4 Ways to Revamp Your Rolling Display Racks

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Firefly Store Solutions 

  

Chances are you have a few rolling display racks in your store. Some retailers use them to arrange merchandise in the store itself, while others use their racks to sort dressing room leftovers or sort through new SKUs in the backroom.

Regardless of how you use your rolling racks, wouldn't you rather they be a dynamic part of your establishment rather than just a boring fixture? Here are four ways that you can improve your usage of rolling racks in your store.

1. Create a mobile sale section
There's probably a section of your store dedicated to sales merchandise, but if you're hosting a special seasonal clearance, you can present the marked-down SKUs prominently using a rolling rack. Place the rack in your window or at the right-front of your store, as this is the first place that consumers usually look when they enter an establishment. You'll draw people in and hopefully entice them to buy with your low prices.

Optimize storage with rack shelves.

2. Upgrade your Z-Rolling rack
If you have a few of Firefly's stackable Z-Rolling racks in your store, you can upgrade them with the new bottom shelf add-on. Now in addition to hanging garments, you can optimize your storage by placing boxes, crates or baskets on the bottom shelf of your rolling rack. This can be helpful for use in your backroom or on the sales floor! If you're using the rack in your store, why not set out a few pairs of shoes that complement the garments you hang on the rack? Smart display tactics can help increase your customers' impulse purchases.


3. Fill a boring corner
When you're rearranging your merchandise, you may end up with some empty corners in your store. You can cover up areas that are under construction with a strategically placed rolling rack. Arrange the rack diagonally across the corner you want to mask, then load it up with some great SKUs. Your customers will be distracted by the merchandise and won't notice that the corner behind it is less-than-polished.

4. Make an outdoor display
How's your store's curb appeal? You need to have something eye-catching in front of your establishment if you're going to entice people to stop in.

A rolling rack is the perfect tool for creating a display outside your doors. You can simply roll it out in the morning and bring it back in at closing. Just make sure your employees know to keep an eye on any merchandise so passersby don't carry anything off without paying.

To view the original article please visit: Firefly Solutions

Store design: It just keeps getting smarter… and sexier

Aug. 14, 2015 | by Ethan Whitehill    

 

Even with e-commerce skyrocketing, many shoppers still choose to make purchases in the store rather than online. PwC’s annual consumer survey notes that nearly 40 percent of consumers buy in a store at least once a week versus only 27 percent who buy online. And design plays a huge role in that decision. Not just because it lures people through the door, but also because it inspires them to pull out their wallets.

 

So how can you create a truly standout look in your stores? There’s no question that today’s shoppers want to be wowed. Tech-savvy and design-smart, they’re looking for interactive and visually appealing experiences that jolt them out of the day-to-day. Retailers are upping their game in response, delivering hi-tech touchscreens, augmented-reality displays and spaces designed to calm busy customers. Hands down, some of the smartest and most inventive designs we’ve ever seen.

 

Below, we’ll take you through some of the top trends, give you a peek inside our faves and suggest how you can put them to work for you.

 

THE CALMING EFFECT
Serene spaces relax customers and let products pop

 

Today’s shoppers are pooped. Minimalistic design schemes offer a much-needed respite from their busy lives while allowing products to take center stage. Neutral colors and natural textures turn spaces into soothing havens where shoppers can leisurely browse — and hopefully buy. Borrowing tips from top beauty and wellness brands, retailers can create minimal spaces that still feel friendly and inviting. Skin-care company Kiehl’s mixes industrial elements (cement and brick) with premium accents (marble) to create warm, organized spaces that reflect various aspects of the brand’s personality; while luxury skin-care line Aesop uses sustainably sourced wood in stores to echo its product packaging and plant-based ingredients.
 

GO DIGITAL OR GO HOME

Technology connects retailers with consumers in a powerful way

 

As the lines between online and offline continue to blur, it’s critical for forward-thinking brands to develop and implement digital strategies in their brick-and-mortar locations. Brands like Home Depot, Burberry and Harrods have transformed their spaces with inventive offerings, including: customer tablets for easy product browsing, interactive window displays, video-based ads and mobile apps that enable shoppers to complete purchases on their own.

 

Before funneling dollars into digital design, it’s important to assess how it will elevate the shopper experience or eliminate inconveniences. For instance, how quickly will you make your money back and will it save cash in the long run? Does it reinforce brand messaging or improve the customer experience? All good things to ask!
 

THE STORE AS STARSHIP

Store design goes back to the future

 

Many high-end fashion retailers like Louis Vuitton and Shine are opting for a futuristic look with streamlined fixtures for clothing rails, curved display cabinets and shocking stretches of white space. Shoemaker Stuart Weitzman is at the helm of the movement. Working with world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid, Weitzman created the company’s international flagship in Milan and five other stores in major cities around the world. Much like the company’s shoes, Hadid’s spaceship-like designs are fluid and playful, adorned with reflective surfaces that stand out against monotonous floors and walls.

 

5 store designs blowing our minds

Retailers to Watch and Why

1. Ministry of Supply: The hi-tech menswear line recently set up shop in San Francisco with a few interactive touches. Thanks to a partnership with Mission Bikes, shoppers can pedal away on a bike while wearing the performance-inspired classics to test their durability.
2. Google: The tech giant designed its first-ever physical location to encourage consumers to learn and play before buying. With perks like Portal (which lets shoppers “fly” around the world) and Doodle Wall (where people can spray-paint their own version of the Google logo), this shop-in-a-shop is already turning store design on its head.
3. Starbucks: To combat the franchise blahs, the coffee chain recently decentralized its design efforts in an attempt to increase local relevance. Now, 18 in-house design studios around the world are giving Starbucks stores unique looks inspired by culture and community.
4. Harrods: This year, the British department store celebrated Easter with an augmented-reality window display that took shoppers into the fantasy world of Fabergé. Customers combined vivid patterns and colors to “paint” the giant egg with their own artistic vision.
5. Minerva Canna Group: Not only has this Albuquerque-based marijuana dispensary sharpened its own business image and space, its design has cast new light on the entire cannabis industry. Gone are the dark, dingy, hippie-havens of the past; replaced with sleek, friendly spaces that appeal to the modern cannabis customer.

 

To view the original article please visit: Retail Customer Experience

Retail Twitter Handles to Follow

General Retailing, Industry News and Tips
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Retail Wire @RetailWire
RIS @RISnewsInsights
Hanover Research @hanover4bix
Retail Minded @RetailMinded
Retail Online Magazine @RetailOnlineMag
One Step Retail Solutions @OneStepRetail
Future of Retail Alliance @joinFORA
NY Times Retail Reporter @stephcliff

Retail Technology / Technology
Point of Sale News @PointOfSaleNews
One Step Retail Solutions @OneStepRetail
Tech Crunch @TechCrunch
Retail Digital @RetailDigital
NCR Counterpoint: @NCRCorporation
Retail Pro: @RetailProNews

Hiring / Personnel
The Retail Life @theRetailLife
Find Hire @FindHire
Work in Retail @WorkinRetail
NRF Retail Careers @Retail_Careers

Consultants / Training
Evan Carmichael @EvanCarmichael
Retail Smart Guys @danjab
Retail Touch Points @RTouchPoints
Retail Concepts @RetailConcepts
The Retail Doctor @theRetailDoctor
Retail Mavens @RetailMavens

Associations
NRF News - National Retail Federation @NRFnews
RSPA @RSPA
Board Retail Association @BoardRetailers
Florida Retail Association @FloridaRetail
Michigan Retail Association @MichRetail
California Fashion Association: @calfashion
Canadian Apparel Federation: @caf_apparel
Museum Store Association: @MSAconnect
Jewelers of America: @Jewelers_JA
Association of Zoos and Aquariums: @zoos_aquariums
American Nursery & Landscape Association: @american_hort
American Apparel and Footwear Association: @apparelfootwear
Brewer’s Association: @BrewersAssoc
Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America: @FDRA
Game Manufacturers Association: @GamaOnline
International Council for Shopping Centers: @ICSC
National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers: @NASGW_Pros
National Sporting Goods Association: @NSGASportingGds
North American Home Furnishings: @theNAHFA
Sports and Fitness Industry Association: @theSFIA

Visual Merchandising and Design
Retail Details @retail_details
King Retail Solutions @KingRetail
DDI Online @DDItweets
Store Signs @StoreSigns
Retail Design Blog: @RetailDesignBG

Promotion and Marketing
Snap Retail @SnapRetail
Brand Spank @BrandSpankShop
Plastic Resource @PlasticResource
Postcard Mania @PostcardMania

Retail Real Estate
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CBRE @CBRE

Style and Fashion
Racked National @Racked
Lifestyle Lemonaid @LifeStyleLemonaid
Women's Wear Daily @WomensWearDaily
Refinery29 @refinery29
Red Carpet Fashion: @Fashion_Critic_

Get Out Your Pumpkins, Fall is Here!

Traditional pumpkins

 

Classy pumpkins

 

Funky pumpkins
 

Shabby Chic Pumpkins

 

Gold Pumpkins

 

August Retail Party Discussion - Rewind - Topic: Retail Design

On August 17th, 2012 a group of retail industry specialists gathered in an open Twitter discussion regarding retail design and visual merchandising.

Attendees:
King Retail Solutions / Twitter
One Step Retail Solutions / Twitter
APG Cash Drawer / Twitter
Smart Retail / Twitter
Retail Tim / Twitter
Retail Net Group / Twitter 
Sean Deale / Twitter.

Here are some of the helpful tips presented by the attendees -

What about trends and remodels?
- An interesting concept was to implement digital signage, making it much easier to change up the look and feel without frequently.
- Avoid being too "on trend" requiring frequent redesigns unless you are financially able to commit. Trends can later date your store.

Consumer experience, what is the consumer looking for?
- King Retail Solutions and Retail Tim recommend research, including a good old fashioned focus group to really hone in on what your customers are looking for in terms of a retail experience.
- It is noted that it is important to know what the customer is looking for and how they will want to interact with the retailer.
- Do a walk through of competitors stores. Consider ways to differentiate yourself from the competition.

How to avoid a brand disconnect?
- Make sure your brand (logo, mantra, voice, aesthetic) shines through in your store design, no disconnect.
- Consider your online or magazine branding and style, ensure each point a customer will come into contact with you will be cohesive. Including: color, emotion, style and target public.

About store layout?
- Avoid cluttering the walk ways and do not put anything that could be perceived as an obstacle in the entry way.
- Facing items outward in a welcoming way towards the entrance.
- Place items that go well together is recommended.
- Creating an experience within your store can be tricky but will keep your customers in store and they may purchase more than what they initially intended on buying.

General design tips: - Colors create varied emotions and should be researched.
- Ensure you have proper lighting, lighting can set a mood and should be considered a part of the experience.
- Consider music to create the illusion of movement and motion for the quiet hours of the day. Choose a mix appropriate to your target customers.

How does mobile tie in with retail design?
- APG Cash Drawer recommends retailers take advantage of the new mobile technologies & give the end users more sufficient ways to close a sale. Thus enhancing the customers experience by creating a seamless experience.
- Many retailers are looking for a way to differential themselves from the crowd and with a variety of ways mobile can be implemented, it gives a retailer the freedom to express their brand and vision.
- Point of sale is where you want your customers to land, making your point of sale mobile removes a previous hurdle the customer had to overcome. Stationary POS can cause a customer to be dissuaded by lines or second guessing their immediate impulse on their way to checkout.



Our next Retail Twitter Party will be held on September 20th, 2012 at 11am PST discussing "Preparing for the holidays".
Sign in with your Twitter account at TWebEvent or follow the #retailparty from your Twitter account.

[Feature] Introducing Christopher Studach of King Retail Solutions

We are excited in introduce you to Christopher Studach, Creative Director of King Retail Solutions. Thank you Christopher for taking the time to speak with us and to also share some fantastic retail design tips for success!

KRS offers cutting edge retail design and manfacturing services with the convenience of one reliable vendor relationship. Retail design,
Manufacturing, Program Management and Installation.

What is your favorite thing about working with retailers?
The creative interplay that results from having well developed common goals.  Working with retailers that understand the importance of design to their business, willingness & trust to take risks makes the jobs more rewarding, and typically more successful.

What would you say is the most helpful thing about your product or services for a retailer? Good design = Great results (sales).  Period.

If you could offer any advice to retailers out there, what would you say? Economic pressures on business are more intense than ever.  In the retail world this means getting more for less, and compressing timelines to extreme conditions.  The old adage “Price, speed, quality – pick two” is certainly true to a point, yet conditions are such that this “truth” is being stretched and twisted to such a degree that something has to give.  We know that time is money, but for the sake of the job please allow enough time for the job to be done properly.  Everyone wins.

How did you get into the industry you are in?

Equal measures of skill and luck.

In you could live anywhere in the world, where would you and why? Every so often I think about all the places that would be really cool to live in – then why I don’t.  I like it here.

Do you have any retail design favorites? I don’t play favorites.

What do you think are retailers worst design habits? Turning their backs on the power of design for the sake of other factors.

What do you think are retailers best design habits? Those that get it really do.  They devote time, energy and (obviously) resources to maintain, or even better educated evolution of their best work.  Be happy, but never satisfied.

When looking to redesign a retail space, what would you suggest a retailers first steps be? Let a professional assess their your situation.

Designs evolve rather rapidly (especially now a ‘days) how do you suggest a retailer cost effectively go about remaining fresh? Avoid trends unless you can afford to remodel every 2-3 years.  Rather use solid design principles to arrive at an effective, “timeless” design.

King Retail Solutions is part of One Step Retail Solution's Retail Professional Association. For more information on our association resources go to http://onestepretail.com/retail/recommended/ 

The Secrets to Effective Window Displays

One Step Retail Solutions Associate member, Linda Cahan of Cahan&
Company was featured in this recent MSNBC segment on store window
design.

This segment is informative and we hope that our retailers will take a
few minutes to get some helpful tips and continued education on this topic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MNc13I25XI8#!

Linda Cahan consults retailers regarding New Store Design, Visual
Merchandising, Branding and Renovations. An expert in the retail design
industry since 1971, Linda is well experienced in visual merchandising for
traditional department stores and specialty stores.

www.lindacahan.com

We are proud to have such fantastic resources made available

to our retailers through our associate program.
http://onestepretail.com/retail/recommended/listing/?c=cmV0YWlsLWRlc2lnbi0,

Global Shop 2012 Rewind - Judge a Shop by it's Cover?

We just returned from Global Shop, a leading store design and at-store marketing convention in Las Vegas. The sheer creativity and resources available to retailers really got my creative juices going.

Retail is a sensory industry, you are selling products that can either be touched, worn, viewed, used, held, smelt, eaten or in some cases… all of the above. Somewhere between the operation and budget, the overall FEEL and IMPRESSION being created IN store can get lost. This is especially true for small to medium sized retail shops that sometimes do not have the wherewithal to pull off something “spectacular”. Regardless, a look and feeling that
represents and welcomes is highly important. MANY retailers nail this but some have a hard time with this.

Pretend like you have never walked into your store before and with fresh eyes start out a few yards away and start observing the space.
Walk in, take in the feel, the smell, do you feel comfortable? Do you feel like the arrangement of the displays is welcoming (slanted towards you), can you comfortably see (not too bright, not too dark), do the basic colors of the room attract you or detract you? Ask some of your frequent shoppers what they like most about the shop experience and find out if they feel physically welcome.

If you think of your shop like an outfit, putting together the right elements to pull everything together, with some strategic (and cost effective) upgrades you can revamp your whole store.