Displays of Yesterday & Today I was looking at some of my old display work and thought you might like to see some of it because it feels as current today as it did 20 years ago. Lower in this post you’ll see the work of merchandisers being done today. I particularly love this one above with REQUEST product because it shows the use of a little bit of signage, a simple wooden prop and then the product. Below is a similar one featuring product by GUESS. Both were on high shelving above the product displays. The next three photos show the importance of lighting in displays. Well yes, I love the summer props but because of the aiming of the lights…what we notice are the mannequins and what they’re wearing….and that is the point! This one below with “Summer Dragonflies” and a whole lot of fishing line! shows how eye-catching the window display was. Perfect lighting and Lots of Drama! Below – touchable product on a well-lighted shelf with the simplest floral prop! All so inviting and appealing to
Does clothing sell better on a mannequin? What about on the RIGHT mannequin? It’s that time of year when Summer is nearly over, seasonal sales are nearly over, and… FALL ARRIVALS are landing on your doorstep daily. It’s also the time when I know you’re looking at your store and wishing you had gotten new mannequins to give these gorgeous new collections a way to stand out. SO, HOW DO YOU PICK THE PERFECT MANNEQUIN for YOUR BRAND AND PRODUCTS? AND… WHY SHOULD YOU? Here’s my take on it! In a time when statistics are showing that online shopping has slowed down and customers are looking for more engaging experiences in physical stores, you need to stand out from the crowd. You might not know this, but visual merchandising has been neglected by many retailers for a long time. After the great recession, many stores cut their budgets for display and design, and opted for cheap and easy headless mannequins. Fast forward, they then faced the competition of online shopping, which offered convenience and variety. As a result, store front
LETS HAVE ANOTHER LOOK AT GENDER MANNEQUINS NEW RISERS You might call them risers, seats, podiums, plinths, blocks, cubes or ? but YES they’re perfect for your seated mannequins at 18” seat height, and yes, you can use them to give different heights to your displays…but I’ve certainly come to the realization, that they’re the perfect Stool for your HOME garden too, and…I’ve recently sold a number of them to a Pediatric Clinic for colourful seating. For them, we ordered them in bright colours to go with a West Coast theme Above are three different shapes and below are the gorgeous colours that are available…and don’t forget that they’re available in a Granite or a Sandstone finish. If you have any questions about these great PODIUMS… give me a call! I’d love to help you. 604 649 9050 or send me an email heddy@urbanspaces.ca Some DIY ideas for risers I’ve definitely created and used a number of DIY risers, including pallets and suitcases like those below. What you use totally depends on the ‘Brand Message’ that you are
Fashion Merchandising – Dressing a hanger… One of the things I do during a retail consultation is to review merchandising. In a recent consultation it was apparent that a couple tips were needed to bring the level of presentation up a notch. I’m not going to show you the photo but whether it’s women’s or men’s wear, the tips are the same. Yes, I prefer mannequins for showing off clothing, but SOMETIMES a hanger dressing is exactly what’s called for. Think of it as ‘front-facing’ challenges. Merchandising Tip: Tuck Everything into Pockets Note that the pant/skirt hanger is at the correct level for the waist. All sleeves go inside each other and then DEEP into the pockets. You don’t want any ‘limp’ arms. Then Zip up! Above are two types of hangers for dressing an outfit on a hanger. Here’s where I found the left one. I almost always prefer a side hung pant on a hanger presentation. Otherwise you get this ‘bowlegged cowboy’ look seen below. Another benefit is that the look with side hung is ‘tighter
Have you ever noticed when you’re playing on your IPAD and something pops up on the screen that you immediately check it out? What caused you to do that? In one word…..MOVEMENT! It is one of the most important, inexpensive concepts that you can use in your window displays. Let’s have a look! Add MOVEMENT to Window Displays to Attract Customers THE SIMPLE HOUSEHOLD FAN! I’ve used this concept so many times, because it works for so many products. Just the slightest movement catches peoples eyes. Attract Retail Customers with Ceiling Motors It doesn’t matter if you’re suspending a mirror ball like the ones in the image below. These simple motors can make a clothing hanger turn, an umbrella, a single flower….anything really that you can imagine..and, they’re inexpensive. The Turntable Or simply put… rotating display stands. This was a promotion done at Park Royal West Vancouver a few years ago, where mannequins were placed on these rotating display stands along with signage to promote the products. They were really effective! Often used for photography purposes, these would work equally
The Triangle Principle (Merchandising Education) I am really fortunate to be a guest blogger on the Talented and Brilliant Maria Killams’ blog site. With her permission I used a couple of her photos in the guest posting to demonstrate one of the key ‘Principles of display’. I’ve known Maria for some time now, first meeting her at a Canadian Decorators event where she was a guest presenter. Maria Killam is an internationally sought after colour expert, design blogger, author, trainer, decorator and stylist. She is passionate about all things colour and design, subjects she writes about extensively on her blog, Colour Me Happy. Here’s my guest post on The Triangle Principle….featured on Maria’s blog. Style your Home like the Pros by using the Triangle Principle I hope you have found this post inspiring and thought provoking, and if you want to find out more about what I do please visit me at Urban Spaces Design Co. I can help you if you are seeking full design services including consulting, merchandising, store design and more. Please contact us at 604 649 9050 or email
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