Latest / The Resilient Retail Game Plan - retail insights, retail trends and best practices / The Shop Window Pyramid: Visual Merchandising Secrets for Independent Retailers

Transcript

The Shop Window Pyramid: Visual Merchandising Secrets for Independent Retailers · The Resilient Retail Game Plan - retail insights, retail trends and best practices

0:01
A shop window isn't just a display, it's a salesperson
0:04
working for you 24 hours a day. Coming up, everything
0:08
you need to know to make yours impossible to walk past.
0:13
Welcome to the Resilient Retail Game Plan. I'm Catherine Erdly and in the
0:17
next few minutes you're about to get powerful real world retail strategies
0:21
from insights shared both from my guests and myself, backed up
0:24
by my 25 years in the retail industry. Keep listening to learn
0:28
how to grow a thriving, profitable product business. Let's jump
0:32
in with this latest episode.
0:37
Today's episode is one that came directly from a trip that I took
0:41
to Spring Fair a few weeks ago. I bumped into quite a few people
0:45
who listened to the podcast, which is always a pleasure, and it also
0:48
meant that I got to ask them what they wanted to hear more of. This
0:52
topic was overwhelmingly a favorite one that you wanted me to address.
0:56
My guest today, Sarah Manning was the obvious choice to reach out to,
1:00
as she is a visual merchandising consultant, course leader, and
1:04
a real expert in her field. It made for a great
1:08
conversation. We talk about the value of great window displays,
1:11
how to work with awkward spaces, and how visual merchandising
1:15
is an important consideration for anyone who sells in person, whether
1:19
that's in a shop or at events or shows. I asked
1:23
Sarah what her four guiding principles are when implementing window
1:26
dressing and what she came back with was something I honestly hadn't heard framed
1:30
this way before. She has a great name for it. The Power of the
1:34
Pyramid. It's all about elevating your
1:37
concept, your composition in the window, whether
1:41
you're working with fashion or 3D products to the
1:45
eye line of the customer. And it's all about
1:48
engaging the customer's eye as they walk past
1:52
your shop window. The top of the pyramid should be at
1:55
the eye line, which is called our focal point, and that is the
1:59
key area that the customer is going to concentrate on first.
2:03
So all of that should contain your
2:06
Ultimate Hero product or kind of push products as we
2:10
call it. So anything that you want to highlight to the customer
2:13
first, you place it there. We also work with lots of
2:17
threes, repetition, alternation, and also our
2:20
half pyramid, which is the asymmetrical pyramid, which
2:24
quite cleverly takes the customer's eye towards the entrance as
2:28
well. We always follow the graduation. One of you sent in a
2:32
question by Instagram that really gets to the heart of something I think every
2:35
independent retailer wrestles with. Do you use your window to push
2:39
products or to tell your brand story? Sarah's answer
2:42
Surprised me especially what's changed since 2020. See,
2:46
Sarah works with clients that range from small independents to Tower
2:50
Bridge itself. And what she's seen across all of them is a shift in what
2:54
customers expect. It's not just about beautiful displays anymore.
2:58
I think it's a really interesting question. And I would say with most of
3:01
my own customers since 2020, it's been
3:05
really important for them to actually visually
3:08
communicate who they are as a brand in their window.
3:13
So all of that is really important because as a kind of customer
3:16
now, our sort of expectations have greatly changed and we
3:20
really want to understand and have
3:23
transparency of those brands that we are choosing to come and
3:27
shop now to communicate who they are in
3:31
the shop window. That could be a slogan, that could be
3:35
using QR codes that are scannable, that the
3:38
customer can find out more information on that
3:42
brand. And also showing your product in a way,
3:46
maybe with various different textures and kind of props and kind of
3:49
colors, which also helps to illustrate who you
3:53
are as a brand. In regards to
3:56
seasonal, I also work with a lot of
4:00
customers, including, say, Tower Bridge, that we do
4:04
seasonal installs for, which happen every two months.
4:08
And all of that helps to create that freshness and that newness
4:12
for the customer. However, at the same time, we also tell
4:16
the story of Tower Bridge through that concept.
4:20
So I think it's really important to talk about who
4:24
you are as a brand. So that could just be your brand logo,
4:28
a slogan which kind of gives the customer an idea
4:32
of who you are and also maybe a QR code.
4:36
Here's where it gets really practical and honestly, a little counterintuitive.
4:40
You might assume you put your bestsellers in the window, but Sarah's
4:44
take, not quite. Usually
4:48
most product that is showcased in a window is new,
4:51
seasonal or promotional. I see the
4:55
shop window as an area of opportunity.
4:59
So you wouldn't ever put product in there that your customers are
5:02
going to come in for anyway. It's an opportunity to
5:06
really showcase to the customer your
5:10
newness and promotional product and
5:13
also for independence, a kind of great way to
5:17
try and upsell something that hasn't sold.
5:21
So I've got lots of independent kind of customers who won't always
5:25
have new product coming through. So actually, that
5:28
shop window can work as a really great example
5:32
of how you can push product that maybe
5:36
hasn't sold. That actually, you know, if it's placed in a
5:39
window, it's dressed, it's styled, it's accessorized,
5:43
then place at the hotspot in store, which is the first area that you come
5:47
to most of the time. We do see increases
5:51
in sales in that. Okay, so we know what
5:54
goes in the window, but how often should things actually change? I
5:58
had a hunch Sarah would say as often as possible, but her answer
6:02
is a lot more nuanced and a lot more manageable.
6:06
We often will suggest every four weeks in
6:09
regards to changing the composition in a shop
6:13
window. I think anything more frequent to that
6:16
is often time consuming. But it's very important
6:20
that every four weeks you create that sort of newness
6:23
coming through. So if we give the example of
6:27
Tower Bridge, the spring concept, which is
6:31
currently there, is only there usually for about two
6:35
months. However, after Easter, we will take
6:38
the Easter elements out of it and just keep in
6:42
more spring. So actually, from a customer's point of view, it
6:46
creates that illusion of newness constantly. When we
6:49
look at larger department stores where they have a
6:53
larger spend, say someone like Selfridges or
6:56
Harrods, usually you'll see that turnaround every eight to 10
7:00
weeks because they have greater sort of, you know,
7:04
spend on that concept. However, for
7:07
independents, I feel if they can try and structure some
7:11
kind of change in the window every four weeks,
7:16
even if it's just a slight product change, it will really
7:19
help just to kind of draw more attention to the window
7:23
and just keep it really fresh and interesting for their customer.
7:27
What Sarah said next is the kind of practical tip that genuinely makes things
7:31
feel doable. If you're a small business owner with limited time and budget,
7:35
it's about building a permanent skeleton in the window. So the
7:38
monthly fresh is just about a wardrobe change, not a full rebuild.
7:43
And I would say with lots of customers who I work with,
7:47
we will pre set up a sort of template, if you like, in
7:50
window. So say we're going with the symmetrical
7:54
pyramid. I will pre set up, say, plinths or
7:58
kind of podiums in the window that give you that
8:01
symmetrical shape. And then all they have to do
8:05
each month is just change the actual product and maybe any
8:09
prop elements in the window. But the structure is already
8:13
preset, so that can be really helpful
8:17
for independence to actually have a permanent sort of
8:21
structure in the window, which obviously brings that height
8:24
up, brings the eye line to the product, and
8:28
all of that can be created with kind of crates or floor
8:31
plans. Not every retailer is working with a
8:35
beautiful, wide, deep shop window. I heard this a lot
8:38
at Spring Fair. My window has no depth. Mine is tiny.
8:42
Mine is basically a gap in the wall. So I asked Sarah what to do
8:46
when the space itself is working against you. I actually have
8:49
a particular client, Elenique, who has got a lovely
8:53
clinic in Fulham Road in London. And I've worked
8:57
with Elena for probably the past eight years now. Her window
9:01
is really shallow, so we tend to do a lot of
9:04
hanging in her window. So we've had like a hanging
9:08
rail installed over her shop window
9:12
where we can hang graphics or we can hang props
9:16
in there. We've also used a
9:19
floral arch quite a few times, particularly at Christmas,
9:23
because the feet on the arch are quite short,
9:27
so it kind of sort of slots in. So having something that's quite narrow
9:31
or hanging. But I've got another customer who's got a very
9:35
slender shop window who's had a screen put into
9:39
that. So it, you know, it kind of, sort of allows them to
9:42
constantly showcase kind of content on that screen.
9:46
You can also have quite small podiums created,
9:50
which obviously help to give you the elevation of height
9:54
and then also allow you a bit of a kind of platform to be
9:58
able to dress. And also hanging shelves can
10:01
also actually be really effective in those areas.
10:06
So maybe thinking more about what you can hang from
10:10
the ceiling rather than on the floor area
10:13
itself,
10:18
Then we got into something that might split opinions. Open
10:21
windows where customers can see straight through into the shop, versus windows
10:25
with a background screen or barrier. And honestly, I hadn't really
10:28
considered how much of a difference that choice makes until Sarah explained
10:32
it. When we talk about open windows
10:36
and open windows are brilliant because that obviously allows the
10:39
customer to actually see through in store. However,
10:43
it can create confusion because
10:46
obviously you're not looking at the window, your eyes sort of focusing
10:50
straight past the window. So to be able to break that
10:54
eye up and to be able to allow the customer to.
10:58
To really focus on the window, we would either put in
11:02
like a hanging panel just behind the window area, you
11:06
know, that only needs to sit in the middle of the window, so it's not
11:09
going to sort of block out light either side. So it could be a
11:13
panel. I've had a couple of examples where we've
11:16
created like a branded graphic which is hanging.
11:20
We've also hung some fabric which can also be really
11:24
nice for a home interior store. You can do,
11:27
say something like wallpaper panels, and
11:31
it just separates the customer's eye. So it kind of
11:35
helps to allow them to really focus upon
11:39
the actual concept in the window. So. So that creates
11:42
strength and then it also helps to be able to create
11:46
the clarity inside. So you are able to see through,
11:50
but you're also able to actually concentrate on the Window as well.
11:55
By this point in our conversation, I wanted to zoom out beyond the window
11:59
itself because Sarah is actually writing a whole new course
12:03
on the retail experience. And what she shared next about external
12:06
theatre makes so much sense of what I've been seeing while out and
12:10
about recently. I'm currently
12:14
creating some new content for a brand new online course
12:18
through the ual, which is all about creating this retail
12:21
experience. And one of the first chapters is us
12:25
talking more about examples of
12:29
brands that have created impact not only through
12:32
their shop window, but actually on the exterior of their
12:36
store to make the customer want to
12:39
feel that they are entertained and ultimately help to
12:43
draw them in. And a couple of great examples to talk about,
12:47
I feel, which is obviously looking at more sort of luxury
12:51
brands, is Louis Vuitton has some fantastic examples
12:55
that we can all take inspiration from. So a couple that I've
12:58
used on that course is the Rainbow,
13:02
which was shown on their flagship here in London, which
13:06
obviously ultimately created that pointer as well in store,
13:10
but it was obviously right on the exterior of the store,
13:13
which obviously creates greater impact as the customer is
13:17
approaching. And then cleverly, like a sort of
13:20
asymmetrical kind of pyramid takes the eye not only to the window
13:24
but also to the entrance. It also creates
13:28
that sort of talking point, photograph opportunity.
13:32
And also another one which was shown at Harrods, which was
13:36
in 2023, when they collaborated with Kusama,
13:40
who's the Japanese artist. And we probably all saw
13:44
the polka dots on Harrods and also the Harrod
13:47
size Kusama painting those polka dots on
13:51
Harrods itself. So it's all about creating that
13:54
huge theater. Maybe, you know, talking about the
13:58
art element too, which is very interesting.
14:02
Selfridges have added lots of touch points to the glass.
14:06
So it isn't just about a sort of static window, it's about
14:10
something that maybe plays music or creates kind
14:13
of movement. And then also AR technology,
14:17
which is AR scannable codes. You can have
14:21
more of a. An experience through your smartphone, if
14:24
anyone's interested. We actually talk about quite a lot on the
14:28
courses. The collaboration with Selfridges and a company
14:31
called 8th Wall, which was taken from
14:34
2022, where they had the AR scannable codes
14:38
actually in store, which kind of sort of allowed you to have
14:42
like a holographic kind of catwalk experience. So
14:46
there is lots of sort of elements that kind of can be added
14:50
to the outside, which obviously then
14:53
creates the theater to draw the customer inside.
14:57
Something I've heard referred to as the third window is what happens Once a
15:01
customer actually crosses the threshold is that first display they encounter
15:05
inside the store. Sarah had some very specific thoughts on how
15:09
to make it work hand in hand with whatever's in your actual window. And
15:14
so the hotspot area, which is that kind of third
15:18
area as you come through, as you talk about, should be
15:21
your area as you come into the entrance. So the
15:25
hotspot area shouldn't be too close to the entrance because that
15:29
can also subconsciously block the customer flow. So
15:33
it should be further back so you have that clear space before the
15:37
customer actually, you know, to encourage them to come in. And then
15:40
they obviously sort of discover the hotspot space.
15:45
That hotspot space can be a table, it can be
15:48
rails, can be any type of kind of fixturing. However, it
15:52
should hold all of that range of product that
15:55
you've just shown your customer in the window.
15:59
So it's creating that opportunity which we
16:03
say in the industry, see it, like it, buy it. So you're seeing it in
16:06
the window, you like it, it's kind of sort of drawing you
16:10
in. And then that product is the first product that you come across
16:14
as you come in to store. And usually if
16:18
we're looking at sales through vm, that
16:21
hotspot is quite an important area because it kind of helps
16:25
to sort of drive more commercial sales. Particularly
16:29
if you've got those packages of products all together at
16:33
that area as well, which kind of obviously comes on to link
16:36
selling. So that about trying to sell your customer
16:40
that entire package of product that you've just shown them in
16:44
the window. When you were saying that about the external theatre, I was thinking
16:48
about obviously for independence. Then some of these things are,
16:52
you know, if only we all had the Louis Vuitton budget. But I was thinking
16:55
about just even certain areas where you see lots of
16:59
independence. I was in North Lane in Brighton, for example,
17:03
shops, they almost like paint upwards as well. So it's like you see.
17:07
And the other place that always strikes me is Camden. As you're
17:10
walking from Camden tube station to the Camden Lock market, there's
17:14
a lot of those shops will have. There's like a giant Dr. Martens boot on
17:18
the side of the Dr. Martens store. And there's like again like the paint will.
17:22
It'll be the brand colors. But then it's almost like the first story of the
17:25
shop has been painted as well. So it feels quite eye catching. There's a shop
17:29
there in Brighton called Soctopus and it's bright blue and it's got the big
17:33
logo on it. So it sort of really stands out. So I love what you're
17:37
saying about brand colors, like the color impact of the shop being really
17:40
important as well. I wanted to ask Sarah where she
17:44
goes when she needs a hit of inspiration. And she didn't just rattle off the
17:48
obvious names, she gave us a genuinely useful list. And one
17:52
recommendation in particular I hadn't come across before.
17:56
I would really recommend, if you are local to
17:59
London, if you, you can go and look at them in person, I think it's
18:03
brilliant. However, equally, we can all obviously access
18:06
all of the content from pictures in store and also in the
18:10
windows on their Instagrams. But look at Harrods,
18:14
Liberty, London, Selfridges, particularly the corner shop
18:18
is a great example of a pop up shop which changes
18:21
approximately every eight weeks. They have four shop
18:25
windows there which are brilliant examples of these
18:28
interactive shop windows and lots of brand theatre.
18:32
Also looking at brands like Fortnum and Mason,
18:36
particularly at Christmas time, is a great example of
18:40
showcasing food and 3D packaging in a
18:44
really inspiring way. They had their advent calendar this year that
18:47
was really fun. Where they actually had like in the windows of Fortnum and Mason,
18:51
they had the different numbers. Yeah, their windows look
18:55
absolutely brilliant. I would also say
18:58
Tiffany for jewelry is a great one.
19:01
If you're working more with smaller showcases
19:05
in your windows or also in store, that is a very
19:09
great example of how they use their brand color
19:13
and really kind of sort of brand props which
19:17
kind of take the element all the way through really
19:20
consistently. And then finally talking about
19:25
somebody in our industry called Tim Nash, who's got a
19:28
fantastic blog called the Shop Drop Blog. Obviously I'll give
19:32
Catherine the link. Yeah. Now he's got his own
19:36
podcast, but he's also got a blog page that you can
19:39
subscribe to his complimentary newsletter that comes out
19:43
every Thursday. And he has got lots of great content
19:47
on pop up shops which are happening globally. And there are lots
19:51
of examples on there of great installations,
19:55
great product placement and also great use of
19:58
branding. Fantastic. Thank you, that is great. Yeah, we will definitely
20:02
link to that in the show notes. Thank you so much. And yeah, do you
20:05
want to just finish off by telling everyone where they can find out more about
20:08
your work and your courses? Of course, yes. So if you want
20:12
to check me out, you can check out the website,
20:15
which is visualmerchandisingcourses.co.uk
20:19
and on Instagram it's
20:22
@visualmerchandisingcourses
20:27
So there we have it. A masterclass in making your shop window do the
20:31
work for you. If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it with a friend
20:34
who might enjoy it too? And don't forget to like, follow or
20:38
subscribe to be the first to know about each new episode. And
20:41
don't forget to join us next week when we'll be exploring how getting a handle
20:45
on your data can transform your marketing.