acquaintances plus all of
out. And that is where we want to be. their friends
Not just want, but need, the way tuna • Coworkers, fellow club members
need the sea. Someone says to you, • Teammates, fellow volunteers, church
“Let’s have lunch.” You clench. What members
others thrive on, what they take for • Accountants, attorneys, doctors, dentists
granted, the contact and confraternity • Former workmates, classmates, roommates
and sharing that gives them strength
leaves us empty. After what others What binds you to these people is some
would call a fun day out together, we common interest, concern, opinion, or mutual
feel as if we had been at the Red Cross, connection. It can be a now-and-then, “Hi,
donating blood. how are you?” sort of relationship, or a long-
lasting thick-and-thin friendship. Each person
Many companies require employees to you know is part of your “circle of influence”—
display team spirit. When one US retailer maybe a hundred people or more. Each of
opened stores in Europe, some employees them has a circle, too, so you can imagine how
were found hiding in the restroom to avoid far your networking may reach.
doing the company cheer at the start of the There are as many ways to network as there
business day. We do not all respond to the are interactions between humans in a day. To
same stimulus. If you are managing a team of make networking strategies effective in your
people, recognize that you may need to modify professional life, however, you really have
activities to get the best results for your team. to keep your goals and your specific needs
Creative individuals are by nature not in mind all the time—just in case. After all,
followers of the pack. This is what gives them you’re managing a career, and networking
their edge and ability to think outside the box. is a great way to give and receive, to build
Understanding this, giving them the space and your reputation as a person who is always in
freedom to work in their own style, at their the loop. Your company has resources and
own pace, will generate creativity at its best. you’re one of them. You can use other people’s
And if you are the creative individual with a resources, and you can be one of theirs.
stomach that churns when you see others join There are global networking possibilities
in with company cheers, respect their need for you through social networks like LinkedIn,
for a different kind of motivation. Different Facebook, and Twitter. A note of caution: Be
personalities working together, allowing each careful how much personal information you
other to operate with their own personal style, post in any public place, the Internet included.
will create the most amazing innovations of all. Get company names and mailing addresses

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 so you can check out the sources before you Trade magazines like vmsd feature a career
become more involved. tab on their website, www.vmsd.com, where
How do you get started as a networker? you can post the type of job you are seeking
You communicate. First, you need to really and also find available positions. vmsd also
look at people you pass in the halls. If you say, hosts the annual IRDC (International Retail
“Hi! How are you?” to each person you see Design Conference), a three-day event where
and then move down the corridor without you can meet with other retailers from
waiting to hear the answer, you’ve just wasted around the globe. The conference is held in
an opportunity to network. Of course you can’t a different city every year to share insights,
stop and visit at length with every person you get ideas, and network, largely through
pass, but you can stop asking empty questions roundtable discussions and other events
of people when you have no intention of that promote peer interaction. Recent cities
listening to their answers. Smile and nod, found the conference in Austin, Miami Beach,
say “Hi!” but save extended conversations and Montreal. Visit www.irdconline.com to
for networking and make them meaningful. learn more.
Networking is not about a popularity contest. design:retail hosts CitySCENE local
Networking is about developing a strategy for networking events to bring design community
delivering your personal brand. You can begin peers together for conversation and cocktails.
by listening. When you listen, you become These events are open to interns, junior
important to the speaker. Be selective. Keep designers, and on up; all that is required is
your goals and specific needs in mind when registration (www.designretailonline.com).
you seek out the people who need to know design:retail also hosts their FORUM event
you’re alive and a contender. If you want to annually. It is the longest-running event of its
market your department, build a network of kind in the industry, with speakers on the most
people who can help you do it. If you want pressing issues of interest to the retail design
to market yourself, build a network that can community. Networking is abundant in their
help you do that. If you want to enhance your breakout sessions, where participants work
resources, become an expert networker. together to brainstorm new solutions, and
then present their findings to all attendees.
CONNECTING WITH This traveling event is held in a variety of
THE INDUSTRY cities like Napa, Portland, and Brooklyn, and
Some professional organizations, as a service allows attendees to tour the local retail and
to their subscribers, act as employment experience the best dining in the area as they
clearinghouses. WindowsWear PRO helps learn from the leading minds in the industry.
students find internships and jobs. Students are Learn more at www.designretailforum.com.
able to post profiles and WindowsWear actively The Shop!talk series provides insight on
matches students to prospective employers. cultural shifts and innovations that will shape
University professors view WindowsWear PRO the retail industry. Shoptalk brings together
not only as a trend subscription service, but retail planners, visual merchandisers and
as an opportunity for students to network designers from retail and consumer brand
in the industry. WindowsWear PRO shares organizations and retail design firms. You
student-generated analysis on the platform do not need to be a member of the Shop!
allowing students, to use PRO to gain access to association to attend but there is a registration
companies and vendors who want to hire them. fee (www.shopassociation.org).

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 GE T TING YOUR FOOT DOCUMENTING YOUR
IN THE DOOR PROFESSIONAL
Once you have identified positions that you Q U A L I F I C AT I O N S
A portfolio is a visual want to learn more about, you can develop a You are preparing for a career in a visual
résumé, a portable case for strategy to meet, and even work side-by-side industry, so you will eventually develop a
presenting photographs, with, individuals in the workplace. portfolio with examples of your professional
drawings, graphic designs, work. Until then, a good cover letter and a
certificates, letters of Informational Interviews simple but professional-looking résumé are
recommendation, and other One way to meet industry professionals is to all you need. Simple is better. It is the style
documentation of a person’s try to set up brief, informational interviews. most business executives say they prefer to
professional experience. Because most of these people are extremely the fad versions that stream across their desks
busy, you may only be able to get in by every May and June. There is a certain amount
networking. If you know anyone working of ritual to job seeking. You do not need to
for the company, for instance, ask for help reinvent the process.
connecting with someone in the visual
department. Encourage your school to invite Portfolios
a panel of professionals working in the visual No portfolio at all is preferable to a weak one.
industry to answer questions during a class Do not include photographs of your work from
session. fine arts or any other projects you have done
in school unless the work is truly exceptional
Internships and has won national awards or has appeared
An internship is an excellent way to take a in a national publication. Photos from retail
step inside a company and learn more about it. displays you’ve executed are acceptable. In
Many college programs offer credit for school- any case, when you are just starting out, keep
term internships; some allow them only during the portfolio presentation brief. Editing your
breaks, interim sessions, and summer vacations. own presentation is as important as editing
Internships often lead to permanent positions. any visual presentation you’ll do. If you’re not
Treat each opportunity very seriously because it sure about the quality or effectiveness of a
could launch your career. display photograph, ask someone from a retail
visual merchandising department to analyze its
Independent Contracting merit as a portfolio item. This is just like asking
Many companies will hire a visual contractor another person to proofread what you’ve
to work on a specific short-term project. A written in your résumé and cover letter. You
permanent position may be created if the need an objective opinion.
need for the contractor’s work extends to Invest in a simple black portfolio case with
a longer period of time. Even if the new clear pages and a zipper closure. Place your
position has to be posted for all applicants, résumé in the first sleeve and follow it with
the experienced contractor has an excellent all of your favorite displays and floor or wall
chance of securing the permanent position. fixture presentations. If the photographs don’t
This is often the easiest way to make your completely fill the sleeve, mount them on
way into an organization, even though it may good quality paper. Slip thin cardstock into the
mean spending some time as an independent sleeves between paper documents to give them
contractor. more body. As your career progresses, edit

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 your photographs to a dozen of your best. Also your level of confidence will be. If the topic
include any awards or recognition certificates comes up during your interview, describe
that you receive. competitors objectively, never negatively.
• Select clothing that is appropriate for the
I N T E R V I E W I N G E F F E C T I V E LY environment where you would be working.
You can prepare yourself for your interview Even if the company is having a casual dress
by learning all you can about the company, by day on your interview date, dress in business
learning what to do at the interview, and by attire. Clean the outfit, if necessary, and
planning answers to the questions that you always press it. Check the heels on your
may be asked at the interview. shoes; they should not show wear. Clean
and polish them. This is the fashion industry.
Pre-Interview Strategy Dress as if you understand that. Look in the
Candidates who’ve done their homework mirror, at least twice. You’re the one on
impress interviewers. Implement a pre- display today!
interview strategy. Here are a few ideas that
have worked for others: Your Interview
Here are some suggestions for a successful
• Research the organization’s website. You’ll interview:
find company history there, and often its
mission statement, lists of products, locations, • Arrive at least ten minutes before your
and other information that you can later use appointment on the day of your interview.
in conversation with the interviewer. Print Turn off your cell phone and put it away. A
the pages and insert them into the notebook few minutes at rest in the waiting room will
that you’ll be taking to the interview. Invest help you to compose your thoughts.
in a professional-looking cloth or leather- • Sit up straight. Excellent posture is a plus;
covered version rather than the usual college it helps you radiate confidence—and allows
spiral or three-ring binder. more air into your lungs, which will send
• Pay a visit to the store where you will be more oxygen to your brain and help you to
interviewed. This special trip will help you think clearly.
become familiar with the company’s current • Make eye contact. Smile. Let your
promotions and strategies. Bring your interviewer offer his or her hand to shake.
notebook along and make a note of the When you respond, your grip should be
store’s strengths. brief and gently firm.
• During your store visit, analyze how the
employees are dressed. Take your clothing
cues from them, but plan to take it up one Common sense says that you should be appropriately groomed
retail realities
level for your interview. There is a wise old
and dressed when you present yourself for interviews, but you’d
saying: “Dress for the job you want, not the
be amazed to know how many applicants arrive chewing gum and
one you have.”
• Next, visit the company’s competitors, so wearing wrinkled clothes and unpolished shoes. Interviewers just

that you are able to have a discussion if shake their heads and slip those applications into their circular files.
the interviewer goes in that direction. The It’s true: you have only seconds to make a good first impression.
more knowledgeable you are, the greater

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 • Wait to be offered a seat. Once seated, do • After the interview, shake the interviewer’s
not handle anything on the interviewer’s hand again and thank her or him for
desk or help yourself to the candy dish. the opportunity to learn more about the
• Answer questions thoughtfully and clearly. company.
If you don’t know the answer to a question, • Send a thank-you note the next day and
say so. See the list of typical interview again express your interest in the position
questions that follows. and the organization. Consider adding
• Speak articulately. It should go without how helpful the interview was in gaining
saying that you need to “watch your a clear understanding of the position
language” when you interview. Good responsibilities and challenges, and how
grammar is essential. Statements including your experience has prepared you for the
“her and I” rather than “she and I,” opportunity.
etc. will not make a good impression.
Avoid using regional slang and common Typical Interview Questions
interjections such as, “. . . like . . . you You should be prepared to answer these typical
know . . .” repeatedly in your conversation. questions:
Remember that less is often better.
• Let the interviewer know you are interested • Why are you interested in a position with
in the job and excited at the prospect of our company?
working for the company. • What are your short-term career goals?
• Once the interviewer has had the chance • What are your long-term goals?
to ask you questions, indicate that you • What are your strengths?
also have a few and open your notebook • What are your weaknesses? (Neutralize the
to your list of questions so that you can negative in that sentence and rephrase it
take notes. Not only will you have a record by responding with something like “My
for yourself, but the interviewer will greatest opportunity for growth is. . . .”)
perceive that you are serious about the
job opportunity. A list of questions you would like your
interviewer to answer might include:

• What are the most critical responsibilities for

this position?
• What positions could someone working in

Now that you have a sense about your interviewer’s style, you this area grow into?
• What are the company’s expansion plans?
can be creative with your thank-you note. If your interviewer
retail realities

• What is the company’s philosophy or

was strictly professional, your thank-you note should be the
mission?
same. If the interviewer was casual and creative, respond
• How would you describe your organization’s
accordingly. One candidate for a graphic design position sent culture?
his interviewer a pair of work gloves with a computer-designed • What benefits do you offer to your full-time
label that read, “Ready to Work.” His name, phone number, and employees? (Save this question for after you

“Thank You” were also imprinted on the label—and yes, he got have been called back for a second or third
interview, if this will be one of your first
the job!
positions in the field.)

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 FUTURE CAREER GOALS minutes everyone moved to a new table. The
The visual merchandising industry has a event provided the optimum in networking
wonderful history of recognizing leaders opportunities—before each discussion started,
in the retail design field and there is a everyone at the tables introduced themselves
very prestigious award offered each year: with their name, business, and headquarters
The Markopoulos Award. This award was location.
established in 1996 by design:retail magazine, One of the requirements for The
in honor of the late Andrew Markopoulos, Markopoulos Award is to serve the industry
who was the senior vice president of by participating on boards and committees,
visual merchandising at Dayton Hudson’s speaking at conferences, etc. There is no better
department store. In the April/May 2016 issue way to get involved than to volunteer to
of design:retail, Jenny S. Rebholz writes of the help in whatever way you can. Opportunities
twentieth anniversary of the award: abound in the visual merchandising and
store design industry as represented by
An Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, these Shop!, where you can express your interest to
are prestigious awards for their volunteer on committees for organizations like
respective industries . . . in the retail PAVE, etc. See www.shopassociation.org or
design industry, the Markopoulos www.paveinfo.org to learn more.
Award is celebrating twenty years. The Here is a list of recipients, with the positions
recipients are nominated by peers and they held at the time of their awards.
selected by The Markopoulos Circle
of previous recipients based on their Markopoulos Award Winners
lifetime achievements and overall • 1996: Andrew Markopoulos, senior vice
career accomplishments, their ability to president of visual merchandising, Dayton
innovate and inspire, their contributions Hudson
to the success of a particular retailer or • 1997: Ignaz Gorischek, vice president, visual
company, their ability to nurture and planning and presentation, Neiman Marcus
mentor young talent, and their ongoing • 1998: Tony Mancini, vice president, global
contributions and support of the retail store development, Walt Disney
retail design and visual industries. The Imagineering and Walt Disney Parks and
recipients are admirable role models on Resorts
both a professional and personal level. • 1999: Judy Bell, group manager of
innovation, Target, and author of
In May of 2016, design:retail celebrated Silent Selling
twenty years of the Markopoulos award with • 2000: James Mansour, founder, Mansour
an event in New York. All former recipients Design
were invited to attend the presentation of • 2001: Linda Fargo, vice president, visual
the award to the twentieth winner. This same merchandising, Bergdorf Goodman
event recognized the forty under-40 winners, • 2002: Chuck Luckenbill, vice president, visual
the up-and-coming leaders of the industry. merchandising, Kohl’s
Prior to the award ceremony, The Markopoulos • 2003: Simon Doonan, creative director,
Circle participated in roundtable discussions Barney’s
with the forty under-40 group. Each table was • 2004: Christine Belich, executive creative
given a topic to discuss, and after twenty-five director, Sony

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 • 2005: James Damian, senior vice president,
retail realities

Experience Development Group, Best Buy

Photograph your work. It is the best way to record the professional
• 2006: Michael Cape, vice president and
displays you’ve done and sell your design skills to future employers. It
director of brand marketing at JCPenney
also shows that you have ambition, determination, and initiative—all Co., Inc.
good qualities for a job candidate to have. • 2007: Jack Hruska, executive vice president
of creative services at Bloomingdale’s
• 2008: Alfredo Peredes, executive vice
president of global creative services, Polo
Store Development and Home Collection
Design Studio at Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.
• 2009: Ralph Pucci, president of Pucci
retail realities

One of the most effective ways to network is to join a professional International

group or a service organization, like a downtown council or mall • 2010: Tom Beebe, creative consultant at Paul
merchant’s association. You can become your company’s ambassador Stuart
to the retail and creative community. (Never leave your office without • 2011: Dennis Gerdeman, principal & CEO,
Chute Gerdeman
business cards.)
• 2012: Eric Feigenbaum, chair, visual
merchandising, LIM College
• 2013: Joseph Feczko: senior vice president
of integrated marketing, broadcast services
and innovation strategies, Macy’s
• 2014: Harry Cunningham: senior vice
The Planning and Visual Education (PAVE) partnership holds an
retail realities

president, store planning, design and visual

annual student design competition judged by leaders from the visual
merchandising, Saks Fifth Avenue
merchandising industry. Winners travel to national markets for formal • 2015: Ken Smart: artistic design director,
recognition and an opportunity to meet executives from nearly every Ralph Pucci, Intl.
retail operation in the United States. Check out www.paveinfo.org for • 2016: Bill Goddu: chief brand officer

details on the competition. and ambassador, Brand Value Builders:

Fleetwood Fixtures, High Country, FWDc+i

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 DESIGN GALLERY: KATE SPADE, MADISON AVENUE, NY
Kate Spade began her career as an accessories editor
at Mademoiselle, the perfect background for her
path to designing some of the most stylish and easily
recognizable handbags in the world today. Her first shop
opened in New York in 1996 and the business has grown
to over 175 retail shops and outlet stores internationally.
Kate Spade products are also featured in more than 450
stores around the globe.
The website www.katespade.com describes the artful
product line:

Crisp color, graphic prints and playful

sophistication are the hallmarks of Kate Spade
New York. From handbags and clothing to jewelry,
fashion accessories, fragrance, eyewear, shoes,
swimwear, home décor, desk accessories, stationery,
tabletop and gifts, our exuberant approach to the
everyday encourages personal style with a dash of
incandescent charm. We call it living colorfully.

The Kate Spade and Company Foundation also gives

back to their community by empowering low-income
women in New York city to find a trade—not just a
job, but something they are passionate about that
can support them and their families. They use a three-
pillared approach: women in entrepreneurship, women Copyright WindowsWear PRO http://pro.windowswear.com
[email protected] 1.646.827.2288.
in technology, and women in the arts. Through these
pillars, they provide business support, legal and financial
assistance, and many other resources.
Kate Spade’s Madison Avenue store pictured here The solid vest on the first mannequin and the solid
is a delightful traffic stopper, certain to bring a smile skirt on the second mannequin help to create a balanced
to chocolate lovers (and maybe even a quick trip to look in the display. To emphasize the repetition of
the nearest chocolate shop!). Mannequins, side by the candy toppers, notice that both mannequins are
side, dressed in chocolate-and-cream colored outfits, wearing blouses with matching bows. Repetition is also
mimic the gold foil-wrapped chocolate candies on their demonstrated by using two identical mannequin forms,
heads. Notice how the bold graphic pattern on the first each with a clutch under their arms. It is easy to see
mannequin’s skirt repeats the pattern on the second the careful planning that went into the design of this
mannequin’s candy topper, and cleverly draws your eye window, even to the final wink of the sentence lettered
from left to right and up. on the glass: “She always did have good taste.”

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 “A Visual Merchandising Career in Publishing” by Janet Groeber, Managing Editor
Shoptalk at RE:Media
I can’t ever remember a time that I wasn’t involved in some kind of publication. My family still
laughs about the newspaper I started, The Groeber Gazette, which was designed to inform my
mom and dad, brother and sisters about our activities. I guess I got the idea from my dad—

a reader of several daily newspapers, myriad magazines, After college, I worked for a textbook publisher. My job
and editor of a union newsletter. I had a rubber stamp set; was to research photography for business textbooks for
he had a typewriter. From grade school through college, I high school and college students. Among our references
worked on newspapers, yearbooks, and magazines. and resources were publications such as Stores and Visual
In college, I took a job doing layout for the student Merchandising and Store Design. Later, I learned VMSD was
newspaper, which helped pay for expenses. My coursework based in Cincinnati. Eventually I met someone who worked
as a communications and journalism student included news at the company, and that person introduced me to the right
reporting, writing, editing, and law, and I rounded out the people. When I was hired as an assistant editor, my friends
communications portion to include art and theater history, and family thought I’d died and gone to heaven. I was
mass media, stagecraft, music appreciation, literature, working in my two favorite passions! Within eight years, I
public speaking, psychology, politics, geology, geography, was named editor and later took on the additional duties as
and business. In short, a liberal arts education. As an associate publisher.
upperclassman I landed an associate editorship on the Next, I did a stint on the other side with two retail
quarterly student magazine—and that cemented my desire interior design and architectural firms. I helped gain new
to work professionally for a magazine. business for one and handled media relations for the other.
Interestingly, I was working summers in a local I actually got to see another side of the process that I’d
department store as well as between breaks at the same only been reporting on, and, of course, it was a wonderful
time. There, I was exposed to visual merchandising, formerly addition to my professional education. And, when I could
called the display department. And, though I was working (and it was appropriate), I accepted assignments with other
in the bargain basement, another young college part- retail and design-oriented trade magazines. Several years
timer and I put together our first presentation. It was a ago I returned to publishing to help launch a new section
fully accessorized outfit pulled together from merchandise on design, planning, and visual merchandising with the
on our floor and presented in the bottom half of an old editors of Chain Store Age magazine. Once again, I used
wooden showcase. I was hooked! I can remember visiting both my new-found and long-term experience and skills in
the store’s attic filled with fixtures, displayers, and props my chosen profession.
and thinking, “What a world.”

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 Chapter 15 Review Questions Leadership Skills
1. Identify a visual merchandising career that appeals to LOOK
you. What are the main job skills you will need for this Examine the culture of your classroom. Which students seem
position and why? to be most successful at getting their ideas implemented?
2. What are the steps in preparing for a successful Who are the class leaders?
interview?
3. What are the key interpersonal strategies you will need CO M PA R E
to advance your career? Compare the techniques they use with your own current
4. How can you network to get new jobs in the retailing leadership skills.
community?
I N N O VAT E
Outside-the-Box Challenge What do you think you need to do to further develop
Personal Presentation yourself as a leader? This could become an action plan for
LOOK you.
Name two people you admire in the business world. List the
traits you find admirable. Critical Thinking
Department Identity Building
CO M PA R E Your goal is to start an internal marketing program for your
Compare their traits with your own. own visual merchandising department as a motivational
tool for coworkers and also to raise your group or team’s
I N N O VAT E corporate visibility (stressing your department’s potential to
How can you improve the way you present yourself? What contribute to the company’s bottom line). Create an identity
are you doing to sell yourself? for your department by completing these two projects.

Informational Interview IDENTITY BUILDING

LOOK 1. Design a logo that a visual merchandising department
Set up an informational interview with a visual professional. might use as its marketing symbol.
Assess the traits and interests this person possesses that 2. Write a tag line (motto) to accompany the logo. For
contribute to his or her success in the visual field. example: “Creative Solutions That Increase Sales.”
3. Write a departmental goal statement in twenty-five
CO M PA R E words or less. For example: “To train store teams to
Compare this person’s traits and interests with your own. execute the latest techniques in product presentation.”
4. Design an interoffice memo form using your logo.
I N N O VAT E
How can you improve on the skills that are necessary for
success in the visual field?

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 BUILDING YOUR OWN BR AND IDENTIT Y Case Study
Use the following questions and assignments to develop a The Next Step
strategy to market yourself: T H E S I T U AT I O N
You have graduated from your training program, and you
1. What do you want to do with your visual are ready to look for work in a retail setting as an entry-
merchandising career? level visual merchandiser. You realize that you don’t have
• List your long-term career goals. For example: what a great deal of (or, perhaps, any) experience in the field.
do you want to be doing five years from now? Nevertheless, you are determined to work for one of the
• List your short-term employment goals: things that following types of stores:
must happen in the next year or sooner in order for
you to reach those long-term goals. • A large national chain with hundreds of stores. You’d like
2. Name two potential employers in your area. to explore several parts of the country before settling in
3. Whom do you know right now who might be able to one area.
help you connect with those potential employers? • A mom-and-pop operation in the city where you live. This
• Name the people you know right now. company doesn’t have a visual merchandising staff, but
• Describe your networking plan to meet more people you’d like to create a position.
connected in some way with the employers you’ve • A retail company selling merchandise that you’ve
identified. purchased to pursue your favorite outdoor sport. It has
4. Write a brief script that you could use for calling each a number of regional stores in the area and also has a
company to arrange an informational interview. very busy Internet site that reaches out to specialized
5. Describe your plan of action for a pre-interview on-site shoppers all over the world.
visit. List the elements that you would be looking for as • Any store that has a bank of closed display windows.
you visit each store prior to an informational interview. You want as much experience as you can get to build a
6. What would you need to know in order to determine portfolio for a position in New York City a few years from
which company might have the better opportunity now.
for your career development and employment goals?
Write down at least five possible interview questions to YOUR CHALLENGE
ask each potential employer. Include questions about Working with your present résumé and educational
working climate, work ethic, and so on. experience, design a job strategy that will give you the
7. Think about the things you know about yourself and experience you need to take your next professional step and
what you’ve learned about the visual merchandising then do the following:
field that would make you a good fit as an employee
for each company. Envision each of the potential 1. Modify your current résumé to emphasize the
employers you’ve identified for this activity as skills, work experience, work habits, and personal
“shoppers” and yourself as a branded “product.” Write accomplishments that you currently have.
a short paragraph that explains why either of them 2. Set long-term and short-term goals.
would want to hire you. Describe the unique talents, 3. Examine your interests and experiences outside of
interests, and skills that make up your personal brand work.
identity and make you a truly value-added individual. 4. Think about your personal characteristics in terms of
strengths to capitalize on and weaknesses to overcome,
as you set about this task.

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 Glossary

A branded groupings are formed when merchandise from

accent lighting describes lighting effects designed to a single designer or manufacturer is brought together for
emphasize certain wall areas, merchandise displays, or display and merchandising purposes—for example, Nike or
architectural features in a retail setting. Tommy Hilfiger.

adjacencies are thoughtfully planned layouts that position brand image is the retailer’s identity in the shopper’s mind.
same “end-use” products next to each other. Example: shoes It encompasses not only merchandise brands and types but
and hosiery positioned side by side. also store environment, reputation, and service. In some
cases, the retailer employs the store’s name or another
ambient lighting describes general, overall lighting. branded element on its private-label products, like Henri
Bendel’s signature stripe pattern on handbags, totes, belts,
analogous schemes consist of two or more colors that are coffee mugs, and dog leashes.
next to each other (adjacent) on the color wheel. Example:
yellow with yellow-green. broken merchandise refers to assortments with missing
sizes, styles, and colors after sell-down.
atmospherics are multiple décor elements (lighting effects,
sound levels, aromas, etc.) that appeal to our five senses and
contribute to the brand image and overall environment of C
a store. capacity fixture holds large quantities of merchandise,
usually showing a single style in several colors and in a
complete range of sizes.
B
balance refers to an equality of optical weight and relative catwalks are narrow walkways. In theatrical productions,
importance that creates a unified presentation. they are the bridge over the stage lights in the “fly” area
that allows technicians to reach, change, and aim spotlights.
basics—the bulk of the stock in any department—are a In fashion, it’s the narrow runway that extends beyond the
department’s core merchandise. stage that allows fashion show patrons unobstructed views
of models and garments.
bid is an estimate of manufacturing costs to produce
something (e.g., a fixture) or perform a service and a formal color rendition is the degree to which lighting allows colors
offer to do so. Once the bid and all its terms have been to be viewed under conditions that are closest to those
accepted, a contract is awarded. This formal agreement offered by natural light. The lighting industry uses the term
between the buyer and the manufacturer becomes the CRI (color rendering index) when listing specifications on
official basis for actual production, delivery schedule, and each lamp.
terms of payment.
color story describes a color-coordinated or color-keyed
bin is a term for a container often used interchangeably product grouping that shows consumers how to use a
with cube, although many retailers define cubes as season’s trend colors. Creates visual impact when showing
containers that are open on their sides and define bins as otherwise unrelated items.
containers that are open from their tops.

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 colorways are the assorted colors or groups of colors a design thinking is a human-centered approach to
manufacturer has chosen for its line of fashion products. A innovation that integrates three considerations: inspiration,
manufacturer’s representative might tell a store buyer that ideation, and implementation.
a polished cotton skirt comes in three different colorways:
jewel tones, pastels, and earth tones. direction describes the design element or tool that leads
the shopper’s eye from one place to another. A directional
combination floor layout employs the best features of arrow that points to a particular destination within the
several selling floor layouts in an overall plan that suits a store and leads the shopper from one space to another is

retailer’s specific merchandising strategies. one example.

complementary schemes consist of two colors that are double-complementary schemes consist of four colors—two

directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Example: colors plus their color wheel complements. Example: yellow
with violet plus green with red.
yellow and violet.

contrast refers to extreme differences between objects or

items: light-colored merchandise compared to very dark
E
emphasis is the special focus or stress placed on an item to
items, for example, or huge items shown with miniscule
highlight it in a presentation. This can be achieved by using
items.
contrast, lighting, color, placement, repetition, and so on.

CRI (color rendering index) is the measure of the ability of a

endcaps are valuable display and stocking spaces at the
light source to reveal the colors of various objects faithfully.
ends of gondola fixtures. They may be used to feature a
sampling of the merchandise on either side of the gondola,
cross-merchandising refers to moving merchandise across
for new merchandise offerings, for value-priced products,
traditional department or classification lines to combine
or for advertised specials. They may be stacked, pegged, or
elements in a single department or display. For example,
shelved.
books of poetry, romantic novels, candles, bath salts, terry-
cloth robes, and over-sized bath towels could be brought
together in a single spa-like display.
F
face-outs are hardware for hanging merchandise so that the
cube is a term for a container often used interchangeably full front of the item is visible. Face-outs may utilize straight
with bin, although many retailers define cubes as containers arms or slanted arms that create cascading waterfall effects.
that are open on their sides and define bins as containers
that are open from their tops. fashion editorials are displays in strategic locations within
a store that reflect retailers’ support for merchandise and
trends in the form of strong fashion statements. Editorials
D are always positioned in high-traffic areas like store
decorative lighting creates atmosphere, enhances retail entrances, department entrances, escalator platforms, main
branding, and can also influence a customer’s mood. aisles, and at the ends of aisles on sight lines. They may
incorporate mannequins, signs, t-stands, and/or props to
design strategy consists of a plan of action to achieve retail support the featured items. Other names used by retailers
goals and create a welcoming place where shoppers will for these locations include strike-points, hot zones, focals,
purchase goods and services. visual impact areas, and interior windows.

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 faux pas, a phrase taken from the French for “false step,” functional groupings are formed when merchandise
describes an error in fashion judgment or a mistake in is segmented or grouped on a fixture or in a display
coordination techniques. presentation according to its end use.

feature fixtures typically hold smaller merchandise

assortments, allowing presentation of two styles (on a two- G
way) or a coordinate grouping (on a four-way). They are gondola is a versatile four-sided capacity fixture that may
intended to spotlight items or bring together coordinated be shelved for folded or stackable products or set with
outfits rather than show full category assortments. garment rods to show apparel on hangers.

flagship stores display the highest ideals of a company’s grid layout is a linear design for selling floors in which

brand image. Every detail, from fitting room hooks to floor fixtures are arranged to form vertical and horizontal aisles
throughout the store.
coverings, reflects the company’s brand. Stores built after
the flagship is developed are usually modified for cost
gridwall is a wall system of metal wire in a vertical and
effectiveness. Examples of flagship stores are Niketown in
horizontal pattern that accepts brackets and display
Chicago; Prada in Soho, New York City; and both Levi’s and
accessories with gridwall fittings.
Old Navy in San Francisco.

flat metal crossbars are basic fixture components used to

show large quantities of goods on hangers along walls.
H
halogen lamps contain highly pressurized halogen gas that,
combined with evaporated tungsten, cycles the gas back to
fluorescent lamps are sealed glass tubes filled with mercury
a filament, which, in turn, cleans the glass while maintaining
vapor. Their inner surfaces are coated with a mixture of
lumen output throughout the lifetime of the lamp.
phosphor powders. When electricity arcs through the gases
in the lamps, the gases produce ultraviolet energy that is
harmony is an art element that creates visible unity. It is a
absorbed by the coating and causes the powder to become
careful selection of complementary, interwoven elements
fluorescent, emitting visible light.
that create a unified whole in keeping with a store’s overall
brand image.
formal balance occurs when two items of equal size or
optical weight are balanced equidistant from a center point. home meal replacement (HMR) foods are complete ready-to-
Also called symmetry. eat meals (portioned out in microwave-safe covered serving
plates) or prepared entrees like meat loaf or roasted chickens.
Fortune 500 companies are the 500 largest companies in the
United States ranked by revenue (gross sales). hue is another word for the name of a color family—the
reds, blues, browns, and so on. It is also used in nontechnical
four-ways, also called costumers or four-way fixtures, speech as a synonym for color.
feature hanging coordinate groups or small (24–48 items)
quantities of separates presented as coordinated outfits.
I
free-flow layout describes a floor plan that has selling incandescent lamps are glass bulbs with interior tungsten
fixtures arranged in loosely grouped, informal, nonlinear filaments that are heated by electric current, producing
formations to encourage browsing. light. You know them as common light bulbs.

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 informal balance occurs when items or objects are LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are tiny semi-conductors,
positioned so that a single larger object is counterbalanced similar to incandescent bulbs, that give off light when
by two or more smaller objects on the other side of an electric current passes through them. With no filaments
optical center point. to burn out, they are cooler and more durable than
incandescent lamps.
institutional windows are display windows devoted to
intangible ideas and causes; they promote an image for
lifestyle centers have an open-air configuration of at least
the store as an institution rather than feature merchandise.
50,000 square feet of retail space occupied by upscale
An example would be a congratulatory window for a
specialty store chains. Retail categories most commonly
championship sports team.
represented are apparel, home goods, books, and music.
They have one or more table service restaurants, and
intensity is the brightness, purity, and degree of saturation
sometimes include a multiplex cinema (International Council
of a color.
of Shopping Centers).

K line guides the eye to a feature or is a linear element that

key items are proven sellers purchased in depth for the sets a mood. Long horizontal lines can suggest calm and
department and offered at competitive prices. They can be stability, for example. Jagged diagonal lines can convey a
found in trend or basic areas and in shops. sense of excitement and movement.

kiosks are freestanding selling units, open on one or all sides.

M
minimal floor layout, gallery-like in its simplicity,
L shows small selections of handcrafted or very exclusive
lamp has at least two distinct meanings. In the lighting merchandise.
industry, lamp is another word for light bulb. In common
terms, it applies to a lighting fixture complete with a bulb, a
mom-and-pop store is a term that comes from early
power source, a base, and a shade that is either decorative
retailing when many retailers were in family businesses and
or purely functional.
often lived in apartments above their stores. Today, it refers
to small, independent retailers.
lead time is the amount of time it takes to complete products
from receipt of order through production and delivery.
monochromatic schemes consist of a single color in different
values and intensities (more white or gray blended into the
lease lines are the boundary lines where store space begins
and a mall’s common area ends. basic color). Example: navy blue shown with medium blue
and light blue.
leveraging, used as a verb, describes gaining a mechanical
advantage or adding impact, power, or effectiveness— multiple sales are transactions in which two or more items
adding impact to a store’s brand identity by using an are purchased at one time. For example, a shopper buys a
interactive display window, for example. necklace to wear with a blouse.

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 N planograms are drawings that show how merchandise
niche marketing means identifying a very specific market and selling fixtures should be placed on selling floors,
segment and offering products or services that research has walls, freestanding displays, and window displays. They
shown the segment wants or needs and can afford to buy. are planning tools that make it possible to communicate
consistent store layout and décor directives to multiple
locations thereby creating a strong identity for the retailer.
O
open sell is fixturing that makes most merchandise (even portfolios are visual résumés carried in portable cases to
items traditionally kept in locked cases) accessible to present photographs, drawings, graphic designs, certificates,
shoppers without the assistance of salespeople. letters of recommendation, and other documentation of
professional experience.
operational signs relate to the day-to-day business of a
store, listing store hours, return policies, emergency exits,
price points are the actual numbers (for example, $12.99)
locations of help phones, department locations, and fitting-
used on signs to inform shoppers of prices.
room policies.

primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. They are the
optical center of a sign is its focal point, where the eye
starting points on the color wheel. Other colors are formed
naturally comes to rest, just above the center point (roughly
from them.
a third of the way from the sign’s top edge).

promotional mix is a combination of communication tools—

optical weight is how important, large, or heavy an object
advertising, in-store marketing, special events, and personal
appears to be (which may be different from how much it
selling, as well as visual merchandising—that tells targeted
really weighs or how large it is in actual scale).
customers about stores and their merchandise.

outriggers are decorative or functional elements mounted

proportion describes the relationship between the apparent
to a wall at right angles in order to define, separate, and
size, mass, scale, or optical weight of two or more objects.
frame categories of merchandise presented on shelves or
display fixtures. Outriggers often include signs that call out
props (stage properties) are items or objects other than
categories of merchandise for easy navigation.
painted scenery and actors’ costumes that are used
on a stage set. The term has migrated to the visual

P merchandising vocabulary to mean decorative items or

pegwall is a system that has a backer panel with a grid objects other than merchandise and signs used in a display.
pattern of holes into which pegwall hooks and other
specialty fixtures may be inserted. prototype is the original model upon which later types are
based. For example, before rolling out a dozen retail stores,
pivot pieces are the dominant apparel items that dictate a prototype is built so that design features may be tested
the direction (end-use, fabrication, style, and color) for all and refined. The same process is used in the development of
subsequent pieces used in coordinated outfits. custom merchandise fixtures and visual fixtures.

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 R sequence refers to the particular order in which items are
racetrack layout exposes shoppers to a great deal of presented for viewing. In addition to numerical order, a
merchandise as they follow perimeter traffic aisles with presentation might also rely on gradation of items from
departments on the right and left of circular, square, small to large, or large to small, to stress that a particular
rectangular, or oval “racetracks.” item is available in a variety of sizes.

repetition refers to employing elements like size, color, or shade refers to a single color that is darkened by adding
shape several times in succession in a presentation to create varying amounts of black or gray to it.
a sense of visual pattern. When the eye travels along the
paths of repeated items, the merchandising message is shape refers to a standard or universally recognized spatial
reinforced as well. form, like a circle or a triangle, that helps the viewer
identify various objects; it can also refer to an irregular
retrofit is to add architectural features, fixtures, or other contour of an object or part of an object. The shape of a
elements after the original structure is completed. three-dimensional object is also called a form.

rhythm refers to the repetition of design elements to create shops are created when similar types of merchandise are
visual cadence or emphasis for the viewer. The eye travels bought in depth (sufficient to fill six to ten selling fixtures)
along the paths of repeated items, and the merchandising and are pulled together into one area of a department.
message is reinforced.
sight line refers to the area a person can see from a
riser is a display unit used to elevate merchandise in a particular vantage point—the view at the end of an aisle, or
composition so that the overall presentation has added at the top or bottom of an escalator, for example.
visual interest and variety.
signature fixture is an attention-getting, one-of-a-kind unit
round garment rods are basic fixture components used to positioned at store and department entrances that reflects
show large quantities of goods on hangers along walls. stores’ brand images.

round rack (rounder) is a capacity fixture fabricated in slatwall is a wall system of horizontal backer panels
several diameters and adjustable heights for stocking with evenly spaced slots that accept brackets and display
quantities of basic apparel items on hangers. accessories with slatwall fittings.

soffits are long ledges, permanent arches, or boxes reaching

S down from a store’s ceiling to its top shelves or usable
secondary colors are formed by combining pairs of primary wall space. They are often used to mask nondecorative
colors. Red and yellow merge to become orange; yellow and (functional) lighting fixtures that illuminate merchandise
blue become green; blue and red become violet. displayed on store walls.

sell-down, also called sell-through, is the period during soft aisle layouts are floor sets with fixtures arranged in
which an item or grouping is on the selling floor, from groups, creating natural aisles without any change in floor
introduction at full price through the markdown stage. covering to designate separate aisle space.

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 sourcing (or resourcing) describes the process of finding technographics is the effect of Internet and social media on
resources for use in a business. communication patterns, attitude toward information, and
entertainment technologies.
split-complementary schemes consist of three colors—one
central color plus the two colors on either side of its color tension refers to an arrangement of elements that cause the
wheel complement. Example: yellow with red-violet and viewer to wonder if opposing forces will disturb balance or
blue-violet. equilibrium in a display. For example, a teetering stack of
books may appear ready to tumble, or a pyramid of produce
straight arm is a display arm affixed in a perpendicular may seem likely to cascade if one item is removed.

manner to a wall standard, slatwall, gridwall, T-stand,

or other selling floor fixture to show small quantities of tertiary colors are formed by mixing primary colors
with secondary colors to form third-level (tertiary) color
hanging merchandise.
combinations such as yellow-green and blue-violet.

striking a mannequin means removing its support rod

test areas in retail departments are set aside to sample
and base plate in order to secure it to the floor of a store
merchandise items or styles the department’s buyer believes
window or display platform with wire so that the figure
will soon become popular with shoppers.
appears to stand on its own.

texture refers to the way a surface actually feels to the

strip malls contain side-by-side stores with parking lots
touch or how it appears that it might feel if touched. For
immediately outside their doors. Some strip malls may have
example, roughness and smoothness may be readily visible
enclosed walkways, but they are not configured under one
but softness and hardness may require actual physical
large roof as conventional covered malls are.
contact. Textures are often compared or contrasted in a
display of merchandise.
superquad is a four-armed capacity floor fixture with
adjustable height used for showing items purchased in
tint refers to a color that is formed by adding white to a
depth or coordinate groupings of pants, skirts, blouses, and
basic color to make it lighter in appearance.
sweaters or jackets.

trend areas feature merchandise, purchased in depth, that

has been accepted by shoppers as hot or current.
T
target markets are identified (targeted) segments of the trends are the directions in which things like demographics,
population that research indicates are good fits for retailers’ economics, and technographics are moving. They can also
products or service offerings. These are the groups at which be observed in fashion, merchandising, politics, etc.
retailers aim all of their stores’ promotional communication
efforts. triadic schemes consist of three colors that are equidistant
from one another on the color wheel (they form a triangle
task lighting is designed to illuminate work areas where when you look at the wheel). Example: orange, green, and
strong, bright light allows detail work. violet.

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 two-ways (also called a T-stand or two-way fixture) are vignettes are a condensed version of a larger scene. For
two-armed hanging fixtures used to feature 12–24 items of example, a home furnishings vignette might establish
trend apparel or test merchandise. the mood and the scene of a larger room with only a few
elements—a chair, an end table, and a lamp.

U
unity occurs when all of the elements of a presentation W
combine to make a balanced, harmonious, complete whole. waterfall is a set of angled display arms affixed to wall
standards, slatwall or gridwall systems; T-stands (two-way or
four-way); or other selling floor fixtures to show cascades of
V hanging merchandise.
value is the lightness or darkness of a color.
way-finding describes any tools that help customers easily
venues are locations where special events or entertainments “find their way” through a store. Signs positioned in highly
take place. The word comes from the Latin verb venire, visible areas—on walls or hanging from the ceiling—are
which means “to come.” examples of way-finding strategies.

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 Directory of Visual Merchandising Professionals

The visual merchandising leaders listed here have shared their thoughts with readers who are considering a career in
this field. If you are interested in positions with any of the organizations with which they are affiliated, follow standard
procedures with human resources departments. Do not contact these individuals directly.

Ken Albright, president, Seven Continents Rick Burbee, design/brand/trend forecasting expert
NADI Board of Directors (former) Former Vice President, Brand Development,
PAVE Emeritus, Board of Directors    Sears Holdings Corp.
ARE PAVE Advisory Board
“There is a visual message in everything you see.” “Visual merchandising is the perfect career for anyone with
the ability to think creatively, communicate clearly, and
Tom Beebe, creative consultant evoke continual change in the store environment.”
2010 Markopoulos Award
NADI Board of Directors (former) Linda Cahan, principal, Cahan & Company, retail visual
“Pins . . . wire . . . thread . . . a career in display . . . fulfilling    designer and consultant
passion. Dramatic or small gestures . . . a magic world of Society of Visual Merchandisers
change. An art form of inspiration . . . imagination . . . “There are many creative people out in the world and no
originality. I believe in the craft. Full speed ahead!” one is the best—but if you want to succeed, learn how to
communicate by listening, hearing, understanding, keeping
Christine Belich, christine belich design, adjunct professor an open mind, realizing that there is more than one right
Former Vice President, Visual Merchandising, Sony way of doing things, respecting other people’s opinions,
2004 Markopoulos Award staying calm, breathing, laughing with someone—not at
ARE Advisory Council them—and learning how to explain something more than
PAVE Emeritus, Board of Directors one way, because if someone doesn’t understand your idea
DDI Editorial Advisory Board the first time, explaining it the same way, only louder, isn’t
NADI Board of Directors (past) going to work!”
“Make sure that you are passionate and obsessive about
details. This separates the true visual ‘greats’ from the rest. Elle Chute, co-founder and principal, Chute Gerdeman
You’ve got to love the details.”   Design
Retail Design Luminary Award 2007
Judy Bell, chief energetic officer, www.energetic-retail.com Member and past president: Ohio Chapter, Retail Design
Former Group Manager, Creative Merchandising Solutions, Institute
Target NAWBO
2010 Retail Design Influencer DDI Editorial Advisory Board
2006 Retail Design Luminary Award “Inspired design begins with insatiable curiosity. It is
1999 Markopoulos Award then nourished by rigorous observation followed by
ARE Advisory Council inventive (if not exhaustive) exploration. Finally, all of the
DDI Editorial Advisory Board above is crystallized through the unique lens of personal
NADI Board of Directors (past officer) introspection.”
PAVE Board of Directors (past officer)
SVM (Society of Visual Merchandisers)
“Smile, and even better—laugh—every day.”

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 Simon Doonan, writer, window dresser, Larry Gerow, president, Area Code 212 Display
  www.simondoonan.com “Feed your creativity constantly—use the arts as fuel for
Former Creative Ambassador-at-large, Barneys inspiration.”
2003 Markopoulos Award
Author, Confessions of a Window Dresser Ignaz Gorischek, vice president of architecture, CallisonRTKL
“If you take some risks, you may even create some trends.” Former Vice President, Store Development, Neiman Marcus
1997 Markopoulos Award
Dan Evans, president & creative director, Goldsmith 1997 PAVE Visual Merchandising Award
NADI president (past) PAVE Advisory Board
IIDA member DDI Editorial Advisory Board
RDI member and past chapter president “If you really want to learn, ride escalators with your
PAVE Board of Directors customer; you will hear it all!”
“Always remember—there is no such thing as a bad creative
idea, only bad timing.” Greg M. Gorman, Triad Mfg & 8 Corners
PAVE—Chairman (past)
Eric Feigenbaum, head of workshops at WindowsWear, RDI
   contributor at vmsd, consultant, Embrace Design Landmarks Association of St. Louis
Former chair, visual merchandising, LIM College “Challenge the norm, because change is a mandatory
2012 Markopoulos Award partner for survival.”
PAVE—founding member and vice president
“Absorb all that surrounds you; look, listen, and feel; then Janet Groeber, managing director, RE:Media
endeavor to move the world.” NADI Board of Directors (past)
PAVE Board of Directors (past officer)
Dennis Gerdeman, co-founder and CEO, Chute Gerdeman ISP—honorary member
  Design SVM—media member
2011 Markopoulos Award “As you follow your desires, see as much as you can, do as
Member and past president: Ohio Chapter, Retail Design much as you are able, make as many lasting friendships as
Institute you can, remain open-minded, and always listen, listen,
ARE listen to what others have to say.”
PAVE Board of Directors
DDI Editorial Advisory Board Chuck Luckenbill, Luckenbill Retail Solutions
Honorary Doctor of Arts degree: Columbus College of Art Former Vice President, Visual Merchandising, Office Max
and Design 2002 Markopoulos Award
CCAD Advisory Board ARE Executive Committee
“Sometimes genius is purely innovative application. A lot of DDI Editorial Advisory Board
times a specific problem has already been solved, but not in NADI Board of Directors (past)
your industry. Remember to look outside your own industry “Be flexible . . . be curious . . . be honest. Have the courage
for solutions.” of your convictions and don’t take yourself too seriously.”

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 James Maharg, president, Hudson and Broad Ralph Pucci, president and CEO of Pucci International, Ltd.
LOOK president 1999–2008 2009 Markopoulos Award
ALU president 1987–1999 NADI
“Don’t compromise detail.” VNY (past)
“Don’t be afraid to be different or to take chances.”
Tony Mancini, CEO, Global Visual Group
Former Sr. Vice President, Global Retail Store Development, Jim Smart, owner, Smart Associates Ltd.
Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts SVM
1998 Markopoulos Award IS
ARE Executive Committee Board of Directors, president, Dale Warland Singers (past)
NADI Board of Directors ARC of Hennepin County Board of Directors
PAVE Board of Directors Mixed Blood Theatre Board of Directors (past)
DDI Editorial Advisory Board Minneapolis Arts Commission
“It’s not just your ideas that make a program successful, but Minneapolis Children’s Theatre Board of Directors
how you present and package them—you’re selling ideas “Learn to Sell.”
every day, and remember, practice what you preach.”
Richard Stolls, chairman, Lifestyle-Trimco
James Mansour, Mansour Design, NADI treasurer, past president
  [email protected] PAVE founding member, treasurer
2000 Markopoulos Award Society of Visual Merchandisers founding father
“Set the highest standards for your work and compare your “If you plan a career in visual merchandising, be prepared
work to the best in the world.” for long hours and hard work, but—if you give it all you
have, and you have passion—you will be greatly rewarded.”
Cindy McCracken, retail consultant
PAVE Board of Directors (past) Kate Ternus, marketing instructor, Century College (retired)
“Find inspiration in every single thing you do.” Century College Outstanding Faculty Award 2008
Fashion Group International
Alison Embrey Medina, executive editor, design:retail IFEA (International Festivals and Events Association)
  magazine MFEA (Minnesota Festivals and Events Association)
RDI media member “As a ‘work in progress,’ you’re a lifelong learner. Don’t
“We often get caught up in the numbers and the ever think you’re finished—there’s always something new to
budgets and the deadlines, but do we allow ourselves try, somewhere unfamiliar to go, someone new to know. I’m
the opportunity to stop, breathe and re-evaluate? There still not sure what I want to be when I grow up.”
might not be answers to all of the challenges and questions
we face, but taking the moment to at least acknowledge Marianne Wilson, editor in chief, Chain Store Age magazine
and reflect upon them is part of the journey to future “Always put the customer first.”
progress. Challenge yourself to dig deeper, and be better.
Challenge yourself to be or create something different—
something great.”

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 References and Resources

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York: Penguin Putnam, 1998. Marlowe and Company, 2003.
Eckert, Carolyn. Your Idea Starts Here, 77 Mind-Expanding Shop! http://www.shopassociation.org.
Ways to Unleash Your Creativity. North Adams, MA: vmsd. www.vmsd.com.
Storey Publishing, 2016.
Glen, Peter. It’s Not My Department. New York: William
Morrow and Company, Inc., 1990.
Glen, Peter. 10 Years of Peter Glen: One Hundred Essays for Useful Websites
the Improvement of Work, Life and Other Matters of
Consequence. Cincinnati, OH: ST Publications, 1994. Ch a p te r 1
Glen, Peter. “ADD: Attention Divided Disorder.” Visual Echochamber—http://www.echochamber.com
Merchandizing and Store Design, November 1999. Retail Week—https://www.retail-week.com
Gorman, Greg M. The Visual Merchandising and Store Style Guide—http://www.style-guide.biz
Design Workbook. Cincinnati, OH: ST Publications, 1996.
Hanks, Kurt and Parry, Jay. Wake Up Your Creative Genius. Ch a p te r 2
Menlo Park, CA: Crisp Publications, 1991. Target—https://corporate.target.com
Kepron, David. Retail (r)evolution: Why Creating Right-
Brained Stores will Shape the Future of Shopping in Ch a p te r 3
a Digitally Driven World. Cincinnati, OH: ST Books, ST Color Marketing Group—http://www.colormarketing.org
Media Group, 2014. Elle Magazine—http://www.elle.com
Kondo, Marie. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The M. Grumbacher—www.grumbacherart.com
Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Berkeley: Pantone, Inc.—http://www.pantone.com
Ten Speed Press, 2014. W Magazine—http://www.wmagazine.com
Lewis, Robin and Dart, Michael. The New Rules of Retail:
Competing in the World’s Toughest Marketplace. New Ch a p te r 4
York: St. Martin’s Press, 2014. B & N Industries—http://www.bnind.com
Longinotti-Buitoni, Gian Luigi. Selling Dreams: How to Make Betsey Johnson—www.betseyjohnson.com
Any Product Irresistible. New York: Simon and Schuster, The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State
1999. University—https://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/
McNally, David and Speak, Karl D. Be Your Own Brand. San DKNY—http://www.dkny.com
Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2002. Dolce & Gabbana—http://www.dolcegabbana.it

420 References and Resources

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 Envirosell—www.envirosell.com Store Equipment and Design—http://www.storequip.com
MET Store Fixtures—www.metropolitandisplay.com Supermarket News—http://www.supermarketnews.com
Sephora—www.sephora.com United States Department of Agriculture—
Shop!—www.shopassociation.org http://www.usda.gov
Silvestri—http://www.silvestricalifornia.com Wedge Community Co-op—www.wedge.coop.com
Swatch—http://www.swatchgroup.com/group/brands Whole Foods Market, Inc.—
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Chap te r 6
Women’s Wear Daily—http://www.wwd.com Ch a p te r 11
The Disney Store—disneystore.com
Chap te r 7
ABC Carpet and Home—http://www.abccarpet.com Ch a p te r 12
Crate&Barrel—http://www.crateandbarrel.com Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum—
Fishs Eddy—www.fishseddy.com www.cooperhewitt.org
Home Design Website—http://www.homeportfolio.com design:retail—www.designretailonline.com
Martha Stewart—http://www.marthastewart.com Elevations—http://www.elevations.com
Pottery Barn—http://www.potterybarn.com Fashion Display Website—http://www.fashionwindows.com
Restoration Hardware—http://www.restorationhardware.com GlobalShop—http://www.globalshop.org
Williams-Sonoma, Inc.—http://www.williams-sonoma.com Global Visual Group—www.globalvisualgroup.com
Lord & Taylor—http:// www.lordandtaylor.com
Chap te r 8 Tiffany & Co.—http://www.tiffany.com
Signs of the Times Magazine—www.stmediagroupintl.com VMSD—www.vmsd.com
SignWeb—www.signweb.com WindowsWear PRO—http://pro.windowswear.com

Chap te r 9 Ch a p te r 13
Adart—http://www.adart.com Bernstein—http://www.bernsteindisplay.com
Adbox—http://www.adbox.com Characters Unlimited—
American Lighting Association— http://www.charactersunlimitedinc.com
http://www.americanlightingassoc.com Fashion Windows—http://www.fashionwindows.com/
design:retail—www.designretailonline.com Greneker—http://www.greneker.com
Envirosell—http://envirosell.com Hans Boodt Collection—http://www.manex-usa.com
vmsd—www.vmsd.com Hindsgaul—http://www.hindsgaul.com
Patina-V—http://www.patinav.com
Chap te r 1 0 Pucci International—www.ralphpucci.net
Byerly’s—http://lundsandbyerlys.com Rootstein—http://www.rootstein.com
Epicurious—http://www.epicurious.com Seven Continents—http://www.sevencontinents.com
Food Marketing Institute—http://www.fmi.org Silvestri—http://www.silvestricalifornia.com
Fred Meyer Stores—http://www.fredmeyer.com
International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)—http://ica.coop Ch a p te r 14
Piggly Wiggly—http://www.shopthepig.com Chain Store Age Magazine—http://www.chainstoreage.com
Progressive Grocer Magazine— design:retail—www.designretailonline.com
http://www.progressivegrocer.com EuroShop—www.euroshop-tradefair.com
Publix—http://www.publix.com Footwear News—www.footwearnews.com
Real Simple Magazine—http://www.realsimple.com GlobalShop—http://www.globalshop.org

References and Resources 421

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 Home Furnishing News—http://www.hfndigital.com Five Below—www.fivebelow.com
MapEasy’s Guide Maps—http://www.mapeasy.com Gap—www.gap.com
Progressive Grocer—www.progressivegrocer.com Guy Laroche—www.guylaroche.com
Shop!—http://www.shopassociation.org H&M—www.hm.com
Smartbrief—www.smartbrief.com Harrods—www.harrods.com
STORES Magazine—www.stores.org Hickey Freeman—www.hickeyfreeman.com
Style Guide—www.style-guide.biz Issey Miyake—www.isseymiyake.com
Trade Show News Network—http://www.tsnn.com J.Crew—http://www.jcrew.com
Where Magazine—www.wheremagazine.com JCPenney—www.jcpenney.com
Women’s Wear Daily—www.wwd.com Kate Spade—www.katespade.com
vmsd—www.vmsd.com Kohl’s—www.kohls.com
Lands’ End—www.landsend.com
Chap ter 15 Louis Vuitton—www.louisvuitton.com
design:retail FORUM—www.designretailforum.com MAC—www.maccosmetics.com
International Retail Design Conference— Macy’s, Inc.—www.macysinc.com
www.irdconline.com Marni—www.marni.com
Planning and Visual Education (PAVE)— Merrell—www.merrell.com
http://paveglobal.org Neiman Marcus—www.neimanmarcus.com
Shop!—http://www.shopassociation.org Nike—www.store.nike.com
vmsd—www.vmsd.com Nordstrom—www.shop.nordstrom.com
Old Navy—www.oldnavy.com
Retailers Printemps—departmentstoreparis.printemps.com
Abercrombie & Fitch—http://www.abercrombie.com Pottery Barn—www.potterybarn.com
American Eagle—www.ae.com RH—www.restorationhardware.com
Andrei Duman Gallery—www.andreidumangallery.com Saks Fifth Avenue—www.saksfifthavenue.com
Ann Taylor—www.anntaylor.com Sears—www.sears.com
Apple—www.apple.com Sony—www.sony.com
Banana Republic—http://www.bananarepublic.com Sonia Rykiel—www.soniarykiel.com
Barney’s—http://www.barneys.com SuperValu—www.supervalu.ie
Bauer—www.bauer.com/stores Target—www.targetcorp.com
Bergdorf Goodman—bergdorfgoodman.com Taste Marketeria—www.tastemarketeria.ca
Brooks Brothers—www.brooksbrothers.com The Broad—www.thebroad.org
Bulgari—www.bulgari.com T.J. Maxx—www.tjmaxx.com
Calvin Klein—www.calvinklein.com Tommy Hilfiger—www.usa.tommy.com
Converse—www.converse.com Topshop—www.us.topshop.com
Costco Wholesale—www.costco.com Tory Burch—www.toryburch.com
Crate & Barrel—www.crateandbarrel.com Under Armour—www.underarmour.com
Diane Von Furstenberg—www.dvf.com Uniqlo—www.uniqlo.com
Dillard’s—http://www.dillards.com Valmont Gallerie Gastronomique—epicerievalmont.ca
Dolce&Gabbanna—www.dolcegabbana.com Versace—www.versace.com
Eataly—www.eataly.com Victoria’s Secret—www.victoriassecret.com
El Palacio de Hierro Polanco—www.elpalaciodehierro.com Whole Foods Market—www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Ferragamo—www.ferragamo.com Williams-Sonoma—www.williams-sonoma.com
Zara—www.zara.com

422 References and Resources

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 Index

A Bid, 117 Clearance merchandise, 99–100

ABC Carpet & Home, 191 Big-picture thinking, 18 Clotheshorse, 325
Abstract mannequins, 333, 334 Bins, 106–108 Club Monaco, 220
Accent lighting, 236, 237 Blackburn, Dan, 265–266 Collins, Terry, 253
Accessories, fixtures and, 119–126 Boutiques, 86 Color
Adaptation, in SCAMPER model, 9 Bowie, David, 4 accessory presentation and, 121
Adjacencies, 95 Brand, personal, 352 breaks, 265–266
Adjacency specialist, 383 Branded groupings, 51 as communication tool, 49–50
Adora, 144 Brand image cool, 49
Agreement, 32–33 capstone, 78–81 coordination, 52–54
Albrecht, Karl, 18 customer relationships and, 28 coordination by, 171–175
Albright, Ken, 380–381 defined, 27 in fashion merchandising, 50–52
Alignment, 266 fitting rooms and, 29 flow, 103, 105
Alliteration, 222 in grocery and food service stores, groupings and, 51–52
Ambient lighting, 235–236 254–256 groups, 52, 53
American Eagle, 58 lighting and, 233–234 lighting, 240–241
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 31, mannequins and, 331–332 as merchandising strategy, 47–55, 76
93. See also Universal access mission statement and, 27–28 names, 50
Analogous color schemes, 48, 49 sales associate-customer relationships primary, 47, 48
Andrei Duman Gallery, 187 and, 28 rendition, 235
Animated mannequins, 335 signage in communication of, 213 in round racks, 103
Ann Taylor, 29, 147 store interiors and, 28–29 schemes, 47–49, 174–175
Antiques, 114 store location and, 29 secondary, 47
Apple Store, 186 visual continuity and, 41 sequence, 103
Archerd, Elizabeth, 260 visual merchandising in, 27 in store interiors, 50
Architectural design, 387–388 Brick and mortar, 282 story, 51, 306
Arpino, Kevin, 323 Brights, 52, 53 systems, 54–55
Art, 46 Broad Retail Shop, 187 tertiary, 47
Atmosphere, retail, creation of, 85–86 Broken merchandise, 100 warm, 49
Atmospherics Brown, Matthew, 270 wheel, 48, 174
defined, 26 Budget, 365–369 Color-coordinated grouping, 52
in merchandising strategy, 43–45 Byerly’s, 253–254 Color-keyed product statement, 52
Aveda, 27 Color Marketing Group (CMG), 54–55
Color rendering index (CRI), 238
C Colorways, 143
B Cahan, Linda, 127–128 Combination floor layout, 92, 93
Bailey, Chris, 223–225 Capacity fixtures, 101, 102, 110–112, Communication
Balance 190–191 of brand image with signage, 213
defined, 66 Cap display, 113 color in, 49–50
formal, 66, 67 Capstone brand image, 78–81 with operational signage, 213–216
informal, 66, 68 Career goals, 401–402 shopping as form of, 30–33
as merchandising strategy, 66–68 Careers, 382–392 with signage, 213–218
in wall presentations, 143–146 Career strategies, 392–402 of tone in signage, 217–218
Barney’s, 72, 331 Carrefour, 87 visual merchandising in, with brand
Barruso, Giorgio, 289 Carts, 278, 279–280 image, 27
Basics, 98 Catwalk, 284 visual merchandising in, with
Basket, 113 Celine’s, 62, 219 customers, 26–27
Beebe, Tom, 4–6, 302, 314–315, 384–385 Cell phone, 354 Community resources, in
Belich, Christine, 6, 352, 381 Centering, 266 trendspotting, 13
Belt display, 113 Chain Store Age (magazine), 357 Comparison, 8
Bergdorf Goodman, 20 Chanel, 124 Competition, visiting, 10–11

423

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 Complementary color schemes, 48, 49 Demographics Environment, work, 18–19, 351–352
Composition, 38 in grocery and food service stores, 273 Eryn Brinie’s, 70
Comprehension, 32 lighting and, 244 Esprit, 101
Continuity, visual, 41 in trendspotting, 11 Ethnic foods, 260
Contrast Department identity, 405 EuroShop, 360–361
defined, 71 Department stores, 86, 332 Events
as merchandising strategy, 71–72 Design elements, 45–46, 47–65 equipment for, 287
Convenient stores, 261 Design principles, 46, 65–72 extravaganzas as, 287
Cook, Robb, 387–388 Design strategy fashion shows as, 284–287
Co-ops, 261–262 defined, 43 in nontraditional retailing, 282–287
Coordinate display hanger, 176–177 tools in, 45–46 professional organizations for,
Coordination Design thinking, 15 283–284
by brand names, 175 Desk references, 354 staging for, 287
by color, 171–175 Dimensional letters, 216 trade publications for, 283–284
by end use, 170 Direction uses of, 282
by fabrication, 170–171 defined, 59 venues for, 285
of patterned pieces, 175 as merchandising strategy, 59–61 Evert, Michael, 320
resources, 177–178 Discount stores, 86, 94 Evidon, Lisa, 280–281, 387
by style, 171 Divider walls, 136 Executive presentation, 368–369
by trends, 175–176 Dolce & Gabbana, 168, 179 Exotic foods, 260
Copywriting, for signage, 222 Dollar stores, 87 Explanations, skill with, 18
Cornell, Brian, 325 Doodeman, Karen, 100, 118 Exposure, 32
Corporate visual designer, 383 Doonan, Simon, 64–65, 178, 308, 319 Extravaganzas, 287
Countertop earring spinner, 120 Double-complementary color schemes,
Courage, intellectual, 18 48, 49
Crate & Barrel, 52, 202, 227 Dougan, John, 216 F
Creative director, 384–385 Dress, professional, 362 Fabric scrims, 216
Creative work environment, 18–19 Drucker, Peter, 13 Face-outs, 109
Creativity, 3 Duane Reade, 277 Farinetti, Oscar, 44
CRI, 238 Duggan, William, 43 Farmer’s markets, 261
Crossbars, 110–111 Dunham, Lena, 7 Fashion cycle, retail, 96
Cross-merchandising, in grocery and food Duppler, Greg, 271 Fashion editorial, 170
service stores, 267–268, 272 Dusty colors, 52, 53 Fashionology, 277
Crystals (mall), 116 Fashion shows, 284–287
Csikszentmihályi, Mihály, 3 Faux pas, 170, 171, 172
Cubes, 106–108, 190–191 E Feature fixtures, 98, 101, 102, 108–110,
Current events, in trendspotting, 13 Earring spinner, 120, 121 112–113, 188–190
Customer interaction, with Earthtones, 52, 53 Feigenbaum, Eric, 371–372
merchandise, 35 Eataly, 44–45 Feng shui, 127–128
Customers Eatzi’s, 261 Fishs Eddy, 191, 192, 220
processing of visual merchandising Echochamber.com, 12 Fitting rooms, brand image and, 29
messages by, 31–32 Economics, in trendspotting, 11 Fixtures
sales associate relationships with, Editing, 7–8 accessories and, 119–126
brand image and, 28 Editorial, fashion, 170 antique, 114
visual merchandising in Editorial displays, lighting of, 240–241 in atmosphere, 85–86
communication with, 26–27 Editorial spaces, 197 capacity, 101, 102, 110–112, 190–191
Custom fixtures, 116–119, 262 Elements, design, 45–46, 47–65 conventional metal floor, 102–108
Cycle, retail fashion, 96 Elimination, in SCAMPER model, 10 custom, 116–119, 262
El Palacio de Hierro Polanco, 135, feature, 98, 101, 102, 108–110, 112–
145, 163 113, 188–190
D Emerson, Barbara, 125 four-way, 108
Dali, Salvador, 64 Emphasis furniture, 114, 191
d’Aulaire, Emily, 321 defined, 71 in grocery and food service stores,
Davis, Boyd, 312 as merchandising strategy, 71–72 262–264, 268–269
Decals, 216 Endcaps, 106 for kiosks, 276–278
Décor. See Store interiors Entrances, store, in home fashion stores, in layouts, 100–126
Decorative lighting, 238 186–187 open-sell accessory, 124–125

424 Index

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 safety with, 118 history of, 256–257 Home meal replacement (HMR), 257
shopping for, 129–132 home meal replacement and, 257 Homeportfolio.com, 200
signature, 101, 102, 132, 187 hypermarkets as, 87, 261 Home shopping, 37
software for, 160–161 impulse shopping and, 257–258 Hook, 113
specialized accessory, 125–126 layouts in, 262–264 Hosiery forms, 335
tables, 114–116 lighting in, 234, 235 Hue, 47, 48
trade shows for, 268–269 online shopping and, 258–259 Hypermarkets, 87, 261
two-way, 108 organics in, 259–260 Hy-Vee, 259
for wall presentations, 140 signage in, 229–230
walls as, 136–137 specialty, 260–261
Flagship stores, 17 traditional, 260 I
Flat metal crossbars, 110–111 trends in, 272 IDEO, 14–15
Floor graphics, 216 types of, 260–262 Image, brand. See Brand image
Floral displays, 198–200 virtual reality technology in, 268 Imans, Pierre, 321
Fluorescent, 238 visual merchandiser role in, 264–268 Implementation, of ideas on job, 16–18
Folding boards, 153–155 warehouse stores as, 261 Impulse shopping, 257–258
Folding techniques, 152–155, 156 Groeber, Janet, 404 Incandescent, 238–239
Food. See Grocery and food service stores Groupings Independent contracting, 398
Footwear News, 357 branded, 51 Independent stylist, 387
Fortune 500 companies, 379, 380 color-coordinated, 52 Independent visual contractor, 385–386
Found objects, 116, 191 functional, 51 Independent visual merchandising
Four-way fixture, 108 Guidelines, for presentations, 16–18 consultant, 385
Free-flow layout, 88, 89 Guyot, Cedric, 268 Industry connections, 397
French Connection, 219–220 Informational interviews, 398
Fresh Thyme, 261 Information processing, 32–33
Fronting, 266 H Innerwear forms, 335
Functional groupings, 51 Hale, Marsha Bentley, 319, 321 Innovation, 8, 271
Furniture fixtures, 114, 191 Halogen lighting, 239 Intellectual courage, 18
Handmade signs, 220 Intensity, color, 47
Hanger, coordinate display, 176–177 Interaction, customer, with
G Hanks, Kurt, 7 merchandise, 35
Galleria (Edina, MN), 36 Harmony. See also Feng shui Internet online store designer, 390
Garment rods, 110–111 defined, 65 Internet sales, 37, 258–259, 280–282
Gaurav Gupta, 288 as merchandising strategy, 65 Internships, 398
Gerdeman, Denny, 204 Harrods, 296, 315 Interpersonal skills, 393–394, 396
Gerow, Larry, 279 Hat display, 113 Interviewing, 399–400
Gilbert, Elizabeth, 14 H-E-B, 259 Intimacy (store), 304
Glen, Peter, 185, 351 Hickey Freeman, 6 ION Orchard, 36
GlobalShop, 360 Historic Museum of Natural History, 184 Isabelle Menin, 24
Godin, Seth, 34 History, in trendspotting, 13 Issey Miyake, 59
Gondolas, 104–105, 262 H&M, 52, 115
Gorischek, Ignaz, 151, 180 Holm-Bertelsen, Randi, 324
Gorman, Greg, 50, 85, 140, 306 Holt Renfrew, 60 J
Graphics, 146–147, 264 Home fashion stores, 185–186 JCPenney, 334
Greneker, 325 brand analysis, 201–202 Jeans, folding, 155, 156
Grid layout, 88, 89, 189 capacity fixtures in, 190–191 Jenkins, Nelson, 239
Gridwall, 110, 112, 113, 122 display techniques in, 194–200 Jeweltones, 52, 53
Grocery and food service stores entrances in, 186–187 Jill Sander, 92
brand image in, 254–256 feature fixtures in, 188–190 Jobs, Steve, 3, 8
consumer-driven changes in, 257–260 floral displays in, 198–200 Journelle, 336
cross-merchandising tabletop displays layouts in, 188
in, 267–268, 272 merchandise presentation in, 192–194
demographics and, 273 planograms in, 194, 195, 196 K
ethnic foods in, 260 self-selection displays in, 194–196 Karolefski, John, 258
exotic foods in, 260 tabletop presentations in, 205–206 Karp, Gregory, 324
fashion in, 253–254 wall fixtures in, 192, 207 Kate Spade, 60, 378, 403
fixtures in, 262–264, 268–269 Home Furnishings News, 357 Kaufman, Steve, 25, 329, 389

Index 425

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 Kelley, Tom, 14–15 photo, 358 choosing, 327–345, 347–349
Kepron, David, 301–302 Lichtenheld, Tom, 16 in communication of image,
Key item, 98 Lifestyle centers, 35 319–325
Kiosks Lighting cycling of, 345
defined, 276 accent, 236, 237 in department stores, 332
ethnic, 291 ambient, 235–236 design, 329–330
fixture design for, 276–278 brand image and, 233–234 dressing, 339–342
fixture resources for, 278–279 checklist, 241–243 evolution of, 319–320
merchandise presentation in, 279–280 colors, 240–241 history of, 320–322
miniature interactive, 278 costs, 246 look determination, 332–335
in nontraditional retailing, 275–280 decorative, 238 maintenance of, 343
overuse of, 278 demographics and, 244 manufacturing, 329–330
types of, 278 editorial displays, 240–241 matching, to images, 331
Kondo, Marie, 355–360 fluorescent, 238 merchandise image and, 332
Kong, Anne, 314 in food stores, 234, 235 outpost, 32
functions, 235–238 positioning of, 343–344
guidelines, 241–243 propping, 343–344
L halogen, 239 puppet cutouts as, 333–335
Lamp, 235 incandescent, 238–239 purchasing, 337–338
Landmark Supermarket, 262 LED, 239 realistic, 332–333
Layout(s) in our lives, 247 receiving, 338
adjacencies and, 95 sales and, 246 refurbishment of, 345
basics in, 98 systems, 238–239 scheduling changes of, 343
for clearance merchandise, 99–100 task, 236, 237 selecting garments for, 338–339
combination floor, 92, 93 technology, 234–235 signature, 330
in current season presentations, 95–96 trends in, 239 sizes of, 338
within departments, 94–95 walls and, 138–140 soft sculpture, 333
fixtures and, 100–126 windows, 240–241 sourcing, 326–327, 347
free-flow, 88, 89 in windows, 310–312 striking, 307–309
grid, 88, 89, 189 Light source signage, 216 trends and, 323–325, 327–329
in grocery and food service stores, Line unpacking, 338
262–264 curved, 61 on walls, 146, 147
in home fashion stores, 188 defined, 59 wax, 321
individual department, 96–98 diagonal, 61 in windows, 306, 307–309
key items in, 98 horizontal, 61 Mansour, James, 288
merchandise placement guidelines as merchandising strategy, 59–61 Manufacturer’s designer, 388
and, 98–99 vertical, 61 Manufacturers’ library, 357–358
minimal floor, 92 Linklater, Richard, 16 Manufacturer’s representative, 388–389
preseason merchandise and, 96 Location, brand image and, 29 Mapeasy’s Guide Maps, 359–360
racetrack, 88, 90, 189 Longinotti-Buitoni, Gian Luigi, 85 Marciano, 214
shops in, 98 Looking, 8 Marcus, Leonard, 314
signage, 221–222 Lord & Taylor, 299 Market, target, 26
soft aisle, 88, 89, 91, 92 Louis Vuitton, 27, 236 Marketing firm, 389
software for, 160–161 Lunds & Byerlys, 254 Market library, 359–360
test areas and, 97–98 Market trip, 361–363
test merchandise and, 96 Markopoulos, Mark, 330
trend areas and, 97 M Markopoulos Award, 385, 401–402
universal access and, 92–94 Macy’s, 216, 217 Mark Shale, 60
Lead time, 337 Magazine editor, 389 Marthastewart.com, 200
Lease line, 28 Mall of America, 17, 279 Martin, George, 324
Ledges, 312 Mancini, Tony, 28, 135, 163–164, 354, Materials library, 359
LED lighting, 239 381–382 McCracken, Cindy, 253
Leveraging, 301 Mannequin(s) McNally, David, 352
Library abstract, 333, 334 Media, signing, 216–217
manufacturers’, 357–358 alternatives to, 335–337 Membership clubs, 261
market, 359–360 animated, 335 Menin, Isabelle, 24
materials, 359 brand image and, 331–332 Mental flexibility, 18

426 Index

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 Merchandise Necklace presentation, 122 Pettersen, Ed, 233
broken, 100 Networking, 361–362, 396–397 Pharmacy/food stores, 261
clearance, 99–100 Neutral colors, 52, 53 Phillips, Jenny, 383–384
customer interaction with, 35 Newman, Arnold, 155 Photography, 280–281
in home fashion stores, presentation Niche marketing, 276 Photo library, 358
of, 192–194 Niketown, 336 Piggly Wiggly, 256
in kiosks, 279–280 Noncompeting stores, 11 Pivot piece, 172, 173
preseason, 96 Nonstore selling, 37 Planograms, 155–160, 194, 195, 196
selection of, 170 Nontraditional retailing Platkin, Steve, 385–386
signing, 218–220 Internet retailing in, 280–282 Politics, in trendspotting, 11
test, 96 kiosks in, 275–280 Pop-up stores, 87–88
for wall displays, 140–143 special events in, 282–287 Portfolio, 398–399
Merchandising strategy specialized marketing in, 275 Pottery Barn, 201, 202
atmospherics as, 43–45 Nordstrom, 93, 233, 234 Preseason merchandise, 96
balance as, 66–68 Presentation specialist, 383
color as, 47–55, 76 Price point, 100
contrast as, 71–72 O Primary colors, 47, 48
direction as, 59–61 Objects, found, 116, 191 Principles of design, 46, 65–72
emphasis as, 71–72 Odin, 64 Printemps, 38
harmony as, 65 Office, 353–355 Priority wall areas, 161–162
line as, 59–61 Office supplies, 354 Professional development, 264
proportion as, 58–59 Ola, Per, 321 Professional dress, 362
repetition as, 68–69 Old Navy, 30, 72 Professionalism, 393
rhythm as, 69–70 One-of-a-kind stores, 11 Professional qualifications,
sequence as, 63 Online shopping, 37, 258–259, 280–282 documentation of, 398–399
shape as, 61–62 Open-air lifestyle centers, 35 Progressive Grocer, 357
size as, 62–63 Open-sell accessory fixture, 124–125, 324 Project setup, 364–365
surprise as, 72 Operational signage, 213–216 Promotional mix, 26
tension as, 63–65 Optical weight, 58 Proportion
texture as, 56–58 Option thinking, 18 defined, 58
unity as, 65 Organic food, 259 as merchandising strategy, 58–59
Merrell Outlet, 105 Organic markets, 259–260 Props, in wall presentations, 147–152
Meyer, Fred G., 256 Organization, 355 Prototype, 10
Midtones, 52, 53 Organizational structures, 390–392 Public markets, 261
Milkmade, 115 Osborn, Alex F., 18 Pucci, Ralph, 320, 327, 329, 345–346
Miller, Henry, 13 Outlet stores, 87 Puns, 222
Minimal floor layout, 92 “Outpost” mannequin, 32 Puppet cutouts, 333–335
Mission statement, brand image and, Outriggers, 137 Purchase orders (POs), 366–367
27–28 Outside-the-box thinking, 6–8
Mobile phone, 354
Modification, in SCAMPER model, Q
9–10, 353 P Qualifications, documentation of,
Mom-and-pop stores, 25 Page (restaurant), 232, 245 398–399
Monochromatic color schemes, 48, 49 Pantone, LLC, 55 Quotes, in signage, 222
Montoya, Juan, 185 Pants, folding, 155, 156
Moore, Gene, 4, 5, 313 Parry, Jay, 7
MUJI, 17 Pastels, 52, 53 R
Multimedia resource center, 355–360 Pegler, Martin, 25, 240 Racetrack layout, 88, 90, 189
Multiple sales, 44 Pegwall, 140 Racks, round, 102–104
Muted colors, 52, 53 People skills, 393–394 Ralph Lauren, 28
Mybros Public Market, 256 People-watching, 178 Ralph Pucci, 318, 320, 327, 328, 345–346
Perimeter walls, 136 Ready-to-wear forms, 335–337
Periodicals, in trendspotting, 12–13 Realistic mannequins, 332–333
N Personal brand, 352 Rearrangement, in SCAMPER model, 10
Naranjo, David, 325 Personalities, 396 Rebholz, Jenny S., 401
Natural food markets, 259–260 Personal space, 31 Rectangular tubing, 113
Navarro, Mireya, 320, 328–329 Pete’s Fine Foods, 260–261 References, 354

Index 427

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 Relationships, customer-sales associate, Senior vice president of visual Small stores, 36–37
brand image and, 28 merchandising, 385 Smart, Jim, 73
Repetition, 63 Sequence SmartBrief (newsletter), 357
defined, 68 defined, 63 Smith, Logan Pearsall, 296
as merchandising strategy, 68–69 as merchandising strategy, 63 SoCa, 138
Reporting systems, 365–366 rhythm and, 70 Soffit, 138
Residential, retail integrated with, 36 Sevens (mall), 29 Soft aisle layout, 88, 89, 91, 92
Restoration Hardware, 201, 202, 203 Shades, 47 Soft-sculpture mannequins, 333
Retail atmosphere, creation of, 85–86 Shape Software, for layouts and fixtures,
Retail Design Collective, 360 defined, 61 160–161
Retail organizational structures, 390–392 as merchandising strategy, 61–62 Sonia Rykiel, 84, 128
Retail strategy support, 26 overlapping, 62 Sourcing, of mannequins, 326–327
Retention, 33 Shelving, 112, 152–155 Spade, Kate, 403. See also Kate Spade
Retrieval, 33 Shilling, Ed, 388–389 Speak, Karl, 352
Retrofit, 138 Shirts, folding, 152–153 Special events. See Events
Reversal, in SCAMPER model, 10 Shoe display, 113 Specialized accessory fixtures, 125–126
RH, 201, 202, 203 Shop Specialty stores, 86, 94
Rhyme, in signage, 222 defined, 98 Spizale, Jeff, 337, 344
Rhythm fixtures and, 116 Split-complementary color schemes,
defined, 69 Shopping 48, 49
line and, 59 as communication, 30–33 Square tubing, 113
as merchandising strategy, 69–70 home, 37 Staging, for events, 287
sequence and, 70 impulse, 257–258 Static-cling decals, 216
Riser, 188 online, 37, 258–259, 280–282 Stewart, Brad, 233, 246
Rods, 110–111 at trade shows, 362–363 Stolls, Richard, 382
Rosenthal, Amy Krause, 16 ShopWithMe, 274, 289 Store entrances, in home fashion stores,
Round garment rods, 110–111 Sight line, 88 186–187
Round racks, 102–104 Signage Store interiors
Rowling, J. K., 15–16 brand cohesion and, 230 brand image and, 28–29
Ruby’s, 214 brand image communication color in, 50
with, 213 emphasis on, 34–35
communication through, 213–218 Store location, brand image and, 29
S copywriting for, 222 Stores
Safety design, 220–221, 222–223 department, 86
with custom fixtures, 118 in food stores, 229–230 discount, 86, 94
with halogen lighting, 239 handmade, 220 dollar, 87
with mannequins, 146, 343 holders for, 225–226 home fashion, 185–186
with mannequins striking, 309 layout, 221–222 outlet, 87
Saks Fifth Avenue, 303 light source, 216 pop-up, 87–88
Sales media, 216–217 specialty, 86, 94
lighting and, 246 merchandise, 218–220 thrift, 87
multiple, 44 operational, 213–216 types of, 86–88
nonstore, 37 presentation, 220–225 warehouse, 87
visual merchandising as support for, production of, 223–225 STORES (magazine), 357
25, 33–34 resources, 226–227 Store size, 36–37
Sales associates, customer relationships tone in, 217–218 Story, 140
with, brand image and, 28 on walls, 146–147 Straight arm, 114
Saunders, Clarence, 256 Signature fixtures, 101, 102, 132, 187 Strategic support, visual merchandising in
SCAMPER model, 9–10 Signature mannequins, 330 retail, 26
Scarf presentation, 122 Simmonds, Denishia, 253 Strategy. See Design strategy;
Scovil, Cora, 322 Sinclair, Ken, 228–229 Merchandising strategy; Retail
Scrims, 216 Size strategy
Secondary colors, 47 as merchandising strategy, 62–63 Striking, 307–309
Self-selection displays, 194–196 store, 36–37 Strip malls, 26
Sell-down, 123 Slant board, 123 Stuart, Paul, 313
Selling ideas, skill with, 18 Slatwall, 110, 113, 120 Stuart Weitzman, 117

428 Index

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 Substitution, in SCAMPER model, 9 T-walls, 136 Visual presentation specialist, 382–383
Superquad, 104, 105 Two-way fixture, 108 Visual training specialist, 383–384
SuperValu, 252, 254, 255, 258, 259, 270
Surprise, 72
Sustainable work environment, 18–19 U W
Sweaters, folding, 152–153 UberEATS, 259 Wahba, Phil, 324–325
Ueland, Brenda, 4 Wahl, Michael, 258, 265
Ulta, 117 Walgreen’s, 261
T Under Armour, 144, 212, 215, 228 Walls
Tables, 114–116, 205–206 Underhill, Paco, 30, 56, 57, 92–93, 244 balance with, 143–146
Target, 11–12, 27, 28, 37, 87, 264, 271, Uniqlo, 324, 350, 370 as destinations, 136
324–325 Unity divider-, 136
Target market, 26 defined, 65 dividers for, 137–138
Task lighting, 236, 237 as merchandising strategy, 65 effective use of, 166
Taste Marketeria, 266–267 Universal access, 92–94. See also as fixtures, 136–137
Teamwork, 14–15 Americans with Disabilities Act fixtures for, 140
Technographics, in trendspotting, 11 (ADA) graphics on, 146–147
Tension “Up” system, 31 in home fashion stores, 192
defined, 64 lighting fixtures and, 138–139
as merchandising strategy, 63–65 lighting techniques for, 139–140
Ternus, Kate, 4, 39–40 V mannequins on, 146, 147
Tertiary colors, 47 Valmont Galerie Gastronomique, 262 merchandise for, 140–143
Test areas, 97–98 Vendor fixtures, 116 perimeter, 136
Test merchandise, 96 Venues, for events, 285 planograms for, 155–160, 194, 195
Texture Versace, 312 priority, 161–162
congruity with, 57 Vice president of visual props in, 147–152
defined, 57 merchandising, 385 as selling tools, 135–136
as merchandising strategy, 56–58 Victoria’s Secret, 44, 55, 233 signage on, 146–147
Thacker, Bob, 221 Vignettes, 297 T, 136
Thrift stores, 87 Virtual reality, 268, 269 Wall system accessories, 112
Tiffany & Co., 4, 5, 124 Visbeen, Wayne, 44 Walmart, 87, 90, 215
Tints, 47 Visual art director, 384 Warehouse stores, 87, 261
Tobias, Tom, 320 Visual communication specialist, 384 Waterfall, 112–113
Tod’s, 127 Visual continuity, 41 Waters, Robyn, 11–12
Tommerdahl, Tracy, 386 Visual merchandiser, 382–383 Way-finding, 135
Tommy Hilfiger, 61, 145 Visual merchandising Webb, Frank, 61, 62
Tone, communication of, 217–218 beginning career in, 379–382 Websites, in trendspotting, 12–13
Toolbox, 352–353, 373 in communication of brand image, 27 Wedge Community Co-op, 260
Tory Burch, 42, 74 in communication with customers, Where (magazine), 359
Tracking systems, 365–366 26–27 Whole Foods, 234, 265–266
Trade publications, in trendspotting, creative process in, 3–4 Wholesale clubs, 261
12–13 defined, 25 William Rast, 214
Trend areas, 97 information processing and, 32–33 Williams-Sonoma, 185, 201, 202, 222,
Trends message processing by customers, 227, 310
coordination by, 175–176 31–32 Wilson, Marianne, 275
defined, 11 retail strategy support by, 26 Windows
forecasting of, 35 sales support by, 25, 33–34 architectural styles of, 298–300
with lighting, 239 trend support by, 34–37 as art form, 313–314
mannequins and, 323–325, 327–329 Visual merchandising corporation buildups in, 309–310
with store interiors, 34–35 president, 386 demo, 301
visual merchandising in support of, Visual merchandising creative, 387–388 display cases in, 312
34–37 Visual merchandising director, 384–385 drive-by, 301
Trendspotting, 11–13 Visual merchandising instructor, elevator, 299
Triadic color schemes, 48, 49 389–390 enclosed, 298–299
Tri-level round rack, 104 Visual merchandising manager, 384 fantasy-to-reality theory in, 302–303
Turcsik, Richard, 254 Visual merchandising specialist, 389 fashion apparel, 300

Index 429

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 Windows (continued) mannequins in, 306, 307–309 Woolworth’s, 193, 194
half-open, 300 mechanics of, 306–313 Work environment, 18–19, 351–352
home fashion, 300 merchandising functions of, 300–302
housekeeping with, 313 nonmerchandising functions of, 302
inspiration and, 303–306 open-back, 299–300 Y
institutional, 302 promotional, 300 Yuta Powell Plaza, 56
interactive, 301 sale, 300–301
island, 299 as theater, 297–298
ledges in, 312 themes with, 303–306 Z
lighting in, 310–312 theory on, 302 Zoe, Rachel, 169
live, 301 WindowsWear PRO, 305
lobby, 299 Women’s Wear Daily (magazine), 357

430 Index

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