I don’t know that this is as much a question as open-ended rambling.
I have been obsessing about storefronts and merchandising in retail stores lately. I have spent more time in the mall in the last 2 weeks than I ever have in my life. I have no idea how I want to design my store.
Has anybody hired or worked with a visual merchandiser? What tips have you gotten that stick with you?
I have been able to spot some common design techniques.
Like how a (usually tall) display always stands front and center just a few feet inside a door. I would guess that this creates interest and forces you to walk around it.
Many stores have a wall about half the width of the window. There is always a window display but you still see around the wall and inside the store.
Almost none have rows or distinct “isles”. Instead they have clusters of displays. The clusters usually offset each other, like movie theater seats, forcing you to weave between the displays to get to the register.
There is almost always a professionally printed sign of some sort in the window or throughout the store. Does anybody know where I can get this wide format printing done and for what price? Wouldn’t it be neat if the PPFA (or somebody else) could help design indoor sinage specifically for frameshops and sell them (like FS did with postcards)?
No matter how many times I leave Kirkland’s or Pier 1, I can’t recall what color their walls are. I think that’s because there isn’t one square inch of wall showing. There is merchandise covering every bit of it.
I haven’t noticed anything common about lighting other than its always interesting and rarely comes 100% from the ceiling.
Anyway I spend so much time taking mental, or physical, notes about the merchandising of a store that I’m afraid I will never fully enjoy the shopping experience again.
Has anybody else incorporated ideas they got from other retail stores into their frameshop? Have you noticed any common threads in design of retail stores?
***End of Ramble***
Carry on!
I have been obsessing about storefronts and merchandising in retail stores lately. I have spent more time in the mall in the last 2 weeks than I ever have in my life. I have no idea how I want to design my store.
Has anybody hired or worked with a visual merchandiser? What tips have you gotten that stick with you?
I have been able to spot some common design techniques.
Like how a (usually tall) display always stands front and center just a few feet inside a door. I would guess that this creates interest and forces you to walk around it.
Many stores have a wall about half the width of the window. There is always a window display but you still see around the wall and inside the store.
Almost none have rows or distinct “isles”. Instead they have clusters of displays. The clusters usually offset each other, like movie theater seats, forcing you to weave between the displays to get to the register.
There is almost always a professionally printed sign of some sort in the window or throughout the store. Does anybody know where I can get this wide format printing done and for what price? Wouldn’t it be neat if the PPFA (or somebody else) could help design indoor sinage specifically for frameshops and sell them (like FS did with postcards)?
No matter how many times I leave Kirkland’s or Pier 1, I can’t recall what color their walls are. I think that’s because there isn’t one square inch of wall showing. There is merchandise covering every bit of it.
I haven’t noticed anything common about lighting other than its always interesting and rarely comes 100% from the ceiling.
Anyway I spend so much time taking mental, or physical, notes about the merchandising of a store that I’m afraid I will never fully enjoy the shopping experience again.
Has anybody else incorporated ideas they got from other retail stores into their frameshop? Have you noticed any common threads in design of retail stores?
***End of Ramble***
Carry on!
